Official Insanity: CIRCU5 – “Amazing Monstrous Grady”

CIRCU5

“Amazing Monstrous Grady”

CIRCU5

This is an amazing concept album that took five years to complete and is worth the wait.  The debut CIRCU5 album from British multi-instrumentalist, Steve Tilling, features guest performances from Dave Gregory (XTC, Big Big Train), Phil Spalding (Mike Oldfield), Matt Backer (ABC), Alan van Kleef (Ariel X), Johnny Warman (Peter Gabriel) and Andy Neve (Steve Hackett).  With a group like that, you got yourself a prog rock supergroup.  Tilling, the leader and main contributor, is amazing.  At times, the album sounds Queesnrycheish; other times, like Jethro Tull.  On the whole, this is an amazingly original album with an amazing concept.  I love this description of the album:

The album’s story traces the life of a child raised as a psychopath in a secret government organisation, which aims to cure the condition while harnessing positive traits for certain roles. The character discovers the truth as a dysfunctional adult – with catastrophic consequences.

Very Clockwork Orange in reverse or like the “Eve 6” episode of X-Files.  I am super impressed.  Prog rock is alive and well.