Draper, Terry: Bread and Cirkus

There have been many underrated Canadian rock bands throughout the decades, perhaps none more so than Klaatu, which formed in 1973. Much has been written about the backstory, the mysterious nature of the band members, you know, could they be The Beatles in disguise? Farfetched for sure and of course not true but it did give the band some much needed notoriety. Back in the ‘70s I latched onto the band and still love their first three albums: 3:47 EST (1976), Hope (1977), and Sir Army Suit (1978). Much to my delight I discovered the music of Terry Draper, the third member of the trio, and his extensive solo material. The multi-instrumentalist has been very busy indeed having released nine solo albums since 2016, including his 2022 release titled Bread and Cirkus.

The title comes from ancient Rome. To ensure the Roman citizens would not revolt, the emperors needed to feed the citizens (bread) and entertain them (circus). You may have noted the spelling of circus, the ‘k’ is a reference to one of Draper’s favourite bands King Crimson and their song “Cirkus�, found on their Lizard release.

Bread and Cirkus contains fourteen tracks, seven per side, beginning with album opener “All Together� and I got to say it is a pure pop gem with the somewhat dark lyrics in contrast with its uplifting melodic charm. Lyrically, this is a deep dive into the political divide that encompasses North America. A killer vocal arrangement highlights the upbeat pop of “Enough�, this time tackling our fascination with materialism. “In My Dreams� is a dreamy pop tune with a sweet melody and lovely backing vocals courtesy of Lisa Mychols. The slightly melancholic “Gwendolynn� is nostalgically wistful while “The Road� could have been a long lost Paul McCartney single from the early ‘70s. Side two kicks off with the title track which is more in line with progressive rock having a dramatic intro with cool effects and big rhythms. The sax from Chris Hess adds a quirky bent and guest guitarists Fernando Perdomo and Jamie Grant add some nice eclectic leads. “The Tale Of Ted� is another earworm with Beatles-like vocal harmonies courtesy of Brenda Webb and Jaimie Vernon. Just a lovely, dreamy quality in this one. “Passport� continues Drapers’ love of The Beatles with sampled trumpet that hints of mournfulness and a wonderful arrangement. The album ends with its longest track “Icarus�, a celestial sounding piece filled with dreamy atmospheres and more wonderful vocals.

Bread and Cirkus is a mightily impressive pop rock album, crafted with great melodies and classy playing from everyone involved. Highly recommended.

Track Listing:
1. All Together (3:28)
2. Enough (2:25)
3. In My Dreams (4:26)
4. Gwendolynn (3:45)
5. The Road (4:02)
6. Everything About You (2:46)
7. One Heart (3:14)
8. Bread and Cirkus (5:59)
9. The Tale Of Ted (4:51)
10. Now and Never (4:10)
11. Sun Worshipping (6:00)
12. Passport (4:13)
13. Let Us Be One (2:10)
14. Icarus (6:59)

Added: August 19th 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 845
Language: english

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