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Reviews

Brand X — Missing Period
(Outer Music OM-1004, 1976/1997, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 1998-07-01

Missing Period Cover art

While nothing in the liner notes specifies an exact recording date for these sessions other than a very general timeframe of 1975-76, the music seems to bear this out, presenting a five-piece version of the early Brand X playing tunes that would later appear on their first two studio albums, plus a couple of surprises. The lineup features the basic quartet of Jones, Goodsall, Collins, and Lumley, plus percussionist Preston Heyman. The proceedings kick off with “Dead Pretty” (more familiar to most as “Born Ugly” from Unorthodox Behaviour), then moves into “Kugelblitz,” a tune from which pieces of other X tunes would later come. Other familiar tunes include “Why Won’t You Lend Me Yours” and “Miserable Virgin” (same as “Why Should I Lend You Mine...” and “Malaga Virgen”, both from Moroccan Roll), though both are played with a fresh intensity that the later more-polished versions tended to obscure; indeed, this is very live sounding and certainly not as slickly produced (a plus with this kind of music). The performances throughout this disc are superb and showcase the band in their best light; they were clearly on fire at these sessions. One may question the dubious credits — the tray card states that all songs were written by Jones and Goodsall, though this writer distinctly remembers “Why Should I Lend You Mine” as being a Phil Collins tune on Moroccan Roll. In short this disc is complimentary to the first three, and though it might not be the one for a newcomer to start with (Livestock is a better intro to the band), Missing Period is absolutely essential for any fan of Brand X.

Filed under: Archives, Issue 15, 1997 releases, 1976 recordings

Related artist(s): Phil Collins, Brand X, Percy Jones, Robin Lumley, John Goodsall

 

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