Jack Bruce

OBAL A DESKA PERFEKTNI STAV

This is a superb album by the great Jack Bruce, who returns to active duty after several years of silence, with an incredible set of new songs, most of which are co-written with his lifetime friend, lyricist Pete Brown. Surrounded by a dreamy support band, which features such distinguished musicians as guitarists Alan Holdsworth, Vernon Reid and Jimmy Ripp, old-timers: pianist Nicky Hopkins and drummer Ginger Baker, World Music stars like Zakir Hussain and Mark Nauseef and others, Bruce delivers his incredible vocals and plays keyboards and of course bass, creating one of his best albums ever. An absolute must for every Bruce fan on earth!

As the years have passed, Jack Bruce has relied more and more on rehashing or re-recording or re-writing much of the (mostly Cream) material that propelled him to fame in the first place. This album has at least two examples of that tendency: "Life On Earth" was based on the same riff heard on "White Room" and "Tales Of Brave Ulysses," and it was originally recorded by the Bruce/Lordan/Trower (BLT) trio. And Ginger Baker's drums on "Obsession" help highlight the fact that it is very similar to "Sunshine Of Your Love." "Make Love" was updated for this album as well, having appeared several years prior on Automatic.

They were damn good retreads, though, and they do not mar this listener's utter enjoyment of A Question Of Time, which is catapulted over the top by a handful of transcendent tracks. "Flying" along with "Let Me Be," "Only Playing Games" and the title cut stand proudly among Bruce's best-ever material. 

Bruce had the right friends (or maybe enemies!) along to help out. Besides Baker, there was Allan Holdsworth, Vernon Reid, Bernie Worrell and Albert Collins, not to mention Jimmy Ripp's fantastic guitar performances throughout; his heathen guitar soloing on "Hey Now Princess" is not to be missed.

Considering that it was almost 1990, it's amazing that Epic allowed something this good to be released on their label.