It Bites- Once Around the World REACTION & REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Song Link: • Once Around The World
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The whole album is a complete masterpiece
Any musician worth there salt will tell you that It Bites was an extraordinary band. 4 extremely talented musicians making music that most of us mortals could wish to espire to. They gave the latter end of the 80s a well deserved kick up the backside and proved that real people can play instruments and put back the human element into music. It's such a sad thing that there time together was all too short. Long live It Bites!
This is one of the greatest rock bands of all time and hardly anyone knows who they are. Sad. This rather short album is a classic with every cut a gem.
Wait till you know every note ,every part, every section ,,Its the best Prog rock classic ever but with the exuberance of youth,,omg ,,can't tell you how much I love this album,, as for the track changing, tbe clue is in the title ,,Its a musical trip around the world ❤❤
The most underrated band of the 80's, with a very 80's sound. Real success was elusive for the band, probably because they were too pop for prog and too prog for pop. I find myself coming back to this album often. There are some really great tracks on this album. Francis Dunnery is an excellent guitarist and indeed, he is a big Genesis fan. In fact he has played with Steve Hackett several times over the years. He was also part of Robert Plant's solo touring band in the 90's. Unlike many guitarists, who probably practiced playing Led Zep tracks in his youth, he said that he had to learn most from scratch for the tour as he was more of a progger than a rocker.
This album is one of my all time favourites and really changed my life in regards to experiencing albums in their entirety (rather than just buying an album for the singles!). It Bites are very possibly the most underrated band of both the 80's and of all time. Too talented and ahead of their time was probably the reason they weren't huge.
Shame but at least the people in the know, are the one's who are fans for the rest of their lives.
I can't believe it!!!!! LOVE IT BITES!! My favourite track. You should have seen them live. They turned the prog up to 11 on every track.
I was a massive fan of It Bites back in the 80s, so was delighted when I got to see them play live, supporting Robert Plant and his band, in Oxford (1988). They were one of the tightest live bands I have ever seen and were far better than Robert on that particular night, if I am being honest.
The title track, "Once Around The World" is a little over busy but great fun. I had been thinking about suggesting, "Yellow Christian" which is my favourite track on the album. The glossy late-80s production does, perhaps, make them now sound a little dated.
Francis Dunnery went on to make some great solo albums, including, "Fearless", Tall Blonde Helicopter" and "Man". He provided some backing vocals on the, "ABWH" album. He also played guitar on a couple of the tracks of Robert Plant's, "Fate Of Nations" album.
Being in the U.K. I saw them live 3 times including the tour to promote this album (my fav of theirs). Great live band. They did cite 70s Genesis as a major influence and after Francis left the band he appeared on sone Steve Hackett albums. Another great track from this album is “The Old Man and the Angel”. This was their 2nd album and their biggest hit single was from their debut album. It was called “Calling All the Heroes”.
Finally, a reaction to It Bites. Thanks for listening and reacting, Justin.
This is a fairytale dream piece of music. Heard it so much back in 88'.
Thank you for reminding me ❤
Probably their densest song. Try Black December and Yellow Christian from this album, they're more accessable for a first-time listener.
The Old Man and the Angel (album version) is absolutely brilliant.
JP I suggested this band 2 years ago. I'm glad you got to them. But you gotta do the full version of the big hit from in the UK. Calling all the heroes
Great unsung band from Cumbria in N West England (Lake District). Their most commercial song which did chart briefly was "Calling all the Heroes" Definitely worth a listen.
Thanks for taking a listen to It Bites. My favourite band from my mid to late teens. Absolutely awesome live act, in fact the best band I had ever seen with the exception of Steven Wilson.
Francis Dunnery played a house concert for my 40th Birthday 🎉
Its just typical that a lesser known band that does something a bit odd and 'ott' in places like towards the end (which is actually describing the chaos of what's happening in the day musically) - gets some negativity about things yet when it's a band such as 'Dream Theater' who are ott personified, they are revered constantly!!!! Ahh well, thanks for doing IB, one of my favourite bands.
Agree 100%. IB were light years ahead DT.
Looks like they tried to take a bite out of every little niche and music there was
They are the most melodic pop/prog band ever in my opinion. Stop reviewing and go listen to every note of every instrument until the end of the time. Enjoy
Hi JP. DP from UK. I agree this track is a bit all over the place, but I really enjoyed this album back in the day. The band broke on the scene with a hit single Calling All The Heroes and, coupled with their new romantic image, they were labelled as pop. But they were more prog and power pop. I've assumed this track depicts A Day In The Life of singer/guitarist Francis Dunnery - he gets up, has breakfast, goes shopping, drives on the motorway (aka freeway), then I think he's back home flicking channels on the TV - and old movie, a soccer match between Scotland and England (the Scottish fans aka the Tartan Army invade London), horse racing (Stephen Cauthen and Willy Carson were top jockeys at the time), and we finish with a lullaby in the evening. Just my theory. The shorter tracks are the ones I prefer - more power pop than prog.
P.S. my song ref A Day In The Life is by... well, you know who.
The New Orleans change up and trip was kind of nice but the one before that was more kind of a ragtimey didn't make it for me
Speaking of ragtime did you ever see the movie The Sting and would you consider checking out some of that music from that movie production?
A masterpiece from 1988. Melodic and diversity rollercoaster
masterpiece. I remember the first time I heard that. I was fascinated but it took me a while to get into.
This band shared headspace ...and a stage or 2, with Cardiacs x
I've heard this lots, but somehow I never noticed until Justin said it: it is VERY Genesis. Francis Dunnery does a great Peter Gabriel.
Really! It hit me hard and fast. With Justin being such a huge Genesis fan I know he couldn't miss that likeness
@@daveking9393 I honestly don't know how I never noticed before. I'm a bit ashamed...
This album was never released in the usa in 1988. See when Geffen realized they had a great but commercial flop in their debut, The Big Lad In The Windmill (an album I love so much I loaned to my friend Mike Patton for a week in 1986) they decided to make the followup a 5 track mini album ep. It had the same title Once Around The World but not the song. So unless you ordered it from England you wouldn’t realize what you were missing out on.
It took years for me to get the full cd. Steve Hillage produced the title track as well.
The 5 songs are excellent Pop. None of the Proggy songs made it to the ep.
I actually sold my ep after purchasing the import and I sort of regret doing that.
This band has 2 different lives.
The Big Lad In The Windmill (1986)
Once Around The World (1988)
Eat Me In St. Louis (1990)
Then after a live album Thank You And Goodnight Francis Dunnery leaves the band and they are soon forgotten.
Until 2008 when John Mitchell gathered the other members for a reunion with The Tall Ships and Map Of The Past then poof they were gone again. The last 2 were full on Prog albums both excellent. Justin I think playing the epic first should you want to listen to the rest of the album was a great idea because all the other songs are more Pop for the most part.
Kiss Like Judas
Old Man and the Angel
Yellow Christian
Rose Marie
Midnight
Those songs comprise the original Geffen ep. I think you would really like those and the debut. Eat Me In St. Louis has the same kind of history as Once Around The World.
The English import is a full album of new songs but the Geffen release is a best of the 3 albums according to I am guessing John Kalodner the A&R guy who doesn’t think Prog will sell. These guys were label mates with Peter Gabriel and Asia.
Thx for the review Justin I agree at the end the time changes and solos were a bit too much but the rest of the track is so inventive and melodic. They get a great groove going at the beginning and that may typify this album more. Do check out one of the other tracks as you suggested. Calling all the heroes was their big hit but from this album take you pick
It's Genesis, with the Tormato album cover, but without the Tomato. Darn, why did they clean up the album cover? 😛
About 10 different songs in one . I have just heard this the first time in 10 years and it sounds bloody brilliant . I saw IB for the first time I think in about 1988 and saw them about a dozen times ( the 1st version of the band ) and the 2nd version 7/8 times , brilliant band . I always thought the Dunnery version was much better , a true frontman !
I forgot to mention that Francis Dunnery also sings on a couple of tracks on Steve Hackett's, "Genesis Revisited II" album.
In their heyday (the 1980s), It Bites were a throwback to ten years before and a reaction to the punk revolution that had swept through popular music. ‘Once Around The World’ is their definitive album, but the title track is a portfolio item exhibiting their diverse styles and technical competence and above all Dunnery’s skill as a vocalist and songwriter. Dunnery is an exceptional guitarist: his large left hand dances across the fretboard and his sound gives Allan Holdsworth a run for his money. Unlike many shredders, he retains a melodic sensibility that both moves and delights the listener. Less episodic, ‘Yellow Christian’ is their finest moment from the same album.
Since It Bites, Dunnery has played with Robert Plant and Steve Hackett as well as making several excellent solo albums. See 2016’s ‘Frankenstein Monster’ ua-cam.com/video/wRjpTlkmv5w/v-deo.html
Well said! Francis is a brilliant musician. There’s even a vid with Guthrie Govan joining him onstage. That’s respect.
The keyboard player John Beck was the main songwriter.
Nope.
Yep.
I saw them many times ....they were incredibly tight .
Awesome,you've finally done It Bites Justin,and what a track you've picked too butty.
I ve grown to love this band over the years... another great band that never made it big time .... which they definitely should of imho.
Please, please do more of these Justin,I think you will love them butty ❤🙂🙂🙂
I saw them open for Jethro Tull in 89. I always thought they were better than their reception on radio, (none.) Calling All Heroes was the album. very good.
It Bores😒😴. Nothing remarkable or special, it's just a mix of 80s Yes, plus Marillion and IQ (themselves a mix of Genesis from the Gabriel or Collins era depending on the case).
Progrezzzzzzzzzive
@@pentagrammaton6793 😴😴😴Until exhaustion😉
@@ganazby Have as much fun as you want. Progressive or not, for me it's lukewarm.
@@You-Deef IQ were also quite influenced by Genesis (Peter Gabriel period) in their early days. To give you an idea, you can try their albums The Wake (1985), Ever (1993), Subterranea (1997) and The Seventh House (2000).
@@You-Deef Yes I agree that their early work was very amateurish, both in arrangements and in production, however it was for you to hear a bit of what the band was doing in their early years. From the album Ever (1993) we can hear that it's much more professional and personal.
The greatest British band ever..... This song is a masterpiece of prog rock and musicianship.... Saw Francis dunnery's it bites last year and despite having seen all the greats , it was hands down the best live gig I've ever seen 🤯
Loved this band! More please
One of the best bands I have ever seen live. So sad when Frank went off on his own - it upset so many people. A shout out to Warren Butson whose name I heard at the beginning - I played in a band with his brother for a few uears back in the 80's.
It Bites were a musician's band and at every gig you could always spot many fellow musicians. Happy memories.
I love all those little noodly Alan Holdsworth-esque guitar breaks Frank does. Frank actually auditioned for Genesis in 1995 after Phil Collins left.
I can hear every track from Genesis and Marillion in this one track.
I kinda met this band through our bass player Ashley Reaks...He has content on youtube check him out. They were super talented and super young and super tight. Frank's solo's were a mystery and the bass n drums were rock solid with John being as talented on keys. Great band, wanted to crack america , made this hotch potch album and that was it ...game over.
Cool!! Love this band. Not all the songs are this complex, maybe try 'Leaving Without You' from the 'Eat Me In St.Louis' album, wonderful song. Cheers 🍻
Totally agree it sounds like Genesis...
Amazing
It really did kick it up a notch and broke out very nicely between the four and five minute mark of your production...
By a long way this was their very best album. Every track a banger. Incredible live band back in the day too. I must have seen them about 7 times.
If there was a generalization made about progressive rock epics that they don't work when the transitions are jarring and Frankenstein-ish, this is the exceptional exception to the rule. My opinion.
"It's a beautiful day" First Sunday morning home, no Florida family's drone.Last night, the month-long trip, had me lying prone. In my comfy bed at home.U-Conn men on to the final four, the women's team lost though, It Bites and I'm sore. But with J.P. in the morning. it's " Once Around the World", and my smile is again unfurled.A new rabbit-hole to go down, I'm happy to follow from my little town! Damn! So much great music, so little time. Thanks Justin, a great find!👍- ✌&❤
Thanks for reacting to one of my fav tracks, so many brilliant moments in this one :)
They were briefly the band that other bands watched, as they couldn't work out how the hell they did what they did.
One of the best live bands you could ever see. I was lucky to see them twice.
“Screaming on the Beaches”… very appropriate this year!
A bit too lightweight to be considered a 'proper' progressive rock band, too unpredictable for pop and too derivative to establish their own sound, It Bites couldn't win. Personally I enjoyed their first three albums tremendously - apart from Francis Dunnery's attempts to hog the limelight with silly laughing noises and grunts. The band reformed around 2009 without Dunnery and recorded The Tall Ships, which contains some excellent material.
Then why not just say you like them? Are you ashamed? They were light year better musicians than Marillion, etc.
The music reflects the title 'Once Around The World'. A flight of fantasy comprising multiple images. The back pages refers to the sports pages. The turf reference reflects a real incident in a soccer match - England v Scotland, which Scotland won. Their supporters dug up the turf and took it home to Scotland.
Been listening to this song since day 1 and I never knew about the turf thing. Thanks for that piece of trivia!
Try Lonely Robot…” Digital God Machine”…….or Frost*…..”Experiments in Mass Appeal”…”Dear Dead Days”…..or for long song Saturday “Wonderland”
I get the idea this might be some affectionate mockery? It starts out with somewhere between "Genesis tribute band" and "there-needs-to-be-more-old-Genesis band", with slightly overdone Peter Gabriel style singing, but the more it becomes like a medley, the more it begins to look like there's mischief afoot, here. I think by they time they hit the 1920's, if I'm right about this, they start to ham it up so much that anyone still thinking it's a "Genesis ripoff that lost track of the formula". Those lyrics pretty much spell out in big letters to me that ,"This is a Joke". And then the medley leaping all over the place makes more sense in that context.
It does sound like it's done with love, though. They dig that music they love so hard in the ribs that it bruises, but I don't see anything sour like "debunking" being perpetrated.
And at a more direct level, yes, they're just going once around the compass of their world. Prog? Great. Pop. Great. Honky tonk? Great. New Orleans jazz? Great. Something Stygian? Great. (Although I wouldn't really think of Styx as Stygian.) Und so weiter. Jazz today, gone tomorrow.
You might find that you need to know more of their music to properly get what they're up to here? (For instance if it's all just expressing a yearning for more Genesis, then that's the main frame of understanding. In such a case, I personally think that if it's "good enough" - subjectively, mainly - then it's good. Good is good, after all. It's better to have "too many musicians" in the world than too few. Try to approach them on their own terms if you can - in a JustJP manner, perhaps?)
No link.
I must try to remember not to post links. You've already got too much on your plate.
Two first albums of It Bites were great. Francis Dunnery continued with his solo career after It Bites break-up and did some good albums like Let's Go Do What Happens.
Dunnery had a great young guitarist in his touring band, Luke Machin who had his own band Maschine. Their first album Rubidium is one of the best UK prog albums of the last decade. You should try Invincible from that album, I'm quite sure you would like it very much. Great guitars and vocals. Some Prefab Sprout and Dunnery influences with masterful guitar parts.
Have seen them on a open air concert back in these days in germany (Lorelei) - as a support act for marillion. I never again was into marillion so much after hearing IB at this show - they were great! And Francis Dunnery is such a great guy and artist, check him out.
Dream Theatre's Big Brother!!
No prog, no pop, no soul only It Bites
Francis Dunnery is a huge fan of Allan Holdsworth btw.
Best live band I ever went to see.
You did that noise and gesture at the beginning because of the "bite" in It Bites ! 😂👍
Calling All The Heroes should have been huge but Geffen opened the album with All In Red and they released that as the single. Virgin released Calling All The Heroes and it was a bit hit. Why does America get it wrong so often?
Bought this when it was out on the strength of the single 'Calling All The Heroes', played it a few times and put it away never to be heard again. Probably the wrong time for me. McCartney meets Genesis. Might dig it out a gain all these years later and give it another try
Hi JP. It bites at last! Unfortunately you didn't choose the right song to start with. It Bites can do so much better than the song you just listen to. Take for instance Screaming on the beaches, or Yellow Christian, or their hitsingle Calling all the heroes and many more... If you can find the time watch the It Bites 'Live in Tokyo' video and see the guys at their very best! It's on UA-cam.
New band for me. A blend of prog and pop with a very 80's sound. Passable.
reminds me of A.C.T
It Bites! More like It Sucks (SWIDT). And this's supposed to be prog!, why, cos they touched on a few prog clichés. Very long, (far too long imo). The turn around mid way break, with optional whimsy. The flourishes of ripped off 80's Yes... This was more just tawdry 80's pop/rock dragged out to an excrutiating degree. Awful stuff. And worst of all, that the great Steve Hillage had a hand in this apparently... wow. If that's the case, a la GOT, he should be marched round his village on the anniversary of this's release with people shouting 'shame' behind him as he goes... Sorry SH, I can only assume he needed the money 🙂
Hillage in the stocks hahahaha!
"It Sucks", very apt 😂😂
But man, yeah this track is a shallow play at fame and record sales by pimping EVERY SINGLE 1980s COMMERCIAL PROG SENSIBILITY THERE WAS. And the crappy digital FM synth tones made my teeth itch they were so bad, they were Van Halen/Europe level awful.
@@pentagrammaton6793 Aye, and it breaks my heart. But I'd have to be front of the line with the rotten eggs for his involvement in this :)
@@pentagrammaton6793 So not a fan then eh... Kudos :)
As mentioned, "Calling all the heroes" was their big hit, here in England. In my opinion, it is far superior to this track.