Around the next dream --- BBM --- 1994 (Capitol)
For those who don't know, BBM stands for Baker, Bruce, Moore, and was another side project for Gary which featured (anyone?) Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Gary. There was, again, only the one album, before Gary went on to release his “Blues for Greeny” tribute the next year and then on to “Dark days in Paradise”, but as supergroups go, it's not to be sniffed at. Unusually, Gary only writes two of the tracks himself, the rest being a collaborative effort with the other two, plus two cover versions.
With a very definite (whether intentional or not) Cream/Clapton sound to his guitar, “Waiting in the wings” opens the album on a good mid-paced rocky note, and I'd have to say that's Jack Bruce singing, as each of the trio are credited with vocals, and I know it's not Gary. I haven't heard too much Cream --- I know, shame on me! --- but what I have heard of their music leads me to recognise Bruce's voice, and I think that's him still on second track “City of gold”, with Gary ripping off another fine solo with the ease of a man totally in control. A nice semi-acoustic ballad then in “Where in the world”, with lovely soft keys from Tommy Eyre, and Gary on vocals. Nicely restrained with some insightful drumming from Ginger Baker.
Back to Gary's first love for “You can't fool the blues”, good swinging rocker with fine organ from Eyre, Gary staying behind the mike for this song, then it sounds like Jack is back for a cover of “High cost of loving”, with great honky-tonk piano from Tommy Eyre. Some vibrant trumpet from Morris Murphy on “Glory days”, a sort of hard rock/AOR tune which would have made a good single. Great guitar solo from Gary, then we're into the longest track by a way on the album, the nine-minute “Why does love (have to go wrong)?”. A slowburning blues ballad that gets hard and heavy in the middle and then goes back to its laidback tone before bursting into life again, I would have preferred it to have stayed in the one vein, but its constant dodging back and forth makes it hard to really pin down the song, though it is good, but not the standout I had expected.
Much better in fact is the first of only two Gary Moore-penned tracks, “Naked flame” sounding a little like “Gonna rain today”. Nice lazy melody with of course Gary at the mike, almost a solo effort by him, some really nice measured drumming from Ginger and the usual fine keyboard backing from Eyre. The second cover, a version of Albert King's “I wonder why (are you so mean to me)” rocks along with great pace and enthusiasm, just great fun, and the album closes on another of Gary's solo-penned songs, “Wrong side of town”.
A beautiful, broody, slow ballad in the best tradition of Gary Moore, it's got a certain lounge feeling about it, almost like a slow cabaret song, but quite sensational. His voice is smooth and deeply soulful on this, the closing track, and helped along on the back of Tommy Eyre's deep, sonorous keyboards.
Another fine collaboration, “Around the next dream” marks a particular period in Gary Moore's career, when he once again played with legends, well on the way to becoming one himself, and together they put together a fine album. Different paths beckoned however, and Ginger Baker went on to record six more solo albums, as well as working with Andy Summers and the Denver Jazz Quartet, while Jack Bruce sadly fell ill from liver cancer, which thankfully he recovered from, and is still recording and playing live. But just to hear the three of them play together, if only the once, was indeed a privilege.
TRACKLISTING
1. Waiting in the wings
2. City of gold
3. Where in the world
4. Can't fool the blues
5. High cost of loving
6. Glory days
7. Why does love (have to go wrong)?
8. Naked flame
9. I wonder why (are you so mean to me)
10. Wrong side of town