Big Picture - US band from Chicago area:1993 album

I suppose the fact that there are still a few CD's left to buy 18 years later says it all!

 

As an addendum, here's the text of a review by John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg for progressiveworld.net in 2000:  http://www.progressiveworld.net/html/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=439

 

"Genesis guitars, Marillion rhythms, Saga changes and a voice which sounds like a combination of Dane Stevens (Druid singer and Jon Anderson clone), Geddy Lee (Rush) and Peter Nicholls (IQ). We are talking about the Canadian sympho machine called Big Picture who with their self-titled album have released a very nice CD indeed. A song like "Fall From Grace" finds itself, where the not so evident use of percussive sounds is concerned, on the same wavelength as Rush. Very accessible but still very original is "Power Of Life ' where I can find a similar style like Galahad. Compared to a lot of projects, a real drummer can be heard here and the amounts of sweat this guy is losing benefits the music. The songs benefit even more from his inventive playing. I love" That's Just The Way It Is "which works exactly like Supertramp: acceptable for" daytime radio "but still OK to be of interest for the album buying public.
Although this kind of music is often disrespectfully categorised as being "neo-progressive" the end result is still important enough to give it a serious spin. Hard work has gone into producing this album which is a thing you can clearly hear, especially in the arrangements. OK, Scott Pieper's voice will not be loved by everyone but what remains is more than worthwhile. A little recognition for the BIG picture should not be too much to ask."

 

There is a footnote on the webpage by the editor to the effect that a follow up was advertised, but (as far as is known) was never released, so there IS material knocking around somewhere (maybe in in somebody's attic!) that could be resurrected if the incentive was there...

 

Mark Krueger, the Planet Prog presenter, apparently knows the keyboard player (Mark Pieper) and I have emailed him for any info he may be able to supply to include in a proper bio of the band.

 

Addendum 2:  Mark Piper is currently still very active and playing in a six piece band called Champions Of Nothing http://www.championsofnothing.com/The_Champions_Of_Nothing_-_Home.html 

 

Update: I have contacted Mark via FB and he has no objections to his old material being uploaded to YouTube. He has asked that we revise our band bio to reflect that it was actually a US band from the Chicago area - Heaven knows where the Canadian references came from on those few sites that I actually found details of the album on!! He also confirmed that a second album WAS intended, but sadly the band stalled during the recording of it. Wouldn't it be great if we could generate enough interest to get this material recorded by him NOW...18 years down the line!!