SYMMETRY

I have been a Saga fan for more than 40 years, somehow catching onto the guys just after the release of their second album, 'Images At Twilight' (still my favourite). I was overjoyed when I finally managed to catch them in concert in London (although they were way too quiet) and Michael Sadler is one of my favourite singers. When I heard it was going to be a reimagining of material in a more acoustic manner with some guest string musicians and even the return of Jim Crichton I was interested. Given I listen to as great deal of folk and am certainly able to attend way more folk gigs than prog here in New Zealand I was intrigued to see how this would work.

The response has been incredibly upbeat, with the band gaining some of their highest chart positions in many years. I have also read loads of incredibly positive reviews, yet for some reason this just leaves me cold. I understand what the band is attempting to do, but it just does not feel honest or true enough for me, almost as if Saga are moving in a direction where they are looking for a spark of inspiration, but it has eluded them. This is their first new studio album in 7 years, and instead of exciting vibrant new material we have the band revisiting old songs in a new manner. Many have been excited by this, and I truly wish I were one of them, yet while I can see the influences of groups like Gryphon, for some reason the album just jars. That they have come up with intriguing new arrangements is never in doubt, while they have allowed the fiddle in particular to have a major part while Jim also provides plenty of accordion.

But to my ears there is just something a little off a while this is undoubtedly attractive to many Saga fans, I am not one of them.