HEADS OR TALES

This album marks the beginning of the downward slide. Having tasted success under Rupert Hine's good production with "World's Apart" and getting their mugs and bums on MTV with a couple hits Saga went back with Hine and recorded this thing. The first 4 albums marked their signature to begin though they went on to put out some great albums later in their next solid stage. A weakness had been production with albums not sounding well sonically but Hine came threw as he has on so many great band's albums. But with success comes the desire to have more and bands can either take 2 paths: 1) Stay with who you are and keep on truckin OR 2) Try and be something you are not to win fans and money. Sadly they did the latter and the result was not good.

Hine's productions are good overall but they can also be very thin cheating the lower end and this album is a good example. It is too soaked in highs and starving for lows. The bass is barely evident. They did get a few more pings on the charts with "Cat Walk" which there is an extended version which just means it repeats itself way too much and "The Flyer". While the former is cute and punchy the latter does nothing to ping my excit-o-meter. "Scratching The Surface" written by Gilmour is decent enough but this album cannot be considered prog at all. They were trying to dabble into new wave and it didn't work well for them.

They got away from the formula that worked and alienated fans like me. I remember when it came out and being excited to get it and then I was all like "HUH?" Definitely an example of seeking cash instead of focusing on the music itself. Now I will say that in the soloing department Ian Crichton found his groove and this album starts the birth of the guitar standing out much more but from a prog standpoint (the purpose of this site) the album is a bomb.

This record would begin a slide for the band that would not end for several years. "Behavior" would bomb and mark the firing of Negas (Drums) and Gilmour (Keys) over direction. Thankfully the Crichton's and Sadler would come to their senses and bring them both back but not until "Wildest Dreams" disgraced them.

Moral of the story: Stick to what works.