Album of the Day

Just a Game, by Triumph (1979): If Triumph is a poor man's Rush, then this is their Moving Pictures. It was a favorite of mine back when I was a kid, but I only finally picked it up on CD last year. Each of the 8 tracks work very well, in their own way. The rockers ("Movin' On" and "Lay it on the Line") rock, there's a good screaming blues tune ("Young Enough to Cry"), a good laid back blues tune ("Suitcase Blues"), a patented Rik Emmett acoustic piece ("Fantasy Serenade"), and even a couple of near-prog tracks ("Just a Game" and "Hold On"). In fact, I think what appeals to me so much about this album is its variety. That and the cool "rock and roll star" board game in the liner notes (although, I'll note, Gilgamesh did it a few years earlier).