Another one of the Saga CD period albums that the band have put out recently on vinyl. This time it’s Marathon from 2003, the band’s fifteenth studio release. If any of you bought this on CD when it was originally released, it came with a surround sound version which sounded amazing. It’s good to see this release has been remastered just for this vinyl release. Glad to report it sounds amazing. SAGA are another Canadian band that just seemed to bubble under and not quite make it to the top. Which is a travesty really, because all their albums make the listener think, there was always a lot going on to keep you entertained.
Okay, so which tracks float my boat on this one? Well, I would say How Are You? is typical Saga with that choppy, quirky riff style that they do so well with some epic guitar from Ian Crichton. The vocals and melody are always superb and this track is no exception. Return To Forever is my favourite track. The musicality is just superb and the guitar is off the charts. The only other band that do this is Toto. You Know I Know is a close second for me as the playing is exceptional.
I definitely recommend you owning this one because it sounds superb.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
