DANGER MONEY

One could make a case for UK being the last of the Golden Age prog acts. As such, they barely were able to make two albums before they fell apart, but they did remain true to the prog spirit while they were recording.

Here are the essential differences between Danger Money and the self-titled UK album.

1. The atmospheric keyboards that hold the UK album together and give it a unique and distinctive sound are missing in Danger Money.

2. Jobson spends a lot more time on his violin than he did in the first UK album.

3. The alternation between slow and majestic keyboard chords with languid lyrics and full ensemble technical rock has been abandoned. Things lke In The Light of Day and the first parts of Thirty Years and Mental Medication are things of the past.

4. No Bill Bruford on Danger Money, but we get an acceptable, if more heavy handed replacement in Terry Bozzio.

5. No Alan Holdsworth on Danger Money, and instead of a replacement, Jobson tries to hide his absence under a torrent of violin and keyboard notes.

Of those changes, the one that really damages this album is the last one. Holdsworth gave an amazing performance on UK, reminding me of Fripp with his technical accuracy and the imagination and independence he brought to his solos. Bozzio may not be Bruford, but he is a good drummer in his own right and he fits right in.

As for the music, most of it is in the vein that UK established with their first album. It's a bit more catchy here, and some of it is not as complex, but it's obviously still the same brand. The two highlights here are The Only Thing She Needs, which returns to the percussive-like ensemble playing that UK explored in In The Dead of Night, and Carrying No Cross, which is UK's sole excursion into the epic, and a worthy excursion it is.

Now to rate Danger Money. This is a tough one, as it falls right at 3.5 stars. I'll round down to 3 stars, but this is the best of the albums that I've reviewed that hasn't earned 4.

EDIT: Time ameliorates all things. I've thought about it and thought about it, and I have to give this four stars. Unlike the first UK album, there's some crap in here. There are a few flaws. But and excellent example of progressive rock this is. Get it.