SAGA

By Craig Harvey



 Saga has been one of my favorite bands since I discovered them way back in 1982. I was impressed with their hard progressive rock style, incredible musicianship, and well penned lyrics. They did have a brief stint of success in America from 1983 through 1985 with their albums "Worlds Apart, Heads or Tails and Behaviour." I did manage to see them live twice during that period and they were fantastic! After 1985 the band faded from view after their "Wildest Dream's" CD in which drummer Steve Negus and keyboardist Jim Gilmour left the band (only to rejoin a few years later) and I thought perhaps they had disbanded. I was very surprised one day when walking through a local record store to find two new albums("The beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes, and The Security Of Illusion") I had never seen. Apparently Saga was far from over, they just had decided to ply their musical wares overseas, where the market for their style was more accepted. The band has continued to release albums, and in 1997 released their 20th anniversary album entitled " Pleasure and The Pain." From there they have had six more release, the latest being "Marathon." All in all, Saga has released a total of 24 albums, a DVD entitled "Silhouette," not to mention several solo projects from the various members. So after 25 years the band has managed to retain almost all it's original member's,  until recently when drummer Steve Negus decided to again leave the band, this time for good. He was replaced by drummer Christian Simpson,  which I am sure will prove to be a intregal part of the Saga sound. Unfortunately Saga has not returned to the U.S. to tour for some time, and although the demand from the fans is there, the band has been beset with problems in making this happen. The closest they have come was a few brief shows in Canada, which is where they are originally from. Hopefully they will find a way to make a U.S. tour possible for all of us who have been patiently waiting for their return. I was fortunate to have lead vocalist Michael Sadler answer some questions via email for Movement. For more information on Saga, check out their website www.saga-world.com to get all the latest updates and happenings.
 

1. The new album "Marathon" is really fantastic! Hw long did you guys spend writing and recording it?

MICHAEL SADLER: Marathon took the better of a year to make, from writing through final mixes, with a few necessary interruptions.

2. The band returned to "The Chapters" on the album "Full Circle" How many more will there be? Also, will there be an album of all "The Chapters" ever released?

SAGA-WORLD.COM:  The Chapters have come to a close on Marathon; Chapter 16 was the Final chapter of the story.

3. After being together for over 20 years as a band, do you find that the process of making music has gotten easier?

MS: When it comes to making music, it's never a matter of easier or harder, it's more a matter of patience.  A good song will let you know when it wants to be written.

4. Since you guys tour mostly Europe and occasionally make a trip to Canada to play some gigs, has there been any progress in a possible American tour? I can tell you there are a lot of people over here (myself included) who would love to have you guys back.

SW: There are many ways to answer this question but a straight out yes or no is not that easy. We (through our agents) are constantly looking for different vehicles in which to get the band in front of US audiences, but to date nothing of note has materialized. The band would truly enjoy the thought of performing in the main land US once again but the touring climate out there at the moment is an extremely tough one. I could go on for pages as to justify why it is so tough and just why the touring industry has gotten so expensive. I just want to let everyone know that we are always looking for the right dates to play or the correct package to put the band on. We have tried to rise the profile of the band over the last year or so with the re-release of the back catalog and the Silhouette DVD in the US. So now we continue to search for the right touring vehicle to bring the band back to the market.

5. The band has ventured into a more "pop" sound on albums such as "Behaviour, Wildest Dreams, and Steel Umbrellas," but it seems that the return to the more progressive hard rock style has been your true calling all along. What has been the reaction from the fans from all this?

MS: For me, the fans' reaction can be summed up in 3 words - Tolerant, Forgiving and Loyal.

6. With the news of drummer Steve Negus leaving the band, how did you find his replacement Christian Simpson? Was Steve's decision to leave the band a surprise to all of you?

MS: Christian was found through the usual audition process. The fact that Steve's decision to leave did not come as a total surprise, tells me that it must have been a natural progression for all of us. Timing is everything.

7. Michael, your second solo album is due out soon. Can you tell us a little about it? What about your first CD? Will it ever be re-released since it is      out of print?

MS: The forthcoming album “Clear” will be the final production of the 1st 7 songs as well as 5 or 6 unreleased songs.  When I say final production, I mean the addition of real drums, guitar & real bass, as well as some new vocals. No plans right now to re-release the "BWYB" album.

8. How well is "Marathon" doing in Europe, and how has the tour been so far? Are you all excited about returning to Canada to play? (You know, America is right across the border...)

MS: The CD and Tour have both been very well received; we're excited to play, Period!

9. The DVD release "Silhouette" was really cool! However, why was there no new concert footage included? Is there a possibility of a recent concert that will be released on DVD in the future?

 SW: Silhouette was just focusing on the music videos and some of the older archival footage. We have a new DVD in the works titled “All Areas” that will feature the 25th Anniversary show that was filmed in Bonn, Germany in July of 2002.

10. Any ideas on what we can expect on the next album? Has the band started writing any new material?

MS: Preliminary writing has begun on the next one. Expect the unexpected!