Saga Allien

The only, eponymous album of this Fantastic Swedish quartet was released by Sonet Records in 1974 and is often considered as one of the very best Swedish records of mid-70’s era. Saga were formed by Christer Stålbrandt (the leader of great, heavy progressive band November) and represented a further development of the style prevalent on 2nd and 3rd November albums. The new band had an expanded range of instruments (including cello, piano and soprano sax) and more accomplished compositions (with great results), although it was still guitar-based, raw and very intense heavy progressive music (sung in Swedish). This CD edition has been carefully remastered from original, analogue source and sounds better than ever!

SAGA filmed and recorded their first live performance DVD in the summer of 2002 to help commemorate the bands twenty fifth anniversary. The show in Bonn, Germany was the only European show for the band in all of 2002. Limited edition package contains the bonus DVD "Marathon World Tor 2003 - The Official Bootleg".

As the progressive rock is dramatically absent around 1980, Saga still continues to produce excellent modern progressive rock: they still show the way that leads to an avant-garde progressive rock full of modern keyboards. Saga's style here consists in very structured and melodic arrangements made of delightful modern keyboards and rather hard rock electric guitars.
Compared to the Saga's first album, the keyboards on "Images at twilight" sound a bit more modern, futuristic and anthemic. With 2-3 keyboardists in the band, one has to have great expectations, and actually the listener should not be disappointed regarding the keyboards refinement and pertinence. Saga mostly reached his typical modern sound and style here…

10,000 days is roughly the equivalent of 30 years (OK, 27.4 years - but just go with us on this one) It s fitting then that the release of 10,000 Days helps mark Saga's 30th anniversary as a band. Sadly though it also marks the final CD that Saga will record with lead singer and band co-founder, Michael Sadler…

A superb debut album from Saga; Prog-rockers with a melodic vein of songwriting already fully formed, and a vocalist possessing a velvety yet urgent and powerful voice…

The longer a veteran rock band sticks around, the greater the chance of a few "odds and ends" managing to get left in the vault. Around Saga's 25th anniversary of their original formation, the lads from the Great White North dusted off some demo tapes recorded in 1978 for their next studio album, 1979's Images at Twilight, and released them as the limited-edition Phase 1 in 1997…

Saga's first major-label release was also the band's commercial breakthrough; the single "On the Loose" was not only a radio hit, but one of the first videos to be featured on the fledgling MTV network. Fortunately, the rest of the album holds up nearly as well as that fine single; fleshing out the songs' arrangements with lots of interesting instrumental detail, the band manages to maintain their progressive rock roots while producing strong, effective pop tunes…

When Saga started out in the late '70s, their culmination of keyboards and guitar presented them with a sound that was nothing short of progressive. As the '80s approached, they began to slim down their long instrumental rock suites and play shorter songs with more lyrics, eventually taking on a sound that veered more toward a commercial feel. Behaviour represents a little of both, with some of the tracks gleaming with radio savvy while a few still involve the band's unmistakable progressive flair but to a lesser extent…

While Saga began as a progressive rock band, increasing pop sensibilities put the group in a league with bands like the Fixx in the early '80s. This album, which follows the excellent Worlds Apart, is nearly as good as its predecessor; Michael Sadler's commanding voice leads the way while the rest of the band punches up the fairly succinctly written songs with loads of texture and occasional instrumental fireworks…

With international feedback gaining momentum, SAGA returned to the studio in 1979 to record their second LP, "Images at Twilight". The song It’s Time became the bands first single, and it climbed to top 10 on the Canadian music charts. Progressive elements are reduced compared to their first album, but it is a sheer intelligence of compositing and a great feeling for melody and atmosphere that make this album so magnificent.