Jack Bruce - 'Songs For A Tailor'

I remember in 1969, when Jack released 'Songs For A Tailor', the consensus by many Cream fans who weren't at all happy with it, was something along the lines of, "This doesn't sound like friggin' Cream, man!".  In fairness, it is a long way from the bluesy, sometimes psychedelic boisterousness of the Uber-trio Cream.  Myself, being a jazz fan, I thought it was a pretty cool album, and still do.

On 'Songs For A Tailor', Jack's aggression and authority shines through just as strongly here as it did with Cream.  Pete Brown's, slightly surreal lyrics are a great fit with Jack's vocal delivery, which ranges from bruised, fragile white soul to bluesy belting.  Jack created an intricate but powerful setting of a fusion of rock, jazz and prog(ish) psychedelia.  Felix Pappalardi's spacious production adds texture to the proceedings.

The songs are strong, from sweaty R'n'B on ''Ministry of Bag'' to psychedelic jazz improv of ''Boston Ball Game 1967', Procol Harum-esque melancholia on "'Theme for an Imaginary Western", to the intricate song forms of "Rope ladder to the Moon".  Then there's my favorite song on the album, "Weird of Hermiston", which never fails to delight me.

Track listing:

1. Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune
2. Theme For An Imaginary Western
3. Tickets To The Water Falls
4. Weird of Hermiston
5. Rope Ladder To The Moon
6. The Ministry of Bag
7. He The Richmond
8. Boston Ball Game, 1967
9. To Isengard
10. The Clearout

Personnel:
Jack Bruce on, vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, organ, and cello.
Chris Spedding on electric guitar.
Felix Pappalardi on percussion, vocals, and acoustic guitar.
Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums.
Dick Heckstall-Smith on soprano and tenor saxophones.
Art Themen on soprano saxophone and tenor saxophones.
Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther on trumpet.
John Mumford on trombone.

This is a 24-bit/96kHz vinyl rip, from a pristine copy.

For the freeload, tell us about albums that disapointed you.