WE CAN'T DANCE

Kudos for the boys for taking on subjects that were fresh and controversial in the early 1990s. The first two songs, both singles, are about child abuse and fundamentalist hypocrisy respectively, and other tracks deal with worker exploitation and the remorse of a hit-and-run driver. Powerful stuff, and it's long been one of the hallmarks of progressive music that it deals with subjects left alone by commercial pop music.

So what a pity it is that the arrangements don't match the subject matter. And it is the arrangements that are at fault here, not the music itself. Shortened, and with a different selection of instruments, these soungs could have been excellent. However, they make a pig's ear of each successive track. 'No Son of Mine' has its say in the first three minutes, and holds us for three more, only to repeat the first half. 'Driving the Last Spike' and 'Dreaming While You Sleep' have too many pointless interludes, places where in previous albums BANKS would have provided some sympathetic piano or synth. The same could be said for the prog- lover's favourite, 'Fading Lights', though this song annoys me for another reason: the chorus is a reworking of 'Ripples'. The net effect of this is to render the album a plodding, padded progression.

It came close to being a worthy finale but, despite some excellent moments, ultimately falls short.

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