RAISED IN CAPTIVITY

It might not come as much of a surprise to most people that John Wetton decided once again to stick to his guns, thus making Raised In Captivity another AOR release. The surprising part is how uninspired and unsettlingly bland this collection of songs actually turns out to be!

Released under Frontiers Records (the same label as Asia) only a year after the prog supergroup's second reunion album Omega, there's really nothing that would have suggested to me that Wetton was running out of steam on his steady AOR streak that he began back in 1982. Unfortunately this definitely can be considered to be the final nail in the coffin of his nearly 30 year affiliation with the format.

This bland mess just proves that all the guest spots in the world can't save an album when the songwriting and performances aren't there. Artists like Steve Hackett, Geoff Downes, Robert Fripp, Tony Kaye, Steve Morse, Eddie Jobson and Mick Box have contributed to Raised In Captivity and it's quite unfortunate that none of them manages to stop this train wreck from ultimately happening. On some level, it would have actually felt less painful for me if these guest spots weren't here but there's just no way to avoid the unavoidable by awarding this release anything more than the completionists only rating that it barely reaches up to.

The songs are not quite there, even if some are slightly better than others, the '80s vibe is annoying and the guest spots are pretty much the only reason why completionists might be merely amused by Raised In Captivity. Approach this album at your own risk, you have been warned!

**** star songs: Steffi's Ring (2:36) Don't Misunderstand Me (3:43) Mighty Rivers (5:20)

*** star songs: Raised In Captivity (6:09) Goodbye Elsinore (4:44) We Stay Together (4:26) The Devil And The Opera House (6:51)

** star songs: Lost For Words (4:59) The Last Night Of My Life (5:54) The Human Condition (5:22) New Star Rising (4:33)