It is often remarked that guitarists have a “signature sound”, an easily recognisable tone or style, but not so much drummers. Yet, if there is one man known for his unique rhythms and pioneering spirit, then it is surely Bill Bruford. Aside from playing with legendary names such as Yes, King Crimson, Gong and Genesis, Bruford has also had a parallel career where he’s pushed at the bounds of experimentation. Spanning a period of forty years, The Best Of Bill Bruford – The Winterfold & Summerfold Years collects tracks from both record labels to shine light on an artist for whom the word “visionary” doesn’t do justice.

By the time Bruford released his first solo album in 1977 (Feels To Good To Me), his musical education had already been deep and wide. Having left Yes in 1972 when the band were at a commercial and creative peak he then joined the terminally improvisational King Crimson where he found a kindred spirit in Robert Fripp. It meant that when he became captain of his own ship he was more than ready to take hold of the wheel and ‘Back To The Beginning’, a track from his debut album and worthy opener to this first disc, evidences a competent songwriter who is keen to push the boundaries of what popular music can be. 47 years later and ‘Back To The Beginning’ still sounds visionary (as does the whole set), it’s bursting at the seams with ideas and gives the impression that it could fracture in any direction. Manipulating structures and rhythms in a way that was previously heard only on jazz records, you can hear the influence of these songs echoing down the years with ‘The Sliding Floor’ (from 1980’s Gradually Going Tornado) undoubtedly paving the way for the likes of Atheist and Watchtower.

Like all good musicians, Bill Bruford understands that sometimes it is not what you play, but what you don’t. Good art is all about leaving space for the listener to infer meaning and that makes it a more collaborative affair (and, ultimately, more satisfying). There was often a distinct lack of drum solos on Bruford’s solo work which means this collection is an ego less affair; he’s often content to take his place within the group for the sake of the whole and a prime example would be his Earthworks project. You could say that his drumming on ‘Up North’ (from their 1986 eponymous debut) is unobtrusive, that’s not to say his playing is plain, far from it, yet he’s a component rather than the sum of parts. Of course, there are times where he comes to the fore (such as the following ‘My Heart Declares A Holiday’) but others when he almost disappears (‘It Needn’t End In Tears’) and that makes him a more rounded, complete artist.

Running in a loose chronological manner, this collection not only charts the development of Bruford as a musician but also as a songwriter. Bill’s solo work was punctuated by stints with other artists (most notably King Crimson) and it was through his work with other artists that Bill grew and developed, taking pieces of information, hither and thither, like a musical magpie and reassembling them in his own image. Yet, it was the lure of jazz that tugged hardest and was a constant pull. By the time the new millennium rolled around he was firmly ensconced in that world and all he learnt in the preceding years came to fruition on the The Sound Of Surprise album. If I didn’t tell you that ‘The 16 Kingdoms Of The 5 Barbarians’ (from 2004’s Every Step A Dance, Every Word A Song) was totally improvised and spontaneous, you’d never guess and that’s precisely where the loose discipline of jazz comes into play. Likewise, the live ‘Footloose And Fancy Free’ has that tight-but-loose feel that only comes from schooling in jazz and a deep knowledge of the form, but just like us, Bruford was self-taught and “home schooled” and that makes his work very relatable; it provides a convenient “in”, an accessibility, for those unfamiliar with the genre.

Such is the diverse nature of this set that no two songs really inhabit the same sonic space, yet it is a collection that’s stitched together by its own eclecticism. However, the genre-defying, wide world of Bill Bruford can seem a tad impenetrable to the newcomer, it can be hard to know where to start, so I suggest you start ‘Back At The Beginning’ with The Best Of Bill Bruford – The Winterfold & Summerfold Years.

• The Best Of Bill Bruford – The Winterfold & Summerfold Years is released via Cherry Red Records on 20th October 2024.
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Track List:

CD One:

1. Back To The Beginning
2. Seems Like A Lifetime Ago Pt.1
3. Seems Like A Lifetime Ago Pt. 2
4. Hell’s Bells
5. Travels With Myself, And Someone Else
6. Age Of Information
7. The Sliding Floor
8. Symmetry
9. Blue Brains
10. Flags
11. Everything You’ve Heard Is True
12. Sample And Hold
13. Adios a la Pasada

CD Two:

1. Up North
2. My Heart Declares A Holiday
3. Pilgrim’s Way
4. Stromboli Kicks
5. Temple Of The Winds
6. Candles Still Flicker In Romania’s Dark
7. Nerve
8. It Needn’t End In Tears
9. If Summer Had Its Ghosts
10. Thistledown
11. Dewey-Eyed, Then Dancing
12. No Truce With The Furies

CD Three:

1. Revel Without A Pause
2. The Sound Of Surprise
3. The 16 Kingdoms Of The 5 Barbarians
4. Kinship
5. From The Source, We Tumble Headlong
6. Baye Kene N’Diaye
7. Footloose And Fancy Free
8. Come To Dust
9. White Knuckle Wedding
10. Beelzebub