I bet when It BItes had a hit with Calling All The Heroes from their first album, that Virgin thought they had struck gold. I would love to have been in the room when the execs got a playback of this beauty. Produced by Steve Hillage, this is a modern prog masterpiece. Yes, there are songs with a great pop sensibility like Midnight and Kiss Like Judas, but they are tinged with these big prog arrangements.
Cards on the table time, this is one of my favourite albums ever. An absolute killer selection of tunes with melodies that send goosebumps all over your body. The production and arrangements are freakin’ amazing, there is not a bad second on the whole album. No one sings like Francis, a truly unique individual with an amazing voice and a killer guitar player as well.
Eight songs of pure joy and delight with melodies and harmonies oozing from every groove, but it’s the closing masterpiece of Once Around The World that is my favourite song. It feels like an homage to every classic prog band that has gone before them, but with a twist all of their own. A superb album that sounds huge and you should definitely add this to your ever expanding collection.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
