Gradually Going Tornado

Gradually Going Tornado is the third solo album by drummer Bill Bruford and the second and final album by his group Bruford. It was co-produced by Bruford and Ron Malo, the latter known from his work with Weather Report. The music on the album leans closer to progressive rock than the jazz fusion oriented sound of the band’s previous albums. More of Bruford's lyrics are featured as well, for the first time sung by bassist Jeff Berlin. "Land's End" incorporates music keyboardist Dave Stewart had previously composed for the National Health album Of Queues and Cures (1978). Guitarist Allan Holdsworth left the group before recording began, and recommended his guitar student John Clark as his replacement. Clark was listed as “the Unknown John Clark” on the album sleeve as part of a running joke highlighting his obscurity in comparison to Holdsworth.

Gradually Going Tornado
Studio album by Bruford
Released	February 1980
Recorded	October & November 1979
Studio	Surrey Sound Studios, Surrey, England
Genre	Jazz fusion, progressive rock
Length	46:02
Label	Polydor Records
Producer	Bill Bruford Ron Malo
Bruford chronology
The Bruford Tapes (1979) Gradually Going Tornado (1980)

The title of the album was taken from the British-based Romanian artist Paul Neagu who did a performance under the name "Gradually Going Tornado" in London in 1974. Neagu created the album's cover art.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Penguin Guide to Jazz

In a review for AllMusic, Lee Bloom wrote: "This is intelligent fusion -- intricately crafted, high energy, and technically impressive... Gradually Going Tornado, if not Bruford's most successful effort, is certainly among the finest music produced in the progressive rock/fusion genre."

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the music "strongly melodic, freewheeling and built round Bruford's ringing percussion."

John Kelman of All About Jazz commented: "The Bruford Tapes demonstrated a more raucous energy than Bruford's first two releases, but the follow-up studio album, Gradually Going Tornado, proved that the group was capable of generating the same kind of power in the studio."

Track listing

1. "Age of Information" (Bruford, Dave Stewart) – 4:41
2. "Gothic 17" (Bruford, Dave Stewart) – 5:07
3. "Joe Frazier" (Berlin) – 4:41
4. "Q.E.D." (Bruford, Dave Stewart) – 7:46
5. "The Sliding Floor" (Berlin, Bruford, Dave Stewart) – 4:58
6. "Palewell Park" (Bruford) – 3:57
7. "Plans for J.D." (Bruford) – 3:50
8. "Land's End" (Dave Stewart) – 10:20

2005 bonus cut
9. "5G" [live] (Berlin, Bruford, Dave Stewart) – 7:21

Personnel

• Dave Stewart – keyboards, synthesizers
• John Clark – electric guitar
• Jeff Berlin – bass guitar, lead vocals
• Bill Bruford – drums

Guests:

• Georgie Born – cello (“Gothic 17”)
• Amanda Parsons, Barbara Gaskin – backing vocals (“Land’s End”)

Technical:

• Ron Malo – co-producer, engineer
• Pete Buhlman – engineer, tape operator
• Martin Moss – engineer, second engineer
• Paul Neagu – art direction, design

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year	Chart	Position
1980	Pop Albums	191