Michael Sadler
Clear

"Clear" primarily translates to clear, clean, but here it takes on the secondary meaning of sober. This is a condition that the frontman of the Canadian band Saga had lost for many years, since the late eighties, managing somehow to handle it within the group but naturally compromising artistic inspiration, affections, and friendships, as always happens in these cases. In 2004, at fifty years old, he once again and definitively feels in control of his clarity and health, and he announces it to the world with this solo work.

Musically, thanks to the remarkable personality of his vocal style and his way of developing melodies, we remain in the territory of Saga, but "poorer": meaning that the decisive contributions from the outstanding members who support Sadler in that band are missing, namely the producer and composer Jim Chricton (bass and keyboards), the dazzling Ian Chricton (guitars), and the virtuoso Jim Gilmour (keyboards).

Thus, "Clear" turns out to be pleasant, well-made, but hardly memorable. None of its twelve tracks particularly stands out. For those unfamiliar with the world of Saga, it might sound like an excellent record... but for those like me, who have been following the career of this sublime quintet for more than forty years, benefitting and at times nothing short of thrilled on many occasions (we’re talking about almost twenty-five studio albums!), there is a bit of disappointment.

Amen, it is clear at this point that Sadler is indispensable to the workings of his group, but not self-sufficient. To achieve Saga's excellence, the team is needed. The "high points," the merits of the lineup are many and varied: all are required to accomplish the marvel.