Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Saga
Label: SPV Records
Released: 1980
Rating: 5/5
The Silent Knight with the genius brain sailed in on his cybernetic wings for the third time, announcing an invasion of cybernetic grasshoppers just like him, sent to save a world that modern man, sick of living and obsessed with his own destruction, had totally screwed up. With their third album, “Silent Knight”, Saga kept right on building their famous “chapters”, which made up the mysterious story of Einstein’s stolen brain and fired up the imaginations of listeners who eagerly awaited the final resolution with every new record, though they’d have to wait years before it was finally revealed.
This time Saga fired up the engines at full steam and made one of their most progressively minded albums, instantly recognizable from a mile away by that unmistakable Saga sound, soaked in rainbow-colored keyboards, and a first-rate production for its time. Although they still don’t skimp on witty orchestral arrangements and rhythms that effectively bring the chapters of their odd story to life, along with the free-form concept, Saga did get a bit more “serious” on “Silent Knight”, since its mood is noticeably darker than on both predecessors. Here they reached a new level of maturity in developing their original neo-prog sound, always balancing somewhere between symphonic grandeur and commercial accessibility. The album packs in even more great keyboard textures, the element that is, after all, the most prominent in their music. The Scot Jim Gilmour, who replaced Greg Chadd and has been their permanent keyboardist ever since, brought a major step forward in developing the orchestral sound. His layering of intelligent textures complemented the energetic playing style of guitarist Ian Crichton and Steve Negus’s mighty drumming perfectly. This is a band that unofficially has as many as three keyboardists (besides Gilmour, bassist Jim Crichton also finds his way around the keys on his moog bass, and so does singer Michael Sadler, who this time reached a new level of vocal expression). On “Silent Knight” Saga served up one of the most effective blends of prog, hard rock, pomp and new wave in their entire career. There are no weak moments on the album at all, and that genuine Saga magic lasts from start to finish.
The shattering “Don’t Be Late (Chapter II)” is one of their classics, opened by Sadler’s heart-rending vocals and a thin layer of ambient synths before an energetic guitar riff barges in. Lyrically it naturally continues the sci-fi epic about Albert’s brain, which in this installment has already been stolen from the lab. It’s downright incredible how artfully Gilmour and Jim Chrichton stack different textures of juicy keyboards that float through the multi-voiced chorus. In the second half Jim switches over to bass and joins his brother Ian, who grinds out his melodic passages on guitar with exceptional feel. “Whats It Gonna Be?”, with its wound-up intro on the moog and a string of tasteful symphonic arrangements, is a classic example of energetic pomp rock fused with hard rock guitar passages, showing off the band’s more commercial side. A thoroughly solid piece with a classic AOR chorus and a bunch of witty sounds, a bit like some parts of the original Asia, too. “Time To Go”, steeped in space ambience, is stuffed with plenty of symphonic prog elements. What stands out most is its solemn symphonic atmosphere, the product of Sadler’s excellent vocal expression (especially the multi-voiced, operatic chorus) and some charming keyboard flourishes (great interplay between the moog and the synth), which even the greatest masters of symphonic prog wouldn’t be ashamed of. “Compromise” is another one of those cheeky numbers you can always count on when it comes to Saga. Ian really shines here with his energetic approach, serving up protective, punchy guitar riffs plus some excellent solos, while the multi-voiced chorus and the incredibly sharp moog sound do their part as well. It’s hard to believe, when you hear it, that the latter can sound every bit as punchy as any hard rock move on guitar. “Too Much To Loose (Chapter VII)” is another genuine classic with plenty of neo-prog rock ingredients. Lyrically it presents the chapter where the grasshoppers finally decide the existing world order has to change and that the world must be saved from human folly. An epic intro on the synths and the sound of a storm in the background are followed by a string of interesting transitions. The esoteric keyboard sound is joined by Sadler’s furious vocals and a bunch of witty, hard rock guitar passages. The R&B-infused “Help Me Out” delivers a bit more wit, built on a funky rhythm and sarcastic vocals. In the second half, an effective mix of witty percussion and ambient synth passages takes the lead, showing off the band’s experimental side more clearly. “Someone Should” opens like a classic AOR hit (here the synths get pretty close to the original Asia). But once again Saga, with the help of a swaying rhythm, energetic drum fills and charismatic vocals, make their very own “hit”. Deep layers of synths carry the swaying rhythm and melodic chorus effectively the whole way through, creating a real fairy tale. From a seemingly average AOR number, Saga manage to craft an intelligent piece that doesn’t insult the listener’s intellect. As is somewhat of a band tradition, the last track on the album is one of the best, and that’s the case with the excellent “Careful Where You Step”, where they again serve up a string of futuristic sounds and neo-prog drama. Booming synths in the style of sirens announce a schizoid, robotic mood as mighty vocals weave with a punchy rhythm and a screeching guitar, while the minimalist pulse of electronic keyboards carries most of the atmosphere. The best moment comes with an exceptionally juicy moog intrusion through the refined synths, followed by punchy guitar passages. The result is some excellent three-part melodies. Ian keeps thrilling with some avant-garde guitar flourishes and sounds that blend beautifully over a chorus soaked in chromatic effects. In my opinion, one of their best pieces, which establishes them as one of the best prog bands of the early ’80s.
With “Silent Knight” Saga hit yet another central milestone of their career and made an art rock classic that can stand toe to toe with albums like “Permanent Waves” by their Canadian peers Rush, released the same year. With an even higher dose of unique elements that made them some of the bigger oddballs of an era when it seemed prog rock would never pick itself up off the edge of obscurity, Saga won over
the hearts of many (mostly European) fans of intelligent arrangements, energetic passages and rich vocal expression. With “Silent Knight” they reached a new level of maturity, one that still surprises today with its unique, futuristic atmosphere and sounds as fresh as it did on release. Sadly, the characteristic aura of wit that their early albums boasted would slowly begin to fade by the mid-’80s. Still, before the first symptoms of artistic decline appeared, their next album would bring their biggest commercial success, and at the same time one of the brightest pearls of their entire musical saga.
Lineup
Michael Sadler – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
Ian Crichton – guitar
Jim Crichton – bass guitar, moog bass synthesizer
Jim Gilmour – keyboards, moog synthesizer, backing vocals
Steve Negus – drums, percussion
Production
Paul Gross
Track List
1. Don’t Be Late (Chapter Two) (6:02)
2. What’s It Gonna Be (4:27)
3. Time to Go (4:20)
4. Compromise (3:20)
5. Too Much to Lose (Chapter Seven) (4:38)
6. Help Me Out (5:50)
7. Someone Should (4:06)
8. Careful Where You Step (4:18)
Album length: 37:01
