Line #69 Music/Saga


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saga_0.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:SAGA, circa 1983. From left to right: Ian Crichton, Jim Crichton, Michael Sadler, Jim Gilmour, Steve Negus]]
3
4	''Saga'' is a [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Canadian]] ProgressiveRock band that formed in 1977 in Oakville, Ontario. They were known in their early days as "Pockets".
5
6	Their most well-known songs include "On the Loose", "What Do I Know", "Cat Walk" and "Wind Him Up".
7
8	[[AC: Current Band Members:]]
9	* Michael Sadler – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizer, drums
10	* Jim Crichton – bass, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, guitar
11	* Ian Crichton – guitar
12	* Jim Gilmour – synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, clarinet, harmonica
13	* Mike Thorne – drums, electronic drums, vocals
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15	[[AC: Former Band Members:]]
16	* Brian Doerner – drums, backing vocals (2006–2012)
17	* Rob Moratti – vocals (2008–2011)
18	* Christian Simpson – drums (2003–2005)
19	* Curt Cress - drums (1987-1989)
20	* Steve Negus – drums (1977–1986, 1992–2003)
21	* Gregg Chadd – synthesizer, keyboards (1979)
22	* Peter Rochon – synthesizer, keyboards (1977–1978)
23
24	[[AC: Albums]]
25	* ''Saga'' (1978)
26	* ''Images at Twilight'' (1979)
27	* ''Silent Knight'' (1980)
28	* ''Worlds Apart'' (1981)
29	* ''Heads or Tales'' (1983)
30	* ''Behaviour'' (1985)
31	* ''Wildest Dreams'' (1987)
32	* ''The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes'' (1989)
33	* ''The Security of Illusion'' (1993)
34	* ''Steel Umbrellas'' (1994)
35	* ''Generation 13'' (1995)
36	* ''Pleasure & the Pain'' (1997)
37	* ''Phase 1'' (1998) [[note]]Recorded in 1978 and features demos of songs from Images at Twilight.[[/note]]
38	* ''Full Circle'' (1999)
39	* ''House of Cards'' (2001)
40	* ''Marathon'' (2003)
41	* ''Network'' (2004)
42	* ''Trust'' (2006)
43	* ''10,000 Days'' (2007)
44	* ''The Human Condition'' (2009)
45	* ''20/20'' (2012)
46	* ''Sagacity'' (2014)
47
48	Not to be confused with the [[VideoGame/SagaRPG video game]] or the [[ComicBook/{{Saga}} comic book]] of the same name.
49
50	!!Tropes Applying to the band Saga.
51	* AlbumTitleDrop: Saga has a handful of subversions and one played straight.
52	** "Images" from ''Images At Twilight''
53	** "Misbehaviour" from ''Behaviour''
54	** "Shape!" from ''The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes''
55	** ''Steel Umbrellas'' takes its title from the first line of "Bet On This".
56	* AlliterativeTitle: "'''W'''aiting In The '''W'''ings", "'''M'''ouse In A '''M'''aze", "'''S'''omeone '''S'''hould", "The Nine Lives of '''M'''iss '''M'''idi"
57	* BeneathTheMask: The narrator from "Shape!" sings about discarding his 'mask'.
58	* BookEnds: "Chances Are" and "Chances Are #2" for ''Generation 13''.
59	* BSide: "(Walking On) Thin Ice" for the "(You Were) Never Alone" CD single, however some releases of the ''Steel Umbrellas'' album include "Thin Ice" in the place of "Push It".
60	* ConceptAlbum:
61	** A very out-there example, even for Prog Rock, with ''The Chapters''. The Chapters are all released in different albums and out of order. But if played together, it chronicles the life of UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein (and later, the efforts of an alien race to preserve his brain). There were eight originally, spanning across their first four albums, but another eight has been added. They were released together and in their proper order for the album, ''The Chapters Live''.
62	*** Chapters IV (Will It Be You) and VI (Tired World) are from their self titled album.
63	*** Chapters I (Images) and III (It's Time) are from their second album, ''Images At Twilight''.
64	*** Chapters II (Don't Be Late) and VII (Too Much To Lose) are from their third album, ''Silent Knight''.
65	*** Chapters V (No Regrets) and VIII (No Stranger) are from their fourth album, ''Worlds Apart''.
66	** A more straight forward example in the form of ''Generation 13''. The album is the story of Jeremy, a member of what is known as the 13th Gen, whose future is full of uncertainties, such as unemployment or homelessness despite his nation's huge wealth.
67	* CoverVersion: Saga covered Music/TheBeatles' song [[Music/RevolverBeatlesAlbum "Taxman"]] for their album ''Pleasure & The Pain''
68	** On the German only compilation album ''The Works'', Saga covered Music/PeterGabriel's "[[Music/{{Car}} Solsbury Hill]]". It was released as a CD single along with "Gotta Love It" in Germany.
69	* CultSoundtrack: Their album ''Steel Umbrellas'' for the short-lived TV show ''Cobra''.
70	* TheDrifter: "Giant" from ''The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes'' is all about one.
71	* FaceOnTheCover: [[http://saga-germany.de/images/alben/1987-Wildest/wildestdreamscd_001.jpg ''Wildest Dreams'']] is the only album cover to dispense with any fancy and abstract artwork in favour of a group shot of the band. I guess you could say that makes this one the Odd Man Out.
72	* FadingIntoTheNextSong: "The Nine Lives of Miss Midi" into "You And The Night".
73	* {{Frameup}}: The song [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Framed"]]. Although the song mentions that the victim was soon released after a few days.
74	* TheGamblingAddict: Aldo from "Wind Him Up".
75	* GreatEscape: The music video for "On the Loose" involves a man escaping from prison with help from his girlfriend.
76	* GreatestHitsAlbum: Several, but a few noteworthy examples include:
77	** ''All The Best (1993)'' ~ which contains material from 1978 - 1993, excluding ''The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes''
78	** ''The Collection (2013)'' ~ A comprehensive 3 CD set of the band's Golden Years from 1978 - 1989.
79	** ''Now And Then (2015)'' ~ A 2 CD set containing one song from every one their albums.
80	* GrowingUpSucks: "Goodbye (Once Upon A Time)".
81	* HearingVoices: The narrator expresses his frustration with hearing voices in "Odd Man Out".
82	* LiveAlbum: ''In Transit'' (1982) is their most well known, going platinum in Canada and gold in Germany.
83	* LocationSong: "Say Goodbye To Hollywood"
84	* LyricalDissonance:
85	** "The Perfectionist", an upbeat song about a man plotting to murder his dinner guests.
86	** Another example is "Time To Go", another upbeat song about a schizophrenic young man.
87	* MoneySong: "Give 'Em The Money", "Where's My Money", "Money Talks"
88	* MurderBallad: "The Perfectionist"
89	* TheNineties: "The Nineties" from ''The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes''
90	* NonAppearingTitle: ''Silent Knight'', ''Worlds Apart'', ''Heads or Tales''
91	* TheNounAndTheNoun: ''Pleasure And The Pain''
92	* OnceUponATime: ''Goodbye (Once Upon A Time)"
93	* OneSteveLimit: Jim Crichton and Jim Gilmour. And to top it off, both of them play keyboards.
94	* OneWordTitle: They're quite fond of this one.
95	** ''Images At Twilight'': "Images"
96	** ''Silent Knight'': "Compromise"
97	** ''Worlds Apart'': "Amnesia", "Framed", "Conversations"
98	** ''Heads Or Tales'': "Intermission"
99	** ''Behaviour'': "Misbehaviour", "Promises"
100	** ''Wildest Dreams'': "Angel"
101	** ''The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes'': "Shape!", "Scarecrow", "Giant"
102	** ''The Security of Illusion'': "Entracte", "Voila!"
103	** ''Steel Umbrellas'': "Steamroller"
104	* RearrangeTheSong: Surprisingly averted with "You're Not Alone '97" from ''Pleasure & The Pain''.
105	* RecycledLyrics
106	** "Days Like These", a song from ''The Security of Illusion,'' is used as a lyric in "I Walk With You" from ''Steel Umbrellas''.
107	** The Scarecrow mentioned in "How Do I Look" gets his own song later in the same album.
108	* RockTrio: And a session drummer. At least, from 1986 to 1992, when Jim Gilmour and Steve Negus left the band temporarily.
109	* {{Sampling}}: The [[WesternAnimation/TomandJerry Tom And Jerry]] short [[https://youtu.be/P7HoqRF8-Sc?t=2m22s "Nit-Witty Kitty"]] is sampled for "Amnesia".
110	* SelfTitledAlbum
111	* SequelSong: ''Generation 13'' has '''FOUR''' pairs.
112	** "Chances Are", "Chances Are #2"
113	** "Generation 13 (Theme #1)", "Generation 13 (Theme #2)"
114	** "All Will Change (Goodbye And Good Luck)", All Will Change (It's Happening To Me)"
115	** "I'll Never Be Like You #1", "I'll Never Be Like You (Once Again)"
116	* SnakeOilSalesman: Appropriately enough, "Snake Oil" from ''Generation 13'' features one prominently.
117	* SpokenWordInMusic: Used to open up "How Do I Look" from ''The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes''.
118	* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Jim Gilmour sings "No Regrets" from ''Worlds Apart.''
119	* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: Ellery Sneed does this in "The Perfectionist" with the wine.
120	* TheBandMinusTheFace: For a brief period in 2007 to 2011, Michael Sadler left for personal reasons but soon returned. Keyboardist Jim Gilmour also left and returned for a brief moment in the mid-nineties.
121	* TitleTrack: "Wildest Dreams", "The Security of Illusion", "Pleasure & The Pain".
122	* VocalEvolution: Michael Sadler's vocal performance from ''Worlds Apart'' and onward sounds noticeably different than Saga's three inaugural albums.

Context Music / Saga