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על תקליט הסולו הראשון של מנהיג הלהקה... Norman Barratt Band - Playing In The City. his post gravy train solo album from 1981. Gravy Train were an early 70's proto prog band. the band had a certain quality to it, authentic feeling - wich i could never capture in words. Norman Barrate, the band leader - was imho one of the best song writers ever. All four albums by gravy train are worth digging. very elaborate song writing. very emotional. now castle lable is reissuing thire two dawn albums - which are both great (can anyone comment on thire sound quality ?). any way, just when i thought i had it all... what a pleasant surprise it was for me to listen to barrate solo album "Playing in the city" from 1981. amazing album it is !. agian, the music touches a nerve. some of the songs were about to be include in the fifth gravy train album, and agian they are total classic and a must for any proto prog album. truly a wonderful album. get it. here are two reviews : 1) The old maxim that what was great music in one decade remains great in a new one is proven by this first-time-on-CD re-release. Back in 1981 'Playin' In The City" was voted the album of the year by Britain's CCM buffs and the following year Norman Barratt and his fellow Midlands rockers played a truly smouldering set to a delirious 25.000 at Greenbelt. Today the music, remastered but thankfully unmessed around with, comes through with the same blistering power that it did 17 years ago. From the pogo-tempoed '"Only One " to the breathtaking "Never Seen Your Face" the years fall away as the superbly light band crack through a series of energised songs crammed full of tuneful hooks and spiritual insights while the haunting "Voice In The Night" is a true classic of the genre. Timeless. 2)In the prog era, guitarist Norman Barratt was revered amongst British players for his work with rock band Gravy Train who released a number of albums on the Vertigo label. After getting saved he played with the Alwyn Wall band in the late '70s before forming the Barratt Band in 1981 and recording this landmark album. Produced by Vic Coppersmith who was working with The Jam at the time, what is most surprising here is the way in which keyboards play as much of a role in the overall sound as Barratt's guitar and gritty vocals. Recorded for the fledgling Chapel Lane record label whose studios allowed the label's artists to invest more time in production, the results were stunning at the time. 25 years on, they're still stunning as this album stands the test of time. Musically it's quite a mixture from the short sharp new wave influenced "The Only One", "Coming Of The Man" and "Bad Mean World" which all pound along in stripped down fashion. Barratt once told me that the gentle "Your Love" was simply a vehicle for an extended guitar solo where Barratt's virtuosity is certainly demonstrated. "Not The Way" and "Playing In the City" both exploit his skill with the talk box, the latter is probably still my favourite track on the album. The album closes in almost prog fashion with two songs that are designed to be heard together. "Voice In The Night" and "Never Seen Your Face" are epic songs that look at the crucifixion and beyond but it's the musical power of the tracks which really impresses. In the early '80s they were a live staple, gigging all over the place and these last two songs were the climactic moment in the gigs. Normant Barratt recorded further albums but none were as impacting and stunning as this. Still powerful after all these years and now this absolute classic is re-released!