*New format – the three-sentence review.
TRIUMPH – Just A Game (1979 MCA/2003 Round Hill Records remaster)
Landmark album, solid front to back, and a sign of growth for the Canadian trio. Arguably their greatest song, “Lay It On the Line” has the biggest presence here, from soft intro to bangin’ chorus. Highlights include the rocking opener “Movin’ On”, the blues “Young Enough to Cry”, the boogieing “American Girls”, the folksy power ballad “Hold On” and the progressive title track.
4/5 stars
I was doing some online reading the other day, on Wikipedia as we often do. I was curious about the book Moby Dick so I clicked the article and did a quick dive. One thing in the article intrigued me immediately. Someone wanted to determine when the first review of Moby Dick appeared in print, and their length criteria for “review” was “three lines or more”.
That got me thinking.
A lot of you want me to do reviews again, which I have been staunchly resistant to. I’m tired of the extensive work that my type of review required. However, would you be interested in a new kind of review that is only three sentences long? Is that something you’d be interested in?
The key here is making the sentences count. Let’s give it a try below. I was recently given this album by good pal Tim Durling.
TRIUMPH – Thunder Seven (1985 MCA)
Far heavier than I expected, given Martin Popoff’s scathing 1/10 star review in Riff Kills Man. Thunder Seven is fine mix of riffy rock, progressive experimentation, Bluesy licks, thundering songs, and even one choral exploration. Highlights are “Time Goes By”, “Follow Your Heart”, “Spellbound”, “Killing Time”, and the beautiful acoustic instrumental “Midsummer’s Daydream”.
4/5 stars
Thoughts?
Celine Dion was the host. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) and Gil Moore (Triumph) were up to present an award.
For context:
On February 24 1993, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, with a record low 21% approval rating, announced he was resigning. Bach and Moore were at the Junos a month later, on March 21. Watch what Sebastian does.
TRIUMPH – Allied Forces 40th Anniversary Box Set (Originally 1981, 2021 Round Hill Records RSD set)
Triumph is under-celebrated. That’s a fact. To the unknowing, they were “the other Canadian power trio with the high voice”. To the Allied Forces, they were Rik, Mike and Gil: Triumph! And really incomparable to Rush except in superficial ways. Finally, some of their back catalogue has received the treatment it deserves and that is Allied Forces, for its 40th anniversary. Overseen by Andy Curran,* this vinyl box set (no CD) features some exclusive music and a wealth of goodies packed within. The usual content like booklets and reprints, but also a little surprise awaits you inside. Released for Record Store Day back in May, limited quantities were later made available for the schmucks like us who couldn’t snag one in time.
Allied Forces itself is pressed on a picture disc. The brilliant yellow A-side shows bullet belts and a Spitfire. Vibrant imagery that only serves to enhance the tunes you’re about to hear. Opening with “Fool For Your Love”, the beautiful picture disc sounds great with low surface noise. Rik Emmett goes deep with some wicked slide guitars, on a good time rocker sung by Gil Moore. In the luxurious liner notes, Rik explains that there are four tracks of guitar layered. Indeed, Canada’s greatest guitarist sounds nice and thick with a delectable crunch. With a nice tasty riff to bite down on, this opener stands as one of Triumph’s most enjoyable pure rockers.
The iconic #8 single “Magic Power” introduces Rik’s acoustic contemplative side. Triumph succeeded in marrying all their facets on Allied Forces, and “Magic Power” is a fine example of this. It has a quaint folksy vibe, but when the electric guitar kicks in, it becomes a pop rock classic. With lyrics about drawing a “magic power” from music on the radio, what could be fitting? Mike Levine’s big Hammond B3 is the ultimate accoutrement.
“Air Raid” is an interlude, a sonic experiment honed at the band’s new home studio, Metalworks. It serves as a war-like intro to “Allied Forces”, one of Triumph’s heaviest. A rallying cry for the live setting. According to Uncle Rikky, it’s Triumph letting out their Deep Purple side, and you can certainly hear “Speed King” and “Highway Star” in its DNA. Gil Moore rips it up on drums and vocals. Triumph at their most Purple, and powerful. But to end the side properly, they go for a good-time party rocker in “Hot Time (In This City Tonight)”. Of course in the live setting, this enabled Triumph to honour their host city every night. Just change the words to “Hot time in Cleveland tonight,” as we’ll see! With a hot boogie behind him, Rik Emmett sings some ongodly high notes and wails away a fresh solo laden with wicked licks.
Flipping the record over, Side B depicts a triumphant B-17 bomber dropping its massive payload. A strong graphic statement. “Fight the Good Fight” is the clear album centerpiece. Built upon Rik’s 12-string depth, it boasts many strengths. Gil Moore’s complex beat and Mike Levine’s keyboards accent the song and build upon its heart. Emmett’s solo is a sub-composition until itself, as they often are with him. It has peaks, valleys and hooks of its own. Adding to the true weight of “Fight the Good Fight”, the liner notes add the wrinkle that the song was inspired by a battle with cancer.
“Ordinary Man” is one likely to split opinions. Fans of the progressive side will love the choir and acoustic arrangement. Rawkers will say, “bah, pombous prog bullshit!” Gil expresses regret that they didn’t play it live; it certainly would have been a challenge. Queen-like vocals and guitar layers would be hard to perform by a power trio. Speaking of power, that kicks in around the three-minute mark. That’s when the riffing starts; full-on metal mode.
In the penultimate position, Rik’s classical instrumental (a Triumph institution) is “Petite Etude”, which also boasts some jazzy chords if you listen carefully. Finally Rik ushers in the album closer “Say Goodbye” with more of that juicy slide guitar. A pop rocker in the truest sense, and a Rik construction. Mike and Gil seem a little cool on it in the liner notes. It might not seem like the kind of song that fits on Allied Forces, but it does close the album on a really bright note, which is not a bad thing. Mike’s Hammond B3 returns to add some integrity.
And that’s Allied Forces, a great album with no weak songs. A solid 4.5/5 on a bad day. But this box set has so much more to go.
“Magic Power” (Live in Ottawa 1982) is an exclusive 7″ single. The A-side is the live version of the Triumph classic, unavailable elsewhere. With the Triumph logo emblazoned on the right, a female mechanic services a World War II-era warplane on the sleeve. As for the track, it’s a brilliantly energetic performance although you sure do miss that Hammond B3. Still you can’t beat it for the electricity in the air.
The B-side was a bit of a mystery until we did a little digging. “Allied Forces 2021” is not a re-recorded version by Triumph. It is a new version by former Triumph guitarist Phil X, reportedly for an upcoming tribute album that’s in the works. Phil’s version is way heavier, but he sings it pretty good and the solo work is absolutely wicked. It doesn’t seem to say anywhere in the box that this version is by Phil X, but the RSD site credits the Bon Jovi guitarist properly. It’s certainly far heavier than anything coming out of Jon’s camp these days.
A nice little bonus single here, and a nod to Phil X who helped keep Triumph going in the early 90s.
Live In Cleveland – 1981 will be the serious bonus here for many fans. Although this concert was released on CD in 1996 as King Biscuit Flower Hour (In Concert), this is its first vinyl release and remastered at Metalworks. By the time Triumph hit Cleveland, they were on their fifth studio album and had plenty of great material to play; all now classics. Only a few tracks from Allied Forces had worked themselves into the set, the bulk of which is still made up of earlier material and long instrumental stretches.
From the previous album Progressions of Power, “Tear the Roof Off Tonight” opens on a Zeppelin-y party rock note. Before you can say “Rock and Roll”, they’re into the second track “American Girls” from 1979’s Just A Game. A nice tasty riff with bite, and two Gil Moore tunes in a row, the drummer working extra hard. Dig that break into “The Star-Spangled Banner” right before the incendiary solo.
Rik’s up with the first epic of the night, “Lay It On the Line”, 12-string majesty ringing clear and true.
“Same old story, all over again. Turn a lover into just another friend. I wanna love you, I wanna make you mine…won’t you lay it on the line.”
Then Rik misses the mark and there are a couple extra power chords before he picks up the vocal where he left off. Things that only happen on true untampered live recordings. This passionate version of “Lay It On the Line” has some of Rik’s most incredible singing ever captured. Period.
First new song of the night is “Allied Forces”, Gil going in extra hard on the lead vocals. Rik screamin’ in the back. Triumph were frickin’ hot in 1981. “Allied Forces” is a work-out before Triumph lets loose some more serious epic material. “Fight the Good Fight”, impressive itself, is followed by “Blinding Light Show / Moonchild”. This is just a solid 15 minutes of compositional and instrumental brilliance. Not to mention a lead vocal tour-de-force from Rik. Serious drum thunder from Moore on “Moonchild”, and Mike Levine relentlessly laying down a melodic rhythm the whole time.
Gil demonstrations his ability to scat out a wicked song intro on “Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine”. It ain’t easy to front a band from behind the drum kit but here he does a song intro to rival Paul Stanley. They blast through that tune, complete with Rik’s signature solo, and then “I Live For the Weekend”. It’s Triumph at their most Van Halen, boogying and soloing with the big boys. Then it’s “Nature’s Child”, a drum solo, and an instrumental jam. They exit on “Rocky Mountain Way” and “Hot Time (In Cleveland Tonight)”, two live standards.
Live In Cleveland is not the definitive live Triumph album. That will remain to be Stages, which had a better song/solo ratio. This is however the heaviest live Triumph album and its rawness and unpolished veridity make it the perfect one to accompany this box set. Listen to the whole thing in one sitting, is my recommendation.
There is a treasure trove of relevant Triumph goodies included inside. Box sets sold in Canada included an exclusive replica poster for Triumph live at Maple Leaf Gardens, New Year’s Eve 1981. For a show at the Gardens, it’s pretty ballsy for them to use a picture of Rik Emmett wearing a Habs shirt. This box set is loaded with Rik in the Habs shirt!
Deke and I also received a Rik Emmett 2021 guitar pick taped to the front shrinkwrap of our sets. Picks are the kind of added bonus we really appreciate. Something material. The included replica backstage pass is also cool, as it looks better than just a piece of paper.
There are lots of paper goods inside too including: a massive 24″ x 36″ poster, three lyric sheets, three sketches, the booklet and Allied Forces replica tour book. Plenty of photos and text to sift through. There are interviews with Rik, Mike and Gil, and a song-by-song breakdown. Everything about the making of Allied Forces from to the music to the iconic cover.
Hopefully the powers that be continue to honour Triumph’s history as it deserves to be. Allied Forces is a triumph indeed but it’s ridiculous that it was released in such limited numbers. Let all the fans have a chance to get one.
5/5 stars
Personal note: This box set was released June 12 2021, for Record Store Day. Deke and I tried mightily but were interviewing Andy Curran at the exact moment the box was released. Having failed to buy the box, Curran advised us not to pay inflated second-hand market prices to get it. “Something special is planned,” he hinted. A few weeks ago, the remainder of stock was made available via Rock Paper Merch. A kind viewer left a comment here with the link to buy, and both Deke and I managed to get one. Thank you Andy, and thank you viewer! It goes great with my official Triumph hockey jersey.
TRIUMPH – Never Surrender (1983 RCA, 2004 Universal remaster)
Triumph, the other Canadian power trio, scored multiple hits with their sixth album Never Surrender. “When the Lights Go Down” was a popular music video. “A World of Fantasy” was a concert staple. The title track is an absolute (pardon the pun) Triumph of epic songwriting and performance. It’s easy to hear why Never Surrender is so beloved.
Drummer Gil Moore opens the album with “Too Much Thinking”; steamhammer drums pumping hard. Rik Emmett comes in with a slaying riff while bassist Mike Levine, the glue, rolls out some determined bass grooves. Emmett’s talkbox solo is well constructed and extra cool. This riff rocker has the silhouette of topicality, with Reagan samples and lyrics like “Prophets of doom fearful of the violence, preaching to no one at all.”
Triumph ballads were often too brilliant for their own good. Not really “ballads” but more like melody-based compositions. “A World of Fantasy” is one such song, a real accomplishment and unmistakably Triumph. Triumph always had panache and they backed it with Rik’s strength as a guitar player. Rik’s voice, sometimes compared to Geddy Lee’s, was well suited to heartfelt rock like this.
Rik Emmett also takes the lead vocal on a battle cry called “All the Way”, preceded by a classical piece entitled “A Minor Prelude”. Get it? The guy is a tremendous and monstrously intelligent guitar player. Rik could have shredded circles with all the other lead guitarists, but that was not his focus. He realized that you can play really fast as much as you want, but less is actually more.
“All the Way”, which sounded like a battle cry, is actually followed by “Battle Cry”, vocalised by Gil Moore. It’s a slower, more determined metal track; the heavier side of Triumph. Rik’s crystal clear chords keep it from being too generic.
Back when albums had sides, the second half opened with “Overture (Procession)”, a short guitar intro backed by Levine’s synth. It sets the scene for the album centerpiece, “Never Surrender”, which itself is nearly seven minutes of pure undiluted awesome sauce. Constructed with distinctly different sections, “Never Surrender” was just a tad progressive and more than enough song for the average mortal.
Out in the streets inspiration comes hard,
The joker in the deck keeps handin’ me his card.
Smilin’ friendly he takes me in,
Then breaks my back in a game I can’t win.
Jivin’, hustiln’, what’s it all about?
Everybody always wants the easy way out.
Thirty golden pieces for the Judas kiss,
What’s a nice boy doin’ in a place like this?
Gil Moore’s drums are sometimes considered simple, or basic. That may be the case, but are they not the perfect backbone on “Never Surrender”? Who can resist when Gil throws down a big, long drum roll from high to low? Hey, he might not be Neil Peart, but he works those songs! His fills here are just as essential as Peart’s in “Tom Sawyer”. Meanwhile, Rik’s guitar chords can only be described as shiny. One of the classiest players in rock can really do no wrong here, as he goes from funky chunky strumming to full shred, all within the confines of some damn catchy riffs.
As if that wasn’t enough, Triumph goes for round two on “When the Lights Go Down”. This time, the acoustic intro is swampy, but soon that riff will hit you square in the face. Gil Moore’s back on the microphone, so let’s not forget how hard it is to sing and play drums at the same time. They had to play this stuff live, and they did! This is just pure rock, four on the floor. “Let the party roll!” sings Moore in this paean to the concert stage.
Rik goes for the brightest of melodies on “Writing’s On the Wall”, a really “triumphant” sound, and great way to draw the album to a close. All that’s left is a soft guitar outro called “Epilogue (Resolution)”. This beautiful piece illustrates where Rik would go in his future solo career, decades down the road. Hints of jazz and classical pointed the way.
There are several songs that you don’t want to leave out of your life. Own Never Surrender.
4/5 stars
An unusual but amusing one for you! (I recorded everything. I have a tape here labelled the “Star Trek Awards”, I can’t wait to see what that is.)
This tape comes from the 1990 Toronto Music Awards. Mike Levine and Gil Moore of Triumph are called to present Best Toronto Male Vocalist. Triumph were without a singer at the time, imagine if Rik Emmett were nominated! But he’s not. Check out the seven (!) nominees and who Kim had to beat. “Sebastian Back” was a formidable singer and Kim said as much.
Finally, Peter Fredette is hilarious. Listen to him singing opera style as he approaches the podium. Did you know he was Kim’s vocal coach as well as bassist?
Bought in Taranna at Kops for $2.50!
TRIUMPH – Edge of Excess (1992 Virgin)
When Triumph split in ’87, Rik Emmett went off in a pop direction leaving his two bandmates with no singer/guitar player, and without their most recognizable member. As bassist Mike Levine said in M.E.A.T Magazine, “We couldn’t just be Duo-umph”. Since Triumph always had two lead singers in Rik Emmett and drummer Gil Moore, this time Gil simply stepped up and sang everything. Then they needed a guitar player. Gil and Mike Levine wrote and recorded most of Edge of Excess with Mladen Zarron in Toronto, before hiring ex-Frozen Ghost (current Bon Jovi) shredder Phil X. Five years after the split, the new Triumph emerged with a heavier and darker album, Edge of Excess.
Triumph boldly opened the album with a whole minute of nothing but bluesy guitar noise. If there was a stronger way to say “We don’t need Rik,” I don’t know what that would be. This guitar noise serves as an intro to the first Triumph song without Emmett, “Child of the City”, a harder edged Triumph song with the same kind of hooks. It’s hard to determine who is playing lead guitar, Mladen or Phil X, but rest assured that whoever it is has laid waste to the land. Rik Emmett wasn’t just a shredder, but a talented player who composed his solos with class and ability. Mladen and Phil have done the same, but without emulating Rik. (Phil’s going to have his work cut out for him in Bon Jovi, though.)
The rip-roaring “Troublemaker”, easily the fastest and heaviest Triumph track to date, was featured on the soundtrack to Hellraiser III, and it’s easy to see why. It’s as close to speed metal as Triumph have been, and I shouldn’t need to tell you that again the solos shred. Who’s playing? Fucked if I know, there are three guys credited on the song. The song is actually very close to high-octane Whitesnake and it would be easy to imagine Coverdale’s crew doing it.
Lest you think that ballads were a thing of Triumph’s past, “It’s Over” has a country & western feel. Unfortunately of the two singers, Moore had the less commercial voice. This is where Gil’s voice reveals its limitations. On backing vocals, some big names are on hand such as Fred Coury of Cinderella and Steve DeMarchi of Sheriff, to help beef up the big chorus. It’s not enough to make a memorable song. They cook up some groove on the title track, tapping the vein of Van Hagar. But without Rik Emmett, Triumph lost part of what made their unique sound. On Edge of Excess it’s too easy to compare them to contemporaries. “Turn My Back on Love” is better, occupying a dirty mid-tempo groove, and with Phil X handling all the guitars himself. The big chorus is the closest thing to old Triumph on the album.
That’s the side; the second one opens with “Ridin’ High Again”, a sleezy rocker that sounds like Don Dokken emigrating to Canada. Phil X really can shred though, and anyone who’s curious what he can do should check it out. I don’t think Phil will be able to play to his strengths in his new band, so give this a listen and hear the guy blaze like Vai meets Van Halen. “Black Sheep” starts as a total surprise; a blues right in the middle of the album. No drums, just claps. Sadly instead of sticking with this, it transforms into a stock hard rocker. “Boy’s Nite Out” has a grammatically incorrect title: The lyrics are clear that it is not a boy’s night out, but “the boys”, plural. It should therefore be called “Boys’ Nite Out”. Here I am bitching about the grammar and not the word “Nite”…anyway, back to the song. Standard rocker. Plenty of great shreds, but this album is far too burdened by generic rockers. Rik Emmett used to bring a variety of influences to the table, and their albums with him may have had their weaknesses, but they were more diverse than Edge of Excess. Without enough identity, Triumph forged a batch of largely forgettable bluesy hard rock songs. Lots of crunch, not enough stick-to-your-brain hooks.
Fortunately the classy power ballad “Somewhere Tonight” helps wind things up properly. Identity is still a problem, but at least this is a break in the rut the album had been in. Right back into the rut for “Love in a Minute”, the last in a batch of heavily generic rock songs that sound like about a dozen bands…none of them Triumph.
Like any fan, I was pleased that Triumph kept going despite such a huge setback as losing your main guy. Unfortunately the album they produced in ’92 was not up to par, and I guess that’s why it took me 23 years to finally buy it! A couple good songs early in the album, but not much more.
2.5/5 stars
My Triumph reviews to date:
TRIUMPH – Greatest Hits Remixed (CD+DVD 2 disc set 2010 Universal)
I was very impressed with the “new” Greatest Hits Remixed by Triumph. Normally I don’t go much for remixes, as 9 times out of 10 the original versions are superior. Greatest Hits Remixed however was done by none other than Rich Chycki (ex-Winter Rose) whose credits include remixing work with Rush, particularly on Retrospective III. He did the first remixes of the Vapor Trails material, leading to the band remixing the whole album today. Chycki’s work elevated those songs to a new level, likewise with Triumph.
The drums are louder and harder (read: modern sounding). The guitars more aggressive. The rolling, grooving basslines are now in your face. (I may have underrated Mike Levine in the past.) Keyboards have been toned down. Vocals have been stripped dry and place high in the mix. In the case of “Just One Night”, the entire song sounds re-recorded, particularly the lead vocal. Gil sounds older on this version. Even the hokey cheese of “Somebody’s Out There” has been replaced with a new edge, drowning out the formerly keyboard-heavy leanings. My only complaint is that some vocals are a little heavy on echo.
This CD-DVD 2 disc set comes with a wealth of interesting extras. The DVD here is a great package on its own, and would have been worth buying in the $10 range alone. Every major Triumph video is here, now backed by the remixed tracks. In addition, there’s some bonus features, such as the “Child of the City” music video by the “v2.0” version of Triumph with Phil X. There’s some early fan-cam footage (“Blinding Light Show”) and perhaps best of all, Triumph inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. They are inducted by Tom Cochrane, introducing Gil Moore as one of his closest friends. Who knew? Additionally, the set is housed in a nice double digipack, with lots of photos (a couple recent ones too) and lots of text to read. On the whole, a well made and timely package.
If you’re a new fan who hasn’t got their first Triumph CD yet, this package is a pretty good buy. You might really get into the more modern sound. If you’re an old fan, I think it’s fun to enjoy the memories and the harder rocking sounds.
5/5 stars
Part 2 of a 2 part series by request of reader DEKE! Today we look at the final album by the original Triumph. For the first installment, The Sport of Kings, click here!
TRIUMPH – Surveillance (1987 MCA, 2003 TML)
Triumph bassist Mike Levine once called this album your proverbial “contractual obligation” record. What he meant by that, was that Rik and the boys were barely on good terms anymore, the end was near, but the band needed to crank out one more album (plus a “greatest hits” record entitled Classics) before they could call it a day.
And who can forget that awkward interview on MuchMusic’s Power Hour, when Erica Ehm unwittingly asked Rik, “Have you ever thought of going solo? Wait a second, I have the chance to break up Triumph with this question!” Rik mumbled something about how the guys in the band always gave him the freedom to do whatever he wanted, and there was no need to go solo. Then a couple months later, WHAM! The headline was all over the Toronto Sun — RIK QUITS TRIUMPH.
With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, this sounds like the last album by a once powerful band. It sounds like a band out of ideas, a tired band, a band who doesn’t care anymore. It has an atmosphere of “let’s see if this one will stick to the wall.”
Yes, Rik Emmett was and remains a genius guitar player. Mike and Gil, God bless ’em, were the average backing band, given a tremendous boost in our native land due to the fact that they are Canucks. There’s a certain Canadian mediocrity to Triumph — not quite as good as Rush, but similar. A loyal fanbase, but with not nearly the treasure-rich back catalogue that Max Webster has. A talented guitar playing frontman, but as a vocalist a bit shrill even by Geddy standards. A T-shirt-and-jeans type image, maple leaf proudly emblazoned on their hockey jerseys, but an image just too bland for anybody but us hosers by the late 1980’s.
Surveillance struck me from the start as Rik taking control of the machine for one last spin. It treads the progressive tendencies, with two instrumental intro tracks, a guest shot by Steve Morse, and some lyrically interesting pieces (“All The King’s Horses”). This is tempered by Rik’s increasing interest in pop — “Let The Light (Shine On Me)”, and “On and On”. On Gil Moore’s side, we have nothing but terrible filler tracks, the worst of which is “Rock You Down”. This is perhaps the worst song Gil’s ever foisted upon us. At some points trying to be R&B, at others hopelessly lost in a morass of bad lyrics and muddy mix, it is a bit of a train wreck. The whole album suffers from this muddy mix and too many odd crashing keyboard samples.
Dark Helmet.
The best tune was the lead single, “Never Say Never” (co-written by Rik’s new protege Sil Simone). Unfortunately this is a video that Rik soon found embarrassing to watch. The bouffant hairdo (or as Rik referred to it, “good hair production”), the fancy wardrobe…what was wrong with jeans and jerseys? It was 1987. That’s what was wrong with it.
I wanted to give this album one star, as I believe it truly has some of the worst songs of Triumph’s career. Upon reflection I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t because lyrically, I like some of this album, and musically there are a couple good moments here and there that save the album from being a total torpedo. The guitar playing, like on “Carry on the Flame”, is absolutely fiery. You know a guitar player like Rik Emmett isn’t going to lay a turd. There are a couple interesting riffs. And, as a Power Hour nerd, I loved the voice cameo by J.D. Roberts (now known as CNN’s John Roberts).
Much to my surprise (and delight, because I didn’t like it when bands broke up), Triumph carried on with one more album (Edge of Excess) and a new guitar player. Phil X (ex-Frozen Ghost and currently on tour with Bon Jovi) joined the band, while Toronto’s Mladen Zarron wrote on played on the majority of the album. Sound wise, they rocked it up several notches before calling it a day.
When they did reunite with Rik, they didn’t play any songs from Surveillance. Can’t say that I’m surprised.
This album serves as a reminder of what a terminally ill band sounds like. You can hear the tension and lack of cohesion. Despite that, there are still a couple interesting tracks and melodies here for the Triumph fan, some of which have not yet resurfaced on a compilation CD. Check it out if you’re a fan, avoid like the plague if you are not.
2/5 stars
Also worth noting: The guy on the cover of Surveillance is the same dude from the Never Surrender album!
Part one of a two-part series by request of the mighty DEKE!
TRIUMPH – The Sport of Kings (1986, remastered 2003, TML Entertainment)
And the award for Worst Album Cover of 1986 goes to…Triumph!
Seriously, can anybody tell me what the hell this is supposed to be? Methinks the band just didn’t care anymore, and the music contained herein bears me out.
The Sport Of Kings, following the double live Stages, was a total about-face for Triumph. Starting off with a turgid sequencer riff, the album shifts immediately into “coast” on “Tears In The Rain”. Keyboards, bad sounding drum samples, coupled with a sappy almost guitarless song, and that is the opening track! (I hereby trademark the word “guitarless” as my own creation.) Post-split, Gil Moore and Mike Levine were pretty adamant in their blaming up Rik Emmett for the change in direction. Certainly, the early part of Rik’s solo career backs up that claim.
I’ll admit to being into “Somebody’s Out There” at the time, but it is hard to listen to now in the car with the windows down. Wouldn’t want anybody to see me. (The remixed version from the recent Greatest Hits Remixed CD is better.) This song is just pure pop, way further into that direction than anything Bon Jovi was doing at that time. But not in a good way.
The sad thing is, I really used to dig this album to the point that I wore out my original cassette. Now, on CD, I once every few years. I’ll claim that I didn’t know better at the time. When I owned this the first time, I’d never heard a single Led Zeppelin studio recording; not one. I had never heard of “Smoke On The Water”, and I’d never heard a Rush album. Perspective changes even if the songs remain the same. The problem is that Sport Of Kings is too pop: not enough guitar, not enough rock, not enough Triumph, too many keyboards! Hell there are three keyboard players on this album (one being Kitchener’s own Scott Humphrey).
I’m trying to pick out some non-embarrassing highlights. I kind of like “If Only” for the lyrics and chorus. “Play With the Fire” is Triumph trying to be progressive again, but the song isn’t any good. I like “Take A Stand”, and I’ll admit to still enjoying “Just One Night” (an old Eric Martin demo, co-written by Martin and Neal Schon). I only wish the video remix was on an album of some kind. The superior original remixed version used in the music video has never been released on any music format that I own. I’ll have to use Audacity to rip it from a DVD.
This is not the remixed video, unfortunately — they’ve replaced the remix with the album version
I used to enjoy “Don’t Love Anybody Else But Me”, and I think the melody is still OK, but man, those lyrics. Gradeschool stuff. Of course, I was in gradeschool at the time! To me in 1986, these lyrics were probably pretty profound. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that your tastes have changed and some music you just don’t dig anymore. In this particular case, the tastes of the entire world have changed. Richard Marx does not make top-ten albums anymore. This album lacks spark of any kind, it’s just a keyboard-ridden embarrassment. If you played anything on this album side by side with “Blinding Light Show” or “It Takes Time”, you’d never guess it was the same three guys.
But it is, and they had only one more “contractual obligation” record left in them after this. The end was nigh.
1.5/5 stars
Come back in a few days, and we will be discussing that very contractual obligation record!
mikeladano.com 