Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Saga
Label: SPV Records
Release: 1978
Rating: 4.5/5
Imagine opening the morning paper and finding a shocking story under a fat headline: cybernetic locusts have launched their merciless plundering spree, seized most of the world’s nuclear arsenal and flown off with it to some unknown moon, where they destroyed it for good, and loved every second of it. The attack was led by a locust whose cybernetic skeleton housed the brain of good old Albert Einstein, washing away the guilty conscience he’d carried to his grave over the thought of his ideas being abused for military purposes. Of course, this is just the core of an interesting sci-fi story, built on the news about Einstein’s stolen brain. The legendary Canadian art rockers Saga worked it into their lyrics with real skill (specifically in the songs with a “chapter” subtitle). These chapters didn’t come out in any logical order, yet in the end they still formed a complete whole with a solved mystery, and they’ve shown up on most of the band’s best albums since the debut. This record is without a doubt one of them, since it drew many new guidelines for the development of progressive rock in the 80s.
Today Saga are often labeled the forefathers of neo-prog, which is a perfectly logical consequence of how effectively they wove some pop elements (especially the new wave that was all the rage when they started out) into the world of symphonic prog rock. From the very beginning, their music thrived on heavy use of punchy, witty guitar riffs, melodic lines, not-too-complex rhythmic foundations, a wealth of attractive synth textures and orchestral arrangements. You can often catch the influence of late-70s symphonic prog (above all Camel and Genesis), and to a lesser extent AOR too, though these influences only shape individual pieces indirectly, because Saga cultivate a completely their own sound, recognizable from a mile away. And even though most of their musical expression rests on extensive keyboard wizardry, Saga are far from just symphonic, and know how to unleash plenty of hard-hitting hard rock bursts as well. Guitarist Ian Crichton stands out with a unique use of sharp riffs, layered harmonies and brilliant solos that fit the melodic keyboard lines perfectly. His lightning-fast, artful riffing flows smoothly through the broad palette of keyboard textures handled by Peter Rochon. Right from their first steps, Saga knew how to serve the limitless musical possibilities offered by the birth of new kinds of synthesizers, while also using some traditional keyboards like electric piano and mini moog (they passed on Hammond organ and mellotron, on the other hand). The result is a rich sound, very advanced for its time, that still sounds fresh today. At the same time, they managed to create a completely unique ambience, one where the listener knows from a mile off which band they’re listening to. A lot of the credit also goes to singer Michael Sadler, whose excellent layered vocals, at once mighty, dramatic, witty and highly melodic, still make him one of the most distinctive voices in rock.
The album opens with the playful “How Long” (a word I’ll use quite a few times when describing their music), surprising us with an intro synth effect that’s a bit reminiscent of the opening of The Who classic “Baba O’Riley”. Any resemblance is over in an instant, though, as Ian’s sharp guitar riff cuts in cleverly at full force through the electronic waves and a swaying, funky groove. The cherry on top is Sadler’s boldly dramatic vocal. Despite the generally simple rhythms, drummer Steve Negus doesn’t hold back and shows off some lovely fills. So already in the opener Saga lay out all the ingredients that will shape their sound going forward. Even in the excellent “Humble Stance”, which has plenty of rhythm and blues in the mix, they keep playing wittily with witty guitar riffs and melodic passages built on the interplay between guitar and keyboards. In the middle section they treat us to an interesting instrumental break, closed out by a slick guitar solo. Sadler’s vocals keep the whole composition nicely balanced, and it’s also a fine showcase of their more commercially accessible side. “Climbing The Ladder” is a classic example of their classic style, built on clever arrangements and attractive, instantly accessible sounds. The ultra-melodic hard rocker “Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)” carries on at a similar pace, showing the band as incorrigible masters of romantic atmosphere. Ian’s sharp guitar passages often clash with the highly symphonic layers of melodic keyboards, creating some very interesting climaxes. Next comes “Perfectionist”, seasoned with classic keyboard passages (mini moog) and well-oiled rhythmic transitions, and lyrically a baroque portrait of some sadistic obsession. “Give ‘Em the Money”, with its very angry chorus, brings back the funky direction of the opener but with an even tougher approach and extra vocal and instrumental tomfoolery, where Rochon’s excellent synth solo stands out. Still, it’s the longer pieces that most objectively show their full potential as a prog band. A fine example is “Ice Nice”, which opens as a melancholy ballad before the booming bass of Ian’s brother Jim slowly steers it into an instrumental section, where Ian delivers his best solo on the album, flowing over a deep layer of Rochon’s synths. The closer “Tired World (Chapter Six)”, another chapter of their sci-fi story, is just as impressive a demonstration of blending symphonic passages with hard rock moves. Spacey synth sounds and razor-sharp guitar passages (including another bravura solo) in the middle section, plus a later burst of very good vocal harmonies, are the main building blocks of the futuristic mood that dominates most of the album.
With their self-titled debut, Saga laid a very solid foundation for their future experiments that would make them fairly serious competition for their Canadian peers Rush, even though they never reached Rush’s popularity anywhere outside continental Europe. “Saga” is an album for everyone who enjoys a combination of good melodies and clever instrumental passages, who aren’t too obsessed with complex rhythmic structures, and who also have a soft spot for limitless musical tomfoolery. It’s a debut that heralded all the strengths they’d stick to across most of their best work. With small additions, they kept building on and improving their sound up to the early 80s, and even when they sailed into more commercial waters, they still kept a recognizable face. “Saga” is a much more important album today than it seemed when it came out, because it laid the groundwork for what we call neo-prog. Meanwhile, the cybernetic locusts, led by the carefully packed brain of Uncle Albert, have already started planning their second plundering raid on Earth’s weapons technology.
Lineup
Michael Sadler – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
Ian Crichton – guitar
Jim Crichton – bass guitar, synthesizer, moog synthesizer
Peter Rochon – keyboards, moog synthesizer, backing vocals
Steve Negus – drums, percussion
Production
Paul Gross
Tracklist
1. How Long (4:01)
2. Humble Stance (5:50)
3. Climbing the Ladder (4:45)
4. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four) (7:13)
5. Perfectionist (5:46)
6. Give ‘Em the Money (4:25)
7. Ice Nice (6:55)
8. Tired World (Chapter Six) (7:06)
Album length: 44:51
