PERFORMANCE

10 seconds of Eloy then the 80s are come. As for the Camel of The Single Factor it looks like Alan Parson's Project has influenced all the once prog bands at the beginning of the 80s. In addition the guitar sounds like a little more electronic version of Mark Knopfler's. Not badly played, but if I want to listen to this kind of music I look to Alan Parsons (honestly I don't do it often). There are still echoes of the old Eloy, specially in Frank Bornemann's voice that's a band's trademark. The chords are also quite typical but the arrangement is between Parsons and Dire Straits. This is all I can say of "In DIsguise". The keyboard final is the only quite good thing of this track.

"Shadow And Light" starts like Trevor Rabin was in the band...there are connections between this album and 90125 (that's an album that I love), and this track does what "Changes" does on 90125. A most proggy moment in a somewhat pop album. Thinking better, the link between this album and the 80s YES is not so thin.

"Mirador" starts with bass and drone drums. They, together with the keyboards remind me another album of the same period: "ZEE:Identity" of Richard Wright and Dave Harris, but also "Mason and Fenn". The difference is that the keyboards sound more jazzy than on the Floyds solo albums.

"Surrender" sounds like the Genesis of Abacab. It's like Eloy have totally absorbed the influence of the 80s. The result is not totally bad, specially if you think to the crap albums of that period. Being one who was buying vinyls in that period I can say that this album was surely not the worst.

"Heartbeat" with that bass and that keyboard is mimic of Mammagumma. Who likes Alan Parsons surely likes this song, too. I'm not in this list. However, there are still hints of the old band, but the choir with the vocoder is unlistenable.

"Fools"...I agree. As many prog bands, Eloy have tried to make a radio friendly danceable song. A mistake that other artists did in these years. This meant losing the old fans without conquering new ones. It's a barely listenable pop song which makes me think to "Manic", one of the worst Camel's songs from "The Single Factor".

"A Broken Frame" is the longest track and also the closer. It's the only track on this album which really deserves to be listened to. The only true "Eloy" track, even with the standardised 80s arrangement. A good song which still has prog elements. It lacks the Gilmourish guitar solos of the past and is closer to the Genesis of the period, but is good enough.

Not a totally bad album, it still has some good moments but if I should write a story of this band I would probably forget this one.

A collector's item.