TRIUMPH

TRIUMPH
JUST A GAME (1979)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Canadian hard rockers Triumph's third album entitled Just a Game was originally released in the spring of 1979 on RCA.
The original pressings of the album had a tinny sound but then MCA issued a better sounding version in 1985 and then Triumph reissued it on their own label TRC which is an independent label here in the US in 1995 complete with the original artwork and TML (was TRC) re-issued it with a NEW REMASTER and full artwork in late 2005.
Just a Game introduced us Americans to Triumph which consisted of Gil Moore (drums and vocals), Mike Levine (bass guitar and keyboards) and the great Rik Emmett (guitars and vocals). It wasn't until 1999 that I first heard this album on CD and then bought the reissue and it's well worth the price of admission, so to speak especially for the album's rock radio staples "Hold On" (which was the band's first US Top 40 hit) and the rock radio classic "Lay It On The Line".
However, there is more to Triumph's 1979 breakthrough than the two aforementioned classic rock radio staples. "Moving On" and the rocking "American Girls" are two of Gil Moore's best vocals ever which appear on this album, his blues influenced vocals are a great counterpoint to Rik's searing tenor. The title cut and the closing Suitcase Blues are some of Rik's finest hour as a musician and songwriter. The latter sounds like a song that you could drink a good drink to when your woman leaves you for another man without notifying you.
Unfortunately Rik, Gil and Mike were overshadowed by Geddy, Neil and Alex a/k/a the other infamous power trio Rush whom are the greatest and most successful Canadian rock band in history.

1. Movin' On
2. Lay It on the Line
3. Young Enough to Cry
4. American Girls
5. Just a Game
6. Fantasy Serenade
7. Hold On
8. Suitcase Blues

PROGRESSION OF POWER (1980)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Canadian hard rock trio Triumph released its fourth album Progressions of Power in the spring of 1980.
A year earlier, the band released its US breakthrough album Just a Game which was spurned by the hits "Lay it On the Line" and "Hold On". Just a Game made singer/guitarist Rik Emmett, bass player Mike Levine and singer/drummer Gil Moore Canada's other biggest rock band aside fellow Toronto natives Rush.
When Progressions of Power was released was the album just as good as its predecessor or did they take a major backstep. Read ahead and find out, as I did when I acquired the album on CD originally in November of 1999.
We begin Progressions of Power with the great rocker "I Live For The Weekend". This track, sung by drummer Moore, became the album's most popular track. Also, the track would be a concert staple for the next couple of years. "I Can Survive" follows and starts out to be a melodic number before turning into a full throttle rocker sung by Moore. The track was the album's single but peaked at a dismal #92 on the charts. Next is the album's best track "In The Night". This track has Emmett on vocals and is an epic which goes from quiet to loud and back and then has one of Emmett's best lead vocal performances pre-1981. "Nature's Child" ends the first half and is a killer rocker. Moore (who sings it) and Emmett are on fire here and the track would rightfully be a concert staple.
The album's second half kicks off with another hard rocker sung by Moore called "Woman In Love" which sounds like a cross between hard rock and arena rock. Next is the slow and acoustic ballad "Take My Heart" which was sung by Emmett and is an excellent ballad. Next is "Tear The Roof Off" which was a killer hard rocker sung by Moore and would serve as the opening song on this album and the next two tours (Emmett would share lead vocals on live versions of the track). Next is the acoustic piece "Fingertalkin'" which shows Mr Emmett's superb classical guitar playing. We end the album with the majestic "Hard Road" which is a mid-tempo melodic hard rocker with Emmett on vocals and just a superb track.
Progressions of Power was initially released on RCA Records and peaked at #32 on the Billboard album charts in 1980. Then the album was re-released in 1985 on MCA then again in 1995 on TRC and then again in 2005 as a new remaster on the band's own TML label and trumps the 1980s CD version by a longshot.
RECOMMENDED!

1. I Live for the Weekend
2. I Can Survive
3. In the Night
4. Nature's Child
5. Woman in Love
6. Take My Heart
7. Tear the Roof Off
8. Finger Talkin' (Instrumental)
9. Hard Road