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Bill Bruford: The AutobiographyYes, King Crimson, Earthworks And More Bill Bruford  
As Bill Bruford -- once called "the godfather of progressive-rock drumming" -- retires from the music industry Jawbone commemorates his 40 years behind the kit with this erudite memoir. A rock musician with the temperament of a classical musician who became a jazz musician, Bruford defies all the cliches about drummers. In this account of life on the road and in the studio, he offers anecdote after anecdote about a time when musicians had the freedom and ambition to experiment. His story begins as a schoolboy music fan in the 1960s, continues through the formation of Yes, the prog rock explosion and the riches it unleashed, and how he matured in his later years as a highly regarded jazz drummer and band leader. Prog rock is back in the limelight (partly due to the recent BBC4 Prog Britannia documentary), a number of new young bands unafraid to be a bit clever, and -- in defiance of all trends to the contrary -- prog CD back catalogue sales are booming. As interest in the academic side of rock continues to grow the timing for this informed insider's view on prog rock, art rock and modern jazz is perfect. Author Information Bill Bruford's professional musical career began in 1968. He was a guiding light in the British Art Rock movement, recording and touring internationally with Yes and King Crimson from 1968-74. Since then he has worked with many other artists, including Gong, National Health, Genesis and U.K., as well as leading his own bands Bruford and Earthworks. Bill Bruford: The Autobiography is his first book. "Bill Bruford's autobiography is a frequently hilarious recounting of his long life in progressive rock and jazz. Defying every drummer joke you've ever heard, he writes successfully from inside the music." David Fricke: Rolling Stone: March 19 2009 "Bruford's autobiography not only provides a humorous insight into the daily detail of a successful musician's life but also grapples with the big existential issues of what it takes to be an artist of any sort in the modern world." David Sinclair: The Guardian April 11 2009 "... the text is intimate, clever, concise, and witty -- a bit like Bill's drumming." Will Romano: Modern Drummer June 2009 "Professorial in its remit and written with a bone-dry wit and an authoritative elegance that will be the envy of many far more high-profile cultural commentators, this might just end up becoming one of the best-informed, most informative textbooks of its time." Marco Rossi: Shindig!: April 2009 "An engaging and dryly witty style that makes for an easy, can't-put-it-down read… This book addresses matters anecdotal, technical, practical, emotional and philosophical with style, panache and elan." John Kelman: All About Jazz: March 2009 "Head and shoulders above the majority of books in its class." Jeff Miers: Buffalo News: March 24 2009 "Bruford is a literate biographer and honest." Steven Rosen: Curled Up With A Good Book: March 2009 "It's frank, cynical, very amusing, inspiring, thought provoking and highly recommended." Brent Keefe: Drummer Magazine: April 2009 "Bill Bruford's The Autobiography is one of the most original books you'll ever come across, penned by a man that some would still label a 'rock star'." Adam Garrie: USA Progressive Music.com: March 2009 "The most extraordinary autobiography I've ever read on music." David Etheridge: Performing Musician: April 2009 "This is an intelligent, articulate and sensitive book." Andy Robson: Jazzwise Magazine: April 2009 "... a terrific autobiography." Geoff Nicholls: Rhythm: April 2009 "His insight is keen, his stories compelling." Vintage Guitar: June 2009 "Bill Bruford's story is not just for drummers. It is for all artists, musicians, music lovers, or anyone who wonders what it's really like to spend your life trying to make the music you love." Neil Peart, Rush: May 2009 |
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