Neverland
by Jim HarperAfter attempting to update the band's sound with 1991's Masque, the Mission abandoned some of the technological influences of that album and concentrated on a more guitar-based sound. However, the same shortcomings continued to appear. In the mid-'80s Hussey and his crew were accused of copying Led Zeppelin, and Neverland provides more ammunition for the band's critics. "Sway" continues their flirtation with Middle Eastern music -- ultimately derived from Zeppelin's "Kashmir" -- while "Celebration" is a pale copy of the earlier band's "Celebration Day." At times the album drips with cloying sentimentality, with "Cry Like a Baby" and "Swim With the Dolphins" being particularly hard to swallow. All in all, Neverland comes across as a second-rate version of the Mission's first two albums, making it almost entirely pointless.