GENERATION 13

Yay! Joygasm!!! This is by far the most prog that Saga ever was and ever has been since. They came back in 1993 after a slump with "The Security Of Illusion" which brought back drummer Steve Negus and keyboardist Jim Gilmour so the classic lineup was again complete. That album was a comeback and scored high but the follow up was a dismal yougottabekiddingme! "Steel Umbrellas" was awful and I could only pull one song off it that was any good (It was not worthy of a review here). This album came out with a massive shock after that dismal album and as a long time fan after "Security" I would have thought they would follow it with something better but NOOOO! That added to the shock factor of this album. The amount of musical work that went into this was staggering for the band and stretched their talents all the way out. The album show Saga at its best talented wise as their musicianship was at the top.

Jim Crichton (bass) has always been one of the chief songwriters and he is the one who came up with the concept and music for a lot of what would become an oasis in the desert of a band who is labeled as prog but only dips into it. This is solid prog all the way.

The musicianship is tight and solid and the production is superb. Other than a few songs that are underwhelming it is a masterpiece that does not get the attention it should have. But this was past the era of concept prog albums of their age so it didn't get a lot of attention. The album rocks hard and Ian's guitar work is great in most places though there are some songs that would have been perfect to rip a solo but become lost opportunities.

The "Generation 13 (Theme #1)" starts out great and is reprised later to start the 2nd disc (Theme #2) and that version is ripping hard rock bordering on heavy metal. The bass work is killer on "The Cross (Home #3)". The story of Sam is very cohesive and for the most part clear and tragic ("Don't forget my cross!"). The orchestra work is timely and used well and not overblown so that it takes away from the band. Negus was and still is the best drummer they ever had and it was a shame he left is 2003 for good. His work on this album is superb.

"The 13th Generation" is a creepy song with that interesting vox like voice but so well done. The entire instrument section is flawless. We get to hear more than just Sadler singing in this album. "The Learning Tree" is another hot song and the beat and atmosphere is effective. Ian's guitar work is astounding in this song and we are introduced to the little higher pitched guy's voice. This is a prog song thick and thin. This album pulls ate the heartstrings better than a lot of these rock opera albums. "I'll Never be Like You" is a very emotional entry on the album.

"The Victim" all the way through to the end is connected well and the climax with "Sam's New Friend" brings the movement to a crashing end only to be replaced with "We Hope You're Feeling Better". "One Small Step" is so creepy with the little voice and the orchestra come crashing back in. This song really brings the prog together and it is a great example of how to mix an orchestra with rock instruments especially the guitar.

Saga like all bands doesn't get it all right most of the time but this is an exception. This is the pinnacle of their prog side and this rock opera is better done than most rock operas of the past were. They get a perfect and rare 5!