GOING FOR THE ONE

The return of the son of the ghost of Wakeman in an album that strikes immediately with its very different Hipgnosis triple gatefold artwork sleeve, even if many insecure male teenagers (and older progheads) loathed (and still loathe) Anderson's naked buttocks, forgetting the impressive rest of the sleeve. Actually the inner gatefold is just as cool, a shot of the Lake Leman (Geneva). Recorded on that Swiss lakeshore, but strangely enough, their Swiss team-mate had flown the coop.

When younger, I actually found many qualities to GFTO, even if I always disliked that wanker tune Wonderous Stories, but I did quite like the title track back then. But today I find Jon's voice and Steve's guitar parts insufferably painful to my eardrums and my brain lobes. The only track outside the awesome Awaken epic that I can still appreciate (dare I say stand?) a bit on the present album is Turn of The Century, even if it is hardly flawless or riveting you to your seat. Sooooo, I mostly find myself patiently (painfully?) waiting for the closing track as the rest bores me , but what a track Awaken makes. My fave track in almost two decades to come and their last excellent "epic" until the Mind Drive track on Keys to Ascension 2. The middle part with the delicate bells is simply stunning as Wakeman sends in church organ lines that drives shivers down my spine. The rest of the album just fades away in my memory, so that says it all.

I find that this album is all too often highly rated by the fans (despite its buttocks artwork), but personally I beg to differ, finding the triple gatefold rather nice, but its contents very average outside the splendid Awaken. Soooooo, by some kind of miracle, I still have my vinyl copy, but I don't think I'll ever upgrade it either

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