HENRY FOOL

Henry Fool are a new prog band based around Fudge Smith (Pendragon/ Steve Hackett Band) and Tim Bowness (No-Man/David Torn). Along with Steve Bennet (keys), Peter Chilvers (bass), Michael Bearpark (additional guitar) and Myke Clifford (woodwind) they have produced one of the most interesting prog bands to come out of the UK in recent years.

Fudge must find this music like a breath of fresh air having played in Pendragon for so long. Take 60's/70's influences such as early Genesis, early Floyd, Soft Machine and VDGG and mix them with Rain Tree Crow and King Crimson then throw in some Faust and Greg Lake for good measure. The album moves from delicately sung ballads that are beautiful in the extreme to music that takes a lot of work to gain the benefit from it.

This is probably too far away from what most people these days think of as 'progressive' music but in many ways this truly is and deserves to be heard.

Originally appeared in Feedback #64, Dec 01