FRUUPP

Based in Northern Ireland, Fruupp were a progressive rock group who's story would sadly be cut short after just four albums, preventing them from becoming the 'Future Legends' they might have become. However, the music produced by this band is some of the most consistently brilliant prog this reviewer has ever heard!

The gatefold cover immediately betrays that this album is indeed progressive. The artwork, by bassist Peter Farrelly, is some of the most beautiful in prog history. This is one of those album covers you can keep coming back to and see something different! Fortunately enough, the music inside matches the high quality of the artwork.

The original tracklisting had eight songs, but the first and last tracks are both called Future Legends and bookend the album. The remaining six songs are little progressive gems that can be rediscovered again and again. All the songs on the record are less than 7½ minutes long, but this is really not a problem. The style of music is quite eclectic, ranging from the folky Old Tyme Future to the heavy Decision, the latter of which has a brilliant guitar solo. The band's influences are quite broad: the rock 'n roll instrumental of Lord of the Incubus contrasts greatly with the Wishbone Ash-inspired Song for a Thought. What comes across clearly when listening to the album is how energetic the band are. One listen to Graveyard Epistle and you'll know exactly what I mean. The band's compositional skill's are fantastic though, and songs like As Day Breaks with Dawn know just how to pull you in with quirkly little musical devices.

The latest reissue (from Esoteric) contains a song that was only released on the first 100 pressings of the album, On A Clear Day. I definitely recommend finding this reissue, as this track is probably my favourite of the lot. Having a sensational rhythmic verse, the song ends with a tribute to Gustav Holst by playing a segment from Jupiter on the guitar. The band would use classical influences regularly in songs to come.

The reason I enjoy this disc so much (and also why I'm giving it 5 stars) is that Fruupp know how to deliver music that I personally want to hear. This is progressive music with an edge. After such an energetic debut, the band would wind down for the second album, but retained the high quality of composition. Fruupp are a band that every prog fan should hear, and there's no finer place to start than this debut.

The second half of the album is probably weaker - Mystery Might is padded out a bit much, Why is a limp torch song, Janet Planet is cabaret nonsense and Sheba's Song goes nowhere. The first three tracks, however, are a crossover-pastoral tour de force, the first two tracks integrating Fruupp's cabaret flirtations much more smoothly than usual and Gormenghast being a full prog rock epic, with a hint of Canterbury about the edges and a direction not unlike that Camel would take in the later years of the decade. Here John Mason's more subtle keyboard style works to the album's advantage, allowing the other instrumentalists in the band a chance to take the spotlight to an extent they hadn't before.

On balance, I have to give this one two stars because I just can't stand the second side, but there's a solid four-star side 1 here married to a weak one-to-two star second half. It's a shame Fruupp never recaptured the high standards of their debut, and I'm inclined to blame their crazy work schedule - recording four albums in the space of one and a half years, during which they not only had to find a replacement lead singer and keyboardist but also undertook tours with hard-working megastars like Genesis and Queen. I don't think any band could be seriously expected to write high-quality new material under such a gruelling schedule, and it's no surprise to me that the band burned out. Had they taken things a bit more slowly, who knows where they could have gone?

On top of this, not only is the music less interesting this time around, but I also detect a hint of self-plagiarism. The Prince of Darkness is a jaunty tune about a demonic figure... but didn't they already do something like that on the debut with Lord of the Incubus? And wasn't that song much more interesting with its sudden instrumental breaks and its wild guitar? One rather suspects that the band went into the studio light on ideas yet again for this one - especially considering that they recorded this so soon after Seven Secrets - and without the concept to string things together they might not have been able to come up with anything at all.

If Fruupp hit the bottom of the barrel with Seven Secrets, The Prince of Heaven's Eyes is the sound of them making themselves comfortable down there rather than trying to climb out.

Unfortunately, it seems that not only were the band short of seven songs, but the six songs they had simply aren't of the standard of their excellent debut. Maybe it's just that the musicians seem to be going through the motions this time around - particularly guitarist Vincent McCusker, who was such a presence on the debut - but the songs seem unenthusiastic and weak in their performance, without the energy or emotional peaks of the debut. Furthermore, compositionally they're just plain slack, and often just end up with the band noodling in one particular musical mode or another. The nadir of this is probably towards the end of White Eyes, in which the band end up just playing smooth cocktail jazz for an extended period of time.

Whilst there are still occasional flashes of talent on this album, I feel that I have to mark it harshly because of the way said talent is so wasted. The fact is that the songwriting and performance on this album falls far short of the standards set by Fruupp's debut, and short of the standard that any mid-tier prog group of the mid-1970s would expect to be able to muster. Other reviewers have described Fruupp as being a "frustrating" band, and as far as this album goes I'm inclined to degree - there's so many places where it could be absolutely brilliant had the band just put a bit of effort in and refined and developed their approach more, but they fail to, and as a consequence whatever flashes of enjoyment there were in the album soon end up being killed off. Even the best song on here, Elizabeth, suffers from being drawn out too long and not really going anywhere; I like it when I start listening to it, then I wonder when they're going to move on to something else, then I realise they're just going to bang on in this vein for several more minutes, then I get bored and angry at them.

If the album gave me the impression that anyone involved in the project was actually making an effort, I'd give it two stars like a shot, but due to the lack of enthusiasm and vigour it exudes I'm going to give it one.

Nice work that I'm glad is 'out of obscurity' (I had never heard of this band.) 3.5 stars rated up for it's 1973-ness. Good album, excellent addition for those interested in the quality bands and albums out there that many of us never had the chance to get to know.

Simply put, if you can listen to an album the whole way through multiple times and enjoy every moment, then that album is a masterpiece. Such words could be said of Fruupp's third album, 'The Prince of Heaven's Eyes'. Here is an album that's beautifully presented, well-balanced and stunningly original.

Yes, this is a concept album, but not just a vague one; an album that follows an actual story. The story itself can either be gleaned from the lyrics, or read in the 14 page booklet accompanying the album. The booklet, written by Paul Charles, is well-written and captivating, telling tales of a character named Mud Flanigan and his magical adventures in rural Ireland. It really is a very interesting read, and fleshes out the story much more than the music. The music, rather than telling the story again, is simply based on it, as if it were a soundtrack. According to the liner notes, there were disused songs that weren't included on the album, as they would have made it too long for vinyl. These songs would have probably fleshed out other parts of the story.

The music here is simply brilliant. The opening track It's All Up Now is a perfect, natural opening to this album. The instrumental introduction is exciting and progressive, whilst retaining beauty. When the singing begins, the bass line is absolutely wonderful. The lyrics, especially in the middle section, are classic. All in all, a great start to a great album.

The Prince Of Darkness is a short ditty, but nonetheless progressive. Peter Farrelly does an impressive job of sounding like two different people in order to express different points of view. His 'Prince of Darkness' voice sounds remarkably like Peter Gabriel's distinctive accent.

Jaunting Car is a short but sweet instrumental, with a synth effect that reminds me of the Pokémon games.

Annie Austere may be one of the best prog love songs I've ever heard (not that there are many). Arguably the best part of this song is the cute middle section, where Mud's lyrics are extremely romantic, and talk of marriage. This song finishes the first side of the album with a theme that is reprised at the beginning of the second side; a very neat trick indeed.

After hearing the afore-mentioned reprise, we hear the short yet romantic Knowing You. There's not much to say about this track, except that it provides a good introduction to the second side of the album.

Crystal Brook follows straight on from the preceding track, but at 8 minutes, this is a far more progressive affair. There's absolutely nothing about this track that I dislike: the instrumentals, the lyrics, the riffs, the solos, the dynamics, everything seems perfect here.

Seaward Sunset is a short track, which feels just a bit like filler, but is pretty enough to pass the time with. I'm not sure who sings here, but whoever it is can pull a very high voice. Very cute song.

The Perfect Wish is a song in two parts. After a lengthy Camel-esque instrumental comes some very progressive rhythms with singing over the top. The lyrics in the second half of the song remind me of Procol Harum. The track ends with a beautiful, powerful guitar solo that sends shivers down my spine. This is the kind of symphonic ending that I have no problem waiting 40 minutes to hear, because it is so good.

One funny thing about this album is the title itself. At first I interpreted it as The Prince belonging to Heaven's Eyes, rather than The Eyes belonging to the Prince of Heaven, but I soon realised my mistake. It is quite an ambiguous title, and a bit of a mouthful too. However, this mouthful has definitely filled me right up, as I could not be more satisfied by such an obscure album. Why Fruupp are such an obscure group I may never understand. I whole-heartedly recommend this album as a classic of Irish prog, and prog in general.

It's amazing to think that buying this album in the first place was a complete fluke. I'd walked into a quirky independent record shop in Leeds, and was browsing the CDs when I saw this album. I had only heard of Fruupp through their entry on the recent 'Wondrous Stories: A Complete Introduction to Progressive Rock' compilation. The track this compilation chose to use is in fact The Seventh Secret, the final track from this album, which is no more than a whimsical poem sung over an acoustic guitar - hardly a good introduction to Fruupp. The name rang a bell, so I decided to pick it up, since I couldn't find anything more interesting in the store. What a surprise I was in for! (As a side note, the owner also pointed out the presence of the band's third album 'The Prince of Heaven's Eyes', which I picked up too.)

Knowing that the group were Irish, and given the album covers I had seen, I expected this album to be quite a low-key folky endeavour, with little lasting appeal. To my great fortune, I was utterly wrong. The songs on here are unashamedly progressive, with a sense of freshness and originality that brings a smile to my face. Discounting the final track, the songs on here are all of medium length, averaging 7½ minutes each, allowing each track to breathe, and run its course. Each track is unique, intimate, special, fascinating and, more often than not, adventurous, properties that fans of Gentle Giant could easily relate to. As a result, I shall give a brief review of each track.

For my money, the album opener Faced With Shekinah is the best track on the album. It's certainly the most symphonic and exciting, with frequently changing time signatures and themes. The song is peppered with excerpts from classic pieces including Purcell's Rondeau from the 'Abdelazer' suite, which provides a dramatic coda to the song. There are just two verses to this song, but the lyrics are sung at breakneck speed and with a sense of emotion and urgency. All in all, this is an adrenaline fuelled start to a wonderful album.

Naturally, the second track Wise as Wisdom starts in a very laid-back way. However, this is an ever-evolving song, in the style of Camel (indeed the guitar solo at 5:11 reminds me of Andy Latimer). There is a very brief verse, which prevents the song from being dismissed as an instrumental. There is a fair amount of repetition in this song, but for every duff moment there is an abundance of brilliance around the corner. We hear Fruupp play with their ideas on this beautifully crafted track.

White Eyes is yet another solid track. After a 1½ minute quiet introduction, there are a couple of verses that are very reminiscent of the classic Pink Floyd singing style. After a few more fantasy-tinged verses the song begins to wind down in a lovely mellow way. The riff heard between 4:34 and 6:06 is simply divine, and is great for relaxing to. This is the most light-hearted track on the album, and not too distant from the style the band would take on their next album.

At just over 9 minutes, Garden Lady is the longest track on the record. The structure of the song is a particular favourite of mine: a brief lyrical section followed by a mammoth instrumental (here lasting over 6½ minutes!) and topped off with another lyrical section mirroring the first, like By-Tor and the Snow Dog, and Firth of Fifth. The lyrical section here is quite fast paced, and contrasts with the spacy atmospheric instrumental. This instrumental is certainly not dull, and includes more Camel-esque guitar work from the incredibly talented Vincent McCusker. Towards the end of the instrumental, the music begins to pick up pace, in order to catch up with the lyrical section, and one can't help but feel that the band's use of dynamics and tempo changes are genius. A truly rewarding song.

Following the longest track is the shortest; at a mere 5 minutes, Three Spires is an acoustic folky affair. This track is relatively light in terms of prog, but full of emotion. The song will be best remembered for the beautiful outro, which lasts nearly half the track's length and consists of the chorus being repeated over and over. Despite the repitition, the beauty carries the listener through right to the end. I can't say that this is a brilliant track, but it's certainly worthy of this album.

The band once again show their classical influences on the final proper track, Elizabeth. With an introduction that mirrors Händel's Arrival of the Queen Of Sheba, the classical feel continues throughout the song via the sound of string instruments. To this one-time Dream Theater fan, there is a progression of descending notes that reminds me of Vacant. This song is certainly progressive, but out of the many great tracks on this album, this is the weakest. It's certainly not a bad track, but the middle section seems repetitive and drawn-out. The instrumental towards the end is more interesting and leads the song out with style.

The final track, titled The Seventh Secret, is nothing more than a fey poem recited in a peculiar accent over an acoustic guitar. Given the style and class of the rest of the album, this track seems right out of place, and the liner notes suggest that this song was tacked on during the recording to bring the total number of tracks up to seven (after all, 'Six Secrets' doesn't sound quite as good as 'Seven' does it?) With such a brilliant album already in the bag, I could have forgiven these guys if they'd let off a series of farts to conclude the album. I wouldn't have this ending any other way!

When I first picked up this album, I had no idea it could have given me so much joy. The music here is sublime and interesting, and everything a prog fan could want. Fruupp are certainly one (or maybe seven) of prog's best kept secrets!

Future Legends is the first Fruupp album , and is one of those records that any fan of symphonic prog should have! The Northern Irish band made four albums in the early 70's, recorded in the pauses of their almost incessant live activity, and this is without doubt the best. The only discordant note is the production of the records, and in particular the decision to use a string section on a few tracks (Decision, Song For A Thought), which, instead of embellishing the sound, weight and convoluted the songs. I try to analyze the single tracks:

Future Legends: A short but beautiful instrumental introduction played with a string section in the background (the only time when the string arrangement is effective). Very relaxing, could be the soundtrack of a fairy tale. Rating: 7/10

Decision: The first song which shows clearly the band's style, with dramatic instrumental crescendo of piano and guitar especially with McCusker protagonist in the instrumental sections. Too bad for the redundant strings. Farrelly sings very, very well. Rating: 6/10

As Day Breaks With Dawn: We come now to the first masterpiece. The dynamics of the song are specially designed to enchant the listener: there is a continuous alternation between melodic and delicate moments and some aggressive parts. An extraordinary interlude with the oboe refine the song. Rating: 9/10

Graveyard Epistle: You can almost be considered the continuation of the previous song, because it sounds more or less the same way. The central part is masterful: first an exotic melody played always with the oboe and then an extraordinary crescendo of instruments, with rhythmic variations and intricate guitar and keyboard passages (in my opinion one of the highlights not only of the album, but of all the UK prog). The best track of the album. Rating: 10/10

Lord Of The Incubus: The third masterpiece comes after. Again are the instrumental parts to make a difference, with the beautiful piano interlude by Houston and the constant rhythmic variations of the middle section. Rating: 9/10

Olde Tyme Future: a song more relaxing, in a style quite similar to that of Camel, which lack the usual instrumental crescendo of the previous tracks, and with more attention to the melody. Excellent, as always, the interpretation of the song by Farrelly. It is a song indicative of what will be the band's style in the future, especially from the third album. Rating: 6/10

Song For A Thought: An aggressive initial McCusker riff opens the song that goes with delicate vocals. Splendid crescendo, typical of the band, to follow. Too bad for the symphonic arrangement that weighs down the song. However, a very good one. Rating: 8/10

Future Legends: Conclusion choir. The theme is the same as the prologue. Rating: 7/10.

So, a fantastic work with great atmosphere of romance and fairy tales, that alternate with harder instrumental riffs and crescendo by McCusker, Houston and Farrelly (what a beautiful voice he has!). If you love Genesis's Trespass and Nursery Cryme, I think you'll enjoy this one. The final rating? 8/10. Cheerio.

Best song: Graveyard Epistle