SAGA

"Heads or Tales" is the fifth full-length studio album by Canadian rock/progressive rock act Saga. The album was released through Portrait Records in September 1983. It´s the successor to the commercially succesful "Worlds Apart", which gave the band their international breakthrough. The two full-length studio albums are however bridged by the August 1982 "In Transit" live album.

Saga again recruited producer Rubert Hine and "Heads or Tales" also sounds like the natural successor to "Worlds Apart". Stylistically Saga play a melodic pop/rock oriented and synth heavy music style. Lead vocalist Michael Sadler is arguably one of the greatest assets of the band´s sound, and the more restrained and less classically trained singing approach he adopted on "Worlds Apart" is continued here, making "Heads or Tales" a both memorable and accessible release.

To my ears "Heads or Tales" is not an improvement over "Worlds Apart", and although it´s a good quality release in its own right it is more or less just a continuation and almost a cloning of the predecessor. So if you enjoyed "Worlds Apart", "Heads or Tales" will scratch your itch for more of the same, but there really hasn´t been much artistic development between the two releases. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is still warranted though.

"Worlds Apart" is the fourth full-length studio album by Canadian rock/progressive rock act Saga. The album was released through Polydor Records in September 1981. It´s the successor to "Silent Knight" from August 1980 and features the same quintet lineup as the predecessor, which was a first for Saga at this point, as every album before this album had featured a different keyboardist. "Worlds Apart" was produced by Rubert Hine.

"Worlds Apart" marks a musical shift for Saga towards a more commercially assessible synth oriented pop/rock direction compared to the melodic progressive rock/neo-progressive rock sound on the first three albums. "Worlds Apart" sounds more like a fresher and more contemporary 80s pop/rock album and less like the proto-neo-progressive rock Saga had put out before (not completely unlike contemporary Yes, Asia, or even Rush). Lead vocalist/keyboardist Michael Sadler has changed his vocal style considerably and now sounds more natural and less like a trained singer, although he is of course still an incredibly skilled vocalist with a personal delivery.

"Worlds Apart" is probably where fans of the first three albums, who were mostly into those albums because of their progressive rock leanings, left the Saga audience, but as "Worlds Apart" became Saga´s most commercially successful release (and still is today) they obviously found a new audience with this album. The more commercial pop/rock direction of the material and the less theatrical vocal approach have a lot to say in how well received and popular "Worlds Apart" was, and Saga arguably made some wise choices making those changes. Artistically they don´t sacrifice too much of their integrity either, although "Worlds Apart" features only a few progressive rock moments, but the cathiness and memorable songwriting make up for it and "Worlds Apart" is a good quality release from Saga. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

"Silent Knight" is the third full-length studio album by Canadian progressive rock act Saga. The album was released through Polydor Records in August 1980. It´s the successor to "Images at Twilight" from May 1979. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as keyboardist Gregg Chadd´s tenure with Saga was short (only appearing on "Images at Twilight" before leaving). He is replaced here by Jim Gilmour.

Stylistically the material on "Silent Knight" continues the melodic and predominantly vers/chorus oriented but epic sounding progressive rock style of "Images at Twilight". It´s like listening to neo-progressive rock acts like IQ, Pallas, and Marillion a couple of years before any of them were active and Saga must have been a huge inspiration on that scene along with the later 70s releases by artists like Genesis and UK. Saga however have a hard rock/AOR edge to their songwriting and playing style which puts them closer to contemporary artists like Kansas, Boston, and Electric Light Orchestra, so they are actually a bit hard to label right, but that´s only a stength.

"Silent Knight" is an album featuring strong and memorable songwriting, high level musical performances, and a powerful and well sounding production job, and upon conclusion it´s another good quality release from Saga. Saga weren´t shaking on their hands and the first three albums in their discography are remarkably consistent in both sound, quality, and style. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

"Saga" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by Canadian progressive rock act Saga. The album was released through Polydor Records in April 1978. Saga formed in 1977 after the demise of Canadian rock group Fludd. Three of the five members of Saga's lineup came from Fludd.

Stylistically Saga play what today sounds like a very time-typical late 70s/early 80s progressive rock style. It's technically well performed and the tracks feature intriguing details, but lack the structural complexity of many of the early- to mid-70s progressive rock releases, although this debut album certainly is among the most progressive oriented Saga releases. The choice of synths/keyboards, the hard rock edge, and the occasionally AOR (an even new wave) oriented direction of the music are also time-typical features. Lead vocalist/keyboardist Michael Sadler is a skilled singer and his trained singing style suits the music well, although I sometimes wish he would relax a bit.

The album features a clear, detailed, and professional sounding production job, and it's overall a very well produced release. Upon conclusion "Saga" is a good quality late 70s progressive rock release and it should appeal to fans of late 70s/contemporary Genesis, Kansas, Eloy, UK, and other artists in that vein (fans of 80s neo-progressive acts like Pallas and IQ should find lots to appreciate here too). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

In May 1979, "Images At Twilight", the second album by the Canadian prog band Saga, was released. Although the album lacks some of the grandeur of their later records, it remains an essential part of the band's history. With tracks like the impressive crowd-pleaser You're Not Alone, the beautiful ballad Images (Chapter One), and the catchy Mouse In A Maze, they ensured that the world took notice.

First, let's discuss the lineup of the band at the time. Almost everyone from the classic lineup is present on the album: lead vocalist Michael Sadler, the masterful guitarist Ian Crichton, brother Jim on bass guitar, and drummer Steve Negus. The only deviation is keyboardist Greg Chadd. It's a testosterone-fueled explosion of talent, this emerging quintet of musicians. Chadd's tenure with the band was short-lived. The session musician joined Saga in December 1978 after the original keyboardist Peter Rochon departed. Chadd left the band again in August 1979. Nevertheless, he can be proud of his contribution.

Over the years, the synchronous interplay of guitar, keyboards, and drums has remained Saga's unique selling point. On "Images At Twilight," these elements are not as pronounced, largely due to Chadd's playing style compared to his virtuosic successor Jim Gilmour. Chadd focuses more on chordal brass parts, which is not a detriment. His playing meshes well with Ian Crichton's guitar antics, making the relatively simple compositions wildly appealing. Add to that Sadler's vocals, which are of absolute world-class quality, and the evocative lyrics with their one-liner-like refrains, and you have a winning combination. It's all expertly held together by the dynamic interplay of the rhythm tandem Crichton-Negus. Let's dive in.

Saga knows better than anyone how to turn their progressive rock into compact songs. The first three tracks perfectly demonstrate the Canadians' uncompromising approach. The brisk It's Time (Chapter Three) exudes exuberance with deep basslines, cheerful keyboards, and a deliciously languid guitar solo. In See Them Smile, Saga opts for a lighter sound by experimenting with a Vocoder, while the duel between guitar and keyboards truly lives up to the title. It fills me with joy. The angular Slow Motion is also a delightful presence. The lightly funky bass guitar makes it an ideal prelude to one of Saga's best songs, You're Not Alone. What a classic the band delivers here. Everything is spot on, from the dynamics to the ensemble playing, the solo spot, to the fantastic ending. It's a song that intrigues above all. From the last notes, you really just want one thing: straight to side B.

Saga is one of the few bands where uptempo songs go down like a treat for me. This is because the joy of playing is palpable, and because everything is as tight as can be. The Canadians' music is filled with well-timed tempo and mood changes that keep your ears perked. The beauty is that they all make sense. Tracks like Take It Or Leave It and Hot To Cold are prime examples. Between these two songs, Saga presents the ballad of ballads, Images (Chapter One). Here, Saga employs piano, fleeting synthesizer lines, Michael Sadler's captivating voice, atmospheric acoustic guitar, and a hyper-bombastic finale full of deep Moog and brass sounds. While it's safe to assume that the concluding Mouse In A Maze has a nice a cappella intro and that the rest of the song is exceptionally infectious, experiencing the thunderous drums at the end is something you'll have to do for yourself.

With "Images At Twilight," Saga has crafted an excellent second album. It's a work with no low points and a number of magical moments. Very okay.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

I think I first came across Saga in 2017, because that's the date on the folder :) or maybe it was a completely different year, because my adventures with music were quite complicated. Surprisingly, as it turned out, I had quite a large collection, and it may seem quite strange, because I'm not really a fan of pop rock :) I conclude that either I hadn't listened to too many prog rock albums, or I drank a lot of beer at the time, and after a beer, the music somehow goes easier on the ears ;) For two days I've been listening to the albums I have, and I have to say that practically all of them, except for two, have fallen out of my collection. One of the two that I left is the debut, i.e. Saga - Saga from 1987. I think it's a little gem like ELO-TIME or ELOY-OCEAN. There's not much progressive rock in it, because the time was what it was, and progressive rock was slowly fading away in the late 70s. In any case, the album is very decent and has something that attracts people to it :) The second one is the live album Saga - Live In Hamburg from 2016. In my opinion, the band definitely does better at concerts than in the studio, which speaks very well of them. They had a lot of potential! It's a pity they didn't create in the 70s :)

Pierwszy raz wpadłem na Sagę chyba w 2017 roku, bo taką datę ma folder :) acz może to był zupełnie inny rok bo moje przygody z muzyką były dość zawiłe. O dziwo jak się okazało miałem jest spore zbiory i w sumie może to wydawać się dość dziwne bo raczej nie jestem fanem pop roka :) Wnioskuję że albo nie miałem za sobą wysłuchanych jeszcze za wielu płyt progrockowych, albo popijałem wtedy sporo piwa a po piwie muzyka wchodzi jakoś luźniej do ucha ;) Od dwóch dni słucham płyt które mam i powiem że praktycznie prawie wszystkie bez dwóch wyleciały z moich zbiorów. Jedną z dwóch które zostawiłem jest debiut czyli Saga - Saga z 1987. Myślę że to taka mała perełka jak ELO-TIME czy ELOY-OCEAN. Nie ma w niej za wiele rocka progresywnego bo i czas był taki jaki był i rock progresywny pod koniec lat 70 powoli odchodził w zapomnienie. W każdym razie płyta jest bardzo przyzwoita i ma coś w sobie co do niej przyciagą :) Drugą jest album koncertowy Saga - Live In Hamburg z 2016. Zespół moim zdaniem zdecydowanie lepiej daje sobie radę na koncertach niż w studio co bardzo dobrze o nim świadczy. Mieli spory potencjał ! szkoda że nie tworzyli w latach 70 :)

I hope I do not attract any haters by saying this. Michael Sadler is the voice of Saga and without that voice it really is a different band??. What I just said is completely false! His distinctive vocals are unique and no one sounds like him but the Saga sound is deeper than a voice. With Ian Crichton's guitar and Jim Gilmour's keys and the rhythm section they have, the band is also and unique. Ian's guitar is as unique as Sadler's voice. I never imagined that he would leave the band but then again he is a vocalist and they tend to like going solo (Collins, Gabriel, Cetera, and on and on) and they think they can do even better than their band in some cases. I think that vocalists also have a bit more pride being the fronters and Sadler has always struck me as having a bit of an ego to say ten least (Please, no haters). I get this by watching them live.

He stated that he was leaving to focus on family but he also went and made a solo album. I thought it was interesting that his "Bye-Bye" was short-short. Solo didn't work well for him and he may have thought the band could not be successful without him. But this album proves that Saga is more than a vocalist. I do like that fact that this band doesn't suffer from the infighting and bad blood that most bands do. These guys really do get along and are friends so my musings here could be complete horse hockey! They are a class act and that alone is a good reason to have them recognized.

The band has always been passed over and underrated by critics and record labels. Their catalog is extensive with many good records and definitely some that were no so good and even bad. "The Human Condition" shocked me when it came out. For one thing the band decided to continue. I got this album immediately and took a road trip and fell in love with the thing! This is the best album they have put out in ages! It is crazy how well it sounds and many of the songs really are top notch. Most of the newer albums only have a few tracks each that I really care for and this record had several.

The title track comes screaming on right up front with no words other than a vocoder (which was really not needed). This instrumental is unlike anything the band had done for the most part. The closest thing to it was the rare instrumental "Corkentellis" off "10,000 Days" which came before this album. The riffs on this first song are great and it is as if the band were making a statement right up front and that statement is: "We are still here and we aren't going anywhere!" It is almost a finger to Sadler saying "We are just fine without you pal!" LOL?? Okay, so maybe not but I think the band was definitely making that first statement loud and clear. That track left goosebumps on me and is one of my all time favorite Saga songs. This is a prog track for sure.

My other favorites on the album are "A Number With A Name" and "You Look Good To Me." On both I like the instrumentation. Rob Moratti is no Michael Sadler and I am glad of it as it gives the band a fresh sound. My other favorite track is the hard rocking "Let It Go" which the driving guitar work reminds me of "Once Is Never Enough" off "The Security Of Illusion" album. I can crank that one up and hear it over and over.

I could not believe the excitement this album caused in me. Being a fan of the band since day one I had gotten used to albums that were okay but nothing special. When they released "Generation 13" and essentially gave us the most incredible modern pro rock opera I thought they had hit their artistic peak and in many ways they did bit this album proved that they were still able to crank out good solid songs.

Sadly this is the last of the best albums. Sadler's return came on the next album and "20/20" was okay and "Sagacity" was just so-so. I tend to wonder what the band would have released next if Sadler had not returned. Hmmmm?.. The album is not a 4 star unless I consider the the title track. That prog song helps pay for the songs that are not as strong.

Saga is good at getting on a roll and putting out albums with similar themes such as their Chapters songs and the consistent album covers with the "Bug" on them and then suddenly breaking it up and doings something different as they did with then previous album "Network". While the album is okay it is nothing special and on my review of it I noted the loss of Steve Negus their original drummer whose technique was definitely part of the Saga sound. It is missed especially on "Network where they got what sounds like a rookie who couldn't even keep time on one song and whose drumming was very basic.

It reminded me of Marillion's debut album, "Script For A Jester's Tear" with the founder of the group Mick Pointer. The band had to fire him after recording the album. Can you imagine being the founder of a group and building it and then the group you built comes and throws you out?! There were some circumstances though such as the band asking him to maybe take lessons to adapt to progressive music. If you listen to that album, Mick's drumming is so painfully basic that it takes the prog out of the music! I am saying this not to review "Script" but to point out how important drumming is to especially prog rock. Christian Simpson was not a good fit for Saga and here they find Brian Doerner who becomes their new guy and who will last a long spell. He is sufficient with the sticks to say the least.

"Trust" is an album that I can trust to deliver the goods. When I first heard it I was not that impressed but after letting it grow on me, it has become one of the good keepers and again the drums are miked and in the mix in a good way. The songs on this album are good hitters. "I'm Okay" is a great track that moves through some different sections well. "It's Your Life" is a great track that rock it through and the tile track is decent too. The playing is fantastic with Ian screaming along and Jim Gilmour at his usual great playing. With the soloing team of Crichton and Gilmour, that makes the Saga sound and there would be no point in continuing the band if they lost Ian as his playing is so recognizable.

"Trust" is an improvement over the past several albums and is worthy of a good rating.

Saga shifted gears on this album and dumped the famous Chapters and bug cover plus made another change; one that I am not all that fond of and thankfully only lasted one album. Steve Negus, their original drummer is no longer part of the band. His drumming was unique and fit the music wonderfully. I saw a review on another Saga album where the reviewer thought he was not a good drummer and I have no idea how he could think that. Just listen to "Generation 13" and "The Security Of Illusion" as 2 examples.

Christian Simpson is the new guy and only lasted one album. One of the best tracks on the album is "Don't Look Now" and the sound of the drums is not what it normally is. During the middle section where Ian is jamming that consistent riff and the drums kick back in you can actually hear that the best is off a little. Saga is a band with serious professional musicians and this drummer sounds like they got a rookie off the street. This impacts teh overall album for me.

In all, the album is okay but I didn't find anything earth shattering about it. Most all of the albums after "House Of Cards" I find to have a few songs on each that I like and the rest I am okay with but there really isn't anything that sticks out for me. It is a decent entry but if you are a first timers with the band, I would try a few of the ones I mentioned and their First Foundational Four.

Saga Discography to this point: (My ratings)

The Foundational First Four - 1978-1981: Saga, Images At Twilight, Silent Knight, World's Apart

The Falling Flat Four - 1982-1991: Heads Or Tales, Behaviour, Wildest Dreams, The Beginners Guide to Throwing Shapes

The Up And Down 5 - Security Of Illusion UP, Steel Umbrellas DOWN, Generation 13 WAY UP, Pleasure & The Pain DOWN, Full Circle UP (Sort Of)

Saga has been through a wild ride over the years and can confuse people on what genre of music they play. Many say they are not prog, some say sort of prog but very few ever say definite prog. They killed all doubt with the release of the amazing rock opera concept "Generation 13" but they went back to mediocre after that. After a slight come back with "Full Circle" and a return to using their old bug mascot and the Chapters it was refreshing to see that they came out next with this good entry. This album really does what the last should have: Come Full Circle back to form. They are closing in on the end of the classic lineup as they would be losing Steve Negus (drums) after the next album, "Marathon" which was like "Full Circle" in that it has a few good songs but isn't tremendous.

The Chapters are songs that appeared on the first 4 albums and they emerged again along with their old mascot, the bug on the last album. The band revealed these over a 28-year period in a mixed-up order, creating a conceptual puzzle. In its final form, The Chapters tells a science fiction story concerning the preservation of Albert Einstein's brain, aliens who are concerned with humanity's self-destruction, and the resurrection of the dead through technology. We have chapters 11 & 15 on this album. Being that I started listening to them early on, this story on the chapters was not ever revealed until after they were done presenting the songs so if you are looking for the meaning I recommend their live album titled none other than "The Chapters."

"House Of Cards" is an album that harkens to the days of old in the structure and originality of the songs. There are strong hooks throughout the record and many songs are very good. My biggest pick is "Ashes To Ashes (Chapter 11)". The melody and guitar work is amazing and Jim Gilmour's keys are a great asset. "Money Talks" and "House Of Cards" are good as well. "We'll Meet Again" sounds a lot like songs from their early years. "That's How We Like IT" is another great solid song. "So Good So Far" has Sadler singing like he did on "Gen 13". The production quality is fantastic which is one thing they have improved on from their beginnings. You hear everything well and the arrangements and sound are tight. Ian Crichton who is one of the most criminally underrated guitarist of all time is in form on this album. It is sad that players like him are passed over with "Ian who?". Watching him play live is a treat as he makes it look so easy. He rips riffs and crunches mass numbers of notes in no time at all. While many guitarists use the tapping method to rip fast runs, Ian doesn't need to.

Conversely Jim Gilmour is right up there with the best keyboardists and to this day he is good. Saga will always be a band that deserves to be recognized but never will be. The R&R Hall Of Shame (Which is what it should be called) takes in some of the most derelict one hit wonders and ignores bands that are amazing like Kansas and others who have put in the time and work and have actual musical talent. It took eons to get yes and Rush inducted. Well Saga will not get there in my lifetime or theirs for that matter.

But I digress??. This album is a great come back to form album that is not great in all places but great where it counts. This is their best in years (minus Gen 13).