Brand X - Moroccan Roll - 1977 (24/96 Vinyl Rip)

"Moroccan Roll" (1977) is the second studio album by Brand X; the album is mostly instrumental, only "Sun in the Night" (the first track) is sung by Phil Collins.
This timeless melodic and virtuosic (great rhythm and timing!) album keeps fascinating after all these years; enjoy this impressive album of the seventies!

Note > No silence was deleted; please burn this album gapless..

Review:

Some 'Fusion' albums suffer from technical overkill, and the same is true about more standard jazz albums as well. Soloists just keep jamming relentlessly, which might seem an amazing display of energy, but the music doesn't take you anywhere. This problem simply doesn't exist on MOROCCAN ROLL, which (together with Weather Report's BLACK MARKET) must be one of the most poetic fusion albums ever made.
It's easy to see why Eno borrowed some of Brand X's musicians on ANOTHER GREEN WORLD and BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE.

Apart from executing superb solos on their respective instruments, all of the band's members are adept at creating sonic landscapes. Forgive me if I sound a little twee, but MOROCCAN ROLL really is the kind of album that takes you on a journey. Thus, Robin Lumley's "Collapsar" comes across as a superb bit of film soundtrack, performed exclusively on jazzy-proggy keyboards.

"Why should I lend you mine" is a fascinating eleven-minute band improvisation, nocturnal in feel and based on a spooky bass riff.
It uses some of the techniques developed by Chick Corea's Return to Forever, but far surpasses Corea in loveliness and sensuality. The boisterous "Disco Suicide" features the most gorgeous piano solos by Lumley, as well as one of Phil Collins' best ever performances on drums. On "Malaga Virgen" Percy Jones gets the opportunity to shine on fretless bass, but the piece is also blessed with superb performances by Lumley (on minimoog this time) and by lead guitarist John Goodsall.

If you're interested in fusion, or in non-vocal prog in general, this album should be top of your list. (There are two brief vocals on MOROCCAN ROLL, but they can safely be ignored.) If you're a Genesis fan, you really shouldn't miss some of Phil Collins' greatest moments. I've known this album for thirty years and it has never let me down - there's far too much going on! Definitely one of the highlights of the 1970s prog canon.

Review by Fuxi@progarchives.com


Track List:

01 Sun in the Night
02 Why Should I Lend You Mine (When You've Broken Yours Off Already)
03 Maybe I'll Lend You Mine after All
04 Hate Zone
05 Collapsar

06 Disco Suicide
07 Orbits
08 Malaga Virgen
09 Macrocosm

Musicians:

John Goodsall: Guitars
Percy Jones: Bass
Robin Lumley: Keyboards
Phil Collins: Drums, Vocals
Morris Pert: Percussion