ROMANTIC WARRIOR

Romantic Warrior is one of the highest and most rated fusion albums on PA. This is no surprise given how 'Prog' this album is. During their career the band gradually switched from spontaneous combustion and jazzy improvisation to thoughtful composition, with lots of attention to melody and virtuosity. And since that is the holy trinity of Prog virtues, the album became very popular.

And rightfully so, while it doesn't satisfy my hunger for the freely flowing creativity of early 70s fusion, it is nothing less then an excellent release from a Prog perspective. The sound is smooth and rather slick but never cheesy, a trap carefully avoided by strong melodies, fitting virtuosity and rich complexity. The synths are all over the places and a bit dated sometimes but it's nothing that should bother prog fans. If it wasn't for the rather stale Gentle Giant style exercises in songs such asMajestic Dance and Magician this album would deserve nothing less then masterpiece standing from me.

Romantic Warrior is not only a commercially successful jazz-rock classic but simply a recommended entry point for newcomers to fusion, specifically for fans of Action-Prog like ELP, Dream Theater, Yes and Gentle Giant.