The lineup for this album could arguably be considered the quintessential one in Savoy’s career – three/fourths of what would later become the boogie rock juggernaut Foghat, and fronted by fan favorite front man Chris Youlden. But, as always, it contains at least one glaring flaw which cannot be ignored, which we will get to later. Meanwhile, the first half of the album splits the difference between rambling, pub-inspired blues rompers (“Made Up My Mind”), and slow-searing R&B exercises (“Life’s One Act Play”) which the group could pull off credibly, thanks to Youlden. Still, the orchestral touches and horn flourishes makes it all sound a bit stiff. The second half of the album is given over to a live jam, which is nothing but an informal collection of blues covers and others odds-and-ends like “Purple Haze” the group felt like letting loose on. As in, really loose. For hardcore fans only, I would say, as I never get through the whole thing in one sitting. All in all, I have to wonder what Simmonds and the band was stepping into here….

Roger was Roger Troutman of Zapp and “More Bounce to the Ounce” fame, who tragically passed away at the hands of his brother in 1999, and along with his main gig he released a series of solo albums throughout the 1980’s. The Saga Continues… being the second in that series. Lest you think the man was only talk-box and gadget-obsessed, this album goes some way to refute those images of the man. On this album, there are more organic takes on the normal, synth-laden and robotic funk which Roger and Zapp imparted to their audience. Of course, the first three or four tracks gives one no indication of this, and why should it, when these are the calling card hit tunes designed for airplay and dance floors – especially “In the Mix”. Later on, Roger draws upon his roots during a cover of “The Midnight Hour”, which features gospel act Mighty Clouds of Joy, then delves even further into down-home sounds for the really authentic jam “Bucket of Blood”. Overall, this is no barn-burner, but pretty sly and varied enough considering the self-imposed limitations here.

All of the players - even Nicky Hopkins - were brought back for this reunion effort, along with some additional personnel familiar with the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene. Too bad the yacht-rock themed cover doesn't reflect the actual aural content, which generally picks up where they last left off, although they have mellowed on a number of fronts. This reformed version of QMS went back to democratic basics, but in the process there are only glimpses here of what made their classic records essential listening. Which makes this record non-essential, although nice while it's on.

Half of the band exited leaving only Valenti, Duncan, and Elmore to record Quicksilver with Mark Ryan on bass, and Mark Naftalin on keyboards - and with most of it went the mysterious Western space cowboy image and music. Supposedly. This late-period effort is a surprisingly strong rebound from the rambling tangents of the Hawaii albums, even though it is arguably as weird mood and feel-wise. The arrangements seem sharper this time around, with the Valenti-Duncan partnership finding its own, tested groove separate from what QMS had originally established. Especially in this record's mid-section, with dark, lean showcases like "Play My Guitar" stacked neatly by more adventurous tracks like "Rebel" and "Fire Brothers". It doesn't all go down that smoothly, for the last track "The Truth" is an extended disappointment, and there's no indication that any music here comes within hailing distance of being essential.

Something tells me they could have saved everyone the trouble and instead of two albums just released one double album since we are talking about music that came from the same sessions. Of course, there is one shining exception - Hopkins' piano ballad "Spindrifter", which is so clear, concise, and thoughtful it doesn't deserve its' place on this greasy QMS record. Valenti and crew are trying to further refine their hippie/soul/groove thing, but too often the basic ideas weren't that great. The us-against-the-world title track was an admirable try, however.