Customer Reviews

In Transit

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From their first album in the late 1970's, Saga was a healthy blend of progressive synth rock with a dash of pop. The band has always suffered from an image problem: they're from Canada (some people instantly dismiss them as being in the same vein as Rush), have had considerable success in Europe (so many people think they're German or Dutch) and in Puerto Rico and Venezuela (hence the previous review and this one) They obviously haven't got the credit they deserve. And they deserve a lot.

This album pretty much serves as a compilation of their greatest hits before "Worlds Apart" came out. (These are mostly late 70's and early 80's songs) After that album, many fans found they went too much into pop/concept album fare (and thereby losing some direction). Listen to the clips. This is a tight unit, not your typical pop millionaires strumming away on a gig. The newer albums have much more of the same fine musicianship, but this one had hip-hop rhythms and strong guitar riffs long before they came into style. Definitely ahead of its time. Some technical flaws, but pretty much an accurate representation of the Saga sound, full of analog synths, Ian Crichton "chucka-chucka" guitar riffing, and Michael Sadler's warm, dramatic voice.

Don't count them out. Listen to the newer albums and judge by yourself. And if you like this album as much as I did, wait till you see them live...

My favorite songs from Saga are on this album. I like their honey-comb shape electric drum which makes a fun vibrating sound, check song "A brief case" a drum solo that has that electric drum and a regular drum. I like when their guitar is marching like an army as in "Humble stance". But the most interesting feature is their synthesizer. They do have nice stories. My favorite song "Don't be late" is dedicated and sang by myself to my boyfriend because he is always late.

An album that can only make you happy

"In Transit" is Saga's best-known album in Germany, and it's a sort of "Best of early-era Saga" compilation. I never liked Saga's studio albums much, because they always sounded like a pop-oriented Rush rip-off. But this live album is more energetic and doesn't wear thin after a few listens. I think every fan of '80s mainstream rock should have a copy of "In Transit".

In Transit is a must for any fan of rock/prog. Saga being one of the most obnoxiously underrated bands of all time really nail it on this release. The live versions of these songs are so great that knowledge of the studio versions is not necessary-THAT is a sign of a great live record. The only problem is that it's too short!!! Highlights include Careful Where You Step, UNBELIEVABLE drumming!!! How Long, brilliant, On the Loose, loose and fun, great ending, finally A Brief Case which is Steve Negus and Michael Sadler playing drums, the latter on a brief case that contains electronic drums, I belive!!! The whole thing pumps!!!! Check it out, you won't lose!! I can't seem to get it out of my car either!!

The band is obviously having a good time and I am having a great time discovering the music of Saga! In fact, I haven't enjoyed exploring older "essential" stuff since I got hooked on old Genesis and Mahavishnu Orchestra 15+ years ago. Now am I comparing above said bands...no, that may get me in deep water with other reviewers here, but Saga is a very interesting and musical group that is worthy to be remembered as a band that added their unique sound to an already rich musical genre we call progressive. Anyway, this live album really "kicks" and has a fairly comprehensive set list of their earliest material (first 4 albums) that is a great place for newcomers to the band to get a taste. Oh, and don't let the running time of this disc stop you from getting it...it's well worth the $10 or $11 that Amazon is asking! ENJOY! Jeff

In Transit captures Canadian group Saga arguably at their peak, running through songs taken from their first 4 albums, most notably their 1981 breakthrough "Worlds Apart". The recording quality is excellent and the group play the songs with fire and precision, the latter a quality that set Saga apart from other rock groups at the time and even brought comparisons to progressive rock bands like Yes and Gentle Giant.

This CD transfer is well done with no loss in fidelity. My only quibble with the release is that an opportunity to expand on the original collection was missed, especially since Saga were a prolific touring outfit and there must have been plenty of recordings in the vaults to pull from.

I have been an avid Saga fan since 1982. The first time I heard them it was obvious to me that they were excellent musicians as well as writers of very interesting and exciting music. A band with these qualities is always best when heard live because their professional edge and excitement is frequently lost in the studio recordings. That's what "In Transit" gives us, that intangible excitement that only superb live music has. One of my most frequently played CD's!

All the performances on this live cd are excellnet. As compared to Detours all the same songs performed live are better here except maybe Humble Stance and How Long which rate about equally on both cd's and are better than the first Saga cd. This was sort of best of cd at the time. I suppose it could have more songs on it but they are some excellent live performances.

I have owned the LP for a number of years and it is probably one of the better Saga albums. As well it is likely one of the first LP's digitally recorded.Excellent drum solo which isn't too long, as many are.An essential album for any Saga fan to own or if you are curious, a good buy.

Maybe one of the best lp's I've ever heard - in my humble opinion. They had magic, an special mixture of sound and feeling. They had esence. The 80's were the best. SAGA is the sound of 80's.