Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Saga
Label: SPV Records
Release: 1981
Rating: 5/5
“Worlds Apart” was the big commercial breakthrough for Canadian art rock oddballs Saga. It shot them, totally out of the blue, into the ranks of the most in-demand prog bands of the time, and from then on also onto the radar of most mainstream listeners, who otherwise didn’t care much for the symphonic prog that forms the backbone of the band’s sound. To this day it’s their best-selling album, and it also gave them three radio hits: “On The Loose”, “Time’s Up” and “Amnesia”. Most people would quickly assume they suddenly started selling out their unmistakable sound en masse and bending to the musical trends of the day, like the vast majority of prog “granddads” did in the 80s, desperately trying to win over the MTV generation by completely discrediting their former selves. That wasn’t the case with Saga, mainly because their sound never hid its strong pop and new wave references and high melodicity from the start. These were always in proper harmony with the layered symphonic arrangements typical of progressive rock, the punchy hard rock guitar passages, and the intelligent lyrics, along with a concept that even the best science fiction writers wouldn’t be ashamed of. “Worlds Apart” is the last album for several years to feature the mysterious “chapters” that make up a futuristic concept about Einstein’s stolen brain and the resulting war between humans and cybernetic crickets. Along with the “chapters”, the crickets disappeared from their covers for quite a while, which was without a doubt one of the consequences of the commercial success and an attempt at even greater popularization for a wider audience.
On “Worlds Apart” you can already notice a somewhat heavier dose of new wave, which is a logical consequence of the changed production, but all the traditional elements that set them apart from other progressive pop bands of the time are still there. It features some of the best and most complex pieces of their career, which speaks volumes about the excellence of the album that first got the mainstream’s attention. Honestly, I can’t find a real answer for why it worked for them with this one, other than that MTV had just appeared, and its constant rotation of their videos made sure good music spread to the farthest corners. You’ll find all the qualities that made the previous three albums such wonderful oddities: juicy multi-line arrangements of electric keyboards and synths from Jim Gilmour and bassist Jim Crichton, extensive instrumental details, a simple but massive rhythm from the hands of drummer Steve Negus, energetic guitar passages from Ian Crichton, and the mighty, charismatic vocals of Michael Sadler. Only this time they combine elements of symphonic prog, hard rock and new wave with more finesse than ever, turning them into intelligently structured pop songs as well as some pieces that are closer to traditional progressive rock.
The opening “On The Loose” was their first big radio hit. Still, there’s not a whiff of selling out the classic Saga sound here, because this is the real deal and one of their best pieces. A delicate layer of ambient synths blends nicely with the energetic vocal delivery, cut through by serrated guitar riffs. The mighty, dramatic chorus delivers intelligent lyrics, built up by witty time changes full of bold instrumental passages that an ordinary pop rock band obsessed with chasing hits would never dare to indulge in. Finger-lickin’ good. “Wind Him Up” is likewise one of the best pieces in their history, and a radio hit as well. Behind the simple rhythm and the thin, fine layers of melodic synths hides remarkable depth, radiating from Sadler’s dramatic delivery, which comes into its full glory in the choruses, where ambient keyboards swoop in beautifully. Subtle passages on Crichton’s guitar and the pulsing of the moog synth provide even more melody and dramatic build-up. A real treat for all fans of neo-prog melodies. Next comes the second radio hit, “Amnesia”, without a doubt the most commercial piece on the album, which is pretty much pure new wave in the style of the likes of Ultravox. A field of ambient synths is built up by an ultra-melodic chorus, witty moog sounds and nice drum fills that create a romantic atmosphere. A very interesting and likeable experiment in new wave that proves you can experiment far and wide even within this genre. “Framed” is perfectly solid AOR with a funky rhythm, witty keyboard sounds and backing vocals. It doesn’t offer any artistic heights, but in the second half Saga surprise once again with a witty instrumental interlude that shatters any chance of monotony. Ian’s solo, with its string of tremolo dives, is especially fine. The sentimental pop ballad “Time’s Up”, the third radio hit, is one of the less interesting pieces on the album, leaning almost more toward late Roxy Music than classic Saga. Even Sadler’s otherwise always unmistakably unique voice veers a bit toward Bryan Ferry here. A monotonous, easygoing rhythm is carried along by nice slides on the guitar and a delicate layer of synths, through which you can even catch elements that you can still find in Marillion today. The solid “The Interview”, which mixes pop and hard rock, is a much more likeable piece, packed with the best elements of the band, like a wound-up, sawing riff, a string of vivid keyboards and an excellent chorus. The gorgeous ballad “No Regrets (Chapter V)”, sung by keyboardist Gilmour, finally serves up one of the legendary chapters again, describing Einstein’s reconciliation with his new body and mission. Gilmour’s heart-wrenching vocal performance and delicate piano playing, backed by ambient plains of synths, are the main ingredients of one of their most beautiful pieces. The instrumental “Conversations”, with a heavy dose of witty electronic sounds mixing with Ian’s slides on the guitar, and with Jim Crichton showing off his bass clowning more clearly for the first time, is a highly interesting experiment where Saga clearly show off their exceptional technical chops. The epic “No Stranger (Chapter VIII)”, the chapter in which the crickets decide to create a world without “strangers”, is the great prog peak of the album, opening with the sounds of a beating heart and synths. Then the mood heats up properly again with the arrival of a punchy guitar riff and dramatic singing. The masters of ambient serve up a string of juicy instrumental interludes and a big surprise in the second half, with a completely unexpected ending. Saga once again confirm their tradition of making the last piece on the album one of its highlights.
“Worlds Apart” is a key album in the band’s body of work, showing the collective at the peak of their abilities and artistic inspiration. If you judged Saga only as a pop band, you could easily call it their best album. From a progressive rock standpoint it’s a bit less interesting, since the characteristic instrumental tomfoolery that created that special mood somewhere between schizoid and enlightened has almost completely vanished. By this point Saga had gotten quite a bit more serious, you could even say they’d matured in a way, but from this album until the big “renaissance” of the late 90s, when they restored their former greatness, I increasingly missed the crickets, the “chapters”, and that fun, cheeky, unmistakable sound of theirs. From here on came ever greater commercialization, which never entirely fried their brains, but still, for a number of years “Worlds Apart” stands as their last classic, and you had to wait all the way until the album “Full Circle” (1998) before Saga came back as the band I loved most.
Lineup
Michael Sadler – vocals, keyboards
Ian Crichton – guitar
Jim Crichton – bass guitar, synthesizer
Jim Gilmour – keyboards, clarinet, backing vocals
Steve Negus – drums, percussion
Production
Rupert Hine
Track List
1. On the Loose (4:12)
2. Wind Him Up (4:03)
3. Amnesia (5:44)
4. Framed (3:27)
5. Time’s Up (5:36)
6. The Interview (3:48)
7. No Regrets (Chapter V) (4:34)
8. Conversations (4:45)
9. No Stranger (Chapter VIII) (7:05)
Album Length: 43:14
