ANIMATION

Animation is more or less the same as Song Of Seven. I can hardly distinguish the two albums and I tendentially prefer the previous because of its title track. I own this album since when it has been released but I haven't listen to it very often and I'm playing it while I'm writing because the last time I've heard it entirely was a lot of years ago.

"Olympia" is exactly how I was remembering: an 80s electro-pop song of the kind of the A side of Song of Seven. The title track is better. There are some vocal experiments and the echo of the YES can be heard. This is a truly prog song less influenced by the actual (poor) standards, with changes in signature, different sections and all the things that us proggers usually like.

Unfortunately also on this album Jon has put a bit of Calypso. In these years Jon was used to place at least one Caribbean or South-American song. This is the case of "Surrender", that's not the worst of the songs of this kind.

The synth guitar that opens "All In A Matter Of Time" is similar to Trevor Rabin's, but what follows appears musically like a song written for "3 Ships". If we don't consider the quite good keyboard and guitar solos in the middle, we can expect that Santa Claus is coming from the chimney.

80s electronic drums open "Unlearning". This is a good song in the vein of "Drama". A small piece of YES brought into this album. The chorus is unfortunately not as good as the rest of the song but it can be forgiven.

"Boundaries" is a ballad made of simple chords with a 12-strings guitar base. There's something similar on "Short Stories": respect to "The Road" that's the weakest song of Short Stories, this is really better.

By coincidence there's a "Pressure Point" that doesn't have anything to do with the Camel's one. This one is an electronic jazzy song. I say jazzy because of the signature and of the bass line that reminds to a famous Weather Report's song. A good keyboard riff enriches it.

also "Much Better Reason" is jazzy. Very far from Yes in this case. This could have been the best song of the album. The problem is in the samba percussions and the forgettable Italian lyrics that don't have anything to do with the rest of the song when he says: "Ooh this victory, Holy Mary, I'll say this". Can somebody explain to me what it means? How to destroy a good song in 15 seconds.

"All God's Children" starts with vocals, bass and percussions and soon becomes a kind of anthem. "All those children shall be free..." Not bad if you are used with Jon's solo things.

In the end I can say that I was remembering it more than I was expecting. Probably I've listened to it more than I remember. I'd say 2.5 stars, but I'm about to review "City of Angels", so I prefer rounding it up, this time.