The return of classic British prog rock band, Pendragon, is a cause for celebration
It is now 38 years since Pendragon released their debut album, The Jewel. Fast forward to 2023, and the band release North Star, an EP of brand-new music. They have been a big part of my musical life ever since the 1980’s, and talking about a musical life, one of the real surprises of this year is the return to the fold of John “Barney” Barnfield, the keyboardist with the band back in the heady days of the early 1980’s when they and like-minded bands such as Marillion & IQ were starting to make a name for themselves as leading the second wave of progressive rock, getting airtime on shows such as Tommy Vance’s Friday Rock Show and playing to ecstatic fans at The Marquee.
Barnfield wrote the keyboard parts for Phoenician Skies, the third part of the title track suite. Elsewhere, long-term collaborators Peter Gee & Clive Nolan return alongside drummer Jan Vincent Velazco who made his studio debut with the band on 2020’s exceptional Love Over Fear.
The EP release coincided with the set of Pendragon weekend shows, marking the band’s return to live action following the debacle and heartbreak of the Covid period. I had been due to see them with my son at Winter’s End, but lockdown put paid to that, and I am afraid that caring commitments now preclude any travel for me beyond Swansea. A shame, but it looks as if the shows were a real success, despite airline problems doing their best to scupper the Norwegian appearances. The CD pre-order with Burning Shed, with whom the band have signed a distribution and merchandise arrangement, was an auto buy.
Love Over Fear was my favourite album of 2020, amongst some strong competition. You can see my review of it at https://lazland.org/top-ten-albums-by-year/project-two-ka4rl I made a point in that review which I hold firm by three years later, and that is the modernity inherent in Pendragon. I think a lot of the reviews where you read that Barrett had “returned to the glory days”, “produced a new Masquerade Overture” & etc. really missed the point, and, I believe, misunderstood the core fans of the band. If I want to hear Not of this World or The Masquerade Overture, I will put them on. When my favourite bands release new music, I want to hear that they have progressed, that they are trying something new and a bit different. I am by no means on my own and Pendragon deliver, in spades.
Before discussing the music, we really must praise the artwork on this EP. Illustration is by Liz Saddington, who also produced the artwork for Love Over Fear. She is a Cornish artist, and it is the case that Nick and his wife Rachel’s move to that gorgeous county has been a source of huge inspiration, and quite clearly behind much of the upbeat nature of the work produced. Further, without reading any information or interviews about the lyrics, I believe that the first part of North Star, A Boy and his Dog, is inspired by said county, there being a St. Catherine’s Hill in the Launceston area. The boy and his fantastical friends and fellow travellers under a sky full of stars, moving within this hallowed seat of England, rich having collected the spoils of the earth such as coins, sticks & stones, seashells, wet sand, and animal bones. He runs away with his innocent wealth, the worry of the riches in his hand weighing upon his shoulders.
What stunning words. How gorgeous is that? The music which accompanies this matches it consummately. A gentle, pastoral guitar with some lovely keys overlaid introduce us, with a nice bass melody and percussion before Barrett introduces himself vocally, gently before turning up the volume a wee bit describing the wonders of the treasures collected. A short guitar solo follows, and then Nolan brings some very nice notes in sequence. For the main running away passage, we get the first listen of Johanna Stroud’s backing vocals (she has worked with Solstice), and they complement Barrett perfectly, taking the role of Zoe Devonish on the last album. I like the addition of the female vocals to the band. Barrett’s main extended guitar solo is intricate and full of feeling. Stroud also introduces her violin, and the gentle orchestration is warm as we close the piece, excepting the somewhat harsh closing noise. This is a fine introduction to the EP.
Part II is As Dead As A Dodo. This strikes me as being an analogy for the present state of the nation, and it has an Americana feel to it, but also reminding one in part of the exceptional 360 Degrees. The violin and the keyboards combine with a great acoustic guitar alongside a rumbling rhythm section underneath and the guitar provides for a flourish at the close.
This then moves us into the final part, Phoenician Skies, and before saying anything else about it, I have to say that Barrett singing the opening line of “It’s land ahoy, land ahoy” is one of those rare stopping whatever you are doing and thinking about moments, the hair standing up on the back of the neck simply because of the fragility inherent in the sung words.
Most people know the Phoenicians as the Carthaginians, specifically because of Hannibal’s adventures over The Alps with the elephants, but they were, of course, a great seafaring lot who built huge artificial lakes and aligned cultic features such as statues & etc. with the stars. The vocal harmonies are lovely, especially when Barrett exhorts the lazy head to wake up. Barnfield’s contribution is very strong, and Barrett provides an organ solo which is a clear nod to classic prog days of yore. The guitar solo when it comes is dripping with emotion. Frankly, nobody does it better, and within this closing segment are some gorgeous keys with Gee & Velazco pushing things along nicely.
After this treat, the final track on the EP is Fall Away and lyrically it strikes me as being a love song, both physical but also the new location, and when you find that love, never let it go. Barrett lives in Cornwall, me in Carmarthenshire, and the pair of us are damned lucky to live in such rural splendour with the loves of our lives. I rather like and relate to this track.
The opening has Barrett bringing out his inner Spaniard with the guitar, a fine acoustic solo which showcases his virtuosity extremely well. When the vocals commence, they are accompanied by a ghostly keyboard alongside a less urgent guitar, and the intensity of the keys slowly grows for the find your love choruses. Nolan shines on this track, bringing a lead depth and feeling to the song which is amplified perfectly by the female voice. Yes, in parts it does remind one of those wall of sound Banks moments from the mid-70’s, but it is done in such a unique Pendragon setting.
If you are a digital personage, you can get the EP at the Bandcamp page https://pendragon3.bandcamp.com/album/north-star and you can still get the CD from Burning Shed – I would recommend this heartily if only for the lush artwork.
Pendragon continue to delight and surprise. This is a very warm EP and has me looking forward to more. Highly recommended for those who love the band, for those of you who might have lost touch with them, and, of course, those who are brand new to this type of stuff. You could do a lot worse than starting here.
Whilst Pendragon were a very important part of what some still refer to as “neo-prog” (I don’t care much for the label these days), they really are so much more than that and, like a fine wine, they keep improving with age.