Customer Reviews

Clear

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I received the "Standard Edition" of CLEAR yesterday, the first thing you'll notice is the printing company did the label upside down, basically that is the ONLY problem you will find with this CD. The booklet includes lyrics and has some really nice photos of Michael and it's all layed out very well.

I will give a track by track breakdown and thoughts on each:

01) Who's Sorry Now: I think this is a really good album opener, as a Saga fan I couldn't help but think of "Welcome to the Zoo" where Michael once again on this track sings about a "Sally" and also a "Danny"... it kinda has the same feel not musically but lyrically how he's talking about a Sally, Suzy, Larry, Peggy, Annie, Bobby, Johnny... and so on! OK enough about the lyrical references this is a good song with a very nice chorus.

02) Who's Foolin' Who: This song starts out with some nice acoustic playing, a fairly slow track that explodes with a choir, who trade vocals with Michael... "We scream in silence" ... "Why do we scream in silence?" and on.. very nice!

03) Too Much Time On My Hands: No, it's not a cover of the famous Styx tune, it's a completely original Michael Sadler song. It starts out with a young choir, and has the adult choir again trading off vocals with Michael, and the young choir weaves in and out of the song. It's a very well constructed tune.

04) I'm Not The Enemy: A lot of songs on this album remind me of Saga's "Behaviour" and "Steel Umbrellas" album material, this is one of them. There's a fast singing part in the middle in which Michael sings an obscenity "idontknowhati'mf******saying", but actually it's muffled out, I suppose they did this so the album wouldn't get a "Parental Advisory" warning sticker. I read somewhere this track will be featured on a sampler put inside Progression Magazine's Fall 2004 issue, great!

05) Can't Let Go: What can I say about this track, very lovely. This song really tugs at the heart, Michael's vocals often can do that... especially on songs like this. This track reminds me of a Richard Marx tune that I can't put a name too, nevertheless it's really good!

06) Lonely: I like it, you will too!

07) One Minute: Quite possibly the strongest track on the album. This is a great song, if there were any justice in the world this song would be playing on every radio station on the planet.

08) In The Name Of Love: From the strongest track to what I hear on this album as being the weakest. It's got a good message, some emotion... but there's something missing.

09) Why We Lie: Beautiful track, wonderful emotion in the chorus, which is the best part of this track!

10) One Heart: Not bad, but not the best this album has to offer, I don't really like how this track flows. It is well written though like most of the material on Clear.

11) Surrender Your Heart: At 6:19, this is the longest track on Clear... and yes it's a really good track!!

12) Clear: This track starts with a bang of thunder... through out the song you will hear the thunder re-appear. It's a very personal track as is the whole album from what I have come to understand. This track was a perfect way to end this album, it has a nice little guitar solo at the end too.

OVERALL: An excellent album that almost anyone who likes smartly contructed music with smooth vocals and lyrics will surely want to add this one to their collection.

BUY THIS ALBUM IF YOU LIKE: Saga, U2, Bono, Sting, Simple Minds, Phil Collins, Richard Marx, Crowded House, Paul McCartney and so on.

I was hooked the first time I ever saw "Careful Where You Step" on MTV a long, long time ago. I've followed Saga ever since, sometimes overwhelmed, sometimes not so much. I was very interested when I first became aware of "Clear", but I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive when I saw the photos of Michael with some lines in his face and gray in the stubble on his chin. But then I listened to the CD. Don't worry. The mightiest tenor in all of rock hasn't lost a thing over the years. This album is somewhat like Saga from the later years... plus. Vocals, harmony, melody, writing, instrumentals, extremely high production values - it's all there, and the added kick of having Michael bare his soul about things obviously dear to him. Yes, there is definitely a style, a sound, to his comositions, but if you've ever liked anything he's done, this CD is well worth the purchase.

If you like Saga, you are going to love this. The power & drive of Saga is all there. One of the best rock cds I've heard in a while. YYAAA!!!

TRW

If you dig Saga -- then purchase Michael Sadler's solo album, "Clear." You won't be disappointed. Such a great voice, often times reminding me of a smoother Freddie Mercury, powerful and deep. You don't have the crazy guitar solos here, but everything else is present; good songwriting, production, et al. Terrific album!

This album is very well produced. Michael Sadler's voice is in top shape and the songs are well produced and catchy. A very good album.

A pleasant,very well executed cd from one of my favorite and unique voices in rock music.If you like Toto and later Ambrosia with a sprinkle of Saga,this will do you very well.

I have every single record Saga has ever made, I do not think there is a bigger fan of them as I have been for over 20 years since they started with their first record. Being originally from Mexico City it was always hard to get their records, but I always found a way. I always wondered why Michael was not pursuing a solo carrier and when he finally did I was never able to get his first record. To my surprise I bought the CD through saga.net and I received the CD signed by Michael himself, this is as good as it gets, again, thanks Michael.
About the CD, it is A must have for any Saga fan, if you like the songs that Michael has written over the years, this could easily be a compilation of his best moments, of course it is hard to equal the musical genius of the rest of the Saga group, but I believe the musicians in this CD perform great and it gives Michael his own identity, which is very good, sometimes it is very disapointing to buy a solo record just to find out it is pretty much the same as the group they are at.
I guaranty you will not regret to buy this CD, i do not write many reviews but this is definetely one I had to write
VIVA SAGA Y QUE VIVA MICHAEL SADLER

This is a MOST impressive solo production by Michael Sadler. What an awesome gift for writing lyrics... and the music is as fantastic as any SAGA CD yet produced! Amazing CD that I highly recommend to ANY SAGA or Michael Sadler vocals fan!!