Summary

(Book). Bill Bruford once called "the godfather of progressive-rock drumming" has been at the top of his profession for four decades, playing with Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Earthworks, and many more. The Autobiography is his memoir of life at the heart of prog rock, art rock, and modern jazz. It is an honest, entertaining, well-written account of life on the road and in the studio rubbing shoulders with the famous, the less famous, and the infamous, and creating an impressive tally of great music. A rock musician with the temperament of a classical musician who became a jazz musician, Bruford defies all the cliches about drummers. He says: "You write what you have to write, you play what you have to play, because you can't sleep at night. If you can sleep at night, you shouldn't be doing this anyway." From time to time, at polite dinner parties, someone will ask Bill what he does. He replies that he is a musician. "Yes, but what do you really do?" retorts the enquirer. This unusual, funny, and insightful music memoir answers the question.