Another blog first: a book review. I just got done reading Bill Bruford's autobiography, published in 2009 as he was retiring from the stage.In 350 pages, Bruford muses over his story with typical English humor and numerous anecdotes.
Rather than being some sort of chronological tale, Bruford categorizes things by topic. Loosely. Each Chapter starts off with a F.A.Q., anf the sections of the chapter range from highly relevant to the question to mercilessly off topic. He also spends almost no time on Yes, with probably no more that 20 or 30 pages on the subject. Bruford instead opts to focus on King Crimson and his solo carrer in jazz. If anything, Bruford makes his life story out to be one of a slow musical growth from rock into jazz, the music that truly captivates him. Therefore, if you're just reading for stories about days of prog rock glory, you'll probably not find this a great read.
However, the book is not that. It is an excellent read. In its passages one gets to see the true mentality of a Prog Rock musician, what it quests for, and the end result. In the end of it all, Bill Bruford's journey led him to leave Yes because he felt he couldn't continue to grow as a musician there, leave King Crimson for the same reason, and retire at his peak. All throughout, Bruford is witty, approachable, and somewhat self depreciating. I'd have liked to read a bit more about the Prog Rock days, but this was an excellent on sight purchase at the book store. Grade: B+.
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