Formed in 1976
Saga was one of the progressive rock pioneers. There has always been a special relationship between
Saga and Denmark. When I purchased my first
Saga album "Wildest Dreams" there was a lot of press coverage for the album and singer Michael Sadler also had a Danish girlfriend. Furthermore
Saga chose to record part of their "In Transit" live album in Denmark.
Saga has maintained their characteristic sound throughout the years. Their symphonic sound mixing synthesizers and guitar was contributing to the birth of progressive rock.
"Marathon" is a typical
Saga album containing all the classic
Saga elements. Songs like
Marathon and
Streets of Gold are typical for this experienced band. The rocky side is displayed on
Hands Up and
Return to Forever. The band still sounds excited even though this is their fifteenth studio album. The great ballad
Blind Side of the Heart has some fine emotional vocals from Michael Sadler.
A downside to
Saga grandiose sound is that it sometimes gets a bit boring. Sometimes you wish that they would play a little more dirty and simple. Guitarist Ian Crichton is a great technical player and sometimes his great playing is "drowned" in the massive sound. Especially the thick Keyboard layer. An album highlight is the album closer
Worlds Apart (Chapter 16), which deviate from the polished song structure. Ian Crichton's wide repertoire of playing is heard on this track, which is the punchiest on the album.
Overall "Marathon" is proving that
Saga still sounds inspired. A must for
Saga fans and surely an album worth checking out for the progressive rock fan.
Written by
Michael Sunday, April 6, 2003
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