SONGS FROM THE LIAR'S LAIR

"Ageness" never scored quite high in my hierarchy. Average neo music with little soul or flavour. Maybe that this was the reason for the very hiatus between their last two albums (some eleven years!).

To be honest (which I always want to be) this album is rather OK and on par with their last to date ("Imageness"). Of course, one shouldn't expect any masterpieces but a song as "Martial Arts" holds sufficient fine elements to fill the prog heart with good feeling. A highlight.

Pure neo is the next "Lie And The Liar". A good composition quite related to "IQ" IMHHO. Harmony, great electric guitar, powerful vocals and a rather bombastic approach are the elements which raised this song as one of the best of the whole (if not the best). Actually, this album is probably their best one so far.

But I'm quite astonished to see all these high ratings here. The music is not bad but quite cliché after all. Nothing is invented here ("Why Don't You Go Away" - a quite good phrase after all?) and I can't really be laudatory about the weak and syrupy "Sons Of Madness" which is just the type of "press next" song. Dull and predictable.

"The Lament Of Ghosts" is also quite well achieved (if you would exclude the vocal parts). Some fine mellotron sections, good guitar and globally above average song writing (from "Ageness" I mean).

The closing "Liar's Lair" is a crafted song which starts as a ballad but is travelling crescendo and offers a rather positive music. Needless to say that it is very much a "Genesis" oriented track (like most of their work). But weak vocals are again spreading over. Are there any need to emulate Peter if you're only a pale clone?

It is bizarre that in the early seventies, very few singers thought of faking his great vocal range?

In all, this album is far from being a masterpiece IMHHO. Three stars sounds more logical after a few listenings.