GRACE

ALBUMS:

GRACE (1979)

LIVE (1981),

THE POET, THE PIPER AND THE FOOL (1992)

PULLING STRINGS AND SHINY THINGS (1994)

POPPY (1996)

GATHERING IN THE WHEAT (1999)

OVERDOSE (2005)

EP:

A POULTRY LAPSE OF REASON (1994)

DELILAH (1996)

SINGLES:

OLD STORIES/RULE BRITANNIA (1977)

FIRE OF LONDON/BEATNIK (1980)

BILLY BOY/AD MAD (1981)

COMPILATION:

THE CYCLOPS SAMPLER - VARIOUS ARTISTS (1994)

THE SECOND CYCLOPS SAMPLER - VARIOUS ARTISTS (1995)

GRACE (PROG ROCK BAND PROG ARCHIVES)

GRACE ALBUM RELEASED IN 1994, "PULLING STRINGS AND SHINY THINGS" AND ALBUM FROM 1992, "THE POET THE PIPER AND THE FOOL" WAS NEW PROG-ROCK FROM THE UK AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE'S NOTHING MOUTHWATERING ORIGINAL ABOUT THE OVERAL SOUND, THE EFFECT IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

"GATHERING IN THE WHEAT" IS KIND OF LIVE PROG ROCK ALBUM THAT CAN BE USED AS BACKGROUND MUSIC AT ANY OCCASION. I FIND THIS ALBUM HIGHLY ENJOYABLE AND VERY PLEASANT. IT LENDS ITSELF VERY WELL TO REPEATED LISTENS.

"THE CYCLOPS SAMPLER" FROM 1994 CD:

GRACE IS A BAND WITH A COMMITTED FOLLOWING OF FANS UP AND DOWN THE UNITED KINGDOM, WITH A PARTICULARLY LOYAL BASE AROUND THEIR HOME GROUND OF NORTH STAFFORD SHIRE. ORIGINALLY SIGNED TO THE MCA LABEL, THEY HAVE A NEW CD OUT ON THE GRIFFIN/CYCLOPS LABEL CALLED "PULLING STRINGS & SHINY THINGS."

THIS IS THEIR FOURTH ALBUM AND CERTAINLY THEIR MOST SUCCESSFUL ONE TO DATE.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO DEFINE THE MUSIC OF GRACE-IT IS POSSIBLE TO HEAR SO MANY DIFFERENT INFLUENCES, RANGING FROM FOLK MUSIC TO HEAVY RHYTHMS OFFERING ABSOLUTE OPPOSITES OF LIGHT AND SHADE. ONE THING IS CERTAIN ABOUT THE MUSIC AND THAT AT ITS HEART THERE IS A FEELING OF ENGLISH-NESS.

THEY HAVE A FORMIDABLE REPUTATION AS A LIVE BAND, WHICH IS LARGELY DUE TO THE DEMONIC PERFORMANCE OF THEIR FLAUTIST/SAXOPHONE/WHISTLE-PLAYING TWIN FRONT MAN THE GOOD KING HARRY. HIS PERFORMANCE WITH ASSORTED RUBBER POULTRY AND DUSTBINS LIDS NEED TO BE VIEWED AFTER THE WATERSHED! MUSICALLY STRONG, THE REMAINING MEMBERS PROVIDE GUITAR, BASS, KEYBOARD AND PERCUSSION.

TWO TRACKS ARE INCLUDED ON "THE CYCLOPS SAMPLER" CD: "THE FOOL" HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM THE "PULLING STRINGS & SHINY THINGS" CD. IT HAS BEEN SELECTED BECAUSE TO MANY PEOPLE IT TYPIFIES WHAT IS BEST ABOUT GRACE-THE POETRY OF THE LYRICS, THE STRONG MELODY AND THE MANY MOOD SWINGS WITHIN THE PIECE, THE OTHER TRACK, "LEAN ON ME" IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TYPICAL AND IN FACT IS UNIQUE TO THIS SAMPLER. THE FINAL VERSION IS ON THE NEW CD BUT THE MIX HERE WAS AN EXPERIMENT CARRIED OUT BY THE PRODUCER OF THE ALBUM-SHAWN LOWE. IT FEATURES HYPNOTIC STRINGS AND PERCUSSION BACKING TO WHAT IS A VERY STRONG EMOTIONAL PIECE OF MUSIC INSTEAD OF THE "GABRIELESQUE" INTERPRETATION ON THE NEW ALBUM.

"THE CYCLOPS THE SECOND SAMPLER" -FROM 1995 DOUBLE CD:

"THE MIRACLE" (ON THE SECOND SAMPLER) IS AN UNRELEASED OLDER SONG WHICH REPRESENTED THE MELODIC ROCK ASPECT OF THE BAND AT THE TIME, AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED ON THE NEW CD DUE IN1996.

SINCE THE RELEASE OF "PULLING STRINGS AND SHINY THINGS", GRACE HAVE PLAYED WITH PENTANGLE, THE STRAWBS AND ARTHUR BROWN TO AUDIENCE WHICH HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY HAD NOT HEARD OF THE BAND. EARLY 1995 A SESSION WAS RECORDED FOR THE BBC WHICH WAS BROADCAST THROUGHOUT THE MIDLANDS AND THE NORTH.

THE NEW CD RELEASED IN 1996 "POPPY" WHICH IS PRODUCED BY SHAWN LOWE OF EPILOGUE.