GTR

This album sounds quite like Asia: Geoff Downes's production and Steve Howe' s guitars give this album another Asia-like sound. The presence of Steve Hackett allows the listener to compare the styles of the 2 famous prog guitarists: it is interesting to notice that their parts have distinctive sounds and styles through the miscellaneous electric and acoustic guitars. The lead vocals are very good, reminding a bit Kansas: recall that this singer worked for Mike Oldfield on his "Earth Moving" record. Like Yes' "Big Generator", the sound here is VERY strident & metallic. The bass is insufficient. There is a good reprise of Hackett's "Land of 1000 autumns" (from the "Please Don't Touch" album). The keyboards are not bad, but they could be more melodic, colorful & elaborated. The songs are not progressive at all; I would even say that they are accessible and rather pop. Globally, I prefer Asia.

Rating: 3.5 stars