Majestic. Grandiose. Class. Those are the very first words that came to me as I was listening to this four track EP, which Galahad have released as part of their thirtieth anniversary year. They have taken four of their older numbers, and have re-recorded them in a manner that is both a nod to the past yet very much showing the current and future direction of the band. Three of those involved, Stu Nicholson (vocals), Roy Keyworth (guitars) and Spencer Luckman (drums) were of course involved when the songs were recorded the first time around, Tim Ashton (bass) played on some before taking his rather extended break from the band (22 years!) while “new boy” Dean Baker may not have played on these originally, but he has been around since ‘Following Ghosts’ (can it really be sixteen years since that came out?).
First up is “The Chase”, a song I first heard when Stu and I were sat in my car outside King Arthur’s Court before a gig, listening to a pre-release of ‘Voiceprint Radio Sessions’ (which to my horror I realise was more than 20 years ago now as it was their 8th Anniversary show, with The Morrigan in support, who they had also played with at Whitchurch). This time around I was struck by the space contained within the song, and the way the use of acoustic guitar transforms it. Stu is still singing as well as ever, hitting the higher notes with ease, while the music shifts and moves. Providing bass is Daryl Watts, son of the band’s original bassist Paul, and he locks in with Spencer to provide the groove while Roy is playing with more confidence than ever, relishing the opportunity to move the song into a more metallic direction with riffs that are both laid back and strident, while Dean definitely takes the opportuity to shine. Even when he isn’t providing the primary melody, there is a great deal going on in the background, so that the song has way more depth and power than the original ever did. Something else I noticed on this song, and throughout the EP, is that the production has allowed us to really hear just how important Spencer is to the overall sound. I have played all of their songs many, many times, but I have never heard the drums quite so to the fore and hadn’t realised just how much of a powerhouse he is.
And so, onto ‘Chamber of Horrors”. I must confess that I was rather worried about this, as this was one of two songs from ‘Nothing Is Written’. Not only was it their first ever full length release, but it is also an album that I have saved on my iPhone and still play frequently. For much of the time the band play this fairly “straight”, staying fairly close in many ways to the original (although Stu sounds more relaxed and going with the flow than first time around), but when Dean comes in with the keyboard lead with a sound straight from the Eighties all bets are off, with Tim providing some great driving bass in the background. The short break leads into the restrained guitar lead, some lounge keyboards and superb rhythm section, and then we are off and running towards the end.
“Dreaming From The Inside” was the A-side of the band’s debut single, and was later re-recorded as part of the Galahad Acoustic Quintet project, but here the use of classical guitar (by producer Karl Groom – very much a far cry from the sort of riffs he provides with Threshold) and piano (by ex-keyboard player Mark Andrews) combined with great vocals lifts it far higher than it had ever been imagined before. A great deal of thought has gone into this arrangement, and it is the restraint and use of space that makes it now one of the finest songs they have ever recorded. This is quality, sheer quality, of the very highest order with Tim and Spencer having an incredible impact by not appearing until nearly four and a half minutes through. Roy switches to electric, while Dean provides some keyboards on top of the piano, as they rock through to the end. Part of me is torn, as I can’t make up my mind if it would have been better to stay with the trio all the way through, but I love it as it is.
“Room 801” is an intriguing choice to end the EP with, as although it has always been one of my favourite songs, this was one that I have always associated with Neil on bass due to the way he attacked this in concert, even though Tim played on the original recording. Here it starts with sound effects for the first minute or so, gradually coming in with a nod to “Close Encounters”. One small thing that made me smile, is that on the original there is a distinct percussive sound that strikes out a rhythm, while here the exact same sound is used rather more sparingly. This has been done just for the true Galafan, as those hearing this for the first time won’t know the difference, but anyone who has played the original will smile with the recognition. Almost Marillion-eque in its approach, there are multiple layers, and a classiness throughout the eleven minutes, with some great filmatic clips. I hate to think how much Dean had to work on this, as there are multiple keyboard tracks combining to provide a sound that is almost Tangerine Dream or Jean Michel Jarre at times, evoking the feel of “space”. He and Stu combine magically, with the rest leaving them to it at times, coming back in to provide a restrained oomph. The guitar lick at eight minutes starts with Roy mimicking what he did all those years ago, before moving away and back again, keeping to the original but also making it very much a new piece with harmonies and layers of his own. Galahad probaby first came to prominence to many when they won the Radio One Rock Show Rock Challenge back in 1991. Somehow it seems fitting that the EP ends with the might Tommy Vance introducing the band (love the Stephen Hawkings amendment of Mark to Dean) and saying that “Room 801” is an epic song. And do you know what? He's right.
So four songs, just tasters of what will be released later this year, and I can't wait.
