DANGER MONEY

While the first album contained some original sounds, this album is full of late-70s arena-rock cliches. The band is now a trio. Jobson and Wetton didn't want improvisation and didn't think Holdsworth's playing fit their idea of the band, and so wanted to fire him (explaining the lack of extended Holdsworth solos on the first album). Bruford said 'if he goes, I go', and so they both left. Terry Bozzio was brought in on the drums, and does a fine job (he is also a great player). But the band was clearly about impressing particular audiences, rather than making quality original music for music's-sake. Danger Money is thus an apt title, as this strategy was (musically) dangerous, and indeed, the band folded after this album when Wetton formed ASIA with Geoff Downs, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe, an even-'better' supergroup meant for super-earnings. The music here is not too bad - pretty decent prog-ish AOR rock radio - but it just doesn't ring true. The title track sounds like it was written as the new opener for their arena-rock shows, while "Ceasar's Palace Blues" and "Nothing to Lose" seem written specifically for radio airplay, and "The Only Thing she Needs" and "Carrying No Cross" written to bolster their prog-rock cred with former fans. The only song that seems written solely for the love of music is "Rendezvous 6:02". For me, the latter, and the closer ("Carrying No Cross") are the two songs I can still listen to after all these years. But fans of the band, and fans of Wetton's music/voice more generally, particularly those who don't mind the crass money-chasing, will like it. I give it 5.1 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to high 2 PA stars.

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