John Wetton is probably best known and loved for his work in King Crimson from '72 to '74, culminating in the exquisite 'Red' album, as well as his leading role in the 80's supergroup Asia. He's also served time with Family, Roxy Music and Uriah Heep along the way. 'Raised In Captivity', his sixth solo album, sees him linking up with a whole range of top notch rock musicians, many of whom he's worked with before. Robert Fripp, Steve Morse, Steve Hackett, Tony Kaye, Eddie Jobson, Geoff Downes and Mick Box all feature at various points throughout the album.

On the whole, this is an album that leans more towards the commercial pop rock of Asia than those earlier Proggy days with King Crimson, but there's a dynamic mixture of material on offer that would appeal to fans of both Prog and AOR. 'Lost For Words', 'Raised In Captivity' and 'The Last Night Of My Life' are all prime slices of sophisticated Pop/Rock, with the latter having a slight air of 'Discipline' era King Crimson to it. 'Goodbye Elsinore' and the acoustic flavoured 'Steffi's Ring' have a lovely celtic folky feel to them, whilst 'The Human Condition' is a bit of a belter that provides one of the album's heavier moments.

'We Stay Together', 'New Star Rising' and 'Don't Misunderstand Me' head into a more straightforward MOR direction, and don't really provide too many of the album's highlights. It's the album's closing track, however, that does provide a highlight - 'Mighty Rivers', a vocal duet between Wetton and Dutch singer Anneke Van Giesbergen, is an elegant, ethereal, almost hymnal piece that will appeal to the Prog brigade and provides a special climax to a very solid album.

Wetton/Asia fans will certainly not be disappointed by 'Raised In Captivity', as it clearly shows that after all these years, John Wetton can still very much deliver the goods.

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