Customer Reviews

Once Around the World

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.... Okay, I'm a huge fan of this release - it has over the years become a pivotal point in my collection. Anyone familiar with Francis Dunnery's later solo work would find little here to interest them lyrically, but the music strength was always the trump played by this band. What was most unexpected when this album turned up back in 1988 was the depth of musicianship that was merely hinted at on their earlier release "Big Lad In The Windmill": cue the arrival of extended and complex song structures and a healthy dose of instrumental masturbation from all concerned. They were too clever by three-quarters and it shows. Nobody knew what to make of them; too pop for the rock fans, too indulgent (and long) for rock radio to comfortably swallow. The highlight of this release is unquestionably the 14 minute title track - quite how they managed to get the whole thing hanging together at all, never mind as well as this, still baffles me ten years later. Although doomed to extinction with the departure of frontman Dunnery shortly after the release of the subsequent album, It Bites are still fondly remembered by those who saw past the early radio-friendly sheen and this album stands as testimony for what they achieved. If you're gonna dabble with their back catalogue, this is the one to own - a minor classic.

Few and far between are those of us who 'got it'.

This band were so far out of any potential pigeonhole, it was almost as if a new genre had been defined. The trouble with being too clever by three quarters is that you only seel records to people who really like to LISTEN to music.

These days Francis Dunnery is giving astrology readings, and writing occasional solo albums at his home in Vermont. From Egremont to Vermont...

The other band members recently reformed as Unicorn Jones. Dunnery can be found on the Internet if you search for "Francis Dunnery".

I suspect anyone who listens to all of their material (only 3+ studio efforts) won't like every song - but I guarantee THOSE peolple that have done so DO have some of the songs stuck in their heads for surprising long periods! Screaming on... and Underneath your... were 2 of many for me. DO NOT OVERLOOK their 15 min. opus "Once around..." Francis Dunnery is an excellent vocalist and guitarist with fantastic support and collaboration from the others. I COMMAND YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS MUSIC!!!

Yes these guys are poppy but they also manage to infuse elements of prog and make their sound unique and interesting. This is a progressive band that should have got more recognition. This is what Genesis should have done in the 80s instead of the "Illegal Alien" garbage.

In the 80's there wasn't much prog-rock to listen to.You either had to go back to the old Yes or Genesis albums or put up with Marillion.
But then came IT BITES.After a first pop-rock album-the big lad in the windwill-It bites released ONCE AROUND THE WORLD,their masterpiece.Some of the songs are still pop-rock "normal size" songs:Black December,Kiss Like Judas,...but then you've got some estonishing PROG tracks like Old man and the Angel, Once Around...,Haunting the whale,...
The lead singer-guitarist Francis Dunnery must be a Peter Gabriel fan, even if he uses his Gabriel-sound-like voice in a very different and not as obvious way as FISH.He's also a great guitarist, with very distinctive gimmicks and solos.The production of the album is way ahead of its time and miles away from the marillion's firsts albums.
It might seem like I'm comparing IT BITES with MARILLION but it's only really the prog approach and the fact that both bands are from the 80's.It Bites is much more modern and creative than Marillion, also much more ROCK (they will prove it on the next album Eat Me In St Louis and on their LIVE album).
I really believe that if IT BITES would have hold on for a couple more years, they would have been as popular as DREAM THEATER or SPOCK'S BEARD (even if they're not as technical as those two) and that their small success was only a question of bad timming.
IT BITES is really a great PROG BAND and this album should be a classic!

1988's Once Around the World was the second album from progressive rockers It Bites. The English band was fairly successful in the mid 80's, and had a sound that mixed radio-friendly pop with technical progressive rock.

It Bites has a really compelling sound. They mix elements of avant-garde progressive rock (like early Genesis and Marillion) with accessible melodies and pop arrangements (think Asia and Yes when they were doing their "Owner of a Lonely Heart" thing). The combination works quite well, because whether it's catchy singles like "Midnight" and "Kiss Like Judas" (one of the band's absolute best songs) or lengthy progressive numbers like "Old Man and the Angel" or the 14-minute title track, the level of musicianship is always high, and the vocals are always powerful and heartfelt. Keyboards play a very prominent role, as do vocal harmonies, so it is very 80's sounding.

It Bites may be a bit too poppy for progressive rock purists, but if you're into bands like Saga, World Trade, Conspiracy, 3 (the ELP spinoff), GTR, Asia and Trevor Rabin-era Yes, I highly recommend checking out Once Around the World. It's one of the better pop-prog albums I've encountered.

Edition Notes: The CD version of Once Around the World features an exclusive bonus track - "Hunting the Whale" - that was not included on the vinyl release. Also, a remastered reissue of Once Around the World was released in 2006, but I've yet to hear it.

I love Francis Dunnery and wanted to listen to his first band. This CD was great, only a couple of the tracks sound dated (too much synthesizer.) Overall, I've had fun listening to this.