PERFORMANCE

After a string of fine prog albums which flew in the face of the changing music scene of the day, Eloy finally started to succumb to commercial pressures. The line up for "Performance" remained unchanged from that which recorded "Time to turn", but the cracks within the band were widening. As a result, Frank Bornemann relinquished total artistic control, and allowed the other band members to have a much greater input into this album. While his gesture towards democracy is admirable, it had the same effect as when John Fogerty famously did it with Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Mardi Gras"), and resulted in a noticeably sub-standard offering.

The opening "In disguise" is a decent space/pop rock number along the lines of one of Hawkwind or Amon Duul 2's more accessible songs. The infectious rhythm and bursts of energy make for a straightforward but enjoyable intro. This really is as good as it gets though, the following "Shadow and light" being a decidedly mediocre attempt at mainstream rock. The song has all the tenets of a power rock anthem, but the melody is ordinary and the track as a whole lacks direction.

"Mirador" is a pleasant synth solo which serves as a sort of interlude piece, while "Surrender" returns us to the mediocre pop rock of "Shadow and light". "Heartbeat" sets out as a piece of Jean Michel Jarre synth pop before the 80's pop bouncy vocals take the song in another direction completely. It is actually rather an enjoyable number, even if it is decidedly lightweight. The following "Fools" continues the synth pop motifs, but the song is inferior and unappealing this time. Th track finishes with a nice ELP style synth fanfare.

The album closes with its longest track, "A broken frame", which runs to just over 8 minutes. The band finally rediscover some of their prog credentials here, the track having a more complex arrangement than its peers. There remains a lighter feel to the song than on the earlier epics recorded by the band, but overall this is a rare highlight on the album.

In all, a rather patchy album which is lite on the prog, but sometimes enjoyable. Those who enjoy the music of Eloy should just about find enough here to make this worth acquiring, but it is touch and go.

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