FRUUPP

The final Fruupp album went the same way were their masters Genesis went: Down the road to nodding popland.

The album starts promising. But I soon get the vibes I got from the Genesis albums post Duke. Those are not good vibes. Fruupp has to all extent left the prog rock world behind here and gone for stardom as a middle of the road pop band. There was a lot of Irish pop bands at that time with the same sound and the same kind of pop music. There are some hints of previous great prog rock, but they are far between. Most of the music here is simple sophisticated pop with a driving piano and some guitars. This is the stuff you find in the cabaret clubs. That's probably where this band ended up too. The vocals are pretty painful. The songs is anonymous. It is sad to see this band sink this low. The last half of this album is really painfully to witness. Pomp pop and cabaret music.

A small star for the few remnants of the great band Fruupp was on their second album. This album is not in the same league though and a real flop in my view. Sad.

2 stars

Excellent PG Genesis era album but more Folk and Heavy sound oriented.

Fruupp was a Ireland band that plays this excellent debut album in 1973 and that ages in extreme good manner. If please you the more Folk side of Symphonic Prog I think that Fruupp is another band for you.

Few words are necessary for a correct description of 'Future Legends'. When Folk meets Symphonic Prog... There are Fruupp!

It is true, in my opinion, that Genesis are more magical and Strawbs are too Folk but among them Fruupp is a great band for our collection. Probably this sentence is due to the production, not so sophisticated.So the music is not so exlosive as I would have expected. And the magic is poor. So it is difficult to describe song for song this album. Better to speak the construction of the songs. And the songs present, in general, this structure: Folk carpet mixed with Symphonic Prog, a ton of guitar and keyboards and full Folk arrangements in Symphonic way. But the final result is, correctly, Symphonic Folk with Folk layout. The sound is not aggressive but not easy listening.

This 'Future legend' is a great album for PG Genesis fans. But not a masterpiece. Also if great or/ and exceptional album.

Fruupp's third album 'Prince Of Heaven's Eyes' is their 2nd release for the year of 1974 (busy lads), and whilst lacking in much of the free-spirited instrumental excursions of the previous 'Seven Secrets' album, displays a fresher, more up-dated sound. Immediately noticeable is keyboardist Stephen Houston adding a string ensemble to his regular organ/pianos set-up and lacing many of the arrangements with it. The majestic and grandiose guitar soloing of Vincent McCusker have taken a back seat for this keyboards-heavy adventure but bassist Peter Farrelly persists in playing his bass like a lead-guitar (no bad thing) and drummer Martin Foye has a great sense of dynamics and knows when to hold back or let loose. I suppose you could say I like the way these guys play. A lot. Now, I spent my birthday money for a pristine LP of this, but I didn't get the accompanying booklet which many copies contain. I figure the concept is of a young man going out on his own to discover the world and grow - maybe a tad twee and innocent, but sweet and original. Houston composed six of the eight tracks here (probably explains the keyboard dominance) although 2 tracks composed by McCusker are possibly the album's high points - 'Knowing You' is a lovely ballad featuring a touching passage where Houston's oboe is put to good use, and the lengthy 'Crystal Brook' is inspired, with an almost jazzy mid-section where Houston's subtle organ solo over a rumbling rhythm creates a tranquil atmosphere. I actually liked the way a previous reviewer described the opening track 'It's All Up Now'. Credit goes to band for successfully conveying the feeling of this young man setting off into the big, wide world. 'Prince Of Darkness' is an eccentric little tune of under 4 minutes, with galloping horses and a unique collage of sounds underpinning much of it. 'Jaunting Car' is possibly the weakest track, something akin to a romp through the country-side with a piece of straw stuck between the teeth..... 'Annie Austere' is a heavier track, and is the subject's love interest. Foye's drumming to the fore. 'Seaward Sunset' is a pretty piano/flute piece with an angelic sounding Houston on a very high falsetto vocal and the album's epic closer, 'The Perfect Wish' is almost 10 minutes of upbeat symphonic prog with classical flavours and a triumphant finale (.....and they all lived happily ever after.....). Actually, I really go for the heady jams of Seven Secrets a lot more than this, but Prince Of Heaven's Eyes is still worthy of 4 stars.

This is Fruupp's third album ? Gosh !!

This is a big step in the wrong direction from their excellent second album. The opening song It's All Up Now start as a mix of a European Song Contest tune, Las Vegas and Genesis. There is pretty nice middle piece on this song before it returns to Las Vegas. Even Elton John would not have touched this with a bargepole. The second song is Peter Gabriel in a nutshell. The rest of the track varies between Genesis, second rate pop music, The Beatles, folkhall music, AOR and European Song Contest material. There are some good symphonic prog pieces here. But the progress from Seven Secrets has been reversed and the band shunted into a sidetrack. I am so disappointed because I was really starting to like this band. I am not looking forward to review their fourth and final album.

2.5 stars

This Irish symphonic prog band is generally regarded as a second, or even a third class symphonic prog band. With some justification, I have to add. Fruupp is not a band I would mention among the great symphonic prog bands. But this band is still a very good band and they have their dedicated fans. After you have purchased this two-for-the-price-of-one CD, you may become one of their fans.

These two albums is regarded as their best albums. I do not know because I have yet to listen to their final two albums. But the music is pretty good Genesis inspired symphonic prog with some additional influences from The Beatles, Strawbs and Celtic folk music. You can also add Yes to that mixture. I like their second album Seven Secrets better than their debut album Future Legends. But I am in minority here. I gave both albums three stars.

Although a couple of tracks has been omitted from this CD, it is still a good intro to Fruupp and is hereby recommended.

3 stars

In my humble view, Seven Secrets is a big step in the right direction from the debut album.

The opening ten minutes moves Fruupp some miles in the direction of the territory occupied by ELP and those classic music inspired bands. Johan Sebastian Bach and Joseph Haydn looms large in that landscape. Fruupp are flirting with them. Then they move into a more familiar landscape again. That means some Genesis and Yes adolation. That and some folk rock. The main impression is that this is a pastorial symphonic prog album with a very warm, organic sound.

Fruupp manages to carve out their own identity in this landscape. The vocals and the instruments sounds good. The songs are very good indeed and that's the big improvement from their debut album. This band just needed some good songs and Seven Secrets delivers. Elizabeth with it's Haydn rip-off is actually an excellent song. The opening song Faced with Shekinah is a Johan Sebastian Bach adolation, skillfully adopted as Fruupp's own piece of music. The rest has some good pieces too. But Fruupp falls short a couple of times. Which is a shame. But the overall feeling I have about this album is very good and I like it a lot. I am going against the rest of the reviewers here and I am giving it four stars. This on the quality of the songs alone.

4 stars (barely)

I am in two or even four minds about this album. I find it difficult to express any meanings about it whatsoever. Not even after fifteen spins over four weeks.

The music is a mix of blues, jazz, heavy prog and symphonic prog. Not much celtic folk music here. Neither do they sounds like their countrymen Thin Lizzy either. They are just eclectic. Their music is full of small details and pretty symphonic and pastorial. Genesis in the Gabriel era is a good comparison. Besides of that, Fruupp does their own business. And it is a pretty good business too. Their bluesy symphonic prog throws up some golden nuggets now and then. Graveyard Epistle is a golden nugget and an excellent song with it's pumping hammond organ and eastern feeling. The rest of the album is pretty good too with Olde tyme future a worthy rival to that song as the best song on the album.

I am not sure if I am a fan of this band or not. I guess it need some more time. But this album is not among the best symphonic prog albums out there. It is a original album though and perhaps worth checking out as a part of the two albums on one cd budget range. I guess three stars will have to do.

3 stars

This is a thoroughly winning candidate for "unknown prog jewel from the Golden Era (the very early 70's)" category and it should take its rightful place among the glitterati seated at the fabled Pantheon of Prog fame. There are some amazing "second tier" bands that were not that famous yet left behind some shinny moments (Solution, Trace, Ange, Atoll, PFM, Nova, Eloy, Triumvirat, Greenslade, Druid, Gryphon etc...). Fruupp from bleak, civil war-torn Northern Ireland were a fine set of musicians that had a quaint positive elegance that contrasts strongly with the doom-laden social atmosphere at the time. Proof again that prog does have honorable and curative powers and is not shy to display them in a perhaps misunderstood cocky way. Pretentiousness is valid only if there is no talent! Here, the sheer quality of the breezy musicianship is intoxicatingly attractive, from the solid foundation of drummer Martin Foye and his hyper-active bassist partner Peter Farrelly , whose voice is crushingly poignant as well , while keyboardist John Mason decorates with shining precision, never too flashy but clearly always elegant (especially his electric piano work that is really stunning). Guitarist Vince McCusker provides a raw, bluesier axe ride, closer perhaps to Martin Barre that fails not to please. The first 2 tracks are a concise indication that this will be a most astonishing event! Both "Misty Morning Way" and "Masquerading with Dawn" are jaw droppers while enticing the listener with unexpected reflections of passionate prog. The highlight composition is certainly the 10 minute "Gormenghast", a wholly appetizing slice of progressive rock with some Focus-like tempos, delicately weaving within the soundscapes provided by some stellar piano and sax, McCusker's fretboard glowing brightly, with incredible restraint. "Mystery Night" is creepily strange, hence sounding a tad outdated with all that muffled sound so prevalent at the time, dense cottony organ runs, until an angelic voice of irrepressible beauty enters the fray, the piano dancing in apparent glee , all waltzing to a melody that shapes the soul. It gets heavier midway through, massive waves of drum-propelled mellotron blasts, while the equestrian bass gallops off into the sunset, laying down some bopping furrows that are shockingly good! The raspy organ solo then shines some bluesy boogie into the picture; the guitar chugging along "funky" style; I mean this is 'fabulastic stuff'! "Why" is a short interlude, a simply unselfish ballad, undyingly fragile with its sorrowful attestation of honest love (oh! the naïveté!) with a heavenly voice from Farrelly, piano again providing the musical backbone. A lovely piece of music! The very brief and very infantile "Janet Planet is typical of the region, almost like pub sing-along music that is cute but really nothing prog! "Sheba's Song" is an 8 minute closer that has some superior moments cruising though some scintillating drumming à la Michael Giles, a sweet guitar loop that breeds well with the resonant e-piano droplets, a successful little jazz/romp mid-section where Mason really proves my e-point resolutely. This is a severe omission if it's not in any serious collection, this being an altogether valiant and pleasant journey back into a time when things were not like they are today (don't get me going!!!). These Irish lads made vibrant music when apathy and hate ruled this part of the globe, they are to be lauded and applauded, especially if its sounds dated. 4.5 Eyes Wide Shut!

First - I really enjoy every Fruupp album, seams that their albums are great, delivering some Genesis symphonic prog, well not like the masters but close and second - I don't understand why their albums are rated so low, really. As I said on the previous review I've made on their last two albums gathered as this one 2 on 1 this compilation is really great to my ears. The first two albums - Future legends from 1973 and second one Seven secrets from 1974 are putet together here.

The first album of Fruupp - Future legends - 1973 is an underrated album in symphonic prog world, in fact all Fruupp albums are unnoticed by many prog listners. The music is well done, well played, has some very fine moments on guitar and keys, the overall impression is good, not far from Genesis same period. This irish band delivers some very strong pieces like Decision, Song For A Thought , the rest are also good. So 4 stars to this one easely.

Seven secrets - 1974 - the second album of Fruupp is another example of symphonic prog who is very underrated in my opinion, all the pieces stand as good, not a weak moments here, even in places some very refined and unique moments like :White Eyes, Three spires, the rest are great. Again a worthy album to my ears , 4 stars easely.

In comparation with their last two albums these first two are a little more uptempo , in places even more rougher, but great non the less. So , this compilation needs 4 stars for sure, all 4 Fruupp albums stand as great to me, and I'm not agree that they are a simple copy of Genesis ( Gabriel era), they are a great early to mid '70's prog band who has their share of fame and glory 'till their last concert of them in 1976 when they disbanded.

Future Legends / Seven Secrets is a CD re-release of Irish symphonic prog rock act Fruupp´s first two albums on one CD. As with most releases in this vein it´s a very good idea and an oppertunity for someone like me who doesn´t have the original albums to get acquainted with Fruupp´s music at a reasonable price. It should be noted that one track from each of the original albums have been omitted for the two albums to fit into the single CD format. Fruupp is not a very prolific group from the period and they only released 4 studio albums in their short existence between 1973 and 1975.

Future Legends (1973):

Fruupp plays some Peter Gabriel era Genesis inspired symphonic prog here on their debut album Future Legends. It´s very well composed and performed. All songs are good but nothing really stands out.

The sound quality isn´t really good, but for the time it´s ok.

The album starts with the classical intro Future Legends and then continues with Decision which is a good symphonic prog rock song. All songs have quiet and more rocking passages and the singing ranges from melodic to more rock sounding moments. There are even a jazzy vers in the song Decision. So there is nothing wrong with the diversity in the music. I´m entertained throughout the whole album. The influences are very clear though and at the end of the song: As Day Breaks With Dawn it´s almost a ripp-off of Gentle Giant´s vocal harmonies. It has to be mentioned though that this is the only place they sound like Gentle Giant. Fruupp´s overall sound is more in the vein of Peter Gabriel era Genesis.

The musicians are good without being outstanding.

This is a pretty average symphonic prog rock album from the early seventies and I´ll rate it 3 stars with the hope that Fruupp will get better on later albums.

Seven Secrets (1974):

Seven Secrets is the second studio album from Irish symphonic prog rock act Fruupp. Their debut was a pleasant and pretty good symphonic prog album, but I was never really excited about it and my overall impression with the album is that it´s pretty average for the genre. My impression with Seven Secrets is just about the same.

The music on Seven Secrets is very inspired by the big symphonic prog bands from the seventies and I think I hear a bit of Yes, ELP and lots of Genesis in Fruupp´s sound on Seven Secrets. I love this kind of music, but the problem with this genre, as it is with most genres, is that there are only a few excellent leaders and way too many imitators. I´ll say that Fruupp is an imitator. It´s not that their music is a Genesis clone or anything like that, but their sound is just not very personal. Let´s put it this way: When I listen to the music on Seven Secrets I´m not instantly reminded that it´s Fruupp I´m listening to. It could be just about any other seventies symphonic prog band playing.

The songs are generally very melodic and at times very classical music influenced ( listen to the beginning of Elizabeth). The vocals are not very exciting and doesn´t bring much to the music and I much prefer the instrumental parts. Wise as wisdom is my favorite with it´s mellow mood.

The musicianship is good, but again I have to point out that the vocals are not that well done and the vocal melodies are average at best. Fortunately the instrumental sections are worth investigating.

The production isn´t the best or most intriguing. The sound is average as the rest of the music.

I realize that my review hasn´t sounded very positive and I actually didn´t mean to sound this negative, because Seven Secrets is a good album, it just never reaches excellent in my book and therefore it deserves a 3 star rating. I liked the debut just a little more.

Conclusion:

Future Legends / Seven Secrets is a worthy purchase if you want to get acquainted with Fruupp´s music, but personally I don´t find that music very interesting and while this is not bad music it´s average at best. A 3 star rating is deserved IMO. The two albums on one CD initiative should be praised even though omitting tracks from the original albums is not something I would normally condone.