: : Jakko M. Jakszyk – The Bruised Romantic Glee Club : :

Band/ artist:  Jakko M. Jakszyk
Title:  The Bruised Romantic Glee Club
Label:  Icenci

When I received this cd in the mail my first thought was that I have never heard of this musician. Then I looked at the back cover and read the list of guest musicians like Mel Collins (King Crimson), Robert Fripp (King Crimson), Danny Thompson (Porcupine Tree), Dave Stewart (Hatfield and the North) and Ian MacDonald ( King Crimson). That’s just to name a few. It reads like a King Crimson revival from the seventies. This is Jakko’s seventh solo album and what a treat it is. There is a lot of music on this double cd set so lets get to the review shall we.

The first cd (entitled Now) is of a very personal nature. The liner notes include important information on how these songs came to be. It makes for some interesting reading and you really get to understand where Jakszyk was coming from when he wrote this music. The first song entitled “The Bruised Romantic Glee Club” is a great album opener. This is a jazzy/pop/rock number that really hits the spot. From the great jazzy drumming of Thompson (this guy is so versatile) to the sweet sax playing of Mel Collins the song really grooves. It definitely has an Alan Parsons feel to it - smooth all the way. Track 2 is a very short classical instrumental piece inspired by Holst’s The Planets. Very nice indeed. This leads directly into the third song entitled Catley’s Ashes (Catley is the name of his wife’s cat). The song starts off with a steady groove laid down by Thompson and some nice sax by Collins and Jakko provides some nice guitar throughout. A definite Steely Dan/Jeff Beck vibe to it. I happen to like both of those artists so this song really agrees with me. This album is off to a great start. The fourth song starts off with sweeping keys intertwined with Jakko’s soothing guitar. Again it reminded me of Parsons and the spoken words at the beginning offers a hint of Pink Floyd. It is quite short and smoothly turns into the very melodic “Highgate Hill”. Again, Parsons comes to mind with a dash of The Beatles. Thompson really lays down a nice tone on this one. The sixth track starts nicely with ambient Frippion sound affects, fretless base and Jakkos pleasant sounding voice. This is a very quiet but progressive song that reminds me a little of David Sylvian.

The seventh song, “No One Left To Die” really picks things up. It starts off peaceful with quiet instrumentation and Jakko’s smooth voice. Then the band really starts to cook with excellent guitar and exceptional drum fills. The tempo changes once again and Collins’ sax takes center stage. Good stuff.

Disc 2 (entitled Then) is where Jakszyk pays tribute to his major influences. The album opens with three Soft Machine numbers: “As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still/That Still; Perfect Summer; and Astral Projection In Pinner” . Jakko’s love of the Cantebury scene comes shining through as all three songs are very well done.

The Middle Eastern treated “Pictures of an Indian City” with its well played sitar guitars is a real treat. I thought the use of sitars really suited the song. A fine remake of the King Crimson classic.
“Nirvana For Mice” originally by Henry Cow is a very interesting song. Although I have not heard the original I really want to after hearing this version. Guitars, bass and drums really come together for a great prog workout. If you like tempo changes you have come to the right place. While I really enjoyed this song, the highlight of the album has to be the King Crimson classic “Islands”. This is one of my favourite Crimson songs and Jaksyk does a great job. He really captures the emotion of the song with a wonderful voice over an unforgettably sad piano melody. This piece is worth the price of admission.

There you have it. I am really impressed with this with this disc. It has something for everyone to enjoy. I should also mention the excellent production. The instrumentation comes through crystal clear. An outstanding piece of work.

Rating: 9 (out of ten)
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf

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: : Discography : :
Silesia (1982)
Kingdom of Dust (1994)
Mustard Gas and Roses (1995)
Are My Ears On Wrong? (1996)
The Road to Ballina (1997)
The Bruised Romantic Glee Club (2006)