WORLDS APART

While "Worlds Apart" contains a few of SAGA's best and best known songs, it lacks the overall consistent quality of its predecessor "Silent Knight". It is also more firmly of the 80s if that is indeed possible. The synths and drums reek artifice and style over substance, and and least half of the material could have been produced by Human League on Crystal meth.

Some of the best playing here is buried by compositional deficiencies, particularly in "Conversations" and "Framed". Elsewhere, even the playing is not very inspiring. Because their least interesting material tends to sound fast and chaotic for the sake of it, mellower tunes like "Time's Up" and "No Regrets" provide an appealing contrast and sound even more profound than they would have on a better album. The exceptions are the hits "Wind him up" and "On the Loose" which would seem the heir apparent to the best of earlier Saga, informed by a chart awareness hitherto unimagined. These are powerful arena rock anthems that happen to be progressive as well.

With less than half an album of worthwhile listening, "Worlds Apart" is not even a half world apart from most early 80s dross. 2.5 stars rounded down.