THE JEWEL

First of all, as this album has always represented the stereotype of such "LIght New Progressive Wave" of the early eighties (along with Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood" for example),also regarding of this new remastered version,it won't never let me change idea about it, anyway!!Of course you can not compare it to any great progressive masterpiece produced by the 70's "dinosaurs" of progressive rock...secondly, this is their attempt to make their best album (actually one of their best ones, in accordance to the opinion of some music critics at least) a listenable and finally decently re-recorded work, performed at their Studio.Well for me it should have been better if they chose to recover the original tapes and make them remaster by one of the master-sound engineers (I think of Terry Brown for instance): instead they have decided in a different way!! Nothing else to say about the songs, you know them, so if you're into the new scene of such N.P.W. in the UK, you can buy it;otherwise you could decide differently, because the new operation by Pendragon is not necessary and the present album- not essential at all-as well...I'm a bit disappointed with it, because I expected to find a "polished" version of the original work...instead it's a different operation, but never mind: listening to these old songs is pleasant anyway, despite of the bonus tracks being useless here and the cheesy lyrics as well.So at the end my generous score is for my encouragement only!

(Review of original release) Well,what a pity for their cheesy lyrics (especially within their hit single "Higher Circle") and-above all- for the weak production of the album!! In fact the path traced by PENDRAGON - thanks to this work - was their search for a certain originality, finally separated by such usual common places of the typical New-Progressive stuff GENESIS-like. This was a true promise, then not maintained (except on some tracks within the recent "Masquerade Overture" for example). Songs such as "Leviathan", "Oh Divineo", "The Black Knight" were remarkable epic songs, with a strong personality. "Alaska" and "The pleasure of your hope" instead represented the best example concerning the clever use of balanced keyboards, characterized also by remarkable solos without any particular virtuosity or excess as well.

Recommended, even though it is not completely essential in comparison to the best Progressive-Romantic jewels of the seventies.