Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Saga
Label: SPV Records
Release: 1985
Rating: 4/5
By the mid-80s, Saga had already largely abandoned the progressive rock elements built mainly on long instrumental excursions and a refined interplay between guitar and keyboards, and turned toward shorter, simpler songs with a bigger emphasis on lyricism and a strong commercial undertone. Still, their commercial accessibility never really caught on with a wider global audience, except in their native Canada and in Europe (especially Germany, which always had an ear for quality art rock). That’s kind of sad, because the progressive pop they made was better than what many prog rock bands were putting out when they started experimenting with the commercial trends of the 80s. After the thrilling “Heads Or Tales” (1983), Saga keep sailing between pop and prog on “Behaviour”, only this time the prog elements are barely noticeable and rest mostly on a few symphonic arrangements and Ian Crichton’s witty, razor-sharp guitar parts. The rhythm has also gotten a bit simpler, while Michael Sadler tuned his vocals even more toward expressing romantic emotion and melody.
Practically nothing is left of any longer suites or slick instrumental excursions, and the end result is sophisticated pop rock with plenty of new wave and a pinch of prog, the kind you can always count on from such top-class, rock-solid musicians who wouldn’t sell their souls for all the money in the world. Even though the album is packed with potential radio hits built on melody and a simple rhythm, the performance is top-notch and the atmosphere is on an enviable level. The production has also noticeably changed and become even softer than before. The album is notable for something else, too. This was the first time Saga started to express love themes more clearly in their lyrics, something that was never typical for the band before. The entire album is devoted to love, which makes it essentially their first concept album. A band that until then had been prized mostly by “intellectuals” (a better term would be sci-fi geeks), who were predominantly male, won plenty of sympathy from female audiences on this account, which is all the more commendable if they managed to keep their soul in the process.
Half of the songs on “Behaviour” (especially the first half of the album) are potential hits, which speaks volumes about its commercial leaning. “Listen To Your Heart” already offers a unique romantic mood and a totally different energy than usual. It’s sophisticated pop with lots of new wave sound effects, a teasing rhythm, romantic keyboard pads (an esoteric clavinet, played by keyboardist Jim Gilmour, can also be heard in the background) and lyrically expressive vocals, joined harmoniously in the chorus by excellent backing vocals. The energy comes mostly from the snarling guitar passages. A simple pulse and an easy melody, yet a hugely effective atmosphere. “Take a Chance” is another sentimental, ultra-melodic pop creation with an almost danceable rhythm, but Ian’s layered guitar keeps the song varied and interesting enough even for more demanding listeners. The ultra-melodic “What Do I Know” was a big hit on release and a single that got plenty of airplay on radio stations back in the day. No wonder, since in my opinion it’s the most commercial piece in their entire career. Even though that’s usually more of a flaw than a virtue with bands like this, it’s a great song, and with its romantic, midnight mood and unabashed eroticism, brought in by the excellent interplay between Michael and the superb female backing vocals of Sharon Benson, it delivers one of the album’s highlights. The result is incredible romantic magic that really swings in the ultra-melodic chorus. Ian’s artful and perfectly fitting guitar solo makes sure this isn’t your ordinary radio pop number and that more demanding listeners will enjoy it too. It’s amazing how nicely Michael’s vocals blend in the duet with a female voice, something he repeated many years later in the excellent cover of Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up”.
“Misbehaviour”, another potential hit, is a bit closer to the classic Saga sound again, mostly thanks to Ian’s hard rock moves, the mighty and even slightly rough vocals and teasing keyboards. On top of that, the excellent Steve Negus lays down an exceptionally powerful rhythmic foundation with his massive drum fills. “Nine Lives Of Miss MIDI”, ruled by clavinet and ambient keyboards, is really an instrumental intro to the melancholic, midnight new wave ballad “You And The Night”. Michael’s vocals here are full of undisguised melancholy and pain, heightened by enchanting keyboard pads and a subtle slide guitar solo, which usually isn’t exactly common in Ian’s repertoire. The fairly average “Out of The Shadows”, heralded by layered synthesizer harmonies, doesn’t skimp on romanticism either. Electronic percussion and spacey synths once again leave plenty of room for guitar passages. The energetic “Easy Way Out” is back in the classic Saga style, with no shortage of instrumental trickery from the interplay between slick guitar passages and a palette of different keyboards. If it weren’t for the heavily disco-leaning rhythm, it could have fit on one of the earlier albums. “Promises” is another solid melancholic ballad, with plenty of subtle flirting between guitar and keyboards, driven by Michael’s romantic vocals. On “Here I Am” the art rock Saga are firing on all cylinders again. Razor-sharp guitar passages flow into juicy, multicolored keyboards (lots of multi-part harmonies) while the drum fills take your breath away. The closing “(Goodbye) Once Upon a Time” is in my opinion one of their somewhat forgotten classics and one of the album’s peaks. A wonderful atmosphere, with harmonies from all sorts of keyboards forming the perfect romantic backdrop for Michael’s vocals and the snarling guitar parts, turning a seemingly simple ballad into a mighty creation. There’s no shortage of instrumental excursions either, and this is where the band’s progressive elements reach their fullest expression on the entire album. Nice proof that, despite the noticeable change in sound, Saga always remained a progressive band at heart.
When Saga started out as a progressive band in the late 70s, with complex arrangements, razor-sharp harmonies and sci-fi concepts, nobody probably expected them to ever make a love-themed pop rock album. Despite the risk of making complete fools of themselves, they totally pulled off their new direction. The end result is an expressively strong, high-quality pop rock album that shouldn’t leave many prog rock fans cold either, even though Saga drifted quite far from their first love here. Even if you miss the band’s experimental side in places, they never slip into cloying sentimentality, even on the ballads, and they keep an enviably professional level. With “Behaviour” their flirtation with pop wasn’t over yet, but they were far from saying the last word on progressive rock, which they went back to, very successfully, many years later. “”Behaviour” may not be one of their classic albums, but it’s certainly among their most heartfelt. And one more tip: if you like “Power Windows” (1985) by their Canadian comrades Rush, you’ll probably like “Behaviour” too.
Line-up
Michael Sadler – vocals, keyboards
Ian Crichton – guitar
Jim Crichton – bass guitar, keyboards
Jim Gilmour – keyboards, backing vocals, clavinet
Steve Negus – drums, percussion
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Sharon Benson – backing vocals (3)
Track list
1. Listen to Your Heart performed (3:56)
2. Take a Chance (3:54)
3. What Do I Know (3:40)
4. Misbehaviour (4:04)
5. Nine Lives of Miss MIDI (1:17)
6. You and the Night (5:16)
7. Out of the Shadows (4:48)
8. Easy Way Out (3:59)
9. Promises (4:12)
10. Here I Am (3:34)
11. (Goodbye) Once Upon a Time (6:38)
Album length: 45:18
