Review: Jack Bruce – Halfway To The Stars – The Recordings 2001-2003
Jack Bruce – Halfway To The Stars – The Recordings 2001-2003
Format: 4CD / Blu-ray Video Clamshell Box Set By The Legendary Jack Bruce
Label: Esoteric
Release: 2026
Tekst: Martien Koolen
Jack Symon Asher Bruce, better known as Jack Bruce was a gifted bass player and he is considered one of the most influential bassists of all time and he gained of course popularity as the lead vocalist and bass player of the supergroup Cream. Later on, he made lots of solo albums, played with several bands and he formed West, Bruce & Laing (1972) and The Jack Bruce Band (1976).
The Recordings 2001-2003 contain the two albums ‘Shadows In The Air’ (2001) and ‘More Jack Than God’ (2003), featuring new interpretation of songs from Cream, like: I Feel Free, Politician and We’re Going Wrong. The two re-recorded Cream classics, featuring Eric Clapton, Sunshine Of Your Love and White Room are the highlights of Jack Bruce’s twelfth studio album.
But the live recordings of this release, a double album recorded at The Milky Way in Amsterdam are truly worthwhile to listen to, as Bruce and the Cuicoland Express really play at top notch level indeed. This truly was a fantastic performance with classic rock songs, and again the highlights are White Room and Sunshine Of Your Love.
Furthermore, this tribute album contains a marvellous Blu-ray with a registration of the Jack Bruce gig at the Canterbury Fayre on August 24, 2002. Highly recommended indeed!
Tracks:
CD 1
‘Shadows In The Air’
01. Out Into The Fields
02. 52nd Street
03. Heart Quake
04. Boston Ball Game 1967
05. This Anger’s A Liar
06. Sunshine Of Your Love
07. Directions Home (for Tony Williams & Larry Young)
08. Milonga
09. Dancing On Air
10. Windowless Rooms
11. Dark Heart
12. Mr Flesh
13. He The Richmond
14. White Room
15. Surge
CD 2
‘More Jack Than God’
01. So They Invented Race
02. Follow The Fire
03. Kelly’s Blues
04. We’re Going Wrong
05. Bizniz
06. Progress
07. I Feel Free
08. Ricin (Daylight Gathering)
09. The Night That Once Was Mine
10. Milonga Too
11. Cold Island (for Cozy Powell)
12. Uh, Oh!
13. Politician
14. Lost In The City (Jam mix)
CD 3
‘Jack Bruce & the Cuicoland Express Live at The Melkweg, Amsterdam 2001’
01. Surge
02. Out Into The Fields
03. 52nd Street
04. Heartquake
05. This Anger’s A Liar
06. Sunshine Of Your Love
07. Milonga
CD 4
‘Jack Bruce & the Cuicoland Express Live at The Melkweg, Amsterdam 2001’
01. Windowless Rooms
02. Dark Heart
03. White Room
04. We’re Going Wrong / Politician
05. 52nd Street (Encore)
CD 5 – BLU-RAY
Jack Bruce & the Cuicoland Express
‘Live at The Canterbury Fayre 24th August 2002’
01. Surge
02. Sunshine Of Your Love
03. 52nd Street
04. This Anger’s A Liar
05. Theme For An Imaginary Western
06. Milonga
07. Windowless Rooms
08. Dark Heart
09. White Room
10. Politician
Website: https://www.jackbruce.com/