TRUST

Wow! The undisputed masters of 80's pop-prog are back in high form! (Please don't mistake this for Neo-Prog) This music is like a window into a forgotten world - the imagined worlds of Jules Verne, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, H. G. Wells, Fritz Lang. It is an echo of the Saga's best years, which, luckily for those who did not forget the glory days of the music that we call Progressive Rock, brings back all that was great about this Canadian band. The urgency, the focus, the vague feeling that something is wrong, that the world out of control, the bittersweet poetry - it's all back! It's as if they have come out of a 20- year deep freeze and picked up where "Heads Or Tales" left off in 1983. Perhaps the guys got tired of looking for new audiences and decided to do the "right thing" and come back to a sound that would be sure to please the core fans, of which there are plenty.

The massive keyboard, crunchy guitar sound (emphasized by production) and super-crisp vocals are a trademark of this record. Although the songs vary in quality they are overall very good, loaded with nice little prog surprises. As on every Saga album, some songs stand out, in this case the highlights being the awesome "That's As far As I Go", "Back To The Shadows", the stunning "Trust", "It's Your Life", the chop-o-matic "Footsteps In The Hall", the surprisingly Rush-like rocker "You Were Right" and the beautiful pop-prog song "On The Other Side". The booklet graphics are stunning.

If you are a fan of early Saga, and like 80's pop-prog rock in general (which would include early 80's Genesis, Yes and Rush), you are not likely to be disappointed with this excellent album. I can only add a wish that Genesis, Yes and Rush would follow Saga's example and return to making quality music once again...