Album Liner Notes
Feels Good to Me
This is one of the clearest origin points for Jeff Berlin's reputation in progressive fusion. Bill Bruford's first solo album became the launchpad for the Bruford band itself, and Berlin is right in the middle of a lineup that still looks absurd on paper.
Overview
This is one of the records that made Jeff Berlin unavoidable in fusion circles. Bruford did not build a polite all-star date; he put together a band of forceful players from different worlds and let the tension show in the writing.
Jeff matters here because the music depends on precision without sounding stiff. Between Bruford's clipped attack, Holdsworth's harmonic drift, and Dave Stewart's dense keyboard writing, the bass has to stay articulate and aggressive all the way through.
The guest list is not decorative either. Annette Peacock changes the shape of the album by pulling it toward song on key tracks, Kenny Wheeler adds a very different color on three pieces, and John Goodsall only appears once, which makes the title track feel even more specific.
Quick Snapshot
- Feels Good to Me was released in January 1978 as Bill Bruford's first solo studio album, recorded in August 1977 at Trident Studios in London.
- The core lineup is Bill Bruford, Jeff Berlin, Allan Holdsworth, and Dave Stewart, with Kenny Wheeler on flugelhorn, Annette Peacock on vocals, and John Goodsall on rhythm guitar on the title track.
- The Bruford band grew directly out of the lineup assembled for this record, which is why the album reads like a beginning instead of a side project.
A stacked lineup
Bruford assembled musicians from Yes, King Crimson, the Canterbury scene, ECM, and Brand X orbit around one record.
Jeff in the deep end
Berlin's bass work holds its own inside an ensemble that leaves no room for vague time or soft phrasing.
Bruford's next move
The Bruford band effectively grows out of the lineup formed for this album.
Produced from inside the circle
Robin Lumley co-produced the album with Bruford, tying the record even more tightly to the Brand X and late-1970s British fusion orbit.
Listen For
Beelzebub
A natural entry point for the record's aggression and precision.
Feels Good to Me
The title track shows how the album could move between fusion complexity and something more song-oriented.
Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past)
The longer form writing gives the ensemble space to show how elastic the record really is.
Joe Frazier
The 2005 remaster adds a live bonus performance of Jeff Berlin's composition 'Joe Frazier,' which is worth noting even though it was not part of the original LP.
Track Listing
- 1. Beelzebub — 3:16
- 2. Back to the Beginning — 7:09
- 3. Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (Part One) — 2:30
- 4. Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (Part Two) — 4:25
- 5. Sample and Hold — 5:12
- 6. Feels Good to Me — 3:49
- 7. Either End of August — 5:27
- 8. If You Can't Stand the Heat... — 3:20
- 9. Springtime in Siberia — 2:43
- 10. Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past) — 7:55
Musicians
- Bill Bruford: drums, percussion, vocals on track 2
- Allan Holdsworth: electric guitar
- Dave Stewart: keyboards
- Jeff Berlin: bass
- Kenny Wheeler: flugelhorn on tracks 3, 7, and 9
- Annette Peacock: lead vocals on tracks 2, 3, and 10
- John Goodsall: rhythm guitar on track 6
Technical Credits
- Producer: Robin Lumley
- Producer: Bill Bruford
- Engineer: Stephen W Tayler
- Tape operator: John Brand
- Tape operator: Colin Green
- Tape operator: Stephen Short
- Equipment technician: Peter Revill
- Equipment technician: Mick Rossi
- Recorded at Trident Studios, London, in August 1977