NIGHT AFTER NIGHT EXTENDED

UK is one of the most important supergroups in prog rock history. When they released their first album in the late seventies, they took the community by storm. Sadly, the band was short-lived. They made only one more album and this live release with some line-up change. Terry Bozzio is on drums instead of Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth is not there anymore. It brings good memories on me on how much I loved the production, the sound and of course the imaginative music. I bought this release to have the complete show in surround mixed by Bob Clearmountain who did a nice job using all channels placing violin and keys on the left rear and drums on the right rear. The violin and drums solo is a real treat to listen in that mode. The vocals of Wetton seems to be forced at the beginning like he was trying to catch his breath with fast tempo music. But it didn't really bother me after because I was putting my focus on the music. The package has 2 CD, a simple booklet, the menu presentation could have been better because we only have a static photo of the album cover when you watch the Blu-Ray, and there's no track selection. But the music of this is brilliant most of the times and very average on that couple more straight forward songs, like "Nothing To Lose". This is an excellent addition to your prog collection because of the surround treatment and the complete show.

"Finally justice done to the exciting UK 1979 live sound"

As a symphomaniac I had a tough time in the late Seventies, after a serie of very disappointing releases by the symphonic rock dinosaurs: Genesis and its progpop since ATTWT, the very unbalanced Tormato by Yes and the lacklustre Love Beach by ELP. The world of symphonic rock seemed to be hit by a devastating meteor, gradually it became more dark and lifeless.

And then there was UK, first an one shot legendary four-piece symphonic jazzrock ensemble, and after the departure of Allan Holdsworth an exciting trio, scouting the borders between 24-carat symphonic rock and chart flirting melodic rock. How lucky I was to witness this UK trio in 1979 in my hometown The Hague, especially watching Eddie Jobson with his mighty Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer, and the magical electric violin, unsurpassed symphonic rock history on stage! But how disappointed I was after buying the CD live registration entitled Night After Night. Because this release was an abridged version of the concert, without the mindblowing compositions The Only Thing She Needs and Carrying No Cross, UK at its artistic pinnacle. On this CD I notice too much focus on the chart flirting songs like Night After Night, Nothing To Lose and Time To Kill, in comparison with the longer and more compelling and exciting tracks. And without the complete solo pieces from the three members. Later you could buy bootlegs with most of the concert, like Parisian Rendezvous, as I did, but the sound quality is mediocre.

In 2016 Eddie Jobson released on its Globe Music label the lavish 14-CD and 4-Blue Ray box set The Ultimate Collectors Edition, with cascades of additional live recordingss from that 1979 UK trio era. Very interesting, but also pretty wallet plundering, I didn't buy it. And in 2019 Globe Music released an abridged 2-CD and 1 audio Blue Ray version of that box set, entitled Night After Night Extended. In comparison to the previous Night After Night release this one does justice to UK as an exciting live band, what a jawdropping skills, interplay and soli! And now we can enjoy the mindblowing compositions The Only Thing She Needs and Carrying No Cross, and more soli by the band members (and with a very good sound quality). I remember John Wetton playing that powerful bass solo on his Fender, R.I.P, I consider this release as a tribute to him.

Also highly recommended: the UK Reunion DVD!