THE WORLD

I was basically put into a deep sleep by this below-average release by Pendragon, which surprises me by the number of people that seem to like it. Maybe I'm just strange. My sleep was so deep that I literally merged with my sofa. I realized it was over when I woke up to silence and darkness, which quite disturbed me. Am I dead? But no, fortunately for me, I found my way out from underneath the sofa cushions with most of my brain cells intact and able to write some semblance of a review.

The World starts off with Back in the Spotlight, which has a strong Marillion feel, but pales in comparison to Marillion's worst. Nick Barrett's vocals are way below average. It's an okay song, but a face-squinching (what an adjective!) start that leads me to think we're heading for trouble. The second track, The Voyager, has a promising title and a promising 12+ minute time, but once I got halfway through it, I began to realize that it's just not happening. It's okay, but it's missing the energy needed to make it a good song. It shows some Genesis influences, but the vocals are stale and the mix is just too sterile, too "clean-cut." Shane, the third track, is again okay, but has the same problems. The fourth track, Prayer, is downright sappy with poor vocals.

The fifth track is the three-part suite Queen of Hearts, timing in at almost 22 minutes. Before listening to this, I had the hope that this might lift this album out of mediocrity, but again, it failed. It is better than the other songs on this album, but the vocals are still poor, the digital keys are cold and sappy in places, and it drags on for way too long. The last track, And We'll Go Hunting Deer, is "blah." I don't how else to describe it.

I bought the 2005 re-release by Snapper Music. This featured a bonus track called Sister Bluebird. The funny thing is, the bonus track is better than any other song on the whole album! I've never seen this before. Sister Bluebird is much better produced, has more warmth, nice keys and guitars, and even Barrett's vocals are better. Pendragon would have been better off releasing an album full of bonus tracks. Two stars, only for collectors and fans. All others avoid.