Purser Deverill

Square One MiGhty MuSic A tale of two Tygers.

Tygers Of Pan Tang fans may recall that as well as the radio-friendly material from outside songwriters forced on the band by their label MCA for The Cage (1982), vocalist John Deverill and guitarist Fred Purser turned in some strong songs of their own. After the band split in ’83, the pair continued their collaboration.

Despite having been recorded at a pace that makes Def Leppard appear hasty, Square One sounds surprisingly fresh. Melodic, gutsy hard rock with a subtle prog garnish is the order of the day (think UFO, FM and 90125-era Yes), and the quality of writing on tracks like Travel The World and Square One are impressive, as are the duo’s stillsharp vocal and guitar chops.