Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: It Bites
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 1986
Rating: 3.5/5
It Bites will apparently go down forever as a one-of-a-kind band with a style you can spot from a mile away, even though in their short-lived existence they never made it into the league of rock’s big names. They’re one of those unique art rock bands that were fated to stay without any visible commercial success or recognition, despite an original musical approach. On most of their work, It Bites very successfully blended elements of progressive rock and pop, building a bridge between two seemingly completely different musical worlds. The band’s central star was without a doubt the excellent singer and guitarist Francis Dunnery, who, despite playing guitar so masterfully you’d think of some seasoned veteran, was back then only at the start of his musical journey. The color of his versatile, slightly eccentric voice leans in places toward Peter Gabriel (ex-Genesis, solo) or Derek Shulman (Gentle Giant), which most prog rock fans will pick up on right away.
“The Big Lad In The Windmill” was their first album, and already on it they showed off their recognizable sound, which they would build on over the next two albums. Most of the material, mainly thanks to the often aggressive electric guitar work, has quite a hard rock backbone, which helps the album burst with energy while all sorts of keyboards take care of the melancholic trimmings. The exceptionally rich multi-part harmonies are worth a mention too, boosting Dunnery’s vocal acrobatics even further. Dick Nolan’s bass is also interesting and complex enough to conjure up a very bouncy, infectious rhythm. In fact, the whole album leans heavily on rhythm and the lead and backing vocals. The keyboards, handled by John Beck, are versatile and contribute a lot to the overall rhythm, as some of the arrangements that stand in for traditional wind instruments show. The vibe of most songs is cheerful, bouncy and playful, I’d even say slightly dandyish. All of this of course helps make the band appealing to a wider audience too. The most interesting thing, though, is that the album offers a nice dose of both prog (eccentric vocals, vocal harmonies, offbeat guitar bits, varied keyboards and complex bass) and pop elements (high melodicism, singalong choruses, accessibility), so pretty much every track on the album carries the potential for a radio hit, while on the other hand the complexity of most arrangements makes it interesting for more demanding listeners as well.
The opener “I Got You Eating Out Of My Hand” is bursting with pop finesse of all kinds, laid over refined synths and a bouncy rhythm. Once Dunnery’s versatile vocal kicks in, the song gets even bouncier and more melodic, and the main chorus stays stuck in your head for ages. The backing vocal harmonies are excellent, as are the energetic guitar bits. A nifty synth improvisation right before the second bridge, when the main chorus comes back in, proves this is a prog band. “All In Red” opens with multi-part vocal harmonies, followed by a funky rhythm and a few “random” guitar bits that sound like the artist tossed them in at random just to dial down the song’s commercial appeal. “Whole New World” opens on improvised wind instruments and a laid-back, barroom vibe. Once again Dunnery’s vocal, the multi-part vocal harmonies and an ultra-melodic chorus make sure playful mischief and melancholy blend together. “Screaming On The Beaches” opens with razor-sharp guitar riffs, followed by a bouncy percussion passage and a dreamy multi-voice chorus riding a hopping rhythm, which is enough to make it one of the more complex pieces on the whole album. “Wanna Shout” is again a little more hard rock-leaning and has a proper stadium-chant rhythm in the style of Queen. Dunnery’s in a special vocal zone here. Still, it’s the least interesting track on the album. “Turn Me Loose”, on the other hand, is without a doubt one of the highlights, brimming with tuneful harmonies and interesting guitar work on both electric and acoustic. In the second part there’s an exceptionally interesting twist with tasteful keyboard samples before the main chorus comes back around, and it’s yet another one that just won’t leave your head. “Cold, Tired And Hungry” is a kind of melancholic anthem, with rich vocal harmonies and emotional keyboards that impress most and make it another of the album’s peaks. “Calling All The Heroes” is certainly one of the most interesting creations on the album. What makes it so special is the power metal pre-chorus (and a fittingly over-the-top lyric) in the style of Helloween, even though the main chorus is again something completely different. The second bridge is even more interesting, full of witty sound samples, razor-sharp riffs and spacey synths. On “You Will Never Go To Heaven”, which is the peak of the whole album and where they show their progressive tendencies the most, It Bites give themselves over to an exceptionally emotional atmosphere. Dunnery’s guitar parts weave beautifully through layered synths while his vocal sounds inconsolable. All the guitar-virtuoso fans will surely be blown away by his closing, totally unexpected guitar solo. The title track is a very nice farewell on acoustic guitar.
On their debut, which doesn’t contain a single dud, It Bites prove themselves masters at combining sophistication, complex arrangements and high melodicism, which immediately sets them apart as a unique band. Anyone who appreciates good art rock and the work of bands like Saga, Queen, Rush (from the ’80s), and also the more commercial stuff by Yes and Genesis will be thrilled with “The Big Lad In The Windmill” too. Plenty of neo-prog fans will get their fill as well, since they’ll recognize some genre-typical elements in the music. On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of prog band that, thanks to its huge helping of pop finesse, was made to be hated by all the purists who can’t stand anything that strays from their strictly defined sonic norms. So there are only two options: either you’ll fall in love with them in an instant or you won’t want to hear another word about them. It just depends on what kind of music fan you are. If they don’t click with you, you’ll simply miss out on a ton of great music. The rest of us can be glad about their recent resurrection from the dead after more than 15 years, even without the irreplaceable Dunnery, who was replaced by John Mitchell (Arena, Kino, The Urbane, Blind Ego, John Wetton, ex-Frost*).
Line-up
Francis Dunnery – vocals, guitar
Dick Nolan / bass guitar, backing vocals
John Beck – keyboards, backing vocals
Bob Dalton – drums, backing vocals
Production
Alan Shacklock
Track list
1. I Got You Eating Out Of my Hand (6:07)
2. All In Red (3:32)
3. Whole New World (4:25)
4. Screaming On The Beaches (3:46)
5. Wanna Shout (3:13)
6. Turn Me Loose (4:12)
7. Cold, Tired And Hungry (4:17)
8. Calling All The Heroes (5:33)
9. You’ll Never Go To Heaven (7:13)
10. The Big Lad In The Windmill (0:48)
Album length: 43:06
