Voyager
Halfway Hotel

Almost no one knows these guys. And it's got nothing to do with the current Australian progressive metal band... well before their advent, Voyager was the monicker of an English pop-rock quartet, debuting in the late seventies precisely with this album. Two more followed immediately after, then a fourth reunion album in the nineties.

I remember this eye-catching cover, in the typical style of the London graphic studio Hypgnosis (somewhere between Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, 10cc and Wishbone Ash), which made the album stand out vigorously from the shelves full of 33 rpm records in stores. Indeed, at the time, they stirred the waters quite a bit, particularly with the song that titled the album, but they couldn't manage to cement their name and disappeared from the radar after a couple of years.

The compact disc is unobtainable in Italy (only printed in Japan: the Japs printed everything on CD... even Tony Astarita, the Renegades, the Shoes, the Vattelapesc), it's easier to come across this long playing record at some record fairs.

Voyager's pop rock is predominantly piano-driven, soft but not too soft, with many ballads but also moderate splashes of rock and even disco rhythms. The leader of the formation, Paul French, is the pianist and singer, a figure that positions himself somewhere between Elton John, Billy Joel, Gilbert O'Sullivan... He has a good high and bright voice, somewhat thin. His three companions (classic trio of guitar, bass, and drums) support him well, occasionally standing out with their instruments and voices.

"Halfway Hotel" the song is a beautiful piece, with a very well-constructed and launched chorus by the verses. It would deserve to be covered by some huge name in melodic rock, to achieve deserving widespread and global notoriety. It lacks nothing in quality... it is extremely memorable and impactful.