Given the impact of his first solo album, Jack Bruce‘s second vocal-flaunting recording, “Harmony Row” from 1971, was always destined to stew in the shadow of “Songs For A Tailor” but still overshadow its jazzy predecessor “Things We Like” which had been laid down even before the Scottish musician’s debut individual longplay saw the inside of the studio. However, from today’s perspective, Bruce’s third full-length platter feels just as great as his initial offering, with numbers like “Morning Story” almost instant classics. There’s no surprise, then, in its forthcoming reissue following the same format as the one that came earlier.
What will be out on June 27th is a two-CD and two-Blu-ray box set, where Jack’s voice, bass, cello and keyboards shine alongside Chris Spedding‘s stellar guitar work and John Marshall’s groovy drumming in a remastered sound of the album’s original mix and fresh remixes – stereo and 5.1 surround sound – by Stephen W Tayler. Augmented with a smattering of bonus cuts, partially available on the record’s 2003 edition yet missing the instrumental demo of “Escape to the Royal Wood (On Ice)” that would enrich the context as much as a few previously unreleased tracks will (not that there are 34 bonuses, as the press release states), this variant seems additionally valuable thanks to the inclusion of video material: the veteran’s contemporary concert for the Granada TV, where the three aforementioned players were joined by his former boss Graham Bond, and a documentary filmed for the German TV series “Swing In” in 1972. Essential, as is the remastered vinyl reissue.
Harmony Row
CD 1 – original mix:
1. Can You Follow?
2. Escape To The Royal Wood (On Ice)
3. You Burned The Tables On Me
4. There’s A Forest
5. Morning Story
6. Folk Song
7. Smiles And Grins
8. Post War
9. A Letter Of Thanks
10. Victoria Sage
11. The Consul At Sunset
bonus tracks:
12. Green Hills (Can You Follow?)
13. There’s A Forest (first take)
14. You Burned The Tables On Me (electric piano version)
15. Can You Follow? (first take)
CD 2 – new stereo mixes:
1-11 – as on CD 1
bonus tracks:
12. Riffs (take 14)
13. Smiles And Grins (Olympic Studios demo)
14. A Letter Of Thanks (Olympic Studios demo)
15. End Piece
Blu-ray 1 – audio – 96 kHz / 24-bit new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mixes:
1-11 – as on CD 1
bonus tracks:
12-15 – as on CD 2
Blu-ray 2 – video
Jack Bruce & Friends – “Out Front” – Granada TV, 1971:
1. Smiles And Grins
2. A Letter Of Thanks
3. Folk Song
4. Powerhouse Sod
5. You Burned The Tables On Me
“Swing In” – WDR TV, 1972:
6. You Burned The Tables On Me
7. Theme For An Imaginary Western
8. Politician
9. Rope Ladder To The Moon
10. Folk Song
