GATHERING SPEED

The unmistakable sound of the Merlin engine, good way to start an album! After three dismal efforts BBT suddenly produce music that does in fact cross the progressive Rubicon !! Even the singer doesn't drone on (thankyou Cosmic Joker!). The hackettesque guitar and abundant mellotron helps of course, but the compositions seem so much better balanced...The track "Pell Mell" is very much a neo-prog effort with it's synth arpegio and up-tempo rhythms. Overall a much better effort, though they will have to do a lot better to get past three stars. If you were thinking of buying an earlier BBT CD then buy this one! (I haven't bought or heard the latest two CD's). There is also some nice classical guitar and much more of a progressive feel and it being a concept album helps also. I think that some of the compositions could have done with a little bit more instrumental extension/pomposity - that would have eeked this to a 3.5 star perhaps. I may buy the latest two CD's after all!!!