X-Legged Sally, the Belgian ensemble founded by composer Peter Vermeersch in 1988, wrote much of its music for the dance company Ultima Vez of choreographer Wim Vandekeybus. Bereft Of A Blissful Union, issued in 1997, contains the score for Vandekeybus's 1996 production of the same name, played by the band together with the string quartet The Smith Quartet.
The strings change the band's sound considerably. Long passages are closer to contemporary chamber music than to the brass-and-guitar attack of the earlier records, and the 24-minute Brungle develops slowly across several moods. Alongside Vermeersch's own pieces there are arrangements of Nuages Gris, Der Doppelgänger and the folk song Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair.
Japanese CD reissue by Belle Antique in a paper sleeve with obi, SHM-CD, remastered.
