THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: saga

SAGA – Marathon

March 23, 2023 /

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.

SAGA – Steel Umbrellas

May 10, 2022 /

It’s very cool to see this album come out on vinyl. It was remastered specifically for this release, as it was only ever released on CD originally. The songs were actually written for a US TV show called Cobra, and I don’t think I have ever seen an episode. As usual with these reissues, the sound is superb and crystal clear.

This is the tenth studio album from Canada’s best kept secret, and I’m not sure when they became Prog, but that’s what this album is listed under. It’s a very slick sounding record as though it has had the kitchen sink thrown at it to make it sound good.  I never realized it, but at times they sound like King Crimson around the Discipline and Beat periods – especially on tracks like Bet On This which has a killer funky groove and beat. Shake That Tree is another superb song, this time with keyboard player Jim Gilmour singing the main vocal.

There aren’t many tunes where Ian Crichton lets rip on this record, as the emphasis seems to be on the songs, but when he does…man what a player he is.  If I’m pushed for a favourite track, it would be Push It, as I really like the way the song swings with a very 90’s pop groove. If you are looking for a record to test out your hi-fi, then this is it.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

SAGA – Worlds Apart

August 19, 2021 /

Released in ’81, this is Saga’s 4th studio album, and as soon as the needle hits the grooves you know it’s Saga – they have such a distinctive sound. The album is produced by Rupert, who was flavour of the month at the time, and the sound is spectacular. Rupert was working with lots of synth bands like The Thompson Twins at the time, and that sound mixed with the rock of Saga, works really well.

On The Loose is the big hit from the album and opens us up. Great track with a superb melody and chorus – it’s a typical Saga tune. The following track is Times Up and it’s a very eighties synth pop track, and Hines’ influence is evident. For me, what makes this band special is the interplay with the keyboards and the killer guitar playing from Ian Crichton. On the next track, Wind Him Up, this is delivered to the max – with the added bonus of a superb melody and hook. Amnesia is next, and again, it has that eighties pop feel to it. It doesn’t quite work for me as a song, but the instrumentation is good. Framed closes out Side 1, and it could be part two of the previous track as the feel is very much the same. The vibe is lifted somewhat by some killer playing from Ian Crichton.

The Interview opens up Side 2, and it reminds me of a heavier Styx. This side also sees two of the band’s “Chapters” based songs, namely number 5, No Regrets, and number 8, No Stranger. These songs told the tale of a young Albert Einstein and were spread over the band’s first 4 albums – they keep the band’s Prog credentials intact. Not the best album by the band, but still a good album.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

SAGA – Heads or Tails

February 9, 2021 /

Saga are Canada’s best kept secret. Other than Germany, they were virtually unknown outside their own country, which has always amazed me. One of the reasons is that they are quite hard to categorize. Is it Prog Rock? Pomp? New Wave? Who knows?! Anyhoo, they hail from Oakville in Ontario, which is basically a suberb of “Tronner “.

First track in is Flyer – a great song with a great chorus, great melody, and some killer guitar courtesy of Ian Crichton, the band’s secret weapon. It’s Crichton that drew my attention to the band. I caught a live show on TV and was blown away by how he played. Catwalk is next and again a killer tune with some amazing guitar. These are two amazing tracks to open an album, that’s for sure. The Sound of Strangers is next up, with an off-groove, and it has some great interplay between Jim Gilmour on keys, and Crichton’s guitar. A very Styx-esque beginning to The Writing, which is an ok song that is lifted with some great playing. Side closer, Intermission, an odd song that feels as though it should have been on a Tears For Fears album.

Side 2 begins with one of the bands more famous tunes, Social Orphan, a decent tune with a big chorus, and again, some great musical interplay. The Vendetta starts with an overload of keys, and sounds very of it’s time – but is saved by a ripping solo. Scratching The Surface, with the robotic keys intro, is next and if I’m honest it is a bit meh! The Pitchman closes things out, and thankfully is a kick ass tune to end things on a high. Plenty of keys and melody, and most important of all, more ripping guitar. There is an epic ending to this song that is worth buying the album alone.

If you are anyway interested (as I am) in great guitar players, then you should definitely check out Saga and the amazing Ian Crichton.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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