GULLIBLES TRAVELS

Having stumbled on this one some time ago, I'm finally coming around to a review

So what can I say ... well, when "The Unholy War" starts , if you're a fan of Trick of the Tail Genesis, then it's YAHOO ! A more rhythmically streamlined song than Dance on a Volcano, but the reference is clear. Approaching the one minute mark, you're taken on to the keyboard sounds from Duke. Then as Kelly starts to sing, you're like , going, "My God, if Fish had taken Phil as vocal cue, this would be it".

Unfortunately the promise is not borne out by the remainder of the album. Kelly's voice quickly starts to remind me of a prog Joe Elliott (Def Leppard). Indeed, as the songs 2-6 went by, I couldn't help but wonder what Def Leppard might have sounded if they'd come out a few year later, and been influenced by Genesis rather than Thin Lizzy.

The rest of the album is not bad. But despite its' release early in the Neo movement, it comes across as a compendium of much that would become the stereotype for the genre.

So , not a waste of time for die hards fans of Neo, but don't expect anything above mediocrity

Abel Ganz is one of the bands from the first wave of neo prog bands from early'80's in Great Britain. Formed in 1980 in Glasgow, Abel Ganz release first album in 1984. Next year the follow up was born and saw the light in 1985 named Gullibles travel. This album was my first Abel Ganz journey through their music. Neo prog in vein of Pallas, Pendragon with lots of keyboards arrangements, good guitar elements added and a voice who is typical for this kind of music but also some Genesis hints are here aswell most on vocal department, what else then a neo prog band all the way. But with all good music they've made through the years and specially in the early years of their career , the band didn't manage to be in the first seats of neo prog movement, Marillion, Iq ,Pallas or Pendragon become much more known in prog circles then Abel Ganz. The album sounds good with some nice shifts between guitar and keys , the voice is ok, but nothing is realy solid, they sound like begginers, even is second album the bands doesn't seam to be confortable in what they play. Still a pleasent album to my ears, with some very good moments like The Unholy War or title track. 3 stars for this album, good and a little bit underrated, even doesn't have the magic moments of Misplaced chilldhood or The wake, this is pretty good stuff.

Anonymous flash

Gullible's Travels was Abel Ganz' second album and, for me, this one is preferable over the decent but rather tame and forgettable debut album, Gratuitous Flash. Gullible's Travels is a more coherent and less immature effort, but it is also quite different in style compared to the debut. While Gratuitous Flash sounded a bit more like a long forgotten, second-rate effort from some obscure classic (that is, first wave) Prog band, Gullible's Travels is more rooted in the Neo-Prog tradition. Imagine Genesis in the And Then There Were Three and Duke-era but without the powerful song writing skills and the unique musical identity of Genesis and without the distinctive vocals of Phil Collins and you have a pretty good idea of what Gullible's Travels sounds like. Good, but rather anonymous and not very memorable. Comparable, perhaps, to Mike Rutherford's Smallcreep's Day.

The first thing to take note of here in comparison with the band's debut album is the much stronger presence of guitars. This makes the sound rockier and there is a nice balance between keyboards and guitars. The second thing to notice is the complete absence of Alan Reed behind the microphone. There is nothing wrong with Paul Kelly's soulful vocals as such, but he does sound very anonymous, much like a session vocalist - that is, talented but, unlike Reed, without his own vocal identity. With Reed on board, Gullible's Travels could perhaps have been a better album. But the compositions are still not strong enough for that to have made a significant difference.

Gullible's Travells is just about good enough for a three star rating in my opinion and as such it is enjoyable and pleasant but far from essential listening unless you happen to have a very special interest in Abel Ganz and their history

As with many Neo Prog bands around the time,Scottish Abel Ganz suffered from line-up changes after the great debut ''Gratuitous Flash''.Malcolm McNiven left the guitar position and Glascow as well and singer Alan Reed moved to Pallas.Thus,Hugh Carter dropped off his instrumental duties to manage the band,hiring bassist Gordon Mackie,while Paul Kelly took off the guitars and vocals.Still the band remained a gigging beast around Scotland and North England and in 1985 they released the cassette ''Gullibles Travels'',re-released in 1991 by Ugum Production in CD format.

The new album finds the band extremely and surprisingly tight with some superb songwriting.The opening ''The Unholy War'' is a Neo Prog milestone with its pounding rhythm section,the flashy synths,the melodic guitars and Kelly's great vocals.The eponymous follower will find Abel Ganz with the gears down,but still producing some atmospheric and melodic Neo Prog with balanced work on keys and guitars.The longer cut of the album,the 8-min. ''The hustle'' is a return to the opening energy with this raw 80's UK Neo Prog power.Nice,theatrical and clean vocals,shifting moods throughout,some fine guitar soloing and a bombastic as well as dramatic middle section will present what good Neo Prog is all about.''The pretender'' is propably the most lyrical song of the album,synth-driven with plenty of vocals until the grand finale with the back-up synths and the sensitive guitar solos,another highlight.''Whose World'' presents the most accesible side of the band,pretty much in the vein of MARILLION'S ''Three boats down from the candy'',a simple groove with a steady rhythm section but also with flashy synth solos and lots of positive energy.''Dream away'' will close the album in a unorthodox way,a pretty New Wave/Neo Prog ballad with a light atmosphere,still quite decent in its own style.

''Gullibles Travels'' sees Abel Ganz easily overcoming the earhquake of the line-up change and producing some of the very best Neo Prog of the 80's.For fans of the style this is a masterpiece,though prog rock followers in general should give the album a chance and think of how a band struggled to survive in the 80's just to keep the progressive spirit alive.Highly recommended.