UK - Danger Money

Name: UK
Album: Danger Money
Year: 1979
Style: Prog, Jazz Fusion
Similar Bands: Styx, Brand X, Battles, Mike Batt, Emerson Lake Palmer, King Crimson
"One-Word" Review: Cinematic Space Soundscapes
Based Out Of: England
Label: EG Records, Polydor, Polygram Distribution

Cover, Record, Liner Notes

Back, Record, Sleeve Notes

Danger Money (1979)

1. Danger Money 8:12
2. Rendezvous 6.05 5:00 (single)
3. The Only Thing She Needs 7:53 (single) /
4. Caesar's Palace Blues 4:42 (single B-Side)
5. Nothing to Lose 3:57 (single)
6. Carrying No Cross 12:20

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Eddie Jobnson - Writing, Arrangement, Producer, Violin, Keys (Curved Air, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa, Jethro Tull, Legacy, UKZ, Ultimate Zero, Fat Grapple, Roger Glover, Neoteric Orch, Yes, Mark Mancina, Andy Mackay, Bryan Ferry, Dana Gillespie, Amazing Blondel, John Entwistle, Mike Heron's Reputation, Phil Manzanera, Jasun Martz, Spyro Gyra,   more)
• John Wetton - Writing, Arrangement, Producer, Vox, Bass (Asia, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Uriah Heep, Edward Hand, Family, The Human Experience, Jack-Knife, Mogul Thrash, Qango, Renaissance, Wishbone Ash, Ultimate Zero, Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Atoll)
• Terry Bozzio - Drums, Percussion (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons, HoBoLeMa, Lonely Bears, Vai, Bozzio Levin Stevens, Brecker Bros, Jeff Beck, Luis Gasca, Barretto, A.Heller, Spinettam Group 87, more)
• John Punter - Engineer
• Geoff Emerick - Recording
• Nigel Walker - Asst. Engineer
• Dave Fidler - Crew
• Graham Davis - Crew
• Hipgnosis - Cover Design, Photos
• George Marino - Mastering
• Mark Fenwick - Special Thanks
• Sam Alder - Special Thanks

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band. The cover of a corporate employee washing their hands, couple with the album title Danger Money offer a political commentary on corporate greed and the difficult subjugation. The back show long hairs with their instruments, and overall, i get a hard rock, power pop standing on the edge of metal vibe...if it were not for the 6 tracks at rather lengthy times. That makes me think it is more of a prog act. Not to say the two cannot be blended. Also, I see the name John Wetton, whom I have reviewed previously as a solo artist. So if that gives me any indication, this will still be that fine line of power pop & arena rock.

Album Review: The music emits the feeling of a cohesive theatrical play about psychedelic space adventures, even if that was not the intention. The vocal sections show they can be an arena rock band like Journey, but the rest of the progressive sections tie them to the 8-10 minute musings genre. The first 4 minutes of The Only Thing She Needs is a nice song with some Battles and Genesis sounding sections, but the song pauses and builds itself back up for an extra 4 minutes or so.

UK were a supergroup, with each member coming from 3-5 different popular bands from King Crimson, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa to name a few (obviously i'm not well versed enough in these bands or I may have picked a name out.). The end of Prog's popularity & differences in stylistic direction plagued the band, as this is their second of two studio albums (where the first one had four members, one of whom was a different drummer [Bill Bruford], and they did not replace the guitarist [Allan Holdsworth]), and they broke up while touring for the album. But their differences were not enough to burn any bridges, as these three all worked together in various projects, and reformed together for a US tour in 2012.

Stand Out Track: The Only Thing She Needs

Links:

Youtube full album
Wiki

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