Bozzio, Terry - Prime Cuts

Year of Release: 2005
Label: Magna Carta
Catalog Number: MAX-1001-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 52:11:00

Pulled from a variety of albums, Prime Cuts is kind of a greatest hits package from the amazing drummer Terry Bozzio. But can we speak of "hits" in this situation? From my point of view every single Bozzio fan on this planet already has the majority of these cuts once they initially got released. For people who don't own any music by Bozzio, I don't see this package serving as a teaser either. So in order to make this set interesting, Magna Carta has added two so far unreleased tracks. There's the rather short "Walking Dream," which was recorded during the Bozzio Levin Stevens package Black Light Syndrome but so far never released.

The album kicks off with "Sick Jazz Surgery," which was recorded especially for this album. It's the only track on the album which is a 100% solo effort by Bozzio playing drums, glockenspiel, flute, chromatic piccolo toms, keyboards and also adding vocals and programming the whole. For a lot of Bozzio diehards this track alone will be worth the album's money, although for my taste this incentive isn't what most of us music lovers were waiting for. No doubt someone like Bill Bruford will heavily applaud this composition because it comes damn near to what Bruford has been delivering for years as well. For Terry himself "Sick Jazz Surgery" probably is an ideal exercise whilst for would-be drummers, this track will remain untouchable for as long as they practise. I also find it pretty daring to put this track right at the very beginning of the album as it's not the kind of track which gets to you from a rock angle. Maybe from an improvisational point of view this new track shows resemblances to some of the contents on "A Glimpse Into A Deeply Disturbed Mind."

"Dangerous" and "Dreaming In Titanium" as well as "Last Call" are authentic rock tracks and probably reach more individuals than the less accessible songs. One of these more "difficult" songs has to be the improvisation between Terry and Tony Levin, between percussion and bass. Because Bozzio himself is an audio buff, no doubt he felt very privileged when Mark Gage put his teeth into remixing "Melt," as it's always interesting to hear what other people might do with your music in order to deliver something wacky and new. Listening to Terry Bozzio is constantly asking yourself whether this guy only has two arms or whether he's the reincarnation of an octopus? But whilst you're still trying to find the answer, Bozzio is already embarking on another journey laying down the basics for what might eventually end up as Prime Cuts Volume Two.

Tracklisting:
Sick Jazz Surgery (10:32) / Dangerous (6:40) / Dreaming In Titanium (4:10) / Last Call (11:10) / Walking Dream (2:03) / A Glimpse Into A Deeply Disturbed Mind (8:47) / Edge Of A Circle (5:16) / Melt (3:40)

Musicians:
Terry Bozzio - drums, percussion
With:

Trent Gardner
Wayne Gardner
Matt Guillory
James LaBrie
Tony Levin
James Murphy
John Petrucci
Jordan Rudess
Billy Sheehan
Steve Stevens

Discography:
Selected...
Bozzio Levin Stevens - Black Light Syndrome (1997)
Bozzio Levin Stevens - Situation Dangerous (2000)
Bozzio Sheehan - Nine Short Films (2002)
Prime Cuts (2005)

Genre: Various Genres

Origin US

Added: January 31st 2005
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.terrybozzio.com
Hits: 2148
Language: english