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The Triumph, key figures of a school often underestimated or perhaps overshadowed by its American counterpart, the Canadian one, along with Rush represent the highest peaks in the hard rock and non-rock environment of the North American country. Active since the early '70s, their musical blend consists of impactful Hard Rock, in the early albums tinged with progressive and pure and simple AOR tracks. In this "Allied Forces," considered the band's masterpiece, besides the aforementioned styles, you can perceive Heavy Metal influences and considering the time, we are in 1981, it couldn't be otherwise for bands playing these genres.
The first track "Fool For You Love" synthesizes what has been said so far through the use of heavy guitar riffs, a clear and incisive voice that sometimes takes on harsher tones, and leads into an ear-catching and melodic refrain; also worth noting is Emmett's excellent solo. Another song that embodies the group's tenets, blending them together to create an engaging carefree effect, is "Magic Power", the hit of the album, in which refined initial pop, led by voice and strings, coexists through continuous melodic ups and downs, then revisited in a heavier key with the use of the electric guitar in the chorus, which will be the key to understanding a track that in its concluding part captures a carefree AOR with easy commercial appeal, perhaps the only mistake of the album, but after all, if their intent was to include a piece to climb the charts, they succeeded more than decently. Leaving aside "Air Raid", a minute and fifteen seconds relatively useless aiming to imitate air raids, we reach "Allied Forces", the title track. The sound changes completely; it faces a pure Hard Rock gallop in seventies style with more than evident Heavy Metal nuances, especially in the finale, enchanting, magical, twisted, and chilling the central solo by Emmett, which lays out the red carpet for the last frightening, chaotic minute. The sounds increase their intensity, their power, everything seems to fall into a vortex of madness, initially contained, then increasingly extreme, invasive, exploding in Moore's schizophrenic screams, also pervaded by sonic madness. An extraordinary, nuanced track, it shifts from the vocalist's irreverence hidden in peaks and screams as in calmer parts, to the immeasurable virtuosity of Emmett, all suspended on the thin line separating Hard Rock from Heavy Metal. Also fundamental for understanding the album, but especially the group is "Hot Time (In This City Tonight)". In this song more than in any other within the work, the topic of the perennial conflict between the two aforementioned genres is revisited, if in some instances (the sung part), the balance shifts towards Heavy, in others (the solos) there is the whole Hard soul, yet beyond these (useless) stylistic confines, the track is articulated very nicely with a relentless drumming supporting the voice, leaving space for various virtuosity that embellish the composition with a touch of magic. At this point, two particular semi-suites stand before us, the first "Fight The Good Fight" essentially hinges on light Hard Rock, sometimes laden with melancholic atmospheres conveyed by Moore's decisive pleas and Emmett's solo which infuses pathos, giving the track an important value within the album.
The second "Ordinary Man", seven minutes and 20, is to be divided into two entirely distinct sections, the first 3 minutes capture a refined ballad introduced by a harmonic chorus and conducted through the voice-acoustic guitar duo in an enchanting, almost lyrical atmosphere. After 3 minutes, the riffs ignite drawing a heavy sound and duetting in tandem with Levine's drums, the sung part at times twists, scratches, but always tries to maintain, even while massively raising the decibels, the initial lyrical style, essentially during the refrain. Finally, Emmett's indispensable solo scales. A stunning track, all the trio's members give the best of themselves resulting, without a doubt, in the masterpiece of the album. It concludes with "Petite Etude", a minute and 15 seconds of enchanting guitar arpeggio and "Say Good Bye", AOR, to bid farewell to a great, but little-known, work.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Fool for Your Love (04:32)
Hey Mama, say what you wanna
Tell me it's all up to you
I know you've been runnin' all over town, honey
But what should I do?
Love can run hot, love can turn cold
Break your heart in two or so I've been told
Yes I know, oh baby, I want you to hear what I say
I'm a fool for your love
Yes I am
Your live is vicious, slightly malicious
Coiled like a snake in your heart
Man is a hard one, cold as a handgun
Like I was at the start
But I keep lettin' love get the better of me
My head is spinnin', honey
Can't you see what I need
Oh baby, I want you to hear what I say
I'm a fool for you love
Oh baby, I want you to hear what I say
I'm a fool for your love
I'm a fool for your love
02 Magic Power (04:56)
Something's at the edge of your mind
You don't know what it is
Something you were hoping to find
But you're not sure what it is
Then you hear the music
And it all comes crystal clear
The music does the talking
Says the things you want to hear
I'm young, I'm wild and I'm free
Got the magic power of the music in me
I'm young, I'm wild and I'm free
Got the magic power of the music in me
She climbs into bed
She pulls the covers overhead
And she turns her little radio on
She's had a rotten day
So she hopes the DJ's
Gonna play her favorite song
Makes her feel much better
Brings her closer to her dreams
A little magic power
Makes it better that it seems
She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free
She gets the magic power of the music from me
She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free
She gets the magic power of the music from me
You're thinking it over
But you just can't sort it out
Do you want someone to tell you
What they think it's all about
Are you the one and only
Who's sad and lonely
You're reaching for the top
Well, the music keeps you going
And it's never gonna stop
It's never gonna stop
It's never gonna, never gonna, never gonna, never gonna stop
The world is full of compromise
And infinite red tape
But the music's got the magic
It's your one chance for escape
Turn me on, turn me up
It's your turn to dream
A little magic power
Makes it better than it seems
I'm young now, I'm wild now, I want to be free
Got the magic power of the music in me
I'm young now, I'm wild and I'm free
Got the magic power of the music
I got the music in me
I got the power
I got the magic
She's got the power
She's got the magic
She's got the power
She's got the magic
She's got the power
She's got the magic
04 Allied Forces (05:06)
I've got something on my mind
I want you to know
Rock troops are on the move
It's startin' to show
Paratroopers everywhere
Can't you see
Strategic weapons
Are something we don't need
CHORUS:
Allied Forces in every nation
Allied Forces gonna take control
Allied Forces of my generations
Allied Forces of rock 'n' roll
Youth culture in overdrive
Mass frustration
Too much, too little, too late
Class alienation
Denim armies working
Consolidate the might
War games, maneuvers
Rehearsals in the night
CHORUS
I've got something on my mind
I want you to know
Rock troops are on the move
It's startin' to show
Paratroopers everywhere
Are ready to fight
We're mobile allies
Marchin' every night
CHORUS
06 Fight the Good Fight (06:24)
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
Words and music by RIK EMMETT
The days grow shorter and the nights are getting long
Feels like we're running out of time
Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong
You got to read between the lines
Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can
Make it through another day
Make it worth the price we pay
The Good Book says it's better to give than to receive
I do my best to do my part
Nothin' in my pockets I got nothin' up my sleeve
I keep my magic in my heart
Keep up your spirit, keep up your faith, baby
I am counting on you
You know what you've got to do
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way
All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can
You think a little more money will buy your soul some rest
You'd better think of something else instead
You're so afraid of being honest with yourself
You'd better take a look inside your head
Nothing is easy, nothing good is free
But I can tell you where to start
Take a look inside your heart
There's an answer in your heart
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
Every moment of your lifetime
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
09 Say Goodbye (04:32)
Got a lot on my mind I want to tell you
I don't know where to start
You're gettin' way outta line I want to tell you
You're actin' too damn smart
This little game you're playin'
Has lost its fun somehow
You had me goin' but I figured it out
An' I'm not playin', I'm not playin' now
CHORUS:
Say goodbye, I'll be leavin' in the mornin'
Nothin' you can do to make me stay
Say goodbye, I'll be leavin' in the mornin'
Say goodbye, it's the only thing to say
Then I'll be on my way
Little girl, dressed to kill
I see through your disguise
You wanna be big time but you never will
'cause I see through all your lies
You say you're somethin' special
Well you talk a real good game
But now the party's over
An' you just don't sound
You just don't sound the same
CHORUS
Don't say you love me
Don't say you need me
CHORUS
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