Published on Apr 15, 2008
With Flux Capacitor fully charged, the boys of the "original"
In any case, it seems that Downes unceremoniously dumped the existing replacements when the other three original members needed an influx of cash (or whatever it was that motivated them to regroup). The recently fired former
Okay, let’s address the actual recording, which involved only four people, although they might have been better off inviting some of their 27 former bandmates to help out. Rather than reach forward, create a vision, be… oh I don't know… original?,
This is without a doubt the worst example of an unsuccessful 80s rehash that I've ever heard. There isn't an original note or idea in this whole damn album. Hell, they can't even recreate their own sound well! They sound like a parody of themselves. It really sounds like they dug this junk out of a vault after 20 years and released it as new material. Endless keyboard wankering is the biggest culprit. Steve Howe is one of rock's finest guitar players but he's barely heard over the endless wash of synthesizers. The song writing is juvenile and full of vapid, cliché, new age nonsense, while the compositions sound like the background music from a Heaven's Gate recruitment video; it’s boring, unimaginative garbage.
And why are there six slow ballads on this album? This stuff sounded completely stagnant in 1983. It's not retro-cool and it's not fun. For example, the opening track "Never Again" uses exactly the same guitar riff as their first hit "Heat Of The Moment". Sure, why reinvent the wheel? We'll just reuse that tired old garbage that sucked back in the 80s. The tracks "Alibis" and "Shadow Of A Doubt" sound like the backing music for a "we'll save the youth center!" montage from an 80's teen movie with Scott Baio.
Back in the 80s, I couldn't stand
Gentle reader; avoid this nightmare at all costs.
“