Music Banter - View Single Post - The Playlist of Life --- Trollheart's resurrected Journal

Trollheart · 07-16-2011, 05:10 PM

Once around the world --- It Bites --- 1988 (Virgin)

It's indeed a rare thing, but it does happen: a band's debut album is not great, their third also not great, but the one in the middle is brilliant. Certainly the case, as I found it, with this band, and even more unusual, when you consider that their biggest hit single, the chart-topping “Calling all the heroes”, came from their debut album. Nevertheless, this was my first introduction to their album work (although they had come to my attention via the aforementioned single, which I had tipped, in my radio days, as being a big hit long before it was) and having thoroughly enjoyed it I went back to their first album, “The big lad in the windmill” (what?) and was very much underwhelmed. Years later, when I had a chance to hear their follow-up to this, 1989's “Eat me in St. Louis”, I was similarly disappointed.

But between those two nestles this, the second album by It Bites, and though they never matched or even came close to its brilliance, “Once around the world” is a great piece of progressive rock, following in the footsteps of some of the masters of the genre. It even features an epic composition, the title track, to which we will get later. But it's a solid rock album, and it kicks off with a power-rocker, “Midnight” features the stabbing guitar AND distinctive vocals of Francis Dunnery, melding with the somewhat sparse keyboards of John Beck, and the song is carried on a cool little funky bassline courtesy of Dick Nolan, while Bob Dalton thumps out the drumbeats. It's a catchy little tune, and starts the album in decent fashion, but it's “Kiss like Judas” that really ramps up the action and gets the proper prog-rock vibe going, with a really solid keyboard melody redolent of their big hit, and this time the roles are reversed, as the keys come to the fore and the guitar takes something of a backseat, still managing to rip off some fine riffs nevertheless.

Things just get better with “Yellow Christian”, with its singalong chorus, guitar hook somehow putting me in mind of eighties popsters Cutting Crew, and its waltzy rhythm, together with its somewhat obscure lyrical content and its extended keyboard runs. I would have considered this a good choice for a single, but it wasn't chosen. Very mid-seventies Genesis touches here I feel, circa “Firth of Fifth” or “Afterglow”. Dunnery's voice is certainly different, and adds great character to the songs. My only gripe with this song is that it suddenly changes tack right at the end, and finishes abruptly, in a style very akin to “The musical box” off Genesis's “Nursery Cryme” album. I normally don't go for songs fading out, but here I think it would have been a better way to end this track.

“Rose Marie” is a heads-down rocker, unremarkable after the sublime “Yellow Christian”
--- no ambiguity about the content here! --- and “Black December” is something in the same vein: good songs, but a little formulaic. Great guitar work in both though, almost verging into Heavy Metal territory at times, particularly on the former. I'm surprised to see that “Old man and the angel” is over nine minutes long, as it certainly doesn't seem that long. (Note: listening to the CD version for the first time, I see now it's a very much extended version. I preferred the original vinyl one) Not a bad song, though I prefer the much shorter “Plastic dreamer”, with its interesting theme of toys coming to life in the toyshop after hours: ”At the stroke of twelve it all came to life/ And He-Man chased the man with his wife/ Darth Vader shows he's all dressed in drag/ Reveals what's inside I thought he was bad “ The nursery-rhyme-like melody really fits the song, shot through with stabs of pure guitar mayhem, a real wish for lost childhood. Great little song, and some excellent lines: ”Enterprising heroes in full flight/ And Batman swings by the candlelight/ And Superman's laughing at the wonderland zoo/ I think I'd rather be this way...” Wouldn't we all?

And so we come to the closer, the title track, and very much the centrepiece of the album; almost fifteen minutes of pure prog mastery, It Bites' “Supper's ready”or “Tarkus”. Rather like the former, it starts off slow and on keyboard and bass, with a short introductory passage before the guitars get going and the second part kicks in, with Genesisesque keyboards taking us back twenty-five years, suitably “prog” lyrics like ”In every town there'a a man in a wheelchair/ In every frown there's an optical illusion” setting out the band's stall.

There's no doubt that this band, and this song, have been heavily influenced by Genesis, as the tune now goes into a 1920s vibe, quite eerily familiar to the “Willow Farm” section from “Supper's ready”. It's quite short though and then goes into a sort of dramatic bridge, before returning to the twenties melody, with perhaps a hint of 1930s Big Band in there too. As might be expected the track then speeds up and gets into high gear for the denoument and conclusion --- even the line ”6 to 4 is on the run” sounds like ”666 is no longer alone...”, but that's not a bad thing. There's some stylish guitar work then leading into some lovely keyboard moves as the song winds into its twelfth minute and slows right down for the ending, delivered with panache and passion as the whole thing comes to a rather glorious conclusion, ending a fine album in excellent style.

It's a pity they never equalled the quality of this album, but it's often said every band has one opus in them. For It Bites, this was it, and it's more than worth listening to. Just don't expect more of the same, unfortunately.

TRACKLISTING

1. Midnight
2. Kiss like Judas
3. Yellow Christian
4. Rose Marie
5. Black December
6. Old man and the angel
7. Plastic dreamer
8. Once around the world

Suggested further listening: Hard to say, but of the other albums, “Eat me in St. Louis” is not bad. Also check “Calling all the heroes” from the debut, “The big lad in the windmill”

07-16-2011, 05:10 PM	#78 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Once around the world --- It Bites --- 1988 (Virgin) It's indeed a rare thing, but it does happen: a band's debut album is not great, their third also not great, but the one in the middle is brilliant. Certainly the case, as I found it, with this band, and even more unusual, when you consider that their biggest hit single, the chart-topping “Calling all the heroes”, came from their debut album. Nevertheless, this was my first introduction to their album work (although they had come to my attention via the aforementioned single, which I had tipped, in my radio days, as being a big hit long before it was) and having thoroughly enjoyed it I went back to their first album, “The big lad in the windmill” (what?) and was very much underwhelmed. Years later, when I had a chance to hear their follow-up to this, 1989's “Eat me in St. Louis”, I was similarly disappointed. But between those two nestles this, the second album by It Bites, and though they never matched or even came close to its brilliance, “Once around the world” is a great piece of progressive rock, following in the footsteps of some of the masters of the genre. It even features an epic composition, the title track, to which we will get later. But it's a solid rock album, and it kicks off with a power-rocker, “Midnight” features the stabbing guitar AND distinctive vocals of Francis Dunnery, melding with the somewhat sparse keyboards of John Beck, and the song is carried on a cool little funky bassline courtesy of Dick Nolan, while Bob Dalton thumps out the drumbeats. It's a catchy little tune, and starts the album in decent fashion, but it's “Kiss like Judas” that really ramps up the action and gets the proper prog-rock vibe going, with a really solid keyboard melody redolent of their big hit, and this time the roles are reversed, as the keys come to the fore and the guitar takes something of a backseat, still managing to rip off some fine riffs nevertheless. Things just get better with “Yellow Christian”, with its singalong chorus, guitar hook somehow putting me in mind of eighties popsters Cutting Crew, and its waltzy rhythm, together with its somewhat obscure lyrical content and its extended keyboard runs. I would have considered this a good choice for a single, but it wasn't chosen. Very mid-seventies Genesis touches here I feel, circa “Firth of Fifth” or “Afterglow”. Dunnery's voice is certainly different, and adds great character to the songs. My only gripe with this song is that it suddenly changes tack right at the end, and finishes abruptly, in a style very akin to “The musical box” off Genesis's “Nursery Cryme” album. I normally don't go for songs fading out, but here I think it would have been a better way to end this track. “Rose Marie” is a heads-down rocker, unremarkable after the sublime “Yellow Christian” --- no ambiguity about the content here! --- and “Black December” is something in the same vein: good songs, but a little formulaic. Great guitar work in both though, almost verging into Heavy Metal territory at times, particularly on the former. I'm surprised to see that “Old man and the angel” is over nine minutes long, as it certainly doesn't seem that long. (Note: listening to the CD version for the first time, I see now it's a very much extended version. I preferred the original vinyl one) Not a bad song, though I prefer the much shorter “Plastic dreamer”, with its interesting theme of toys coming to life in the toyshop after hours: ”At the stroke of twelve it all came to life/ And He-Man chased the man with his wife/ Darth Vader shows he's all dressed in drag/ Reveals what's inside I thought he was bad “ The nursery-rhyme-like melody really fits the song, shot through with stabs of pure guitar mayhem, a real wish for lost childhood. Great little song, and some excellent lines: ”Enterprising heroes in full flight/ And Batman swings by the candlelight/ And Superman's laughing at the wonderland zoo/ I think I'd rather be this way...” Wouldn't we all? And so we come to the closer, the title track, and very much the centrepiece of the album; almost fifteen minutes of pure prog mastery, It Bites' “Supper's ready”or “Tarkus”. Rather like the former, it starts off slow and on keyboard and bass, with a short introductory passage before the guitars get going and the second part kicks in, with Genesisesque keyboards taking us back twenty-five years, suitably “prog” lyrics like ”In every town there'a a man in a wheelchair/ In every frown there's an optical illusion” setting out the band's stall. There's no doubt that this band, and this song, have been heavily influenced by Genesis, as the tune now goes into a 1920s vibe, quite eerily familiar to the “Willow Farm” section from “Supper's ready”. It's quite short though and then goes into a sort of dramatic bridge, before returning to the twenties melody, with perhaps a hint of 1930s Big Band in there too. As might be expected the track then speeds up and gets into high gear for the denoument and conclusion --- even the line ”6 to 4 is on the run” sounds like ”666 is no longer alone...”, but that's not a bad thing. There's some stylish guitar work then leading into some lovely keyboard moves as the song winds into its twelfth minute and slows right down for the ending, delivered with panache and passion as the whole thing comes to a rather glorious conclusion, ending a fine album in excellent style. It's a pity they never equalled the quality of this album, but it's often said every band has one opus in them. For It Bites, this was it, and it's more than worth listening to. Just don't expect more of the same, unfortunately. TRACKLISTING 1. Midnight 2. Kiss like Judas 3. Yellow Christian 4. Rose Marie 5. Black December 6. Old man and the angel 7. Plastic dreamer 8. Once around the world Suggested further listening: Hard to say, but of the other albums, “Eat me in St. Louis” is not bad. Also check “Calling all the heroes” from the debut, “The big lad in the windmill” __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 11-04-2011 at 12:03 PM.