Having been way ahead of their time in the age of post-new wave 80's schlock rock they have been unfortunately coined as a "one hit wonder" among the mainstream audiences with their hit "On the Loose," but
Saga is no band of the past, in fact their music has evolved more into a heavier and progressive mindset, and almost twenty years after their "big hit," their music still lies ahead of the game.
Regardless, the Canadian quintet has released a string of great records that are as technically proficient as Spock's Beard and the Flower Kings at times, equally as heavy as bands like
Dream Theater, not to mention that they stay within a pop vein of bands such as Toy Matinee; and amazingly, they are able to fuse this all together, making
Network no exception to any of their recent stature. The lineup still includes both Jim and Ian Crichon (keys and guitar respectively) and tenor vocalist Michael Sadler, the backbone behind the sound, balancing out the guitar and keyboard work creating a performance filled with technicalities and catchy hooks, something that has always been with
Saga's mantra.
Well on the subject of mantras, tracks such as
"Don't Look Now," with its harmonized anthem chorus,
"I'm Back," which could have easily been a long lost
Dream Theater track, and a more
Worlds Apart-ish cut titled
"Don't Make a Sound" are
Network's heavier moments. Melodic hard pop ditties such as the ethereal soundscape
"Outside Looking In," driven by the Mellotron woodwinds as well as the catchy but intense
"Live at Five" showcase the strong songwriting that has always been the focus of the band, but lets not forget the ballad entitled
"If I were You" continuing the record's path for a more straight ahead approach to the otherwise sometimes overly technical world of prog, but then again, there is nothing simple about this when it comes to the musicianship.
Following the lines of more recent records such as
Marathon and
Full Circle, and even putting a "news/journalism" theme within this record,
Network continues
Saga on their 25-plus year road into territories literally created by them, and in one sense having been the inspiration for many bands in this genre. So the
Saga continues.
Written by
Hashman Thursday, December 23, 2004
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