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John Wetton - Sinister

Artist:	John Wetton
Title:	Sinister
Label:	Giant Electric Pea GEP 1029
Length(s):	40 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2001
Month of review:	[03/2001]

Line up

John Wetton - vocals, bass, 12 string, keyboards, nylon string
Jim Vallance - guitar, keyboards, drums on 1, 2, 4
John Mitchell - guitar
Steve Hackett - harmonica
Robert Fripp - soundscape guitar on 5
Ian McDonald - alto flute on 5
Dick Wagner - guitars
John Young - keyboards
Guy Roche - keyboards
Ron Komie - guitars
Gary Chandler - guitar
Steve Christey - drums
Greg Bisonette - drums
Todd Sucherman - drums
Keith Bessey - ??
Martin Orford - backing vocals, keyboards, flute
Jim Peterik - guitar, keyboards
Beate - chorus vocals
Sue Shifrin - backing vocals
David Cassidy - backing vocals

Tracks

2)	Say It Ain't So	3.57
3)	No Ordinary Miracle	4.52
4)	Where Do We Go From Here?	3.21
6)	Another Twist Of The Knife	4.30
8)	Before Your Eyes	2.56
9)	Second Best	4.00
10)	Real World	2.41

Summary

A line-up including some names that may surprise at first, but most of them are known from recent albums and tours of Wetton. The presence of Fripp and McDonald really did surprise me.

The music

After quite a strongly bombastic opening Heart Of Darkness is an AORish track with a pumping piano sound. A bit Eye Of The Tiger like. Melodically quite a nice track, but the chorus is a maybe a bit too cliched. Still, there is a surprising lot going on this track (nice piano, bombastic keyboards), which serves as good opener for the album. The guitar work is a bit mellow as the song winds down at the end.

Say It Ain't So is a more of a rocker opening with lyrics about people breaking up. Love and mostly the problems you might have because of it, are the subjects of many of the songs on this Asia like album. Quite a bit of groove in the percussive piano playing, but aspects of this song simply sound a bit too obvious and familiar.

No Ordinary Miracle is a more balladic piece, a bit anthemic and it has that "we against all odds" quality. The style of Wetton on these songs is not very different, mostly in the style of his more recent studio albums. However, it does seem that notwithstanding the fact that there's nothing really new to be heard here, the song seem alright to me, and this has been different (when I heard his previous studio albums). As most of you already know, you should not buy a Wetton album thinking you'll hear Crimsonesque stuff (but wait for later).

Where Do We Go From Here? has some nicely melodic vocal parts for the verses, but the chorus is a bit too easy for me again, although Wetton tends to put a twist in the melody here and there to make it all a bit more interesting.

Time for a change then with E-Scape on which we hear the soothing flute of Ian McDonald and the soundscapes of Robert Fripps guitar. Sonorous meanderings to good effect. A bit Gandalfian.

Another Twist Of The Knify has a good drive with typically American harmony vocals in the bridge. The guitar solo is a good one as well, making this one of the better and also more distinctive songs on the album.

Silently is a romantic ballad with the soothing backing of Beate. In parts I am reminded of Bryan Adams, but in his better, not so recent days. A mellow accessible track on which Orford is doing some backing as well. It seemed to me that this track is more "English" than "American" sounding. Less AOR, more melodic rock.

Before You Eyes features John Young and is even a quieter track than the one before it. Some flute on this one as well.

Second Best continues the evident line of the album, while closer Real World is a little ditty with harmonica. Not the greatest of tracks.

Conclusion

When I started on reviewing this album, and also when I had played it beforehand, I was a bit worried about having to write about an album which is not really in line of what I usually write about. I mean I do not review Phil Collins disc either? However, Wettons previous disc Nomansland was a real treat (but that had to do with Notwithstanding the relative simplicity of the music on this album, the accessible songs are quite good songs, however predictable it may be. For people who tend to melodic rock and AOR a good album to try. For the rest, probably a bit too simple, although Crimson completists will want to check out the E-Scape track. Unfortunately there is not much of that on this rather short disc.