THE DANGERS OF STRANGERS

One of the lesser lights of the 1980's neo-prog scene, Scotland's Abel Ganz nevertheless created one of the enduring anthem's of that era in the shape of 'The Dangers Of Strangers', the first track from the 1988 album of the same name. Now beautifully re-packaged and re- mastered, 'The Dangers Of Strangers' is an enjoyable if rather uneven slice of atypical neo- prog, filled with a glistening keyboard-and-synthesizer heavy sound, darkly-introspective lyrics, emotionally-charged vocals and fluid guitars. The title-track is by far the strongest song on offer, with Montgomery's neon-lit keyboards particularly impressive, whilst the album's final track, the fist-pumping instrumental 'Pick A Window You're Leaving' gives proceedings a satisfyingly rocky ending. The trouble, however, are the three tracks in-between, the album's soft underbelly if you will. Gone are the mysterious, Twelfth Night-style keyboards and driving drums, replaced, disappointingly, by a softer, ersatz prog-lite sound that seems closer in style to the era's synth-pop merchants. After the storming title-track the glutinous ballad 'Rain Again' is a real let-down, with follow-on tracks 'Hustler II' and 'Dreamtime' providing helpings from the same softly-peddled bowl. In truth, two great tracks a great album does not make, and seeing that getting hold of much of Abel Ganz's 1980's material on CD is very difficult(their most recent album, 2009's 'Shooting The Albatross', is readily available but features a much more modern sound) it is therefore extremely hard to compare one album to the next. The remastering would suggest 'The Dangers Of Strangers' is considered their most complete album, and it does feature two great tracks. However, there is the sneaking suspicion that maybe Abel Ganz poured all they had into 'The Dangers Of Stranger', much like the neo-prog equivalent of a one- hit wonder. Fans of Marillion, Twelfth Night and IQ may find much to enjoy, but it's an inconsistent album at best. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010