The late 70s and early 80s was a good time for power/pomp/AOR rock. From Styx to Kansas, Boston too, you can add Trillion. I add the 'power' because there is some decent hard rock here, in the days before AOR got big hair.

Here with Trillion you had two guitars and a keyboard, adding that extra bit of power. A love of Gentle Giant in the band added a progressive nod too.

This 1980 album, originally released on Epic, kicks off with the solid 'Make Time For Love'. 'Love Me Anytime' could easily be a progressive hard rock ballad with a searing guitar solo.

When the band do move into AOR territory, it is the kind Saxon experimented with 6-8 years later (think intro to 'Broken Heroes').

Prog rock clearly had two outlets in 1980, the prog revivalists in the UK (Marillion, Pallas, IQ), and the AOR prog in the US, such as this.

From the gentle (almost aimless) 'Cities' to the jumpy intro to 'What Can You Do' with its Yes influences, you get a lot of strong routes here. Well produced, with a bonus track and band involvement, but again the sleevenotes way too long.

***½

Review by Joe Geesin

www.joegeesin.com