Erstwhile drummer with Yes and King Crimson, my interest in Bruford's solo work was awoken about ten years earlier, when he released his first solo album with Hatfield/National Health keyboardist Dave Stewart (who co-produced this album), and it became apparent that he was heading in a jazz direction.
A decade later, following another iteration of King Crimson, Bruford released the first album with his jazz group, Earthworks, and I've no recollection of where or when I bought it. Compositionally, it's a team effort, with pieces by Bruford, keyboard and horn/trumpeter Django Bates and saxophonist Iain Bellamy (and almost every combination of the three.
The opening track Thud, is a lively start, with a theme of very 1980s keyboards, but none the worse for that, followed by Making A Song And Dance, combining samba style tuned percussion, with a gentle sax melody. Up North is another nice synth, sax and horns combination, while the Bruford composition Pressure is darker, more brooding and drum heavy. Things get more experimental with the altogether clunkier Emotional Shirt, before calming down with the lovely, gentle It Needn't End In Tears, then we end with the drone The Shepherd Is Eternal leading into the powerful, jaunty Bridge Of Inhibition.
I've really enjoyed listening to this album, an interesting piece of 1980s British jazz, with a group of musicians who aren't afraid to be bold.
3* - a pleasing listen, which might well repay further investigation
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