Rock Goes to College (Live)

By the late '70s, Bill Bruford had already earned a lofty rep as a premier prog-rock drummer for his work with Yes and King Crimson, among others. But the band that bore his name marked his first project as a leader. This 1979 live set from the BBC's Rock Goes to College TV show finds the fledgling fusion band burning up the stage. Recorded right before the release of the band's second album, One of a Kind, it features visceral takes on tunes from the band's first two records. Allan Holdsworth (who, like Bruford, had recently split from the supergroup U.K.) was already well on his way to guitar-hero status. Listening to his furious fretwork on "Beelzebub" and the subtler, jazzy shadings on "Forever Until Sunday," it's easy to hear why. Keyboardist Dave Stewart (not the Eurythmics member) provides electronic freakouts ("5G") and lyrical lead synth lines alike, and the set's two vocal tunes feature the laconic but luminous tones of celebrated solo artist Annette Peacock. In the waning phase of jazz-rock's heyday, this hot set proved that fusion could be as hard-hitting as it was heady.