IT BITES

It Bites goes conceptual

Upon hearing the news that It Bites was releasing a concept album, I was naturally intrigued. Especially so as their previous album, The Tall Ships, the first album by the re-formed band, had been such a strong one. Map Of The Past was released earlier this year and I got it shortly after its release date. I gave it about one and a half listen at the time, concluding that it was rather disappointing. I let it rest for a while. Hearing it again now my impression is slightly more positive, but it is clear that it does fall far behind the excellent The Tall Ships.

While there is nothing bad as such about this album, it just fails to impress me. The songs are generally short and catchy, and the conceptual nature of the album does not manage to push it much beyond good quality, sophisticated Pop Rock music. It might be objected that this is what It Bites is all about. In a way it is, of course, but previous albums where musically somewhat more ambitious to my ears. There is no doubt that the current line-up consist of highly talented musicians, and they have written a decent set of tunes, but the end result is not an album that demands or even deserves many listens. It is an enjoyable listen while it lasts, but I have no desire to return to it and most probably won't.

There are some good moments, but nothing too special. It is not their worst album, but certainly not the best.

Good, but far from essential.

The second album from the reinvigorated It Bites is not as immediate as its predecessor, the brilliant Tall Ships, but repeated plays really show this as an album of rare brilliance. The haunting opening of Man in the Photograph segues into the punchy Wallflower with some keyboard acrobatics from Beck underpinned with solid bass and guitar. Map of the Past is the band in Bombastic overload with its big chorus and chunky riffs. Mitchells Guitar truly soars here. It also contains the best lyric of the album "what seperates from Chimpanzees is finite sense of Dignity". Clocks is the big ballad of the album with its swaying rhythm and beautifully understated musicianship from the entire band. Mitchells vocal style suits this type of song like a velvet glove. Flag is old school it bites, poppy, bright keyboards and singalong chorus ensure this is going to be a live favourite. A change of pace with Big Machine, a Progtastic little gem allowing beck and , in particular, Bob Dalton to shine. Theres also a trademark Mitchell piece of Guitar genius thrown in for good measure. Cartoon Graveyard fizzes and tumbles, briefly shakes hand with Genesis, and runs into Send No Flowers which limps along like a wounded animal and should have been put out of its misery on the cutting room floor.Standout track, Meadow and the Stream, is beautiful,chilling and nigh on perfect. We end with the emotional, heartbreaking Last Escape with one of those wonderfully stirring Mitchell solos and a final acoustic farewell. The whole album is held together by Daltons' superb drumming and Pomeroys understated bass. Just missing out on album of the year so far due to freak genius and clockwork angels

Neo prog bands from the 80s. Some are still talked about even today. There definitely has been a resurgent among the nostalgic prog scene in the past few years. With bands like Twelfth Night, IQ and even the head of the neo prog movement, Marillion being stronger than ever, one of the oddest bands to appear back was It Bites.

Now these guys had success with a song in the 80s called Calling All Heroes. They faded away and had moments, but with there last album, The Tall Ships, they really made a statement, cause the album is amazing.

I really loved the last album and this one needed to be really amazing to have me favour this album over the last. And yea, this is probably going to beat it. But just by a fraction.

I mean it, this album is basically perfect. These guys are spectacular song writers. Also, this being a concept album, makes the songs even more impressive.

The concept of the album is mainly based around nostalgia, with lyrics dealing with childhood, war, death, family and even some simple fanatical stories. The concept really gives the album a magical skin around the surface, and only makes the album more enjoyable. Lyrically, the album is just amazing and very impressive. John Mitchell's lyrics, and his vocals are just spectacular. I would even like to admit that John Mitchell is one of the best vocalists out at the moment.

The album also sounds very modern. I know this band have been around for a bit, but it sounds like these dudes are only in there 20's, yet they all are in there 30's-50's. For a band to sound so youthful...now that's impressive.

The song arrangements also differ to the songs found on The Tall Ships. The songs are a lot more shorter and compact. Sadly I would have liked to have seen one or 2 epics on the album, but the 2 longest songs (being only 6 minutes) are pretty cool short epics.

Instrumentally, the band is flawless. The songs are pop songs at heart, but have smart intricate moments and some very impressive almost virtuostic moments. The band may be a pack of ugly old todgers, but they really can play and sing their hearts out.

The production of the album is as usual, spectacular. John Mitchell is a producer in his own right, and most albums I've heard him produce have been top notch.

There really isn't a bad moment on this album. Some songs are stronger than others yes, but there really isn't any weak moments. The songwriting on this album is top notch.

1. Man In The Photograph - A beautiful almost harmonium sounding intro. Great start to the album. The radio sounds give the song the added nostalgia. 9/10

2. Wallflower - Can't think of a better way to kick off the album. Definitely one of the catchiest songs on the album. The song also has one of the most mental keyboard solos I've heard in a long time. 10/10

3. Map Of The Past - A great chorus and some amazing songwriting. The song has a very Biffy Clyro feel about it, mixed with some Rush sounding intricacies. 9/10

4. Clocks - A beautiful ballad on the album. Great arrangement and some great vocals on the song. 10/10

5. Flag - One of those songs where the verses have more of an impact than the chorus' do. A very cheerful song. 9/10

6. The Big Machine - One of the most kick ass songs on the album. Has quite a dark tone to it, but still has that It Bites melodic cheeriness. 9/10

7. Cartoon Graveyard - The intro of this song is so suspenseful, with the use of a music box sound (I'm a sucker for music boxes). The rest is really an epic build up of a song. Short and sweet, and amazing. 10/10

8. Send No Flowers - Ok...this song has one of the most epic intros I have heard in a song. The song reminds me of early Genesis, being quite a dramatic song, with build ups and some cool vocal moments. 10/10

9. Meadow & The Stream - The lyrics of this song make me laugh. The song itself is pretty cool, and the instrumental work is pretty impressive. 10/10

10. The Last Song - A beautiful ballad. The vocal arrangements in the song really is amazing, and the song itself is just a very beautiful and moving songs. 10/10

11. Exit Song - A nice little ending to the album. 7/10

CONCLUSION: It's pretty much a flawless album. I knew this was going to be good, and when this album finished, I was surprised at how good it actually was. These songs are now gonna be stuck in my head for a long time, and now these guys have made 2 superb masterpieces, I'm looking forward to whatever they are going to throw at me next.

9.2/10

This is a very interesting album. After being away for four years It Bites return with their follow- up concept album 'Map of the Past'. However, this sounds more like a follow-up to Kino's album 'Picture' than It Bites 'The Tall Ships'. Now, I know John Mitchell was a big part of Kino as well, so there are bound to be some similarities but that's just my initial impression of the 'feel' of the album!

On first listen I wasn't hugely impressed. But, as is often the case, with really great and enduring albums, this album really grows on you. I mean it REALLY grows on you! It's a big step forward from 'Tall Ships'. This album really flows. It has kept my ears busy for the last six hours. Like, I've played it virtually non-stop for the last six hours. Frankly it is awesome and it just grows in stature the more you listen to it. So shame on those who rated it so low! You've got to really listen to it, because, honestly, it is a really great album and I love it. I can't say if it is a masterpiece just yet. But if it is still engaging me in six months time then I will be coming back to change this rating from a very, very good four stars to an irrevocable five stars, Mr Progarchives Guidelines Police!

Favourite tracks for me at the moment are 'The Big Machine' and 'Meadow and the Stream'. 'Send no Flowers' is a real nod to Genesis as well. Hell, the whole album is great so go and buy it!

Edit: I'm still listening to it and it's still absolutely brilliant. Here's that fifth star.

From a promo copy.

Well i was expecting a new work from this experienced band....the New It Bites ..

A continuing of their Tall Ships work.

Tall Ships has a lot of "hits" like songs..very high moments.

Tall Ships was a little more pop prog rock...with some repetitive chorus in most songs.

This album is more melancholic ..with more ballads ...sometimes crossover prog sometimes prog related .

The pop prog rock remains and with very good songs as Wallflower ,Clocks,Flag ,No Flowers ..the Stream and Last Escape...the higher moments.

So good quality AOR prog rock remains here .

Maybe It Bites is not for fans of Art Classic Prog Rock but of course this is enjoyable when you would like to listen to some lighter prog rock.

Don't forget these boys.

It Bites, probably best known to joe public for their top ten fluke hit "Calling All The Heroes" (1986) were quickly destined to be filed away in the long line of faceless pop bands that dominated the late 1980s and ultimately made the discerning listener yearn for the advent of the 1990s. Instead they became one of England's great lost rock bands that left a void which could never really be filled. the cumbrian quartet, centred around two young musical boffins, Francis Dunnery and John Beck, quickly made its mark as a highly idiosyncratic Pop and Rock band that was hard to pigeonhole but compelling to behold nonetheless. Indeed, they were probably the last of its kind, drawing equally from quirky contemporary Pop and sprawling Art Rock and ? even signing a nine album deal in its wake. Somebody dubbed them a "Marillion with sex" for a short while, however, Francis Dunnery's highly individual vocal and guitar stylings and John Beck's keyboard wizardry quickly set them apart. they never managed another hit single after that but instead concentrated on creating masterful albums. Two of these followed, this one and the follow up "Eat Me In St. Louis" before the band split acrimonously and seemingly for good. They have since reformed in 2007 with long time admirer and New Art Rock journeyman John Mitchell (Arena, The Urbane, Kino, Frost* etc.) replacing Dunnery ? i.e. the brand has been revived ? but it's just not the same any more, evolution and artistic development notwithstanding.

Want to know why? Listen to this one, their second and best effort by a mile. This really is the album that they are being remembered for. It has a few stabs at another glorious hit single with the unnervingly angular yet catchy "Midnight", "Kiss Like Judas", "Rose Marie" and "Black December" but on this one they explored their Art- and Prog-Rock tendencies even further with producer, famed old hippie Steve Hillage (ex-Gong) certainly not standing in their way. Elaborate songs like Yellow Christian", "The Old Man And The Angel" (edited as a single release by a progressingly nervous record company...) and "Hunting The Whale" bristle with oddball ideas, strange twists and turns and a stark contemporary vibe. Rarely has there been a more definite transition from being a singles act to being an outright album band ? and it is the elaborate, 15-minute title track that sealed matters forever and definitely made some folks at Virgin Records frown for a long time afterwards. The term "tour de force" must have been invented for this one alone and it's one of those pieces of music that really do take you on a journey while additionally providing a potted history of the best of 20th century English music, straddling elements of Music Hall sentimentality, Brass Band, Northern Folk, flat-out Hard Rock riffola and pastoral serenity, seamlessly pieced together. A work of art, no more, no less.

"Eat Me In St.Louis", released only a year later, veered of into a more commercial hard rock territory and the band was quickly at a loss with their apparent versatility eventually turning against them. For a Rock audience they were too pop... and they were certainly too cumbersome and unwieldy for a more commercially orientated public. One more live album, the aptly titled "Thank You And Goodnight" was released, well capturing the band's sheer energy and playfulness in concert and they were never to be heard of again, until recently in a different configuration and several tours of their homeland. The name has remained in very high regard since. Don't forget them.

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..

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.

I got this best of compilation after hearing the band's first two studio releases and still feeling a lot of enthusiasm about pursuing more of their material. Back in the '90s, it was difficult to know the discography order of any lesser know band and since I did not know how much of It Bites I had left to pursue, this felt like a way to get more of where the two others came from. It's only many years later that I find out that what I actually needed was their third studio album titled Eat Me In St Louis.

Calling All The Heroes : The Best Of It Bites may seem like another one of those one-hit-wonders compilation albums that concentrates all of its energy of the hit single Calling All The Heroes, but those who listen further will soon realize how versatile It Bites could actually be. It's true that the music here is not put into its chronological order, which might make things seem even less structured, but the fact is, It Bites just wasn't much of an album-oriented band. This is why I can't stand when people compare them with the magnificent Swedish collective called A.C.T; the two bands had completely different agendas with their music!

Besides the band's biggest hit, we also get two great tracks off Eat Me In St Louis, Still Too Young To Remember and Underneath Your Pillow, plus Midnight off Once Around The World. Still, everything is not as it should be with this compilation due to a vast amount of second-rate material that has no place on a compilation album of this sort. Besides, it really makes no sense to only include one live track when It Bites clearly showed that they were a great live band on the live release Thank You And Goodnight.

Overall, I'd say that this album is not a compilation that I can stand by. These 16 tracks do create a fair image of the band but I just lack the great atmosphere that existed on their studio albums. Those albums might not have been created as complete album experiences, but they surely worked a bit better than this.

***** star songs: Still Too Young To Remember (3:58) Calling All The Heroes (4:03) Midnight (4:03) Underneath Your Pillow (4:25)

**** star songs: Strange But True (4:06) All In Red (3:32) Kiss Like Judas (4:08) The Old Man And The Angel (3:46) Whole New World (3:55) Yellow Christian (6:30) You'll Never Go To Heaven (live) (7:13) Vampires (4:42) Black December (3:50)

*** star songs: Murder Of The Planet Earth (3:47) Sister Sarah (4:17) Screaming On The Beaches (3:46)

This is actually a weird album to revisit for me since I vividly remember really liking it back in the late '90s and actually considered it to be the band's best release. Looking and listening to it today just doesn't bring out that same enthusiasm.

Unlike The Big Lad In The Windmill which hid its gems towards the end of the album, Once Around The World throws in all of its assets upfront and slowly begins to stagnate towards its second half. Songs like Midnight, Kiss Like Judas, Black December and Old Man And The Angel can only be described as classic It Bites material, even though the latter is a bit too long for its own good. The problems arrive with pretty stale tunes like Hunting The Whale and Plastic Dreamer and even though the mini-opus of a title track does balance out some of the weaker material, it just doesn't make the overall feel of this album any better.

Once Around The World might not be the great album I remembered it being, but it's still not a total waste of time for fans of '80s Art Rock and even if The Big Lad In The Windmill might feel more consistent, this album is definitely the more progressive of the two. The melodies that work, work all the way, while those that lack the punch fail miserably and fall into the dark hole of obscurity for me. Luckily there isn't a single moment here that makes me cringe because of the sound production, which is pretty much the best compliment one can give to an '80s album.

Not good enough for an excellent rating, but far from a fans only release. I'd say that a good, but non-essential rating is in order here!

***** star songs: Midnight (4:06)

**** star songs: Kiss Like Judas (4:10) Yellow Christian (6:30) Rose Marie (3:34) Black December (3:51) Old Man And The Angel (9:21) Once Around The World (14:49)

*** star songs: Hunting The Whale (4:47) Plastic Dreamer (3:54)