THE TALL SHIPS

It's Kino I have never heard any It Bites recording featuring Francis Dunnery, therfore I cannot compare. But I have the album Picture from Kino.

After the cooperation of John Beck with John Mitchell at Kino there was already talk of a reformation of It Bites with Mitchell replacing Frank Dunnery who lives in the States now. This took place in 2006 with a number of concerts and resulted in the live album 'When the lights go down'. Rumors of an upcoming studio album followed, but nothing happened for a long time, probably due to Mitchells various main and side jobs (Arena, Frost*, etc).

Another problem causing delays was the commitment, or lack thereof, of Bob Dalton. The band eventually decided to sack him and complete The Tall Ships 'Genesis style' (And then there were three...) with Beck/Mitchell playing bass guitar. Meanwhile Dalton has been replaced by Lee Pomeroy.

And now to something completely different... the music. With John and John being the main protagonists in both projects it is not really a wonder that you are more than once reminded of Kino when listening to The Tall Ships. The writing style is similar even though TTS is probably more poppish than Picture was. But it is very nicely done, the hook lines which firmly attach the songs to your ears are all over the place. Their keyboard and guitar playing is distinct and easily recognisable as is JM's voice. The arrangements are 'fat' so to speak and at times even bombastic. The sound is great, considering that this is a 'home made' production.

So what have we got here? A power pop rock album with progressive leanings. A number of good to great rock songs, like The Memory Of Water, The Wind That Shakes The Barley or Fahrenheit. Two songs that could actually become hit singles if they were ever released as such and played by radio stations: Playgrounds (which was already included in 'When The Lights Go Down') and Great Disaster, even if they overdo the background vocals with the ongoing 'dumbriumbrieo'. And even a real long track, This Is England, which clocks at just over 13 minutes.

Overall a very good album that should appeal to fans of Kino or Frost*. Fans of the old It Bites (with Francis Dunnery) should approach it on a 'try before you buy' basis because I don't know if you'll like it or not. Four stars because for my taste they have it all got right.

Having been an It Bites fan since Big Lad... (I remember actually waiting for Once Around the World to be released), it's been an immense pleasure to have the band back. When the Lights Go Down was a good opening move for the new lineup because the live versions of old IB flagships were impressive and totally re-energized by John Mitchell.

But of course, it's the new stuff I've been waiting for. And now that it's finally here - oh my God, as the opening track humbly states. The very only reason I'm not giving this five stars is the ProgArchives.com definition of a five-star album: a masterpiece of progressive music. I don't think IB is, and never has been, progressive; they've been It Bites, period.

What we have here is an extremely energetic and sometimes dizzyingly beautiful music with lyrics to match. The style falls in the familiar IB triangle, with one corner in prog, one in hard rock and one in power pop. Since John Beck obviously has always played a major role in writing the music, the songs and the sound grow organically from the Dunnery era IB, while John M.'s presence and signature style bring the music to a new stage.

I loved Francis' voice and guitar, and I'm very happy with his classy solo output. But John Mitchell somehow connects with me even more; I loved his stuff with The Urbane and especially Kino, and he brings his uniquely warm, romantic and slightly wistful sentiment effortlessly into IB. Dunnery's sometimes sarcastic and/or mystical musings are replaced by Mitchell's more intimate and everyday, but no less deep, sentiments and ideas, and for me, that makes It Bites v.2 even better than the original one.

To be noted is also the fact that this album was recorded as a trio, when Dick Nolan was relieved of his duties on bass. Both John M. and John B. have recorded bass tracks for these songs, and I must say both they and the overall performance have an extra focus and energy. It's like a soccer team playing with ten guys often exceeds itself; the loss of one player makes the others try harder.

I cheer the band for producing a remarkable album, I thank John Mitchell for sending a very nice personal e-mail to my wife who sent the band fan mail, and I only regret that I live in a country where It Bites probably never will play live. Darn ;-)

Kino or It Bites? You don't have to choose, as you have here the best of both worlds. In fact, both have in common a strong sense of melody, some pop tricks and very good musicianship. Oh, and those harmony vocals! They are really great, and that's something which is not easy to find nowadays (in prog and in music in general). John Mitchell's voice is a little less brilliant than Franics Dunnery's (that is, less happy), but more introspective in a lot of moments. But, anyway, a lot of the songs have this good vibrations feeling that can make you feel better after listeninng to them. Yes, Great Disasters could be a catchy single, but there are also a lot of prog-rock arrangements in (usually) short songs, such as the great Oh My God, Ghosts, Memory of Water (one of the best It Bites tracks ever) or Farenheit. I'm not too sure if this is the 4th It Bites studio album or the 2nd Kino studio album (Kino is a very recommendable and sadly underrated band...). But it's VERY GOOD music, and if you like any of these bands (or the sweddish A.C.T., which have a really strong It Bites accent), then The Tall Ships will satisfy you completely. I've listened to the album 5 or 6 times now, and with every listen this records grows and grows...

As I've become huge fan of guitarist, vocalist and in my opinion one of the most talented todays musicians John Mitchell (of Arena, Kino, John Wetton band and many others), and his collaboration with founding It Bites keyboardist, great John Beck in successful prog-pop project Kino - from return of It Bites I expected a lot. Thanks to them I also started to listen to old It Bites, that really impressed me with their extreme originality and impressive musicianship in the difficult 80s - to me they've become one of greatest artists' surprises.

The Tall Ships is perfect blend of both bands. It carries on enough of spirit of original It Bites but brings us less ironical and satirical and more intimate, sophisticated and smooth approach (similar to Kino). As Beck said, Mitchell is only person for him who can replace Frank Dunnery (original member) brilliantly both on vocals and guitar.

Both Johns are back in full creativity, three years since Kino, their songwriting and skills have matured and progressed into ideal minds' cooperation. They also share also the bass lines, because of sudden departure of original bassist. Founding drummer Bob Dalton is present. It is pleasure to listen such truly intelligent music with real feeling, without shallowness or arrogance. No weak song, all of them could appeal on musicians for top-notch skills and great sound (though it's home-made recording). Many cuts may appeal for prog fanatics (complex rhythms, arrangements and dynamic shifts), but it is suitable for listeners of easy pop/rock for its immediate accessibility, riffing and pleasant production values. Despite album is easy to digest, every listening reveals something new and brings a lot of new feelings and experiences.

Notable is unbelievable Mitchell's raspy singing throughout and his breathtaking vocalization with Beck. Hard to pick the favourites, but while listening closer This is England I can only wonder how magical music can be. It is like a modern Bohemian Rhapsody. Such a spectrum of emotions, moods and shifts it brings us this fantastic piece of art. Perfect conclusion to a great album.

Once bitten...

The original vocalist and guitarist Francis Dunnery is replaced here with John Mitchell of Arena fame. In Arena, Mitchell just plays guitar, and he is indeed an excellent guitarist. Here, however, he reveals himself as a fine vocalist as well. His voice would certainly not have fitted the much darker and more theatrical music of Arena, but it fits very well here. There are perhaps some slight similarities with the music of Arena here, but The Tall Ships is brighter, lighter, and more accessible. On some parts IQ comes to mind, but most of all it is just It Bites. A very worthy continuation of earlier It Bites.

The music is overall of high quality. The absolute highlight of the album for me is the eight minute The Wind That Shakes The Barley. This is probably the most progressive track on The Tall Ships and it is an excellent one! It starts with a good riff played on organ, on top of that a slightly hard edged guitar riff and a strong, up tempo first chorus. This then gives way to the more laid back main verse of the song, followed again by the first chorus. About three and a half minutes into the track there is a nice first instrumental break with fast piano that introduces a different chorus. The song then positively explodes into a second instrumental break constituted by a great guitar and keyboard duel between John Mitchell and John Beck to finally repeat the first part of the song before the end. Really terrific stuff!

Other highlights are the slightly symphonic title track and the 13 + minute closer, This Is England. For Safekeeping is a nice piano-based semi-ballad. Overall, it is a very strong album easily rivalling the best of the band's previous albums. This is accessible yes, but without sacrificing depth and substance.

Highly recommended!

It Bites is what could be called a progressive pop band, and boy are they good at what they do. This is my first and only It Bites record, and I think it is brilliant from beginning to finish. I love this record from the opening harmonies of "Oh My God" to the big grandiose finale of "This is England". I purchased this album after hearing many good things about it from sources that I consider reputable and heard a sample of "Oh My God" that made me smile in delight as I listened. When the CD arrived, I immediately put it in my car, and it stayed in my car CD player for at least a month solid. At first I was only sold on a few songs and considered certain songs to be mediocre, but after repeated listenings, I found those songs to be highly enjoyable and to have great catchy hooks. Very impressive work!

The star of this album for me is John Mitchell who seems to be in every new prog rock project these days. He lends his voice and guitar skills to this, his first It Bites album. His voice fits the music perfectly and the guitar is tasteful and downright brilliant in spots. The truly progressive rock moments are fairly sparse throughout the album, but when they appear, they are refreshing and not overblown. The main progressive tracks are the opener, "Oh My God" which has beautiful vocal harmonies, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" which goes into a very impressive progressive instrumental section, and the 13 minute epic, "This is England" which moves through several different movements before landing on its bombastic finale. The songs in between are all catchy and fun and are a pleasure to listen to over and over again.

I am tempted to give this album 5 stars because it is very consistent and I love the sound that the band creates. I am going to take a star away, however, for being only prog influenced and for a few songs that still are not completely convincing to me. But, I highly recommend this album to any music fan, especially one who enjoys a good amount of pop hooks as well as some progressive elements thrown in. All in all a very enjoyable listen and an album I keep coming back to.

In My Not So Humble Opinion:

"The Tall Ships" by It Bites is a fun CD.

So, I absolutely adore Milliontown by Frost*, particularly the guitar work of one John Mitchell. Last summer, I heard that there was going to be an interview with him on my favorite podcast, "The Rogues Gallery" by Franz Keylard (The Dividing Line Broadcasting Network). Of course I was going to listen to that to see if he'd drop any new knowledge about the upcoming Frost* CD (which turned out to be Experiments in Mass Appeal). In the process of listening to the podcast and interview, I realized that I was really enjoying the It Bites songs that Franz was playing.

"The Tall Ships" is full of great songs, great vocals and . . . well . . . a big eighties sound, though the strong attention to detail and subtle time signature shifts does throw this one firmly into Crossover land. Make no mistake; it is poppy, outrageously catchy and melodic.

Take the opener, "Oh My God"; it starts off with the arpeggiated vocal chant decrying "I got your words I got your words I got your words" and immediately the harmonies of John Mitchell, John Beck and Bob Dalton make me smile. The song leaps along with the boundless energy of a two year old featuring just enough schmoltz and cheese to make even a cynical codger like myself smile. "Ghosts" features more of John Beck's strong work on the keys, the patches that he uses sound like updated versions of eighties patches. A classic sound, yet modern and updated. "Playground" and "Memory of Water" continue along in the same venue of the first two. A strong lush eighties sound with strong vocal harmonies and more of John Mitchell smoking on the guitar.

Ironically, the title track, "The Tall Ships" is one of the weaker tracks on the CD. It's a somewhat wistful ballad, it's decent, I don't skip it, but by the same token, I don't feel an overwhelming sense of sadness when I'm deprived from it . . .

. . . as opposed to "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". I do feel sadness when deprived from this one. Now, oddly enough, this piece didn't sink in quite as quickly as some of the other songs, but after a few listens I realized that this may be the proggiest song on the CD. This is a nice eight minute piece that goes through at least three different time signatures and is a great example of what the John Mitchell led "It Bites" is capable of. Great arrangements, fantastic vocals and great interplay between all three of them.

"Great Disasters" is another terribly fun song, this one sounds vaguely like "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora with it's random oh and aahs. No no no, don't laugh, this is a good thing, it sounds infinitely better. "Farenheit" is the other weaker track on the CD, and by weaker, I mean not as good as the rest, it's still not a bad track. "Safekeeping" is a nice ballad, featuring John Mitchell's soulful lyrics and a guitar solo worthy of Joe Perry's best arena work. Personally, I love "Lights" it would be the perfect closing track for a John Hughes film. Finally, "This is England" morphs through a variety of styles from a soft ballad to an almost funky rocker to a punkish bit then finally a classical long drawn out 'Supper's Ending'.

All in all, if you love eighties music and prog, this is a fantastically fun fusion of the two (try saying that five times fast). I give it four stars, probably a four point three with only the lack of any spine-tingling moments preventing it from gaining a perfect five stars. Enjoy this one.

This is really not an album I like, such a shame, it will rest in my catalogue with a few others (the bad apples), unheard. THE TALL SHIPS fails to grasp me because of 80-style arrangements (that personally I dislike), the overall sound seems to run on all the songs with minor changes. It seems difficult to distinguish many songs from the others. The only noticeable songs are "The winds that shake..." and "For safekeeping". The biggest disappointment is the 13-minute "This is England": with such lengthness I was hoping for an "important" statement, while though in the first part seems promising and leading to a crescendo, it never takes off to heigths, and produce an orrible (sorry) part starting at 7:30 circa, and the ending is really poor. No pleasure received from listening, 1 star.

I came to this through discovering Francis Dunnery's solo work. I wasn't sure if It Bites with no Francis would be any good: It is. This is absolutely superb. It plays non-stop on my players.

The opening My God is a breathtaking use of close vocal harmony and each song from Ghost onwards leads us into the land of pure musicianship and catchy melodic themes sewn together in a feast of elegant, structured songs: you can't stop yourself singing along as well as gasping in awe. The music develops through many highs and surprises but, as often is evident in excellent works, reaches the inevitable goals. A true sign of a work of art. It hits all the buttons.

This album has led me back to their earlier albums, which are now playing in sequence with they're newest baby. Lets have some more.

Now I wonder what the new Francis album is like?

Progressive-pop is one of those genres that ever so hard to get just right; progressive fans demand a sense of the unconventional and knotty while pop fans desire hooks and immediacy to keep them interested. Furthermore, even when a fairly good prog-pop album comes along, the emotional power it has is often hindered by an uninteresting presentation, vocals that aren't pleasant, or a forced dissonance just to make the songs seem better than they actually are.

It Bites 'The Tall Ships' however, manages to avoid not only all the pitfalls that its competitors often fall into, but also balance the art-rock with poppiness just as well as the previous incarnation of this band.

For starters, although I consider lead guitarist and vocalist John Mitchell rather mediocre in his work with Arena and Kino, for some reason he actually manages to sound quite awesome here. His range is nothing jaw dropping, but on tracks such as "Oh My God' and the title track itself he certainly has the ability to turn a few heads. There's also something distinctive about the way he plays guitar that stands out, but its difficult to put into words exactly what it is. The track lengths and song structures should also tell you right off that despite the slickness of the production values, this is NOT an album for radio.

Ultimately, although I don't say this often for an album that isn't particularly progressive, 'The Tall Ships' is about as close to a perfect crossover-prog album as your going to find in this day and age, for better or for worse. The hooks are simple yet effective, the vocals striking and occasionally quite emotional, and the instrumental interplay is both bright without being too commercial yet just complicated and loose enough to appeal to the technical otakus.

If you want some ear candy done with finesse and with a progressive audience in mind, this record is the way to go.

This album by It Bites, for me was a turning point. I've been a fan of the band since the late 80's and had assumed that they had disappeared into oblivion after Frank Dunnery left. They may as well have done.

It was upon finding The Tall Ships for sale whilst casually browsing the racks of a CD shop after Christmas 08 that my interest in Prog was rekindled. Since that moment I haven't bought an album that wasn't Prog, much to the dismay of my wife. And finding Prog Archives dot com online as a result has opened up my world to the wonderful delights of everything from Beardfish to Wobbler through to Spocks Beard and on to.... you get the point.

Now, it seems sometimes to me that It Bites are the band that so many Progers love to hate. The band are often at the receiving end of derision for not being this or that, or labeled as pop rock etc. In my view, the only reason for this is that they committed the cardinal sin of having top 10 hits at the beginning of their carrier. Definitely not a prog thing to do! Oh but on the other hand, who else from the word of prog was beginning to enjoy chart success at that time? The mighty Genesis! OK I'm not going to compare the two bands but I will say this, give me Calling All The Heroes over Mama, or Kiss Like Judas over Invisible Touch any day of the week.

Another thing I will say in their defense is that where some modern prog bands seem to start their song writing by gathering a bunch of time signatures, tempo changes and styles and try to chisel out a song from them, It Bites start by writing the song and then use the technical tools of music to emphasize the key points within each piece.

Anyway, with that off my chest I will continue on to say that this is a stunning album that doesn't miss a step. It seems to follow-up from where Once Around the World left off 20 years before, by-passing Eat Me In St Louis in its stride.

The opening track "Oh My God" is classic It Bites style, that at first sounded to me like Frank Dunnery had never left the band. I've since become better acquainted with John Mitchell's voice and guitar (what have I been missing!?!). The whole track is superb but just listen to it again from about 4 minutes in if you doubt that It bites qualify as quality prog. Similarly listen again to track 6 from 3.5 minutes in or track 11 from 7.5 minutes in. It's all there!

"Playground" is one of those songs that you have to hear at least twice each time you play the album and "Great Disaster", "Fahrenheit" and "Lights" all carry great hooks reminiscent to my ears of classic Yes. In fact there are a lot of great hooks peppered throughout most of the tracks on this album.

I can't give this album anything less than 4 stars. Since acquiring it there probably hasn't been a week when I haven't listened to it at least once.

I just hope there won't be another 19 year gap between this and the next studio album.

Ok, John Mitchell (from Arena) in the place of Francis Dunnery is not a great idea in my opinion, as perhaps the present work earns a certain impact (talking about the guitar lines), even though by losing the typical vocalism which made a kind of fortune for this band in the eighties...certainly you know that I don' t like the crossover prog or modern n.p.w. so much, except on a few tunes regarding a quite remarkable band like IQ and the early Pendragon as well, for example; but as a musician honestly I don' t like any band which let the prog genre be too much close and closer to a kind of mainstream music (especially when I hear about a new production): a music, I mean, lacking on the intelligent symphonic breaks-through and what ever you regard as the best astoninshing moments!! In fact, their music genre is much into the eighties and also distant from the mainstream production of nowadays, playing this game alone with a few chances!!

However, proceeding from the beginning, the tune "Oh my God" is a bit bombastic, although the vocal harmony is not bad ; instead you have to wait till track#6 to find a very interesting song: "The Wind That Shakes The Barley"- with an intelligent guitar riff and a quite good organ too- which is almost emulating the best proto-prog songs of the early seventies, despite of standing alone to an acceptable quality level...then the same evaluation for another good track like "For safekeeping", with its nice/quite usual piano and a mood in the vein of a certain easy "AOR" music and....for me nothing else is well worth checking out or anyway a must-have , cause their final mini-suite to conclude the album is often uneven and- in general- unfortunately you don't find any peek inside this "The Tall Ships".

For the fans of the band only!!

I purchased this album on a whim to take advantage of a special online deal; I selected it more or less because of the gorgeous album artwork and the intriguing title. To my surprise, it blew away all the symphonic progressive rock titles I had been meaning to acquire. With few exceptions, each track is an unforgettable and radiant display of talent, thoughtfulness, and proficiency- a rare combination. The compositions are their executions are not the only things that command praise- the gravelly voice of John Mitchell is simply amazing; he manages an unrefined rasp without sacrificing range or pleasantness, an earthy voice that occasionally soars into a longing falsetto. The lead guitarist has an excellent, scorching tone, and his choice of notes are always what the piece requires. The other members are clearly more supportive in their roles, but this is not to say that their contributions cannot be enjoyed independently. In addition, the CD is housed in very nice packaging, which includes a booklet of vibrant photography. This album is a highly recommended string of gems- one glistening jewel after another.

"Oh My God" Kicking off with colorful vocals, this immediately catchy song brings together energetic rock music and captivating melodies. If that isn't enough of a treat, the electric guitar lead work adds another layer of accomplishment, complimented by a tight rhythm section and dazzling keyboards.

"Ghosts" Bordering on progressive grunge, the second song pairs a driving, heavy rhythm with 1990s synthetic dance tones. And the guitar solo just screams. Again, the upbeat vocal melody hooks onto the listener's memory right away.

"Playground" One of the most powerful and memorable songs on the album, "Playground" inflicts nostalgia its hearers. The various melodies are woven together in a graceful yet hard-rocking manner. A bittersweet acoustic interlude leads back into the main theme and that mighty, wistful refrain.

"Memory of Water" The fourth track is one of the hardest ones, relying heavily on a wall of guitars. It Bites crams several riffs into the verse, building tension by choking the sound. However, the band has sense enough to let that sweet chorus breathe while not losing steam.

"The Tall Ships" Other than "Never the Same" by Echolyn, I don't think I've ever heard a more optimistic and hopeful song about eventual endings. As it should be, the melody is the centerpiece of the song. Easing up on the tempo, the piece adopts acoustic guitars and the synthesizer lead takes on the form of an Irish whistle. All in all, this is a stunningly beautiful composition.

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" Track number six is the progressive masterpiece of the album. It consists of several different musical sections, all of them rich and memorable, offering generous shifts in rhythm, tempo, melody, resonance, and general direction.

"Great Disasters" I could appreciate why it is easy to dislike this song, particularly coming after what it does. It has a carefree, late 1980s vibe (think multicolored pants and Members Only jackets). I enjoy it regardless, especially the backup vocals. For me, it only contributes- in its own quirky way- to the nostalgia factor so prevalent throughout this CD.

"Fahrenheit" Retaining the late 1980s feel, this tune features a more simplistic structure and yet another catchy chorus. It benefits from its modern sound- in particular the hearty bass and drums, as well as the striking lead guitar tone, which cuts through the music.

"For Safekeeping" Here lies the only truly gentle song on the entire disc, and even then, the soothing piano is met with accentuations from the rest of the crew.

"Lights" Buoyant and fun, I am reminded of early 1990s party music- not the best the album has to offer, but certainly not a bad little tune.

"This Is England" The final track is the other full-bodied progressive rock song on the album. It begins pensively and quietly, gradually picking up momentum but maintaining its moodiness. Using an assortment of textures and musical passages, the piece crescendos in a compelling refrain. Wild and slippery keyboard lines eventually descend into an organ-led dirge, which in turn gives way to a triumphant conclusion.

WOW, now to be honest, thats really all i can say about this album, this may just be the greatest 'comeback' album ever made.gone almost 20 years the band returned to deliver THE TALL SHIPS, now the order of the day on this release is songwriting and not so much prog, which is all fine and well if your vocalist/songwtriter is as good as John Mitchell. The songwriting here is beyond flawless, very poppy but of course thats not always a bad thing. The opening of OH MY GOD just simply blew my mind, and it continued to song after song, the ballads PLAYGROUND and the title track THE TALL SHIPS are simply breathtaking and the poppy songs such as the opening track, MEMORY OF WATER and the incredible FAHRENHEIT are just simply devine and get stuck in your head the more times you listen to them and the epic closer THIS IS ENGLAND is enough to satisfy even the most hungry prog fan, a simple classic;

Oh My God - 10/10 Ghosts - 10/10 Playground - 10/10 Memory Of Water - 10/10 The Tall Ships - 10/10 The Wind That Shakes The Barley - 10/10 Great Disasters - 9/10 Fahrenheit - 10/10 For Safekeeping - 10/101 Lights - 9/10 This Is England - 10/10

CONCLUSION; this album is just simply fantasic an almost perfect release..

When it was first announced that there was going to be a new It Bites album in 2008, but that the band wasn't going to involve Francis Dunnery, there was more than one person wondering what on earth was going to happen. True, keyboard player John Beck and drummer Bob Dalton were still going to be there, but who was going to be the new frontman? Step up John Mitchell, who is probably best-known for his incredibly long-running stint in Arena (in the early days the standing joke was that if you wanted to stay in the band then you shouldn't be at one side of the official press photo, as there was a rather fluid line-up back then). Now, John has a wide and varied repertoire and can put his hand to anything (I once saw him, Paul Cook and JJ act as the backing band for a Canadian singer- songwriter), but It Bites? Here is a band that is probably more loved now than in their heyday, so what was going to happen?

The three of them were going to produce an almighty success, that's what. I saw the original line-up support Marillion on the Misplaced Childhood tour sometimes a million years ago, and I remember being distinctly unimpressed (although in fairness, all I knew of theirs at the time was "Calling All The Heroes"), but here I was grabbed right from the off and stayed with it all the way through to the end. This reminds me so much of the days in the early Nineties when I seemed to be in a permanent state of wonderment about how many great bands there were in the scene, and how many stunning albums there were to listen to. This has been a constant returnee to my player since it was released in 2008, and I have only just realised that I never wrote anything about it at the time!! This has everything anyone could want from It Bites, with poptastic melodies and harmonies and the synthed layers of the opening "Oh My God" dares the listener to turn it off ? impossible.

John's singing fits the music perfectly, and in many ways it really does sound as if It Bites have never been away. So many styles, so many flavours to savour, and there is even a thirteen-minute epic to close with. If somehow this album has passed you by, then you should seek it out immediately.

The remastered reissues of the two John Mitchell-led It Bites albums is a timely reminder of just how good these releases were when they came out in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Not that I needed reminding ? they are amongst my most played albums over the last decade or so. The Tall Ships, in particular, holds memories of time and place that are so special to me. As a result, this music remains fresh, vibrant and contemporary to this day.

It was a bold step for It Bites to reform many years after the iconic Francis Dunnery moved on to fresh pastures. Recruiting long-time fan John Mitchell on vocals and guitar was a masterstroke, and whilst some of the original fanbase would only ever accept the return of Francis himself to the fold, most were encouraged by John's experience with a range of bands (Arena, Frost*, Kino, etc.), his vocal style, virtuoso guitar playing and love of prog with a strong melodic content. With John Beck adding his magic on the keyboards and Bob Dalton providing the driving beat, the combination built on some positive live performances and transferred itself into the studio.

The Tall Ships (2008) is one of the very best examples of that rather vague genre label known as 'prog-pop'. Yet it sums up the style perfectly; complex instrumentation and compositional structure but married to a popular and commercial style that produced the most 'catchy' melodic hooks you can find on any prog rock album. John Mitchell admits to writing largely to a template defined by the original line-up in the '80s, especially on the classic Once Around the World. However, he was able to add something of himself as well, creating real synergy at the time.

Starting with the amazingly fresh hit of harmonies and powerful guitar noodlings of Oh My God, the album flows seamlessly through each track with not a single mis-fire, making in remarkably consistent throughout. Ghosts storms through powerfully, but with that other-worldly keyboard motif complementing the pace. Playground brings down the tempo and has a typical Mitchell-style poignancy, seen in abundance on his Lonely Robot albums. Memory of Water picks up the tempo and adds grandiose instrumentation to the memorable lyrical lines before the stately elegance and melancholy of the wonderful title track (one of my all-time favourites, it never fails to bring a lump to the throat).

More overtly proggy, The Wind That Shakes the Barley pushes through memorably into the joyous exuberance of Great Disasters and the insanely catchy '80s pop vocal refrain that rapidly becomes an earworm that is difficult to lose! Fahreheit maintains the quality, but it is the emotional beauty and intimacy of For Safekeeping that lingers longest in the mind, and it is Mitchell's vocal highlight for me. No time to succumb to its pleasures for too long, though, as Lights crashes in with another melodic Mitchell guitar line augmented with Beck's layered keyboards. In any parallel universe where popular and musicianship go hand in hand, this would be top of the pop charts for weeks!

The epic This is England may well have been an attempt to mirror the Dunnery-era Once Around the World track, as well as push the long-form prog style to a greater extent. It is a very good track for sure, but never quite fulfils its remit or reaches the complex conclusion it deserves ? although repeated plays do reveal its undoubted charms. It is interesting that Mitchell reveals in the liner notes that the titles largely come from books lined in order on a shelf at his residence ? so my searching for hidden lyrical meaning over the years have been rather wasted!

The two bonus tracks from the original sessions, These Words and When I Fall are pleasant and bouncy enough, but don't particularly add to the album's gravitas ? which is why, no doubt, they were original outtakes. However, any 'new' It Bites material is always worth a listen and they are both steadily growing on me with repeated plays.

For many out there who still treasure the original releases, the question is whether purchasing the reissues is worth doing. I would say undoubtedly yes. The bonus tracks are fun, but it is the sonic upgrading and fresh sparkle and polish the albums exhibit which is the real bonus. Even with these old ears, I can see the benefits of the remastering process and the whole quality of the CD packaging (and vinyl versions), with new linear notes included, make these two reissues more than worthy of your pennies!

John Mitchell maintained the impetus from the It Bites reboot with the four wonderful Lonely Robot releases, but the rumours that another It Bites album could be released in the foreseeable future is an exciting prospect. His stunning musical interplay with John Beck remains clear to see, and hopefully the logistics (and the stars) align to allow the story to continue!

(Extract from The Progressive Aspect)