"...Day Breaks..."
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).
"Future Legends"
is the first 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
bands like Supertramp, Queen, ELO, Man, Focus, Hawkwind and the Peter Gabriel
line-up of Genesis). This CD reissue/remaster (47:25 minutes) gives us their
debut album plus one very rare bonus track withdrawn from the album at the last
minute. Here are the details for Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2104 (Barcode
5013929720428):
1. Future Legends
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 On A Clear Day (Withdrawn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relative of Holtz objected) and so had to be withdrawn at the very last minute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"]
FRUUPP were:
VINCENT McCUSKER – Guitars
and Vocals
PETER FARRELLY – Bass and
Lead Vocals
STEPHEN HOUSTON – Keyboards,
Oboe and Vocals
MARTIN FOYE – Drums and
Percussion
Organised and Co-ordinated
by MARK POWELL - the 12-page booklet reproduces the beautiful hand-drawn
gatefold artwork of Peter Farrelly (front and back pages) and the inner
gatefold with its photos of the suitably serious longhaired musicians and their
"tales of tomorrow" stories and lyrics. The affectionate, witty and
highly informative liner notes are 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). There’s some concert fliers, press clippings and tour
schedule adverts – but the big news is a BEN WISEMAN remaster from original
master tapes that brings out the dense playing of all eight Vince McCusker
originals.
It 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" that features 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). 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).
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...
