What a brilliant debut for Miller's Game Theory, what a great album. Miller and his Game Theory 1.0, meaning the band lineup before the major restructuring of 1985, bring to life a "power-pop" gem overflowing with ideas. Beyond the skillful guitar work of the leader himself, and the beautiful bass of Juhos, I find the importance of Nancy Becker's keyboards (as they will be with LaFreniere later) fundamental; her soundscapes, riffs, and even the choruses entrusted to her amplify and are in turn heightened by Miller's compositional genius. I could mention the triptych of the best songs on the album with "Date With an Angel" (a masterpiece of perfect pop), the one-minute shard of crazy pauappop in "All I Want Is Everything," and the superb "Sleeping Through Heaven," probably the best example of Miller's compositional brilliance and Becker's splendid keyboard work. However, tomorrow I could name another three ("Something to Show," "Stupid Heart," or "T.G.A.R.T.G." where the good Scott disregards the regular verse-chorus structure in what should nevertheless be a pop-rock song). "Blaze of Glory" isn’t yet a masterpiece, but it’s an excellent album that begins a path of constant growth that will lead Miller to create first the truly perfect pop album ("The Big Shot Chronicles") and then that work which has completely surpassed the concept of the perfect pop album ("Lolita Nation").
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