To state the obvious, John Greenwood has not taken the typical path to becoming a prog rock guitar hero. Having grown up in Manchester, UK, where he studied medicine and finished training in plastic surgery, he and his family subsequently emigrated to Australia, where Greenwood became director of the Adult Burns Center at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. After twenty years of service, Greenwood retired and, following a fortuitous meeting with Unitopia’s Mark Trueack, contributed to United Progressive Fraternity’s album Hope. That in turn led to full membership in the reunited Unitopia’s 2023 offering, Seven Chambers. Unitopians Sean Timms and Steve Unruh also assisted with Greenwood’s first two solo albums, Dark Blue (2023) and The Boy (2024), and the journey continues with new offering First Day.
Before we get to the music, let me begin with the lyrics. There are many listeners who claim not to care about what’s being sung, it’s the music that moves them (or not). If you are one of those types, hopefully First Day will make you reconsider that approach. As I will detail in a moment, there is some incredible musicianship on offer with this album. However, rarely have the lyrics mattered as much as they do here. This is not simple I love her, she loves me, let’s save the world claptrap. To be sure, there is plenty of love on display, but in a fantastically elegant, erudite and emotional manner. As John Greenwood explained in our chat, “Lyrics are very important to me and take different forms. My favourite form is telling a story through the eyes of multiple characters.” And that is exactly what he does throughout the album, creating an intellectual yet heartfelt investment in the lives of his characters.
If you’re not paying attention, Christmas Present embodies the joyous abandon of that particular holiday season. As if in a radio play, the album opens with a spoken introduction outside a church as two gentlemen leave services. The wordplay begins quickly as the vicar wishes the gents a day “filled with Christmas spirit”, to which one replies, “It’s being delivered as we speak!” And we are off to the races! The two chaps are more concerned with their own finery and all its trappings than the actual holiday, and the jaunty music reflects their attitude with a six eight time romp filled with gorgeous electric guitar runs worthy of Steve Hackett, festive accordion and flute, and madcap synths. The music abruptly turns solemn as the story shifts to a nurse who relies on the local food bank to provide Christmas dinner for her children. A sensitive acoustic guitar arrangement tugs at the heart as much as the story does. The have vs. the have-nots tale ends as one might expect, church bells pealing as the boorish behaviour of the elites once more passes with little consequence. Lyrically sharp, musically trenchant, the song is a Christmas Present that will stick in your memory.
If Nursery Cryme-era Genesis floats your boat, the introduction to All Over is right up your alley. Another detailed story, this tells one of a couple who battle viciously, only to retreat to their corners at the end of the day as if nothing had happened. Greenwood’s guitar work is stellar, but his bass and keys work demand equal attention for their beauty. Chester Thompson plays drums throughout the album, and on this song he shows why – even without the flash – he is still one of the best around. On his second solo album, The Boy, Greenwood details the story of a lad whose aspirations and ambitions lie in the skies and, eventually, space. Actor Mark Addy, who narrated that album, returns to introduce the story of The Girl left behind. Beautifully orchestrated and accompanied by an evocative piano part, Greenwood’s daughter, Emma Bartsch, voices the character. That voice is clear and filled with the emotion of a lover abandoned, pregnant, and determined to succeed on her own. The organ here accentuates the girl’s grit while the guitar is used sparingly but with purpose. When he finally does solo, Greenwood captures the spirit with an intense but controlled melodicism. The guitar coda reflects both the turbulence that might lie ahead and the girl’s strength of will.
Which brings us to the album’s centrepiece, the nearly 23 minute The First Day Suite. As intense as the previous pieces were, they do not compare to the emotional sucker punch of the title track. Divided into eight pieces, the Prelude kicks things off with a sad and ominous orchestral flourish made even more menacing by a goosebump-inducing organ part. Both give way to sweeter strings, acoustic guitar, flute and violin, which then yield to a minor key grand piano. A ticking clock and alarm introduce the mayhem that is First Day. A deceptively cheery melody belies the long day of life and death decisions that lie ahead. The emphasis is on the melody and lyric content, but the instrumentation is no less mesmerizing. When Greenwood lets loose on the guitar, you know it’s going to leave a mark. As do the devastating words:
nothing to eat since I began this take.
Every few minutes there’s a shocking bleep,
But this time there is something that dispels any dream of sleep…..
I’m guided down a corridor, to a place I’ve never been before,
And in the last room on the left, no witness to a subtle theft,
A woman pale and silent lay; children, lovers, all away,
Shadowed by a sickly light, abandoned to her final night.
Last Room On The Left Part I is a short instrumental vehicle for Greenwood’s prodigious classical guitar skills, abetted by flutes and gorgeous orchestral passages. Despair captures the essence of its title, replete with all the bitterness and exhaustion that entails. Mark Addy returns to recite a poem about the lonely death of a patient, witnessed only by the doctor. If you aren’t on the verge of tears by the end, have someone check your pulse. Last Day tells the tale from the dying patient’s perspective. Led once more by Greenwood’s classical guitar and Bartsch’s haunting vocals, the song mirrors both peace and acceptance. Another orchestral instrumental, Last Room On The Left Part II emphasizes the job’s heavy burden and its consequences. The piano accompaniment halfway through adds to the feeling of weary resignation, a chilling lead-in to the even more devastating vocals of Sam Greenwood on Ghosts. Pure Hackett in its sensitivity and depth, the lead guitar pulls at what might be left of your heart. The suite ends with The Last Room On The Left Part III/Coda, another instrumental piece, in which the guitar soars like an angel into Heaven, leaving the orchestra to hold your soul in its warm embrace.
John Greenwood’s The First Day is one of those rare albums that reveals itself to be a subtle masterpiece. From the sensitive orchestration to the heart-grabbing lyrics, from the music that hooks you with its quiet brilliance to beautifully rendered vocals, this is an album to savour. First Day had me hooked on the first listen and has not let go since. Kudos, Mr. Greenwood. In an age of flash-in-the-pan, disposable pop, First Day is an album that will endure and, I suspect, become like an old friend over the years to come.
[You can read John Giordano’s interview with John Greenwood HERE]
TRACK LISTING
01. Christmas Present (12:38)
02. All Over (6:52)
03. The Girl (12:23)
04. The First Day Suite
– i. Prelude (2:44)
– ii. First Day (05:39)
– iii. The Last Room On The Left Part I (1:15)
– iv. Despair/First and Last Day (Poem) (3:01)
– v. Last Day (2:39)
– vi. The Last Room On The Left Part II (2:25)
– vii. Ghosts (2:56)
– viii. The Last Room On The Left Part III/Coda (2:08)
Total Time – 54:40
MUSICIANS
John Greenwood – Lead Male Vocals (except 4 vii), Backing Vocals, Nylon, Acoustic, 12-string Acoustic, 6 Electric & 12-string Electric Guitars, Bass, Mandolin, Piano (3), Keyboards, Programmed Percussion, Programmed Orchestration
Emma Bartsch – Lead Female Vocals, Backing Vocals
Sam Greenwood – All Vocals (4 vii)
Sean Timms – Additional Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Sequencers, Programmed Percussion, Orchestral finessing
Chester Thompson – Drums
Roger King – Grand piano (4)
Carolyn Lam – Violin, Solo Violin, Strings (Leader)
Matej Sutora – Violin
Marta Sutora – Violin
Adina Lopez – Violin
Asha Stephenson – Viola
Samvel Berberyan – Viola
Jacqueline Finlay – Cello
Louisa Giacomini – Cello
Linda Pirie – Flute
Jo Bridgman – Oboe
Jenny Doe – Euphonium, Tenor Horn
Sian Watt – Tuba, Trombone
Laura Trotta – Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn
Brendan Dougan-Kittel – Accordion (1)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: UK/Australia
Date of Release: 24th July 2026
