SAGACITY

I continue my travel through the world of new music and this times it's Saga that undergoes my investigation. I may be a fool but I have never heard anything from Saga, so this twentyfirst record by the band will be the first I hear from them. They made their first record 1978 so I begin in the end apparently.

Well I liked what I heard so perhaps I should listen to more by Saga. A lot didn't sound so special, a little bit to cold and like eighties rock. It is a lot of music on the record and they are in a relatively special style. The cover shows some fantasy features, with giant insects there. The musicians are Michael Sadler who sings, the guitarist Ian Crichton, the bassist and keyboardist Jim Crichton, the keyboardist and the vocalist Jim Gilmour and the drummer Mike Thorne.

Within the fifty minutes of music, there are twelve songs of which five are more than just good, six songs I consider good and two not as good as the others. I prefer those songs that are more acoustic that electric or those that use arranged vocal cooperations. "Press 9" is such a funny track which instruments aren't overwhelming but the vocal arrangements and the lyrics are cool(8/10). The closing track "I'll be" is more of a catchy final but it's symphonic and good(8/10). "Go with the flow" is also very harmonic just as the well made "Vital signs"(7/10) and the cheesy "Luck"(7/10). The start of the record with especially the two first songs surprises me with a style of singing and playing I haven't heard: both hard and joyfull at the same time.

"Sagacity" is mostly a very pleasant record to hear and I am sure this isn't the last Saga album I hear. I will give this three solid stars! Best tracks: 5 and 12.