JACK BRUCE/THINGS WE LIKE 2343-033 (-70) UK

 Album recorded 1968 and according to Bruce himself containing tracks he composed already 1955, at age twelve. In that case he must have been a true jazz wizz kid back then, cause this sounds pretty advanced even for now. Hard to know how much of this still capture his original intentions and how much is due to the expert musicians involved. Drummer John Hieseman and sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith must have had a busy year as they then assisted John Mayall on his "Bare Wires" album and also were starting the Colosseum project. Guitarist John McLaughlin, who earlier had played with Alexis Korner, Georgie Fame, Grahame Bond and Brian Auger, would later be famed for his work with Mahavishnu Orchestra and becoming a sought after jazz fusion guitarist, playing with the best in the genre. To me this mostly sounds like free form jazz, jamming built around preset themes. Though I can appreciate the skill performed through Bruce's double bass and the others instrumental treatment as well as the tophole mix and audio making it all come out very natural, I'm not 100% in. I do appreciate experimental music, but need more melody, more catchy stuff, to fully connect...like what I hear on his "Songs For A Taylor" album  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2013/05/jack-brucesongs-for-taylor-583-058-69-uk.html  . This is a little too off for me. Yet I enjoy having the LP and maybe with time I will learn to love. Released on vinyl early seventies over Europe, Downunder, US, Canada and Japan. EU 2003 CD (Polydor 065 604-2) came with one bonus track. Also on cassette, 8-track and as US mono promo (ATCO 33-349). Premiere UK had label as shown here in a thin fully laminated cover. (CÄRÄ*)