Brand X-Unorthodox Behaviour (1976)

For the British press of the time, Brand X was hailed as England's answer to the Americans Return to Forever, and unlike other contemporary groups from across the Atlantic such as Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, or Spyro Gyra, in addition to the aforementioned RTF, they had a distinctly British style. Composed of talented musicians from other bands, they created a side project to unleash each musician's individual creativity. These included drummer Phil Collins (Genesis), guitarist John Goodsall (Atomic Rooster), bassist Percy Jones (Soft Machine), and keyboardist Robin Lumley. Their debut album, released in 1975 by the progressive label Charisma Records, is one of the most memorable jazz/rock/fusion works of the 1970s. Comprising seven tracks, it demonstrated that the British style was much more closely associated with progressive rock than American jazz-rock, which was more influenced by funk, blues, or Latin sounds. From the monumental opening track "Nuclear Burn", a song where the entire band showcases their instrumental prowess, to the acoustic "Touch Wood", the rocking "Running on Three", the melodic "Smacks of Euphoric Hysteria", and the funk influences of "Born Ugly", this album is a powerful example of the best progressive jazz rock and undoubtedly belongs on the list of essential records in the genre.