SEIZE THE DAY

A good EP should always provide plenty of interesting content, especially if it's an EP based on one of the songs off a previous album. That is what amazing modern prog rock band Galahad has given us in this new "Seize the Day" EP. It's a bite-sized chunk of Galahad goodness that will especially please fans. In fact, it is the first of multiple EPs that the band plans to release in 2014.

Basically, Galahad took one of the best songs off of their brilliant album "Battle Scars" from 2012, a year in which they released two wonderful, full-length albums, and made a nice EP with some goodies added. The song of choice is "Seize the Day", an excellent medley of trance keys and guitars with a nice, hopeful message. It's definitely one of the best songs they've ever written, and so I can understand why it was used this way. The album contains both the single and full versions, even though I don't think I'll be listening to the former that much. Some of the most interesting parts of the song are cut in favor of accessibility. I understand this, but I don't have to like it.

Two other songs get similar treatment here. Galahad has a knack for re-recording their older songs to make them into something even better. These other two songs are an example of this. A short little track off of their 1993 "In A Moment of Complete Madness" album gets a full re-work into something truly extraordinary. "Painted Lady" becomes "21st Century Painted Lady" and displays the band's recent exploration of trance music. In fact, all of the songs on this EP display the eerie keys I've come to love. The guitar work, however, is as strong and powerful as ever. "21st Century Painted Lady" gets two versions, the full version and an instrumental version.

The final re-worked song is "Bug Eye" off of their 1999 album "Following Ghosts". Again, it features the trance keys, but also features quite a psychedelic, quirky mood that I find sublime. It is really quite different from the original version to where it is basically a new song. I think this might be my favorite of the tracks on this EP. "Bug Eye" also comes in two versions, the full version and a much longer live version that is really impressive.

So, even though there are only about three songs on this EP, Galahad gives us enough interesting content to warrant this as a purchase. The re-recordings are especially impressive, as they have been on their past couple albums, too. Indeed, this EP is about quality over quantity, methinks. I found much to love about this EP, and I think fans and Galahad virgins alike will appreciate the quality music here.

It's been a while since Galahad last released an EP, in fact it has been 20 years since the 'Voiceprint Radio Sessions' came out. I can remember listening to it in the car with Stu before a gig at King Arthur's Court, makes me feel very old indeed! So, what we have here are three songs with two versions of each. First up is an edited version of "Seize The Day", taken from 'Battle Scars', and I can see why this was chosen as at just over four minutes long this half- size version really works. It certainly doesn't feel as if it has been edited, and if someone was coming across this as an introduction to the band then they would be surprised to hear that it is normally double the length. There are some wonderful bass lines here which feature almost as a solo, and each time I hear them I see Neil in my mind's eye. The band really come together on this song, with stellar performances from everyone with Spencer and Roy doing their best not to be overshadowed by Dean and Stu, and sometimes they achieve it.

Next up is the full-length version of the same song, which to my ears is definitely the best way to hear it, but the edited version does enough to more than stand up in it's own right. Next up is a 'new' song, "21st Century Painted Lady". In fact the original version is one of Galahad's oldest songs, but the first time it featured on a recording was on the cassette 'Other Crimes and Misdemeanours', with another version appearing on the second of that series and yet another on the reissue of 'In A Moment of Madness'. Here we have a very different side of the band, acoustic and without the trans-style keyboards of "Seize The Day". The musical accompaniment works so well that the next song is the instrumental version of the same song, and it is interesting to hear yet another styling with Dean really making his presence felt and the whole song feeling quite different. Interestingly Karl Groom also adds some guitars to this track, although not quite in the bombastic Threshold manner that one often associates with him.

Then it is time to close with "Bug Eye". It is strange to think that 'Following Ghosts' is in itself some fifteen years old now, and this features the same line-up of the band that originally recorded this back then. It has been updated, with the guitar and keyboards being more clear and dynamic, and at nine minutes long is the second longest song on the EP. The honour of the longest goes to the live version of the song, which closes the EP, and at more than twelve minutes long they all have the chance to shine. Stu has always been a great live performer and there is an additional edge to his vocals that provide a great contrast to some of the softer moments. Galahad have always been a rock band first and foremost, and this shows that even with different keyboard stylings the Dorset boys are always ready to pound it when the need arises.

This is the first in a series of EPs planned for this year. I can't wait for the next one, especially when one considers that it is more than 40 minutes long! Not bad for an EP. For more details on this, plus downloads and much more visit www.galahadonline.com

A postcard from the Neo-prog underdogs.

A friend gave me this 2014 Galahad EP convinced that I would love one of it's tracks. And he was right.

Galahad always seemed to me to be the underdog of prog rocks' underdog class, the Neo proggers. Never able to raise to a level equaling Marillion, Pendragon and IQ, this band's core group of Stu Nicholson, Roy Keyworth and Dean Baker have been the main part of this group for the last thirty years and seem to have the desire to stay together for thirty more.

Seize The Day is a track from their 2014 album Battle Scars and is included it with a stunning remake of an early song, Painted Lady, that I understand to have been only available on a cassette, along with a later album period song called Bug Eye. Both Seize The Day and Bug Eye display the quintessential Neo-prog qualities which endears this band to fans such as Gilmour-ish guitar flourishes, Floydian synths and a vocalist, Nicholson, who has a touch of Jon Anderson in his voice without being irritating or completely derivative. Both of these tunes simply demonstrate what the listener is, or is not, missing according to their individual tastes.

Now, however, we turn the song in question. Renamed 21st Century Painted Lady, this beautiful haunting ballad, spiked with modern sounding sequencer touches, and a dense sound mix is absolutely one of the best Neo-prog songs that I have ever listened to. It's nearly impossible to get it out of ones' head. A real mental specter.

So, if you would like to check out Galahad as they sound in the 21st century, this 6 song EP will more than suffice and you're guaranteed of at least one killer song, along with a few very good ones, I would bet. 3.5 stars for the veteran underdogs.