Brand X
Moroccan Roll

Many know Phil Collins as the bass player and eclectic drummer of Genesis, for having a long solo career, and even for lending his voice to several Disney feature films. But few, very few, know that, simultaneously with his activity in the well-known progressive band, he brought to life a great jazz-rock experiment called Brand X, a group that came to light in 1976 (during the recordings of A Trick Of The Tail) and worked during Collins' breaks. 

Active from 1976 to 1980 and later for a couple of albums in the '90s, the quartet included (in addition to Phil behind the drums) John Goodsall on guitar, Robin Lumley on keyboards, and the great Percy Jones on bass. The band was one of the most beautiful and small realities of the '70s, even though it didn’t have much success because the jazz-fusion scene at that time was completely overshadowed by the Weather Report and, in part, by Soft Machine. After the debut album "Unorthodox Behaviour" in 1976, the group reached a very low number of sales. For this reason, a year later, Brand X released their second album, "Moroccan Roll". After the previously showcased Jazz, the band decided to fuse the same genre with a bit of funk that was just emerging at that time. The result? A very homogeneous and relaxing work. Phil Collins, often occupied with other matters, was also joined by the excellent Morris Pert, who added that extra boost to the complex, making this album worthy of its name. 

Even though contrary to what is said, small progressive influences are definitely noticeable. Proof of this is in the first and brief track, "Collapsar", introduced by a nice layer of keyboards and synthesizer that reminiscent a bit of the intro to "Eleventh Earl of Mar" from Wind & Wuthering (well, it was the same year, right?). With "Disco Suicide", you also hear that funk vein that characterizes the work, even if it is still pure jazz-fusion. Then we move on to the jewel "Hate Zone": here Phil Collins is inhuman, unleashing all his great drumming ability that wasn't always evident in Genesis. Jones' bass is magical and pulsing, while Goodsall's guitar occasionally breaks out with Hackettian solos. The violent and fast mini-suite "Macrocosm" is characterized by a good use of keyboards, accompanied by the faithful drums: probably the heart of the LP. "Malaga Virgen" is perhaps one of the most beautiful of the album and is somewhat reminiscent of "Nuclear Burn"; indeed it is composed of a long instrumental crescendo that then flows into the characteristic theme, reprised throughout the song. The graceful "Maybe I'll Lend You Mine After" ushers us towards calmer and more listenable shores, even reaching more melodic standards. Then it resumes with the brief and unsettling "Orbits", which is nothing more than a demonstration of great skill on the bass by Percy, and "Sun In the Night", which instead also features Collins' voice: the song is an electro-acoustic lullaby with slight psychedelic interludes (almost similar to those of I Know What I Like by Genesis: yes, they're still in there!). Finally, we move on to the great and majestic "Why Should I Lend You Mine", which reprises the previous track. A slightly aggressive beginning takes us inside the song, among a drum roll and some keyboard chords. The bass, ever-present, bounces from one side to the other, making its presence almost anarchic; Jones indeed loves going off the beaten path multiple times, which brings to mind a certain Jaco of our acquaintance. John Goodsall breaks out and begins to snarl with his six strings, breaking the rhythm and making the song quicker. After this brief interlude, there is ample room for improvisation: almost imperceptible sounds of little animals can be heard in the air, only to be replaced by keyboards that fade more and more slowly, putting an end to this splendid work.

Recommended to all lovers of the genre and beyond. For all those who already know the group, I also recommend the previous "Unorthodox Behaviour" and the great "Livestock", while for those who have no clear idea of who Brand X is, listen to this album and you will make an interesting discovery.