"...Misty Morning Way..."
Hailing out of Northern and
Southern Ireland’s notorious show-band circuit – Guitarist and Vocalist Vince
McCusker of Co. Derry dreamed of bigger and better arrangements (formerly with
Blues Of Five). So he turned his back on cover versions of insipid chart hits
and formed his very own Progressive Rock unit delightfully called FRUUPP -
taken from a Letraset Sheet that didn’t have the letters FRUP used (he added
the extra U and P).
"Modern
Masquerades" is the fourth of four albums FRUUPP made for England’s Dawn
Records – all of which are held in Proggy affection by those who bought the
platters at the time or witnessed FRUUPP as a band in their impressive live
form (they backed up huge acts like Supertramp, Queen, ELO, Man, Focus,
Hawkwind and the Peter Gabriel line-up of Genesis).
This February 2009 CD
reissue/remaster of "Modern Masquerades" by FRUUPP on Esoteric
Recordings ECLEC 2105 (Barcode 5013929720527) gives us their 7-track fourth
album (no bonus sides) with a 12-page booklet. This CD reissue is also
available digitally at losttunes.com. Here are the knapsack details (48:59
minutes):
1. Misty Mountain Way
2. Masquerading With Dawn
3. Gormenghast
4. Mystery Might [Side 2]
5. Why
6. Janet Planet
7. Sheba’s Song
Tracks 1 to 7 are their 4th
studio album "Modern Masquerades" – released February 1975 in the UK
on Dawn Records DNLS 3070.
FRUUPP were:
VINCENT McCUSKER – Lead
Guitars and Vocals
PETER FARRELLY – Bass and
Lead Vocals
JOHN MASON – Keyboards,
Vibraphone and Vocals
IAN McDONALD – Alto
Saxophone and Percussion
MARTIN FOYE – Drums and
Percussion
Organised and Co-ordinated
by MARK POWELL - the 12-page booklet reproduces the album’s lyric insert and
has affectionate, witty and highly informative liner notes by PAUL CHARLES who
was their 'Manager and general fixer' at the beginning - and is today a
published author of the Christy Kennedy mystery books (Charles in fact wrote
the original liner notes for the LP). Charles continues the FRUUPP story from
the previous three CDs (Part 4) and there’s some concert fliers/posters,
greeting cards, gig lists and press clippings – as well as Charles’ near-death
experience in a London flat when a fire evaporated the band’s next album and
all his possessions (McCusker saved his life as he clung on to the window
ledge). But the big news is a BEN WISEMAN remaster from original master tapes
that brings out the dense playing of all seven originals.
With Stephen Houston having
exited the band (he features on the first three albums mentioned below) – his
replacement John Mason (rather like Patrick Moraz in Yes) made himself known to
the music pretty quickly. It opens with "Misty Mountain Way” - 6:57 minutes
of beautifully produced Prog Rock by Vincent McCusker which shows Mason's
incredible playing chops and then progresses into his equally accomplished 7:16
minutes of “Masquerading With Dawn”. Like so much of their stuff – the long
FRUUPP songs come at you like YES circa 1971's "Fragile" or GENESIS
around 1972’s "Foxtrot" (the musicianship is fantastic). Side 1 ends
on the monumental "Gormenghast" written by John Mason - at just shy
of eleven minutes – its a mishmash of wild keyboards flourishes and choppy breaks
(very impressive stuff and a real grower). Yet again Vince McCusker provided
the next two – “Mystery Night” and “Why” - while he co-wrote the final
selections of “Janet Planet” and “Sheba's Song” with Paul Charles. I’m also
reminded of “Focus III” with those strangulated vocals and shifting rhythms –
but in a good way.
So there you have it – Hairy
Ulstermen and Celtic Legends ahoy – FRUUPP were/are an acquired taste for sure.
But if you were a fan – this fab-sounding CD remaster will remind you and your
receding hairline why you loved em in the first place...
PS: see also reviews for
their debut “Future Legends”, “Seven Secrets” (their 2nd album) and “The Prince
Of Heaven’s Eyes” (their 3rd album)...
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