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PROG ROCK, PSYCH, AVANT GARDE...
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Exceptional CD Remasters
Covering 1967 to 1977 - It Also Focuses On
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"...Olde Tyme Future..."
In February 2009 (the 23rd to be exact) - Esoteric Recordings of the UK - the British reissue specialists in all things Progtastic and Avant Garde - did the audio and presentation business by Northern Ireland's FRUUPP by putting out all four of their rare and sought-after studio albums originally on the legendary Dawn Records.
Each of those CDs came in stickered jewel cases, had 12 and 16-page booklets with affectionate, witty and highly informative liner notes from 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). I've owned and reviewed all four and their booklets were a delight, filled with the beautiful hand-drawn artwork of Peter Farrelly, concert fliers, press clippings and tour schedule adverts with the likes of Supertramp, Queen, ELO, Man, Focus, Hawkwind and the Peter Gabriel line-up of Genesis.
More importantly, they had new BEN WISEMAN Remasters from original tapes and two of the discs had Bonus Tracks – period rarities. Not surprisingly, in 2019 and beyond into 2020, those original four 2009 titles have been deleted some years now (see list below for full details if you still wish to acquire them), and one or two of them have gathered rather nasty secondhand prices along the way (up to a hundred squid on one).
This 4CD Clamshell Box Set of late August 2019 is by way of a cheaper mop-up exercise – featuring four of those sexy Mini LP Repro Art Sleeves (a gatefold for the debut which will please many artwork aficionados) but with the chunky booklets having been replaced by a foldout pictures and credits poster. There is a lot to discuss, so let's have at those Folk Prog rhythms...
UK released Friday, 30 August 2019 - "Wise As Wisdom: The Dawn Albums 1973-1975" by FRUUPP on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 42686 (Barcode 5013929478602) is a 4CD Clamshell Box Set with 2009 Remasters in Mini LP Card Repro Sleeves that plays out as follows:
CD1 "Future Legends" (47:25 minutes):
1. Future Legends [Side 1]
2. Decision
3. As Day Breaks With Dawn
4. Graveyard Epistle
5. Lord Of The Incubus [Side 2]
6. Olde Tyme Future
7. Song For A Thought
8. Future Legends
Tracks 1 to 8 are their debut album "Future Legends" – released October 1973 in the UK on Dawn Records DNLS 3053
BONUS TRACK:
9. On A Clear Day (Withdrawn Track only featured on the first 100 copies of the LP)
[Note: originally intended to be on the album as last track on Side 1 - the song uses a part of Holtz’s “The Planet Suite” which was not cleared in time for Copyright purposes (a relative of Holtz objected) and so had to be withdrawn at the very last minute and replaced with "Graveyard Epistle"]
CD2 "Seven Secrets" (45:45 minutes):
1. Faced With Shekinah [Side 1]
2. Wise As Wisdom
3. White Eyes
4. Garden Lady [Side 2]
5. Three Spires
6. Elizabeth
7. The Seventh Secret
Tracks 1 to 7 are their second studio album "Seven Secrets" – released April 1974 in the UK on Dawn Records DNLS 3058 (no US issue).
CD3 "The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes" (48:40 minutes):
1. It's All Up Now [Side 1]
2. Prince Of Darkness
3. Jaunting Car
4. Annie Austere
5. Knowing You [Side 2]
6. Crystal Brook
7. Seaward Sunset
8. The Perfect Wish
Tracks 1 to 8 are their 3rd studio album "The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes" – released November 1974 in the UK on Dawn Records DNLH 2.
BONUS TRACKS:
9. Prince Of Heaven (3:32 minutes)
10. Jaunting Car (Single Version) (2:26 minutes)
Tracks 9 and 10 are an October 1974 UK 45-single on Dawn Records DNS 1087. The demo for "Prince Of Heaven" lists 4 October 1974 as its release date - although trade adverts talk of 11 October 1974.
NOTE: Prior to the album's release – Dawn Records was supposed to have issued "The Prince Of Darkness" b/w "Annie Austere" as their first ever UK 45 – but I've never seen a copy of it and even if it is listed in discographies - I've never been able to find a catalogue number either.
CD4 "Modern Masquerades" (48:59 minutes):
1. Misty Mountain Way [Side 1]
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.
For Albums One to Three FRUUPP were:
VINCENT McCUSKER – Guitars and Vocals
PETER FARRELLY – Bass and Lead Vocals
STEPHEN HOUSTON – Keyboards, Oboe and Vocals
MARTIN FOYE – Drums and Percussion
For Album Four Stephen Houston had left and 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
The glossy clamshell box set is both pretty and sturdy, but fans will love the Mini LP Repro Card Sleeves which reproduce front and rear artwork – the popular debut "The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes" featuring a gatefold with all that fab Peter Farrelly hand-drawn penmanship that like Greenslade, was such an integral part of the band's image. The six-leaf foldout poster features three line-up photos on one side with the LP pictured on the rear, tracks lists, credits, reissue details (including the three bonuses). The detailed booklets of 2009 are missing here which is a damn shame, but the poster and a retail price of under £22 for all four albums is a good trade off. And best of all, they are the superb 2009 BEN WISEMAN Remasters done at Audio Archiving from original tapes.
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. 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). To the music...
CD1: the "Future Legends" 1973 debut opens with a gorgeous and beautifully produced string-piece that lasts 1:32 minutes. It then goes into the wild and eclectic guitars of one of their best tunes – the six and half-minute "Decisions". Featuring sophisticated vocal work ala Thijs Van Leer’s Focus and a blistering McCusker guitar solo similar in places to Steve Howe on "Relayer" (the band reckon they got signed on the strength of this one piece alone) – it is a string start. The timing-changes onslaught continues with "As Day Breaks With Dawn" – a flirty piece dominated by cymbals and piano at first only to break into a vocal/guitar romp – and then back again to ethereal and mellow (the playing and cleverness of it is impressive).
Side One ends with the frantic/slow/frantic "Graveyard Epistle" which sounds like Procol Harum on a couple tabs of acid – a very sophisticated piece actually.
We go a bit too Focus and "Trespass" on "Lord Of The Incubus" where Farrelly's vocals aren't quite Peter Gabriel even if the tune is good musically (especially the clever string arrangements). Better is the truly excellent Prog of "Olde Tyme Future" where guitar and organ blend to make a melody that would make Genesis proud. And on it goes to another all instrumental string passage of "Future Legends" that ends the album with its under-a-minute duration. And at last fans get to hear the withdrawn track "On A Clear Day" which runs to a crowd-pleasing 7:46 minutes – similar in fact to "Olde Tyme Future" in its composition (great double lead-guitar work half way in).
CD2: While common consensus (even amongst die-hard fans) declares that the second FRUUPP studio platter "Seven Secrets" from April 1974 wasn't quite as good as its illustrious debut predecessor – time has told us that with six reasonably good Folk/Progtastic tracks and one ditty over at the end of Side 2 to make up the 'seven' mystical numbers in the title – door number two still holds up.
There is an almost 10cc or even Be Bop Deluxe feel to the clever opener "Faced With Shekinah" whilst the seven-parter "Garden Lady" has impressive guitar antics as it opens Side 2. McCusker & Paul Charles also provided "Three Spires" – a returning rambler's romantic reappraisal of a hometown (Magherafelt in Northern Ireland) where I keep seeing that picture of the boys looking like an Elizabethan quartet ready for the ball as the instruments dilly and dally. You can even at times hear the influence of Man (from Wales) in "Elizabeth" whilst the short final cut "The Seventh Secret" probably seemed like a good idea at the time but now feels silly and wildly out-of-place. Overall – a good album then – and certainly accomplished.
CD3: "The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes" opens with "It's All Up Now" - a complicated 7:23 minutes of beautifully produced Prog Rock which settles into a moving piano lead in and vocals – it’s very YES circa "Fragile" or Genesis on "Foxtrot". "Prince Of Darkness" has McCusker sounding like a strangulated Peter Gabriel circa "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" where he's "...dancing with witches and fairies..." The album cut of "Jaunting Car" runs to 2:24 minutes – the 7" single version is 2:26 minutes (different mixes). The jaunty instrumental simulates Toad of Toad Hall in his motorcar out of a sunny day having a blast. Side 1 ends with "Annie Austere" – 5:17 minutes of guitar and piano that impress – but the poor-man's Focus vocals kind of ruin it.
Side 2 opens with the album's most ambitious piece – the 10:47 minutes of "Knowing You" – all Spanish Acoustic Guitars and fey vocals from McCusker (who wrote the song). A ways in and it changes pace – ups the Prog breaks and feels like a lengthy Chris Squire solo passage. Once again that ethereal piano-playing of Houston gives "Crystal Brook" a truly gorgeous feel as he hits those high notes – clearly moved by nature and waves lapping up against rocks. "Seaward Sunset" is another Houston composition – 5:25 minutes of piano-led Prog with the most amazing playing – feeling like a great Moody Blues instrumental passage that you'd forgotten about. It ends on "The Perfect Wish" – very Greenslade. The stand-alone 7" single "Prince Of Heaven" feels like a "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" outtake with lyrics about "...a thousand secrets..."
CD4: With Stephen Houston having exited the band (he features on the first three albums) – his replacement John Mason (rather like Patrick Moraz in Yes) made himself known to the music of "Modern Masquerades" pretty quickly. Also along for the ride was ex Giles, Giles & Fripp and King Crimson leading light – Ian McDonald. FRUUPP's final studio platter 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 (and still are) an acquired taste for sure. But if you were a fan – this fab-sounding natty little box set reissue will remind you and your receding hairline why you loved em in the first place. Very nicely done...
If you want the booklets exclusive to the four FRUUPP albums
CD Reissued 23 February 2009 by Esoteric Recordings
Here are the Barcodes to locate them on sale sites including Amazon:
"Future Legends" – Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2104 (Barcode 5013929720428) – One Bonus Track (47:25 minutes) – Debut Album released October 1973 in the UK on Dawn Records DNLS 3053
"Seven Secrets" – Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2012 (Barcode 501392972022) – No Bonus Tracks (45:45 minutes) – Second Studio Album released April 1974 in the UK on Dawn Records DNLS 3058
"The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes" - Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2103 (Barcode 5013929720329) – Two Bonus Single Sides (48:40 minutes) – Third Studio Album released in the UK November 1974 on Dawn Records DNLH 2
"Modern Masquerades" - Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2105 (Barcode 5013929720527) – No Bonus Tracks (48:59 minutes) – Fourth Studio Album released February 1975 in the UK on Dawn Records DNLS 3070
