I'm the one who suggested this record obviously, but I'll throw in my two cents just for the record too.
1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
Very poppy: To anyone who isn't familiar with It Bites' style to begin with, it would probably come across as 80's
Genesis/
Yes meets a late 90's power-pop act like
Vertical Horizon....but yeah, poppy!
2. What did you think of the opening tracks?
Excellent! I loved 'Oh My God' and 'Ghosts' almost instantaneously back when I first got ahold of this record. Lots of energy all around!
3. What did you think of the later tracks?
As poppy as this album is, you can't exactly say it doesn't demonstrate diversity. The title track and 'Playground' are certainly somewhat stereotypical as ballads (albeit very very GOOD ones), but the proggy side of the group comes out wonderfully in cuts like 'Memory Of Water' and 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley', plus there's some nice AOR touches on 'Fahrenheit' and 'Lights'. Overall, both side A and B are pretty strong.
4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?
John Mitchell (who is also the lead guitarist here) had big shoes to fill going into this album, since It Bites' original guitarist/singer
Francis Dunnery was quite a charismatic frontman....but he really carries this record!
5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?
It Bites is one of those bands you either fall in love with pretty quickly or dismiss due to getting bored with their sugary aesthetic. Their 80's output is considered to be some of the best crossover progressive pop-rock of that decade, but their songwriting approach is certainly quite divisive and almost schizophrenic in a way...but in my case, they hit just the right spot when my mood is right.
6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?
Fell in love at first listen, and over time I've only grown to appreciate their unique style even more.
7. What did you think of the lyrical content?
Above average actually, for the most part. John Mitchell is such a fundamentally different sort of songwriter and performer than Francis Dunnery (other than the fact they're both gods on guitar), and yet he manages to replace the quirkiness that defined the group originally with a more down-to-earth, relatable pathos successfully. Quite a feat....
8. Did you like the instrumental parts?
John Beck and
John Mitchell pretty much ruled this album on keyboards and guitar respectively: on the longer songs where they get to show off a bit, the results stunned me back when I first got this album.
9. What did you think of the production?
Slick like an AOR record, but mixed in such a way that the emotional content comes through nicely.
10. How well do you already know the band/artist?
I was a huge fan of the 80's incarnation of the group before I ran across
The Tall Ships, so I'd say I was fairly familiar with them overall.
11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?
Progressive pop-rock. This particular album has a lot of power pop and alternative rock influences, so those tags might apply too.
12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?
For a long time, I had to listen to this album through atleast once a week or I wasn't happy. I don't do that anymore, but its still a great album to revisit every so often.
13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?
Either 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley' or 'Memory Of Water'.
14. And the one you liked least?
Probably 'Great Disasters'. That's not to say its a bad song, but out of all the poppy numbers on the album, its probably the weakest in actual construction.
15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?
Any album that comes out over a decade after the band's original era has come and gone is going to have it's work cut out for it. That being said, if you aren't familiar with any of It Bites' classic 80's output...you probably need to go rectify that immediately. Its harder to appreciate just how cool
The Tall Ships works as a comeback record otherwise.
16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?
Always.
17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?
Spoiler Alert: The big theme behind this record is
communication. We have trouble talking to people in our lives, misunderstandings happen, etc. etc....and yet when people close to us die, there's nothing more we wish for then the ability to communicate with them again. Most of the songs on The Tall Ships touch upon these themes in some manner, with a few in particular ('Oh My God', the title track, 'Fahrenheit') being more obvious about it.
18. Did the album end well?
This Is Englannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.....d
19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?
John Beck's keyboard work could have been given a bit more room to breathe, but otherwise nah.
20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?
This record was a seamless joy to listen to, and obviously put together with much care and ado.
Overall Album Rating:
9 out of 10!!!