SMILING AT GRIEF

One of the quintessential prog revivalists of the early British neo-prog scene, TWELFTH NIGHT formed as far back as 1978 predating pretty much every other band that would rekindle the Genesis inspired symphonic prog that was only beginning to falter and fade away to the banishment of the underground during the 1980s. The band released a series of demos and singles throughout the late 70s and early 80s and although it's a murky distinction between what an official album is and what constitutes a mere demo, it seems the consensus is that the band's first album isn't it's more famous "Fact And Fiction" but rather this 1982 cassette-only release SMILING AT GRIEF. Amazing how prog acts had to claw their way back up out of the gutter with the same DIY ethos that propelled punk, metal and other outsider musical experiments to the forefront of the music industry.

While not nearly as famous as its UK counterparts Marillion, IQ and Arena, TWELFTH NIGHT was fundamental in summoning the world of progressive rock out of its forced exile and while bands like Yes, Genesis and Jethro Tull were crafting catchy pop music to cash in on the 80s trend of simpler music, TWELFTH NIGHT actually started out that way with a unique blend of early neo-prog, art rock and new wave however this band was overtly less commercial with the catchy pop influences kept in check by emphasizing more complex elements that made this album more prog than not however no doubt about it, TWELFTH NIGHT established neo-prog as one of the most pop influenced subgenres in the greater prog paradigm. Originally a self-released cassette album with nine tracks, the album has been reissued many times with the latest Steven Wilson remastering job having emerged as recently as 2022 to great effect with 13 bonus tracks. The album also featured two tracks: "Creepshow" and "This City" which were reworked and included on the "Fact Or Fiction" album.

This so-called demo turned official album is woefully overlooked in favor of what many actually consider to be the debut album, "Fact And Fiction" and that's really too bad because it's chock filled with excellent compositions accompanied by passionate performances and tight instrumental interplay. It was the first album to find Geoff Mann return as vocalist after a short stint as an all-instrumental band that found a surprisingly receptive audience once the "Live At The Target" album was released in 1981. Although the original release featured a really good production job considering it was a mere demo, the Steven Wilson remasters boost it up to top notch album status with respect to the album's original mood and feel without overdoing it. What's cool about these early TWELFTH NIGHT releases is it makes more sense how neo-prog developed through the 80s and how it incorporated aspects of post-punk, new wave and other more popular musical genres into a more sophisticated tapestry that crafted more demanding compositions.

SMILING AT GRIEF is an interesting mix of early neo-prog and 80s new wave with some tracks such as the opening "East Of Eden" and "Three Dancers" showcasing a bouncy more accessible approach that sound more like Ultravox than Marillion, however the album also features a few proggy excursions such as on "Creep Show," "This City" and the closing "Fur Helene Part II" which somehow mixes the new wave grooviness with proggy diversions from the bouncy bass bounce. The rest of the album also skirts the fine line between new wave and prog only in more subtle ways. It's all performed quite brilliantly and as an accessible catchy pop hook album, it's quite effective in crafting instant ear worms while the more complex elements are tastefully teased out of various passages where they fit in perfectly. Overall visiting this album is like going to the fusion factory to see how neo-prog was being engineered and perfected at its early stages, a sound that would propel Marillion, IQ and Pallas into the limelight and ultimately rekindle the entire prog revival scene that would really take off in the 90s. Many may cringe at the new wave aspects but i love new wave so it works for me!