JUBILATION FOUNDRY

After an electrifying debut that announced the new decade while still winking back at the 1960s, PAUL BRETT's SAGE well and truly regressed in both ambition and appeal with "Jubilation Foundry". Tilting in a blues pop direction, tracks like "Hold my Hand Mother", "Pasadena Days", and "Goodbye Forever" seem a far cry from the kinetic explorations of the prior year, and indeed even Brett's accompaniment is curtailed, a pity since his aptitude possesses the capacity to elevate even mediocre and derivative songwriting. Instead, apart from on "Help me Jesus", it is mostly exploited on a few of the better compositions, particularly the CSNY like "Tuesday Evening" and to PHIL OCHS/GORDON LIGHTFOOT styled "I Fell so Far". Mike Gibbs is credited with "orchestral arrangements", which do enhance "Keeper of my Heart" and the aforementioned "Tuesday Evening". These relative high points do little more than salvage clunky cast iron from "Jubilation Foundry". though fans of old rock may regard it as a hot mess.