ANTHOLOGY

I bought this CD at DGM some time ago and have to say I love it. No King Crimson stuff on this one but plenty of Wetton Manzanera & Asia era stuff for your listening pleasure. Many have differing opinions about John Wetton and some of those opinions were getting very personal and ugly and I could never understand why... John Wetton should certainly be in the progressive rock hall of fame. Maybe even in the Rock & Roll hall of fame! It's certain that this man has the best yap in all of prog along with Greg Lake and Jon Anderson! He is the one of the original prog vocalists and he is also a fantastic songwriter. Why tunes such as JANE, SUZANNE, and THE LAST THING ON MY MIND never became hits in the USA is beyond me.

Perhaps his years with King Crimson will prove to be his legacy but this collection of solo and personal songs are more than worth owning and I almost (i said almost) prefer this softer side of John. Roxy music guitarist Phil Manzanera was typically in the background when playing for John but his precise and often beautiful touches are there if you listen. Many folks will regard these songs as POP or even crooner ballads... Maybe... but they really are some of the most well crafted and beautiful ballads ever put to record. Well engineered and a ton of material, this CD is a must have if you like John Wetton. I'm sure glad he survived that heart scare and I would hope to hear some more solo stuff from John Wetton. The only reason I do not give a 5 is because it's a compilation.