TRAVAGANZA

This once good clone from ''Yes'' to start and ''Genesis'' to follow delivered a rather average album with ''Supervision'' a year prior to this one. And I 'm afraid that when I listen to the dreadful opener ''Race My Car'' the experience is going to be even worse with ''Travaganza''.

The early mid eighties were of course not very gentle with prog, although one of the best band in a revival style would illustrate this year (the genuine ''Marillion''). ''Flame Dream'' showed some possibility in the neo-prog style with ''Supervision'' but instead of heading more into this direction, they dug into the synth pop sounds which I can't really stand.

One of the worst song from this musical exercise is probably the childish ''Stay With Me''. Such poor vocals and dreadful plastic sounds. Press next.

The major problem with this work is to find some songs that are melodically interesting or well constructed. But the more I'm looking into those elements, the least I am able to find one track that could fulfil this description. Actually, I was wrong about ''Stay with Me''. After a good analysis, ''Double-Quick Action'' deserves the Palme D'Or of the weakest track.

It is really a pity to listen to this record while the band released some decent albums in the late seventies. I believe that the band is more convincing with a ballad as ''Lifetime''.. Some sadness prevails but at least one gets rids of these dreadful rhythms that are to be endured almost throughout the whole of this release.

The band will still release one more album in '86 before calling it quit. When I see their musical evolution, I guess that there were no other option. The heavy closer ''Suspicion'' is trying to emulate some sort of ''Gabriel'' oriented vocals but it is lamentably failing in terms of song writing.

I don't have a lot of possibilities in terms of rating this work: one star.