NETWORK

Hmm. This is my 1st review and as I just picked this release up new at the Tower Records liquidation so far I claim its a winner. By this I mean its solid and I am not comparing it to the early Saga releases i.e. Imgaes at Twilight etc. but rather as a solid POST prog rock release. I am a musician fby hobby(with 10 releases out) and although I mainly make electronic music I do have an ear for a well recorded rock album as well as being a prog fan since my teens(Im in my 30's now) and listening to alot of 1970s bands. Well lets see complaints about vocals. None. The vocals are perfectly mixed with good levels between Michael and the accompanied instrumentation. His singing is strong and the harmonies are impecable. Next we have the keybords in the mix. The keyboards are sounds are well chosen and althought I am a sucker for nice Rhodes piano passages with a bit of Moog I will say there are tasteful orchestrations i.e. strings and a bit of mellotron(probably a sample) flute in a track. Bass is punchy but the guitars are a tad up in the mix and more prevalent than what I really like, but thats a mater of personal taste. There is no Moog bass that my "synthy" ears can pick up and I really do miss that Moog bass playing. All in all this is a solid Saga album which is high on production values, harmonies, melodic keyboards and great singing. Its also a bit harder edged than the first 4 albums., but is a band suppossed to just re-hash the same old stuff over and over? You can answer that after you listen to your nect ELP clone band.....Nice job Saga!