Prog Britannia - Album Reviews

"Future Legends" opens with the title track, a short classical piece of music which acts as a prelude to "Decision", a lively and rumbunctious number that gallups along nicely with a pounding rhythm and builds up to an impressively rousing finale. An awesome opening to the album. "As Day Breaks with Dawn" follows next, with a melodic classically-inspired opening, which breaks out into a powerful thrumming Genesis-like number with the singer sounding remarkably like Peter Gabriel. Yes, we're definitely in Genesis territory here, with a somewhat heavier sound, and very good it is too. Onwards now to Track 4 and "Graveyard Epistle", a song which begins as a melodic ballad before breaking out into some very proggy, heavy and intense riffing. In true prog fashion, there are constant changes of tempo, staccato breaks and a few key changes thrown in too, to keep the listener entertained and enthralled. We're halfway through the album now and this is sounding very good indeed!

Side Two opens with "Lord of the Incubus". It's a grand-sounding title and the music is impressively grand too, Again, it sounds like a song Genesis could have recorded in their classic prog years. There's a thumping rhythm section and the guitarist is really in his element here as he demonstrates his virtuosity with some masterly soloing. Track 6 "Olde Tyme Future" has a more sedate pace, with some beautifully melodic keyboard motifs. The cryptic lyrics are shrouded in mystery but with music this good, who cares about the lyrics anyway!? And now we come to the penultimate and longest song on the album, "Song for a Thought". It's a seven and a half minute long magnum opus which opens in fine rollicking style and then transposes into a laid-back mellow and melodic groove in the middle section. before the resounding and reverberant grand finale, which might just blow your socks off. It's melodic, it's dramatic, and it'll leave you feeling euphoric. The final song is a brief and gentle vocal reprise of the classical title track which opened the album. It's a perfect ending to a magical album full of proggy tales of mystery and imagination.

This is a very impressive debut album from this Northern Irish band that's likely to appeal to fans of the classic Peter Gabriel years of Genesis. It's hard to pick out a highlight of the album, because "Future Legends" is full to the brim with great songs. If you're looking for a band with the musical talent and melodic finesse of Genesis with a somewhat heavier edge, then you'll be in prog heaven with this superb album. This prog masterpiece is such a delight to listen to that you may be inspired to give Fruupp's following three albums a spin too. A must-have album for any discerning collector of classic British prog.

  1973: Fruupp - Future Legends - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mDWM3mS4bcdNf6txuuhQE1ZwNqJyrlVn4

  1974: Fruupp - Seven Secrets - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kKdArXFNydJBsQ9MgtEN5HE67NonfrEwc

  1974: Fruupp - The Prince of Heaven's Eyes - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l1-YdWwyEvMwLyDzrQYA4P3zvI2GUL6I0

  1975: Fruupp - Modern Masquerades - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kUw-JvZqmCYKlH-Njr7L8lT8_catyP14Y

"Super Nova" occupies the whole of Side One of the album. This 20-minute-long epic is a four-part suite, so prepare for blast- off with "Arrival of the Traveller". it's a pounding and throbbing Space Rock instrumental opener which immediately brings to mind Hawkwind and early Pink Floyd. That opening assault on the ears leads us into "Blood Red Sun" a two-part song, opening with a harsh-sounding and strident slow marching rhythm, foretelling a bleak dystopian future for the Earth, which has obvious parallels with King Crimson's "20th Century Schizoid Man". The second part of "Blood Red Sun" is a fast-paced, instrumental freak-out jam session, where the talented group of musicians sound like they're really having a blast. This powerful and energetic blast from the past might not have the awesome power and brightness of a super nova, but it's a luminous red giant of a song. We're really slowing things down now though for "Say Goodbye to Love", an unashamedly romantic tearjerker, so it might be time to get out the hanky, because this emotionally appealing ballad might just bring a tear to the eye. The singer really pours his heart out with these touching lyrics:- "Once there was peace on earth, Joined were thoughts of people, Who knew more of love and kindness from them, Living life always a thought for each other, So I can say good bye to love, Say goodbye to happiness." ..... You can put away the hanky now though and "Prepare to Meet Thy Maker" with the fourth and final part of the "Super Nova" suite. The song opens with a gloomy doom-laden atmosphere, but don't get too downhearted because the singer emerges in fine voice from the gloom with what turns out to be a very uplifting and exhilarating piece of beautiful music. The Prog Gods will be Graciously appeased, because this is a really grandiose and triumphal anthemic masterpiece to lift the spirits heavenwards.

If you're looking for fun and feeling groovy, then have a listen to "C.B.S", the 7-minute long funky jam session which opens Side Two. There's no clue in the lyrics as to what "C.B.S." might be referring to, but it's nothing to do with the well-known record company of the same name. Just groove along and shake your booty down to the ground for this invigorating and intoxicating piece of music. This is a fast-paced, toe-tapping, organ-driven number with attitude. Onwards now with "What's Come to Be", a moody bluesy Mellotron song which sounds remarkably like The Moody Blues! It might not be quite as grandiose and spectacular as "Nights in White Satin" but it's not far off. In the immortal words of Barclay James Harvest, this symphonic epic could be described as a "Poor Man's Moody Blues", but in a good way. There's a nice use of alliteration in the title of our next song "Blue Skies and Alibis", even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's a great piece of music though which barrels along at impressive speed with all of the musicians going hell for leather to keep up the pace. A well-earned tea-break might be in order for both the band and the listener after this frantic and frenetic jam session. Good Gracious, is that the time!? We've nearly reached the end of the album now and it's time to slow down the pace just a little for the closing song, "Hold Me Down". You can't hold this band down for long though because they're still in good solid rock & rolling form with this uplifting barnstormer of a song.

If you're in a Gracious mood for some good old-fashioned, classic British Rock from the early 1970's, then this is the album for you, because "This is...Gracious!!" - with two exclamation marks!!

  1970: Gracious - Gracious - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lpd6hU3gg6YHlb6SYT9z1x4ZbGeHxVsS0

  1971: Gracious - This is... Gracious! - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_llaS7a87tf4_s3sfDKu_Q0khcTJsROEgo

  1996: Gracious - Echo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_rUjUj-lP0