Bill Bruford: The Autobiography. Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks and More.

Bill Bruford has announced his retirement and, seemingly during the same week, published this book. One could read this as "hey, this is gonna be some kind of tell-all, dish-the-dirt backstabber", of the sort issued by many a retired athlete and/or coach. But then again, this is Bruford we're talking about, a man whose name usually appears in conversation with the word "integrity" not far behind.So what is this book then? Is it really an autobiography? Well, yes and no. Bruford writes about his entire career arc, but not in the conventional birth-school-work-death order. Instead, like his drumming, he isn't content to just stick to the beat. The man has a million stories, racked up over 40+ years of albums, touring, hopping around from group to group, and finally becoming his own bandleader/businessman/do-everything guy. Many of his vignettes are hilarious; others convey the long and lonely road that all touring musicians face.But the thing that strikes me most is how good of a writer that Bill is. It's common knowledge that he's very witty, and is often regarded as the smartest one in the band (whatever band that it is). But the fact is, his writing style is highly entertaining. If he ever decides to retire from drumming (oh wait, he just did!), Bill could easily have a second career in writing...and, in fact, I hope he does a lot more of it if he's so inclined.About that "smartest one in the band" comment above: Some have labeled Bruford as arrogant, detached, and so on...but if you read his actual words, as set forth in this book, you'll understand why he's chosen the paths that he has in his career. Bruford has carefully collected all sorts of observations over the years, cataloged them, and released it all in this book. And as you read the book, you'll understand why he gets irritated when people ask him for the zillionth time "Why did you leave Yes?", "What's it like working with Robert Fripp", and "Do you enjoy interviews?" These are the actual titles of the chapters, and it's how the book is organized. And, after reading each of these and putting myself mentally in Bill's shoes, even *I* started getting irritated at some of the things he's had to put up with!Not many of these chapters go into extreme depth on each subject, and in fact some of the chapter titles don't really have anything to do with the actual contents. For example, one of these chapters has a series of very funny musings about food (such as it is) on the road, in conflict with the chapter's title. And the "Do you ever see any of the old guys?" chapter contains virtually nothing about this particular subject.Full disclosure: I started listening to Yes in the late 70s, when I was fourteen. Bruford had left Yes a few years earlier, and yet That Snare Drum Sound is all over Fragile and Close to the Edge, captured for posterity and heavily influencing rock music to this day. In high school, someone played me "One More Red Nightmare" from this band called King Crimson - and there was That Snare Drum Sound again. (There was also That Dirty Cymbal Sound, whose origin Bill reveals in this book.) I bought the Genesis album, "Seconds Out"...any guess what I noticed about that album?Later on, with the Discipline album by K.C., Bruford's dalliance with electronic drums came to the fore. At the time, I was a huge fan of Al DiMeola, and...who should appear on his "Scenario" album but B.B.? (Tony Levin, too, as an added bonus. Bill and Tony always sounded so good together that it was ridiculous.) The fact is, Bruford's made his mark everywhere in this business, and this book is a fascinating read that touches on all these things.So I've come to be a Bruford fan over the years, and have listened to a ton of his work. But not Earthworks, to which a large part of the book is devoted. Helpfully, Bill has included a free CD offer with the book, so I'll be checking out some of the Earthworks stuff very soon.So, if you're a fan of any of these bands mentioned above, if you're interested in the Process By Which Music Is Actually Made, and if you always wished that you too could try lots of fresh ideas in your lifetime, get this book...it's worth every penny. If you're looking for soap-opera-esque stuff, skip it. (No, Bill doesn't get on with Chris Squire. Yes, Bill thinks Fripp is, uh, eccentric. But who cares? That kind of stuff has been beaten to death.) Bill's writing is very English, of course, some of which may bypass an American audience...it helps if you're familiar with a few English idioms/phrases/slang, or at least have been to the UK at least once in your life.While reading this book, I imagine it's just Bill and me down at the pub, and he's telling me all his stories. The difference is I don't have to buy all the beer to bribe him with, and that we don't have to drink it, become incoherent, and spoil all the stories. This book is just a lot of fun to read. Very well done.(I was going to write all of the above and send it directly to Bill, but after reading this, I understand that he honestly does not have enough time to respond to every letter of his. So putting this here on Amazon, perchance to increase sales of his book, would be a better way for me to say thank you for many wonderful/musical years.)

While doing interviews, Bill Bruford always came across as one of the most articulate and intelligent people in music.Now that he's written an autobiography, it may be possible to drop the qualifier. Bruford might be the most articulate and intelligent person in music.That's probably an overstatement, of course, but music covers a lot of different types of intelligence. "Bill Bruford : The Autobiography" certainly takes its place as one of the smartest and most thoughtful books in the bookstore, especially in the entertainment and arts section.Bruford is best-known, perhaps, for what he did at the start of his 40-year career. He was a drummer for the original Yes, putting out five albums that went a long way toward defining progressive rock. You can still hear "Roundabout" from the "Fragile" album playing on classic rock radio stations every so often. Yes sold lots of albums back then and filled plenty of hockey rinks. Then, just like that, Bruford took the unheard-of step of walking away. He says now that he thought he had done the group had done its best work on its last album, "Close to the Edge," didn't particularly like the slow, creative process with that set of individuals, and bought his way out.Bruford jumped to King Crimson, which came and went over the years on the whim of founder Robert Fripp. When that band split up, Bruford went off to go in a variety of directions, mostly jazz-related. He's best known for his own band, Earthworks.In one of his books, actor Alan Alda wrote that he had taken a back-end payment plan when he started working on "MASH," which turned out to be far more lucrative than anyone could have imagined. So he didn't have the obligation of taking any job that came along just to pay the bills. He could afford to be choosy and do parts that interested him. It seems as if Bruford could relate to that. The quarterly royalty payments kept, and keep, rolling in from past work, and Bruford could pursue his craft without being the proverbial starving artist that many jazz performers must be at some point.Bruford does cover his musical life in something of chronological order, but there are few stories about life on the road or what Jon Anderson of Yes is really like. Each chapter gets a title that's a question he's heard a zillion times over the years, such as "Yes, but what do you do in the daytime?" and "Why would you want to form your own group?" That serves as something of a launching point for his own thoughts and views on a variety of different music-related subjects.Bruford covers such areas as the changes in the business over 40 years, the concept of artist vs. craftsman, the use of computers in music, reaction to critical opinions, the relationship between artist and audience, and the role of changing music in our society over time. The list goes on.As you may have guessed, this is not a book to be taken lightly. The background music should be down or off to allow for some concentration. Best of all, you don't have to know much at all about the drums and drumming to enjoy the at-times universal message.Bruford announced he was finished with performing on January 1, 2009, issued this book, and said he'll pursue his musical interests in other ways. Let's hope that more writing is one of them. If "Bill Bruford : The Autobiography" is any indication, there's no doubt he has plenty more to say.

Most of us know what to expect from a rock musician's (auto)biography: how they started, the success, fall-outs and break-ups and debauchery. This book is different. I think the nearest the author has come to trashing a hotel room is leaving a towel on the floor- and he'd have probably apologised when he checked out. Rather than write about himself Bruford has written about his work; how the music business has changed, the impact of changes/improvements in technology and production techniques and the "democratisation" of the music industry. You'll learn a lot about the modern music industry but little about Bruford's private life. I don't recall him stating the names of his children. Plenty of food for thought in this book; he supports his arguments with evidence from the likes of Simon Frith and Theodor Adorno. Someone intent on a serious career in music would be advised to read this book. It was a refreshing change to not have to wade through tales of drunkenness and debauchery.

I've read a number of rock autobiographies (Keith Richards, Rick Wakeman, Patti Smith et al) but this one stands out.Anyone with an affinity with the music of bands that Bill Bruford played in, or a passion for prog rock in its many forms will lap this up.But it's so much more than your average rock bio. It's VERY well written - entertaining, amusing, informed and informative... It's more than a series of tales of life in a van on the M1 etc - it's a series of essays on music & the life of a creative musician woven into amusing stories & insights into the life of a working muso.And the writing. It just flows. Bill Bruford clearly has a way not just with the drumstick but with words as well. It's intelligent, well constructed, very readable. I just kept on reading... couldn't put it down as they say.And the physical book itself is a joy to hold. Weighty, quality heavy paper, beautifully put together.So, do I recommend this. Unreservedly. Unless you want your rocks biogs to be lurid tales of 'how stoned I was' or 'how debauched I was' etc etc in which case there are many (inferior) biogs to be had. If, however, you know & admire this man's work and want an intelligent, amusing, insightful tale, well told & engaging to the end, then buy this now. If I could, I've give it 6 stars. By far the best of its genre.

I have every respect for Bill Bruford as a drummer and have followed him through his Yes days and beyond. He is clearly an educated man and appears the sort of person you could invite home for a cuppa and a chat and to meet your mother!However I admit to being disappointed in this book so far (I've reached page 140). It is less of an autobiography and more of a view of the rock music business through Bills eyes. It is well and intelligently written (I don't think I've found one F-word yet, apart from a quote), but for me there are rather too many adjectives and adverbs.An autobiography in the normal sense it isn't, but it does bring some interesting aspects of the music business to light and there are many amusing little anecdotes.So, I am finding it a little heavy going, but will definitely finish reading it, and hopefully be able to amend this post a little more positively when I've finished.Update, 25th October: I am now within some 20 odd pages from the end and sadly I cannot really alter my opinion. It is a weary and hard job to finish it. Shortly after the halfway point, I felt the pace getting a bit lighter, but now we seem to be wading into yet another meandering view of the pros and cons of white and black music. What has this to do with an autobiography? I'll finish it now certainly, but I confess to being disappointed. All a bit like wading through a heavy quagmire with Wellington boots on.On the plus side, there are many photos and pictures of Bill and his various bands. But these are all squeezed together into a couple of pages at the start of the book, and I had difficulty pairing the notes to the pictures. A better idea might have been to distribute the pictures in small groups throughout the book.To summarise then: a talented and educated man who perhaps needed a little guidance on writing an autobiogrphy. There is certainly no shortage of experiences and stories to draw on. Shame to make such an interesting musical career such hard reading.

I will make no bones about this... for me, Young William Bruford is the finest percussionist to have blessed these shores in....oooohhh, well.... FOREVER. Like so many people I followed him through his Yes period, his time with "The Mighty Crim", and then his glorious "solo" career with the likes of "UK" (a good idea, but Crimson are Crimson...), the "Bruford" albums (immaculately conceived jazz-tinged rock) and then onto Earthworks and the likes of B.L.U.E. (I won't mention Absolute Elsewhere, because Bill doesn't either!).A normal drummer's autobiography would probably be filled with crude anecdotes of excess, but Mr. Bruford is clearly a very deep thinker, and this book is at least as philosophical as it is musical. Yes, there are musical anecdotes (surprisingly slim on Yes, more so on King Crimson), but Bill is not in this for a cheap hit on the fans' wallets. This is a book for anyone considering being a MUSICIAN, the pitfalls, the possibilities, the COSTS both financial and personal. In the end it is a little sad, as Bill, despite his astonishing achievements in forwarding the ART in rock, still seems tinged with that old favourite - LOW SELF-ESTEEM. If you have an interest in the sheer MECHANICS of music, this is a book for you. If you wish to push music forward, this is a book for you. If you are a fan of Oasis, this will mean NOTHING to you. And if you happen to read this, Bill, THANK YOU for your amazing canon of work, and have a HAPPY retirement (hopefully those royalties will keep rolling in...)

Bill Bruford is an extremely thoughtful and articulate writer who has put together a really interesting autobiography of his years in the music business. He has not written a warts and all story of life on the road, but very much a personal record of his dedication to his chosen art form (or maybe the art chose him?).The first half covers the first 20 years of his career primarily as a member of Yes and the Mighty Crim (as he refers to King Crimson). He covers the tortuous process of putting music together when struggling to combine multiple conflicting and large egos. I found this half of the book somewhat "cooler" than the second half that covers his endeavours (largely successful) to move into a more artistically variable jazz environment. The second half also touches on the dynamics of trying to balance family life with the demands of striving to stay on the top of his game.It is very clear that BB has approached his artistic "job" with a huge amount of responsibility and dedication, the results of which we should all be grateful.The book ends with a somewhat academic analysis of the history of the "music business" and is somewhat depressing in its conclusions. The winding down and ultimate end of his live playing is also rather melancholic.A very honest book about the man and his life in music that I imagine is of interest to general music listener (me) and practitioners alike.