Nick D’Virgilio

Invisible ENGLISH ELECTRIC

Spock’s Beard, Genesis, Big Big Train, Mirage, Cirque Du Soleil – what makes you think that drummer Nick D’Virgilio is going to make a concept album?

Okay, rhetorical question. Given D’Virgilio’s 30-year prog CV with the above-mentioned bands and more, it makes sense for his solo album to be based on a concept. And it’s not a bad concept: a man who’s unhappy with where his life has ended up dumps it all overboard in the search for a meaning to life.

D’Virgilio can sing, he can write and he sure can drum. Plus he’s been able to round up a topnotch cast of musicians and persuade them to serve the album rather than themselves. The only cover song, Money (That’s What I Want), is also transformed to fit the purpose. There’s no immediate stand-out track on the record, but a couple make an impression after just a few listens. ■■■■■■■■■■

The meaning of prog.