Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: UK
Label: E.G. Records
Release: 1979
Runtime: 38:55
Rating: 4.5/5
“Danger Money” was the last studio move from the short-lived prog rock supergroup UK. The dream lineup earned its supergroup status because it featured some of the most respected names of the ’70s prog rock scene, and it first made itself heard with an outstanding self-titled debut. On it, the music legends managed to blend their very different talents into an almost perfect harmony and created one of the last masterpieces of prog rock’s golden age.
“UK (1978)” in many ways picked up where prog giants King Crimson would most likely have carried on, had they not (for the first time) unexpectedly fallen apart in 1974. That didn’t surprise many people, since three of the four UK members had ties to that legendary band. Charismatic bassist/singer John Wetton, versatile drummer Bill Bruford and androgynous keyboardist/electric violinist Eddie Jobson (who only worked with King Crimson as a guest player, re-recording some parts on the live album “USA,” 1975) remembered the sudden breakup of their favorite prog band all too well, so with UK they wanted to bring back at least some of that magic. And on the debut, which had a strong jazz fusion stamp thanks to ex-Soft Machine and Gong guitarist Allan Holdsworth, they pulled it off. But once it was out, the burning question was which direction the band should take from there.
That’s why a lineup made up of strong individualists sooner or later ran into a clash of egos. While Wetton and Jobson warmed to more symphonic arrangements, and weren’t averse to the influence of the increasingly popular melodic rock either, Bruford and Holdsworth, jazzers to the heart and soul, wanted more emphasis on jazz improvisation and longer guitar spots. In the end, the drumming maestro and the guitar virtuoso had to give way and pack their bags. They went on to pursue their musical visions successfully in Bruford’s solo project.
Meanwhile, Wetton and Jobson found Bruford’s replacement in Terry Bozzio, the American drum wizard Jobson had met while working with Frank Zappa. Wetton now had two former Zappa collaborators around him, both among the best rock instrumentalists of the time (and, in fact, still are today). The biggest surprise, though, was the almost controversial decision not to look for a replacement for Holdsworth on guitar. The guitar parts were made up for by giving Jobson much more room for his symphonic artistry on keyboards and electric violin. Quite a risky experiment, but it paid off completely in the end, above all thanks to their exceptional songwriting and instrumental chops.
The logical consequence of this move was that “Danger Money” puts even more emphasis, production-wise, on Jobson’s complex symphonic arrangements and classical-style improvisation. On the other hand, Wetton raised the melodic bar on some tracks and contributed a few anthemic choruses that he would become famous for later in his career. The album is full of motifs that laid the groundwork for Wetton’s next supergroup, Asia. It’s somewhat ironic that their sound became more accessible and melodic on most tracks, yet contained no fewer symphonic experiments than on the debut. The jazzy improvisation on drums, bass and guitar gave way to a more orchestral sound.
The first proof that UK didn’t take any radical stylistic detours after Bruford and Holdsworth left is the title track, which opens the album and has quite a few parallels with their classic “In The Dead Of Night.” After a symphonic, slightly eerie intro on thick layers of synths, UK lead us through a witty keyboard riff into the heart of this excellent composition. While Wetton’s superb singing in the pre-choruses and choruses is backed by dramatic vocal harmonies, extremely tasteful symphonic patterns flow in between. Wetton also takes a few short instrumental moments, once again confirming his reputation as one of the best rock bassists of our era with monumental bass solos. The band blended a compact, highly melodic chorus with complex symphonic arrangements and short solo adventures in a masterful way.
On the gentle, melancholic ballad “Rendezvous 6:02,” the dramatic mood of the opener changes completely and takes on calmer shades. It’s yet another one of those mighty ballads that suit Wetton’s voice perfectly, where he can carry on the legacy of melancholic King Crimson classics like “Book Of Saturday” or “Exiles.” The end result is that his heartfelt singing, over a tender piano melody, touches the listener’s deepest feelings in an instant. Of course, this is by no means an ordinary love ballad, since UK simply can’t resist experimenting along the way, layering eclectic orchestral textures and witty rhythmic embellishments.
The opening part of the excellent mini-epic “The Only Thing She Needs” is all about the killer work of the wildly dynamic rhythm section. Here Bozzio on drums stages out-and-out cataclysmic solo passages, complemented by the melodic, eclectic rattle of Wetton’s bass. Majestic orchestral bits and witty improvisations flow through constantly, and there’s plenty of room for Wetton’s dramatic vocal performances too. Despite the extreme complexity and the long solo sections, they keep hold of the red thread the whole time and never lose that strong melodic sense.
On the no less eclectic but even wittier “Caesar’s Palace Blues,” complex instrumental and vocal sections keep trading places in unpredictable ways. Finally, Jobson’s mischievous electric violin gems come into their own, and they’re finger-licking good. Strong textures from Jobson’s keyboards dominate the whole composition.
“Nothing To Lose,” seasoned with melodic rock, is by far the most compact track on the album, with a heavy focus on an anthemic chorus with layered vocals, while the solo improvisation takes a back seat this time. You can clearly hear where the first evolutionary step toward Wetton’s next supergroup, Asia, came from.
For the grand finale, there’s the incredible epic “Carrying No Cross,” with which they created one of the last great prog rock classics of the ’70s. It packs in the best that these three masters of experimental music had to offer. The complexity and eclecticism of the individual orchestral arrangements and rhythmic transitions is simply staggering, not to mention Jobson’s virtuoso skills, which seem to have no end on this fantastic composition. The closing instrumental section is easiest to describe with a metaphor: imagine what would happen if King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer went head to head.
With “Danger Money,” UK made another great record for their studio farewell. In songwriting, playing and sheer range, it falls only a little short of the unforgettable debut. The most striking thing is that you don’t hear the guitarist’s absence on the album at all. Wetton, Jobson and Bozzio were such fantastic instrumentalists that they easily filled the space that would normally belong to a guitar. In my opinion, “Danger Money” was also Jobson’s biggest star moment of his career up to then. Among other things, his incredible playing on this album influenced a whole legion of future prog rock keyboardists. After the tour and the live album “Night After Night” (1979), the expected breakup followed. The trio scattered to different corners of the music world. Commercially, Wetton was by far the most successful of them: after a short stint with Wishbone Ash, he co-founded Asia with a few more prog rock buddies and scored huge success with them.
Jobson took a no less interesting musical path, and he’s currently the boss of UKZ, the latest incarnation of a revived UK, which also features Trey Gunn, former King Crimson bassist. Some things don’t change even after decades. In this case, that’s more than welcome.
Lineup
John Wetton – vocals, bass guitar
Eddie Jobson – keyboards, electric violin
Terry Bozzio – drums, percussion
Production
Eddie Jobson, John Wetton
Track list
1. Danger Money
2. Rendezvous 6:02
3. Only Thing She Needs
4. Caesar’s Palace Blues
5. Nothing To Lose
6. Carrying No Cross
