Craft – First Signs – The Definitive Edition (Spirit of Unicorn, 2021)
First Signs, originally released in 1984, was the sole album by an excellent progressive symphonic rock band called Craft, formed by two former members of The Enid. As you would expect, First Signs is deeply influenced by The Enid. It is masterfully orchestrated instrumental symphonic rock with deep classical music influences and also rooted in epic progressive rock. One of the major differences between Craft and The Enid is that Craft used a faster tempo in some of their compositions.
The musical pieces on First Signs are inspired by signs of the Zodiac. The new remastered edition includes the original pieces plus eight bonus tracks, four of which are remixes from the original set along with two previously unreleased tracks titled ‘Despina’ and ‘Dmitri’s Lament’. Overall, First Signs is a real treat for keyboard lovers and the symphonic side of progressive rock.
Craft featured William Gilmour on keyboards; Martin Russell on bass and keyboards; and Grant McKay Gilmour on drums.
About First Signs – The Definitive Edition, Martin Russell indicated: “I’m so happy that this body of music (from half our lives ago!) is getting a carefully-curated release befitting this century’s listeners, whether they’ve previously heard the 1984 vinyl, the 1991 CD or are coming fresh to what we did back then. Reconnecting with Willie and Grant and recollecting our ambition and our collective bond has been an unexpected and joyful by-product of preparing this definitive edition. I’m very grateful for the opportunity we’ve been given to revisit our musical past and to provide a glimpse into ‘what might have been’ via the additional content.”