FACT AND FICTION

Twelfth Night were old-school progressive rock, which is to say, they made their records about obscure subjects and didn't court airplay, nor seem too bothered when it didn't court them. Despite (or perhaps because of) that, they made some truly stunning albums in their too-short career. Not many, it's sadly true, and as far as studio albums go this was their first. It should have led to a glittering string of successes alongside the likes of Marillion, IQ and Pallas, but it doesn't seem to have worked out for them, which is a real pity.

First track, "We are sane" is a savagely satirical attack on society, starting with of all things a choirboy-like aria which then turns into a series of spoken snippets, like extracts from studies "If the thought processes of an individual/ Can be permanently limited to the point of strict conformity/ To an outside source of thought/ The said individual need no longer/ Be considered as such/ The enforcement of order becomes possible/ For anyone with enough power/ To control what is projected". In the background someone can be heard saying "Would you file this please Mary?" The song gets faster and a robotic voice declares "Technician we want you to build a component/ For each of our workers, to be with them always/ At all times watch closely so we can keep track of/ Their actions, their interests, their morals, their time out/ Some muzak to maim them some fear to contain them/ Policy will judge them brute forces degrade them./ Practical behaviour, the cleanser the saviour /A private vocation has no sense of nation/ The maintenance of power can be fulfilling /Just as long as all the slaves are willing." Andy Revell goes a bit mad with the guitar here, fitting the title of the song, while Geoff Mann sings and declaims like Waters on The Wall at his most fanatical.

"Human being" is a great little song too, very Marillion-like in its structure, another warning of dehumanisation, with great keyboards from Clive Mitten, a cool little bass solo from him too, and impressive drums from Brian DeVoil. Another great guitar solo as Revell's fingers fly up and down the fretboard . It's so sad that a voice like Geoff Mann's was taken from us. Although he cut ties with Twelfth Night in 1983 to pursue a career in the church, and recorded some spiritual albums, he was diagnosed with cancer and died in 1993. A tragic loss. Twelfth night carried on with Andy Revell as singer, though I have not yet heard any albums with him singing.

"This city" is a dark ballad, conjuring up images of windblown streets with houses looking out over them with broken windows like sightless eyes. It's pretty keyboard driven, and Mitten does great work here, though in fairness it's very hard to get away from the possessing and imposing voice of Mann, who bestrides each song like a colossus. We get a chance to hear Twelfth Night without him though on the next track, "World without end", which is a very short instrumental carried again on keys, almost church-like in its execution, but very effective. The title track is a boppy, uptempo number with again dark and satirical messages: "If you listen carefully/ You can hear the bacon fly!" It's another keyboard-led song, with a fine line in bass, a relatively simple drumbeat all that's needed to keep it on track. The keyboard hook is very commercial, and if it wasn't for the deep lyric this could have been a hit single. Ah, the usual problem. Oh well, "If the unthinkable should happen/ And you hear the siren's call/ Well you can always find some shelter/ Behind a door, against a wall." Indeed. And don't forget to lie down so the nuclear blast goes OVER you, children...

"The poet sniffs a flower" is a great little instrumental, which starts slowly, with a lovely little acoustic guitar (I believe it may be classical guitar?) melody with keyboard backing and then the drums pump in slowly, but halfway through it speeds up and gallops to the end in a very Duke way. The drums pick up and Andy Revell drops his acoustic and picks up his electric guitar to take the song to its ending.

And so we come to the opus on the album, the almost twelve-minute-long "Creepshow". It's a multi-layered piece, featuring a slow, acoustic opening and seems to centre on the idea of a sanitarium being used as a sideshow, as Mann welcomes visitors. "Welcome, welcome, first today to see the Creepshow/ Come see the exhibits/ But do not touch/ They cannot bear touch in the Creepshow." It's a disquieting lyric, accompanied by suitably spooky music and truly inspired singing by Mann, which just teeters at the edge of insanity. The guy's range was truly scary! No pun intended. I think.

It's a very unsettling song, and you can feel yourself, despite your fear, being dragged into the creepshow, tagging along with all the other watchers, observing with horror but also terrified interest the freaks and experiments housed here. Eventually we come to "The nerve centre of the whole affair/ As you will see, it is a mirror/ To some it is the mirror of dreams/ Where every passion, desire and action/ Flit through the still spaces behind its surface/ Tantalising yet distant/ Of these, many stand before it until death." The song ends with a dire warning: "If you come again/ You'd better bring your ball and chain/ Another embittered attraction/ Of the Creepshow!" Brrr! Gives me chills, it does! Ending on a guitar solo worthy of "Comfortably numb", this is one monster (literally) of a track!

After all the weirdness, horror and unease of "Creepshow", the album ends in a much gentler fashion, with a gorgeous little song of hope, entitled simply "Love song". Revell accompanies Mann on acoustic guitar, and you can hear the beginnings of the singer's religious conversion in the lyric: "If you feel that your hoping heart/ Has led you into pain/ Take a tip from the Carpenter/ Forgive and love again." After all the convoluted lyrics, themes and concepts throughout the album it's quite amazing, refreshing and clever that Twelfth Night close Fact and Fiction with the simplest of sentiments: as Bill and Ted once said, be excellent to each other. Can't argue with that.

If you're a prog fan and have not yet heard Twelfth Night, take my advice and do so now, and lose yourself in a band who should have lasted far longer.