Max Carl
The Circle

This is a rerelease of an album that was released back in 1985 and didn’t quite get noticed, the question is of course why and if there is a point in rereleasing it. The cover art has some nice colours but is quite sterile and boring to look at, the same goes for the logo which looks old and dull. Max himself is mentioned to have collaborated with many known musicians and this is his third album but the only one he released under the name Max Carl. It is called The Circle and is remastered by Universal and is said to be a lost gem that is finally being rereleased to the masses.

Musically it is quite typical eighties melodic rock music that sounds more or less like most music that was popular in that day, it is an album that was very much in line with the times. Seen today it feels very much dated and that is something not even the master remasterers of Universal and Yesterrock can do anything about, it was made in 1985 and it feels as though it is from that time. It is quite energetic and tempo filled music that is well made but with a production that was of that time and feels rather old today. When listening to this album it is quite easy to understand why this album was not quite noticed back then because there is not really anything setting it apart from other music that was released during that period in time.

I would have to describe this album with a yawn, it is a bland collection of decent songs that doesn’t quite excite me as a lister. Neither does it offer anything memorable, it is fairly listenable and it will not make you vomit but at the same time it doesn’t quite get anywhere either. Perhaps I would see it somewhat differently if I was reviewing this album back in the day but the thing we have to judge with this one is wether or not this is a valid rerelease. Which means if this album is really interesting enough to merit it being released again and to me the answer is that it isn’t, it is just a typical melodic rock album which sounds like more or less any of the masses of similar albums that was released in that day.

The Circle should not have been rereleased as there are already millions of better albums out there and what is the point to just add another collection of dreary but decent songs to the world? I have to say that it is a question that linger over me anytime I listen to this album and it is something that is impossible to overlook. I think that Yesterrock should do a little rethink of which albums they bring back to attention because this is not a particularly good album and one that would have been best left forgotten.

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