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Old 07-11-2009, 11:27 AM   #2 (permalink)
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It Bites - The Big Lad In The Windmill (1986)



Track Listing
1. I Got You Eating Out Of my Hand (6:07)
2. All In Red (3:32)
3. Whole New World (4:25)
4. Screaming On The Beaches (3:46)
5. Wanna Shout (3:13)
6. Turn Me Loose (4:12)
7. Cold, Tired And Hungry (4:17)
8. Calling All The Heroes (5:33)
9. You'll Never Go To Heaven (7:13)
10. The Big Lad In The Windmill (0:48)

And so we begin at this group's debut. Although it may seem like nothing special at first listen considering the fact that this is, for the most part, a straightforward 80’s pop album (with a few twists), The Big Lad In The Windmill showcases the traits which would make these guys standouts in the British underground rock scene for years to come; the layered polyphonic vocal interplay between the four band members, searing guitar leads/progression and occasionally ethereal keyboard work are all present here in spades, elements which the band would go on to hone and sharpen to near science in later releases, as well as a few hints of the more progressive structures that beat beneath the surface on longer tracks such as 'You’ll Never Go To Heaven' and 'Calling All The Heroes' (the latter which would become their biggest chart hit of all time for that year, even if it was the weakest track on the album).

But, while they may be mostly hiding some of their chops underneath shiny pop exteriors at this point, lead guitarist and vocalist Francis Dunnery’s unique voice and lyrical sense carry the majority of these songs quite well and hint at something less common than typical subject matter. Although much of it is up to interpretation, from what I can tell the lyrics here, ranging from such subjects as old age (All In Red), atheism (You’ll Never Go To Heaven), WWII (Screaming On The Beaches), and abandonment and infidelity (Whole New World), are but a taste of the ideas that went into the songwriting here, and it shows Dunnery to be more competent than others might have expected from a guy who wasn't even 25 years old.

Still, the hard rock and occassional edginess contrasted with the pop sensibilities to a degree most music critics weren't comfortable with at the time, and as a result this and some of It Bites later albums would get trashed by many critics. It was too complex for most radio listeners, but too simple (or just odd) for the majority of those who were not – it was this conundrum which could either catapult them into being among the biggest cult bands of all time or delegate them to the lowest degree of obscurity possible, but at this point only time would tell which way the dice would roll.

Anyway, on the production side of things, don’t let the 80’s New Wave-ish pop sheen dissuade you from checking this out; these guys are technically at the top of their game, and Virgin Records did pretty good here in emphasizing that fact, with the guitar, keyboard and drums all very high in the mix. The vocals could be a bit louder, but that’s just nitpicking on an otherwise tight sounding record.

Judging this album isn’t an easy task really. For a pop album it has aged pretty well despite the obvious, and instrumentally its miles above and away much better than the majority of pop-rock albums that were being released back in the latter half of the 80’s..which is saying quite a bit right there. The occasionally quirky lyrical delivery is a nice touch also.

Hence, even if some of you despise music with leanings toward a commercial sensibility with lots of hard rock oomphies, I’d recommend to give this a try regardless. Along with their sophomore masterpiece Once Around The World, this isn't a bad place to begin one's musical start when it comes to It Bites.

Album Verdict: 4.8/7


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Last edited by Anteater; 07-14-2009 at 11:44 PM.
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