Wilco Barg:

"We're fammiliar with this by now. Put a couple of like-minded persons with each other and wait to see if something nice would come out of this project. Best example would be Transatlantic, amongst others, and many more projects that involve Dream Theater related members.

They must have been thinking the same in England when Henry Fool was born. Fudge Smith (Pendragon, LaHost) and Tim Bowness (No-Man, Samuel Smiles) are resposible for setting up Henry Fool.

Both bring musicians from their direct surroundings with them. Fudge brings in LaHost keyboardist Steve Bennett, while Bowness thought about Samuel Smiles members Peter Chilvers (bass) and Micheal Bearpark (guitar). Next to that, jazz session musician Myke Clifford adds pieces on saxophone and flute.

A nice blend that consequentally takes inspiration from the richer symphonic source of the late 60s, early 70s with references to Genesis, Pink Floyd and Soft Machine. Lyrically the band are not hesitative about experimenting like Rain Tree Crow which finishes things nicely with group improvisations ala King Crimson.

The band deliver almost 52 minutes that on one hand sound like a soundtrack (Friday Brown) and on the other side at times sound like a magical presentation thanks to the contributions of Myke Clifford. After a couple of instrumental tracks, in which the King Crimson framework layed down by Bass Pig and Poppy Q is obvious, Tim Bowness' singing in Midnight Days, the first part of the five-piece Lateshow, delivers some life in the No-Man tendency. The man has a wonderful sultry voice, that by now has become a trademark that definately attaches him to No-Man. Via the seemingly improvised parts Blindman One, Poppy Z and Blindman Two, the band comes back to the vocal line of Bowness in Grounded. This song clearly reflects the Genesis influences of albums like Trepass and Nurcery Cryme, in which the flute and mellotron strings guide for the biggest part.

Funny thing is that tracks like The Laughter That Turned To Ice and Heartattack would not have been misplaced on No-Man's most recent album (Returning Jesus), while the music was written by Stephen Bennett. Bennett and Tim Bowness are responsible for the biggest part of the music, of which the lyrics were also written by Bowness and are the more experimental and King Crimson-ish songs like The Davind Warner Wish List and The Mellow Moods Of Malcolm McDowell that carry the band's credits.

Eventually this results in an album that one one hand needs several spins to be understood and on the other hand sounds familiar."

NOTE: Thanks to Dennis Leeflang for translating this from Dutch.