Network is a studio album by Saga

Saga (band)

Saga is a progressive rock quintet, formed in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Jim Crichton and Welsh-born vocalist Michael Sadler have been the principal songwriters for Saga. Ian Crichton is the band's guitarist; apart from his work with Saga, he has recorded several solo albums as well as sessions...

, their sixteenth album of new material and nineteenth album overall, discounting compilations and bootlegs. It was released worldwide on February 8, 2005. The album appears to be a partial concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 about television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

; the opening number is entitled "On the Air," and it features songs like "Keep It Reel" and "Live at Five," which make references to television programming. In addition, the cover artwork features a television set depicting the band's earliest logo on screen.

A two-disc version of the album was released on November 8 of the same year, containing the original CD and a DVD containing a 5.1

Surround sound

Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...

 mix of the original album.

The record features a noticeably heavier sound than many other records in the band's discography and a speedy, at times almost rap

Rap

Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...

-like vocal delivery on "Keep It Reel." By comparison, "Believe" is a calm ballad and features only piano and Michael Sadler's vocals for just over half its length.

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Crichton, Jim Crichton, Jim Gilmour, Michael Sadler, and Christian Simpson.

1. "On the Air" – 6:25
2. "Keep It Reel" – 4:19
3. "I'm Back" – 5:01
4. "If I Were You" – 3:50
5. "Outside Looking In" – 4:15
6. "Don't Look Now" – 5:06
7. "Live at Five" – 5:16
8. "Back Where We Started" – 4:18
9. "Believe" – 4:56
10. "Don't Make a Sound" – 6:18

Personnel

• Michael Sadler – lead vocals
• Ian Crichton – lead guitar
  Lead guitar
  Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
  
  
• Jim Crichton – bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• Jim Gilmour – keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• Christian Simpson – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  , percussion
  Percussion instrument
  A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...