If the word Prog makes you think of dated sounding 70’s bands then this album will change your mind. This is a modern sounding album with a great collection of songs.

Even though Pendragon have been going for many years dating back to the late 70s I’ve never heard a note of their music until now. Hearing this album makes me sorry I waited so long…

The album has 9 tracks, four of which make up The Wishing Well which in total clocks in at over 20 minutes. In some ways this track is the highlight of the album, this epic piece is brilliant. Individually every section is outstanding, with part II Sou’ By Sou’ west being my favourite.

Two other personal favourites are the title track which leads into No Place for the Innocent. The former is an instrumental surely destined to be the opening tune live while the latter rocks out in fine style.

A Fantastic production job makes this a great album to listen to especially on headphones. Top marks to Nick Barrett from the band & Karl Groom. This one of the best sounding albums I’ve heard in ages. There isn’t a weak track in sight & although some may not be as immediate as others their beauty will be revealed with a few listens, trust me.

Give this album a bit of time & you’ll wonder why you never listened to Pendragon before.
For once you can Believe the hype!
The good news is that with a substantial back catalogue I’ve got loads more albums to explore & I can’t wait!

www.Pendragon.mu

Ben Byrne

Pendragon Vocalist Nick Barret kindly answers Sav's 10 questions.

1. How are you? Where are you?
Very well thanks, very happy that we have managed to finally release this
new album. I'm at home at the moment in Wiltshire.

2. What's currently happening in Pendragon's world?
Well after 4 years we are back with this new album Believe, and really busy
trying to promote it as best we can, there are a lot of interviews to do
,and we are lining up a tour for next May.

3. What has been the best concert by one of your peers you ever attended?
By one of our peers, I would say Marillion in the Fish days at theMuziekcentrum in Utrecht Holland [we supported them!] on the MisplacedChildhood tour 1985.

4. What was the first song you ever wrote/performed?
It was a song called Invest In Property which was a jazz rock thing. JulianBaker, the old 2nd guitarist in Pendragon and I stayed up all night to writeit, and we were dead proud of it. Julian was reading the newspaper and it said, Invest In Property, so he said that's what we'll call it! It's quite like early Camel. Unfortunately I don't have a tape of it at all!

5. Do you remember the first place/ time you stepped on stage to play? What
happened?
Yeah, it was a place called The Marshall Rooms in Stroud in Gloucestershire, where we lived. I was 16 years old. The gig was on the actual day I left school which seemed rather profound! It was incredible! My brother had managed to get everyone from school to come along and it was packed. We played stuff like Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Chile, Santana Black Magic Woman, Led
Zeppelin Stairway and Rock And Roll. When I went to bed that night I couldn't sleep, I was so over excited, this was the most exciting thing I had ever done.

6. What performer are you in awe of? Why?
I don't know so much now...I have realised they're all human beings, so the awe thing has slightly gone! Ha ha I guess there were a lot as I grew up, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Latimer Camel, all
Genesis and Floyd. Now I am in awe really of some of the younger musicians who are making great music.

7. What would be the high point & low point of your career?
The high point, there have been many. I think when we first played The Marquee Club in London with Marillion because it showed us that there was an audience out there for our music for the first time ever, this was an indication that we 'could' really stand a chance of making it! Lots of others too, playing Reading Festival, recording Tommy Vance BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock show session, our first headline concert in Europe, our first concert in Poland ! Making The World album was another one of those defining moments because to answer your other part of the question about the low points . In the late 80's we were in serious trouble, no record deal, a lot of debt and really only a few hardcore fans clinging on! We took a new step and made an album called The World and suddenly our lives were plugged back in , it was a path that would lead to seven very happy years for the band.

8. What is you favourite city/town to have a show in & Why?
There are many that are good, London because we always feel we're home. Paris the audience are very passionate, Barcelona because the audience are very loud and welcoming........so many, Krakow in Poland, Santiago Chile!! Lots and lots!

9. If you could do something else what would it be?
Probably either a dancer or a comedian. I love the art of that movement in dancing even though I dance like everybody's uncle! The feeling from dancing is euphoric, a bit like doing a gig.
I think to make people laugh is an amazing talent, you have to have such belief and confidence it's incredible, a really hard thing to do ,but so valuable! I love people like Billy Conolly and Ricky Gervais. Maybe I would like to have been a pro surfer or motocross champion, but there ain't enough time in life to really dedicate everything to all these things , so I chose music!

10. What colour is the sky in your world?
Blue....definitely blue! Ya know, that nice blue...not that cruddy colour
...navy blue