Take A Look/Listen
squishflipcat | usa | 02/24/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you clicked this, then chances are you're interested in vintage 80's neo-prog and are considering going back for some music you might have missed. Twelfth Night, of course, fell under that umbrella of melodic art rock which emerged in the early 80's - ushered in by the likes of other UK acts like Marillion, IQ, Pendragon and Pallas. Twelfth Night were one of these groups and out of the lot, TN were probably the least 'Genesis/Floyd' clone-like with their influences and possibly had one of the stronger live followings. These guys weren't stuck in a 70's time loop and were just as content exhibiting other ingredients as well, such as hard rock, post-punk and new romantic stylings.
'FACT AND FICTION' and 1984's 'LIVE AND LET LIVE' live album, both with original vocalist Geoff Mann, are some of the best of the genre, and career highlight for these guys.
This 1986 disc, 'XII', has been unfairly overlooked. For one, Geoff Mann had left by this point, and many fans seem to equate a band with their original flamboyant vocalist. That said, replacement Andy Sears sounds more than up for the task and puts in some decent vocals. He didn't stand in Geoff Mann's shaddow, his vocals sound as sincere as any TN work before him.
Also, 'XII' was their 'major label' record and sported a more contemporary and accessable sound. Similar to perhaps Pallas' album 'THE WEDGE'(1985), the songs here are shorter and more immediate. This album should have made more of a dent than it did when it was released. It almost bridged the gap between the 'Marillion' sound and, say, TEARS FOR FEARS. 'Accessable' does not mean they 'sold out'. There is still an energy to the sound, just more compact and fresh. 'JUNGLE', 'PRESSURE', 'BLUE POWDER MONKEY' and 'SHAME' are catchy, but no less musically involved. 'THE CRAFT' is lush and sparkly, recalling acts such as early Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark. 'LAST SONG' is melodic aor rock, while 'THEATRE' and 'THIS IS WAR' are classic TN. Of all of the tracks on XII, the eleven-minute 'TAKE A LOOK', with its multi-section instrumentation and anthem chorus, is the closest to the 'neo-prog' sound of Geoff Mann-era Twelfth Night.
The bonus tracks here are decent enough, including the atmospheric 'BLONDON FAIR', a remix of 'SHAME' and an unnecessary edit of 'TAKE A LOOK', as well as instrumental mixes of 'BLUE POWDER MONKEY', 'THIS IS WAR', and a gorgeous 'THE CRAFT'.
Don't pass this disc up and limit your Twelfth Night collection to only the Geoff Mann era albums. There's still a lot of musicallity here, and you get to hear Twelfth Night in a more polished setting. I believe this was their last studio album, and 'XII' had a little more appeal than you might know. Well worth rediscovering."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1