’Supergroups’ aren’t supposed to sound this fresh. Stewart Copeland (ex-Police), Mark King (Level 42) and Adrian Belew (ex-almost everybody – King Crimson, Bowie, Talking Heads) join with Italian keyboard whizz Vittorio Cosma (ex-PFM) in a Milan studio and have a whale of a time. A cue for indulgent muso jamming? Not here, as the four clearly get a buzz from their chemistry and do very strange things with Copeland’s innately peculiar songs.
It’s a blitz of funky punky prog-reggae fusion (yes, that’s a thing, or at least it is now), and the playing is of course ludicrously impressive. What keeps the energy moving is Copeland’s bizarre vocal persona as a kind of horny preacher man, testifying to the travails – and fun – of ageing and travel.
That King-Copeland rhythm section’s a bit handy too. They occasionally skid off, but most of this album is playful, pugnacious and pleasingly unglued.
