It Bites FD - Return to Natural
Francis Dunnery is very much his own man, going where his musical muse takes him (2021’s charmingly eclectic, 42 track album The Big Purple Castle and last year’s Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery are very different sounding cases in point).
Having performed as Francis Dunnery’s It Bites (or It Bites FD) in recent years he’s also well aware of the love, affection and high regard fans still have for that band’s sadly all too short (in original form) three studio albums run, highlighted by recent It Bites FD album Live From The Black Country.
Perhaps no surprise then that Return to Natural is also a return to the nuanced vibe, style and melodic undercurrents of It Bites, accompanied by the talents of a very good band that features bassist Paul Brown, keys player Tony Turrel, legendary drummer Chad Wackerman (of Zappa fame), and "atmospherics & ambience" from Dave McCracken.
There is clear and obvious lineage in Return To Natural, illustrating what a dominant force Francis Dunnery was in the original It Bites.
The overall feel of the album is, however, less structured than the prog overtones that were evident in the previous It Bites albums. There is a looser vibe and at times some jazz inflections, which may partly be due to the influence of Chad Wackerman or Dunnery simply looking to a slightly different, more laid-back, direction.
Opener 'Turning The Sky Into Fire' instantly settles into, and creates, the album’s primarily laid-back approach. Offering the initial contrast of a sampled keyboard part against some acoustic guitar, Francis Dunnery then rolls the years back with multi-tracked vocal parts and some ferocious guitar flurries amid some big power chords.
The title track then ups the tempo with a template that could almost be Steely Dan with a rolling funk vibe amidst rockier passages. Francis Dunnery provides another multi-tracked vocal part as well as a clever, off-beat guitar part. Some very thoughtful and well-executed keys parts by Tony Turrell follow (including a lovely Moog solo) before Chad Wackerman ramps up proceedings with Dunnery soloing to lead out the song.
The near eight-minute 'Magdalena' starts with a memorable guitar motif before settling into the infectious, shape-shifting melodic pop prog of It Bites of yesteryear.
A lovely solo from Francis Dunnery (and melodic guitar lines employed as the song heads to its conclusion), prove, if proof still be needed, that Mr Dunnery still has the six-string chops.
'Man Overboard' (which first appeared on The Big Purple Castle), is an angular funk type number that leads with a repeating guitar riff before a muscular pre-chorus kicks in. More multi-tracked vocals then announce another effective chorus, while a lovely key change introduces Francis Dunnery’s short but sweet solo.
Chad Wackerman also gets the chance to flex his chops again towards the end (never a bad thing).
'It Happened While We Were Sleeping' is a jazz-inflected, laid back number that includes some top notch bass parts by Paul Brown (the unsung hero, Brown is on point throughout); Francis Dunnery also provides one of his best solos on the album, which incorporates some out the box playing and employs great fluidity.
An unexpected breakdown to a plaintive acoustic part with solo vocal closes out the number.
'Out Of Order' is the most simplistic and rockiest number on the album and as such doesn’t quite catch the heights of the other tracks; it does however provide a surprise by including quiet, contemplative choruses.
The slightly jazzy pop of 'Hot Spring Water' is far more successful with another strong guitar part and opening motif. Francis Dunnery provides another strong vocal (including more multi-tracks), which is emphasised in the dreamier breakdown towards the end.
Ten minute album closer 'We’re Going To Clean The Sea' is a time-changing, It Bites Prog delight that refuses to sit still.
The up-tempo rock opening quickly drops to an acoustic part before the pace is picked up again by an uplifting section that leads to another breakdown and further changes of ever-shifting direction, all tied together by the repeating title theme ("Where you going, sir? I’m going to clean the sea… so your children can be free").
Much like It Bites magnum prog opus 'Once Around The World,' it’s a song that benefits from repeated listening.
Francis Dunnery’s return to the It Bites brand is a welcome one. The whole album is beautifully recorded (Dunnery’s social media pages are at pains to point out the analogue processes employed) and features an excellent band.
There’s a whole new world of It Bites out there, FD style.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Having performed as Francis Dunnery’s It Bites (or It Bites FD) in recent years he’s also well aware of the love, affection and high regard fans still have for that band’s sadly all too short (in original form) three studio albums run, highlighted by recent It Bites FD album Live From The Black Country.
Perhaps no surprise then that Return to Natural is also a return to the nuanced vibe, style and melodic undercurrents of It Bites, accompanied by the talents of a very good band that features bassist Paul Brown, keys player Tony Turrel, legendary drummer Chad Wackerman (of Zappa fame), and "atmospherics & ambience" from Dave McCracken.
There is clear and obvious lineage in Return To Natural, illustrating what a dominant force Francis Dunnery was in the original It Bites.
The overall feel of the album is, however, less structured than the prog overtones that were evident in the previous It Bites albums. There is a looser vibe and at times some jazz inflections, which may partly be due to the influence of Chad Wackerman or Dunnery simply looking to a slightly different, more laid-back, direction.
Opener 'Turning The Sky Into Fire' instantly settles into, and creates, the album’s primarily laid-back approach. Offering the initial contrast of a sampled keyboard part against some acoustic guitar, Francis Dunnery then rolls the years back with multi-tracked vocal parts and some ferocious guitar flurries amid some big power chords.
The title track then ups the tempo with a template that could almost be Steely Dan with a rolling funk vibe amidst rockier passages. Francis Dunnery provides another multi-tracked vocal part as well as a clever, off-beat guitar part. Some very thoughtful and well-executed keys parts by Tony Turrell follow (including a lovely Moog solo) before Chad Wackerman ramps up proceedings with Dunnery soloing to lead out the song.
The near eight-minute 'Magdalena' starts with a memorable guitar motif before settling into the infectious, shape-shifting melodic pop prog of It Bites of yesteryear.
A lovely solo from Francis Dunnery (and melodic guitar lines employed as the song heads to its conclusion), prove, if proof still be needed, that Mr Dunnery still has the six-string chops.
'Man Overboard' (which first appeared on The Big Purple Castle), is an angular funk type number that leads with a repeating guitar riff before a muscular pre-chorus kicks in. More multi-tracked vocals then announce another effective chorus, while a lovely key change introduces Francis Dunnery’s short but sweet solo.
Chad Wackerman also gets the chance to flex his chops again towards the end (never a bad thing).
'It Happened While We Were Sleeping' is a jazz-inflected, laid back number that includes some top notch bass parts by Paul Brown (the unsung hero, Brown is on point throughout); Francis Dunnery also provides one of his best solos on the album, which incorporates some out the box playing and employs great fluidity.
An unexpected breakdown to a plaintive acoustic part with solo vocal closes out the number.
'Out Of Order' is the most simplistic and rockiest number on the album and as such doesn’t quite catch the heights of the other tracks; it does however provide a surprise by including quiet, contemplative choruses.
The slightly jazzy pop of 'Hot Spring Water' is far more successful with another strong guitar part and opening motif. Francis Dunnery provides another strong vocal (including more multi-tracks), which is emphasised in the dreamier breakdown towards the end.
Ten minute album closer 'We’re Going To Clean The Sea' is a time-changing, It Bites Prog delight that refuses to sit still.
The up-tempo rock opening quickly drops to an acoustic part before the pace is picked up again by an uplifting section that leads to another breakdown and further changes of ever-shifting direction, all tied together by the repeating title theme ("Where you going, sir? I’m going to clean the sea… so your children can be free").
Much like It Bites magnum prog opus 'Once Around The World,' it’s a song that benefits from repeated listening.
Francis Dunnery’s return to the It Bites brand is a welcome one. The whole album is beautifully recorded (Dunnery’s social media pages are at pains to point out the analogue processes employed) and features an excellent band.
There’s a whole new world of It Bites out there, FD style.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ