This stunning 2 CD set features the 1975 Nucleus album Alleycat and the 1976 compilation Direct Hits. Alleycat sees the British fusion ensemble getting downright funky and rocking, keeping pace quite well with other popular groups of the time such as Miles Davis, Return to Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and the Tony Williams Lifetime. Ian Carr (trumpet/flugelhorn/synthesizer) and his band included on this album Bob Bertles on sax & flute, Ken Shaw on guitar, Geoff Castle on keyboards & Moog, Roger Sutton on bass, and Roger Sellers on drums-together they make a formidable line-up that delivers on all levels.
The opening "Phaideaux Corner" is a rippling fusion monster, littered with neat Fender Rhodes, Moog, rumbling rhythms, and Carr's wailing trumpet. On the driving title track, Carr takes an extended solo over weaving wah-wah guitar glissando from Shaw, pumping bass grooves, and the jazzy sax from Bertles. Shaw's nasty, funk-driven guitar solo is a thing of beauty as his axe screams and bites its way through the mix over a Brecker Brother's type arrangement. The Fender Rhodes is again at the forefront on the mysterious and funky jazz of "Splat", a song also noteworthy thanks to Bertles and his melodic sax. Carr returns for some Miles Davis inspired scat on "You Can't Be Sure", a bluesy jazz piece that sees him do battle with the rootsy picking of Shaw's guitar, and the whole band pumps out some slamming fusion on "Nosegay", a burning jazz-rocker that is propelled by the wicked drum work of Roger Sellers.
Direct Hits pulls together songs from various Nucleus albums released between 1970-1974. This set stylistically is much different than what you hear on Alleycat, as Nucleus were perhaps closer in sound and style to Soft Machine or Bitches Brew era Miles Davis during that time period. There is less of a funk edge, more prog-rock, and certainly more jazz. "Song For the Bearded Lady" from the We'll Talk About it Later album, contains theme's that would later surface in The Soft Machine, and "Suspension", from Belladonna features guitar legend Allan Holdsworth as well as Gordon Beck on electric piano. There's atmospheric jazz on "Torso", lazy Latin-tinged fusion on "Bull Dance", as well as complex big-band styled fusion on "Roots" from the album of the same name, with screaming sax from Brian Smith.
This is without a doubt an essential purchase for any Nucleus and fusion collection. Nucleus fanatics will problaby already have the tunes that make up Direct Hits, but Alleycat is a must own, and the packaging put together from BGO Records is first rate.
Track Listing
Disc: 1
1. Phaideaux Corner
2. Alleycat
3. Splat
4. You Can't Be Sure
5. Nosegay
Disc: 2
1. Song for the Bearded Lady
2. Crude Blues, Pt. 1
3. Crude Blues, Pt. 2
4. Suspension
5. Torso
6. Bull Dance
7. Taste of Sasparilla
8. Roots
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