Short Reviews [Michael Salvatori - 1982 - "Waiting For Autumn"]

A while ago I reviewed the excellent Apocalypse album, ‘The Castle’, which was recorded in 1976 and reissued recently. In many ways this is the follow-up to that record, originally released in a small vinyl run in 1982, with Michael (vocals, guitars) again joined by his brother Tom Salvatori (classical guitar) and wife Gail (backing vocals), and this time involving Gary Polkow (keyboards), Henry Bahr (drums, percussion) along with a number of other musicians. Even when it was originally released more than 40 years ago this was already an album somewhat out of time, as prog was moving in different directions, into pop in some areas and rock in others, but this is most closely related to the early Seventies prog folk stylings while Camel are also a major influence. 12-string and acoustic guitars are a major element, along with our old friends the Mellotron, and given the post punk of that era this must have stood out at the time, but would have been sadly ignore by many and it was not long after this that Michael moved into the world of composing for commercials and jingles before making his name with video games, most notable the Halo and Destiny series. This was the final album he recorded, and to say that is a shame is a massive understatement as while it does indeed sound all of its years, it is a solid delight from beginning to end. The phased and distorted guitars blend in nicely with the keyboards, the drums have just the right amount of punch, and there is no doubt that lovers of Alan Parsons will also find much in here to enjoy. It is classy, it is classic, and just so much fun to listen to the very first time it is played and it just keeps getting better. Michael’s light vocal style is the perfect counterpoint to the arrangements, and the hooks are always present while never moving too far into the rock pastiche, meaning it is incredibly accessible and one wonders what would have happened with his career if it had been released pre-punk and gained the attention it so richly deserved. As it is, now is a great time to rediscover an album which is very fine indeed.