from Brute Force (1970)

The overstated reference to guitar mayhem master Sonny Sharrock having sat with this band, called "Brute Force", for a record with the same title, bearing that 'we mean business' photo on the cover, may understandably have jumbled a lot of people's expectations (mine included). Adding to that confusion, while he is credited only on the first three numbers, some Sharrock-like shredding is also to be heard across a few others, and no other guitar player is identified as part of the crew. 

So, what should be made clear first of all, going into this, is that it is in no way a real Sharrock-joint: even if he adds some of his trademark tremolo cacophony to part of the proceedings, at no point is that the dominant vibe. Quite to the contrary, the first half of the record is mostly devoted to some soul-jazz-funk numbers whose righteousness seems to have dispensed with more superfluous musical considerations other than carrying the message across, and whose ability to musically rough up any listener, Sharrock-style, is fairly remote. 

That being said, things do start looking up on the flip side: the more free-flowing energy of "Monster" and "Ye-le-wa" I can certainly dig; but, for me, the most pleasant surprise the record had to offer was possibly its only moment of "Doubt", whose flute-swept winds (permeated by some (short) circular-breathing-sounding figures that remind me of the incredible shower of locusts Evan Parker would unleash all over Scott Walker's Track Six; high praise for that) close the album suggesting that, ultimately, against the very statement of existence for the band and album alike, these guys could actually have been more adept at the inspirational than the confrontational - and that, contrary to our action-packed imaginary of how social justice gets done, should hardly be seen as a lesser role for any freedom fighter to take on. As so many will possibly be re-learning in these days of renewed civil unrest, taking to the streets to fight against "the man" (making his triumphant comeback) is bound to only get you halfway there, if you can't also give everyone something to fight for.