Jump - The Freedom Train

Year of Release: 1999
Label: Cyclops
Catalog Number: CYCL 081
Format: CD
Total Time: 00:00:00

For a long time I had found it difficult to categorize Jump as a new "prog" band. Their CDs ?And All The King's Men and The Myth Of Independence did get my award for "most tasteless and awful sleeve design of the year" yet musically it was not my cup of tea. But then I saw Jump open for Marillion in Vredenburg, Utrecht, Holland and I immediately knew that the strength of this band was to be found in their live concerts. That's why I was rather enthusiastic when I received The Freedom Train, a live collection of 14 Jump classics recorded on November 21st 1998. Material from the band's five studio albums was chosen in order to give the listener an overview of the band's nine year long career. The album has a harder edge than the studio albums and this is mainly due to the guitarists here. A nice example is the fantastic song "Valediction" where hard solos alternate with softer "riffs." The fact that they tackle their music with a professional attitude is proven in the fact that they integrate a small portion of Led Zeppelin at the end of the powerful "Used To The Taste." In "Judgment Day" they are even further way from the prog idiom than before by using some great slide guitar. Although one can clearly hear Fish and Marillion influences, the amount of "rock 'n' roll" in Jump's music is more apparent than with the competition. Maybe they are the absolute headliners of the "prog 'n' roll' movement?

Tracklisting:
A Nation Of Friends / The Lightbox / Poison In The Sea / Personal Revolution / Alone Ahead / The Pressed Man / Shed No Tears / On My Side / The Freedom Train / Highwayman / Valediction / Used To The Taste / Judgement Day / Keep The Blues

Musicians:
Andy Barker - drums
Hugh Gascoyne - bass
Pete Davies - guitars
Steve Hayes - guitars
John Dexter Jones - vocals, acoustic guitar
Mo - keyboards

Discography:
The Winds Of Change (1991)
World Of Wonder (1993)
...And All The King's Men (1994)
The Myth of Independence (1995)
Living In A Promised Land (1998)
Freedom Train (1999)
Matthew (1999)
On Impulse (2001)
Home Songs (2003)
A Man Was Made (2004)
Faithful Faithless (2005)
Something Of The Night (2006)
The Beachcomber (2010)
The Black Pilgrim (2013)
Over The Top (2016)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: January 1st 2000
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.jumprock.co.uk
Hits: 3096
Language: english