GOING OFF ON ONE

Wow, what a tiny venue! That is the first thing you are likely to notice about this DVD. Because of this, the band isn't too dynamic in their performance. Though Tillison, who gets more space than the others (seemingly) because of his dual keyboard rigs, is suitably animated throughout. It's great to see Guy Manning performing with the band as well, and he helps fill out the sound noticeably when compared to the previous official bootleg release, Pyramids and Stars.

But what of the performance? Well, the DVD shows us the complete concert from, I think, Southend on Sea in England. Fortunately, the package contains two CD's as well, containing the complete performance from the DVD, as well as added tracks from their performance at Rosfest in the USA. GPS Culture sets the scene for the show, and though it is not one of my favorite Tangent tracks, it is excellently played and makes for a suitably upbeat opener. The Winning Game sounds, as usual, far better live than it did on the original album (The World That We Drive Through), and Stolt's lead vocals are not really missed (though I do enjoy them on the other versions). In Earnest is superb, with great solos by all and some of Andy's most inspired vocals. Forsaken Cathedrals probably should have been put on the Place In The Queue album instead of Sun In My Eyes, but at least we get a cracking version of it here (and on the Place In The Queue bonus CD). The Music That Died Alone is one of my favorites by this band, and they do an excellent version here. Lost in London is very enjoyable as well. It is however, the epic In Darkest Dreams that makes this DVD worth owning all by itself. A great epic made greater by extended solos from the key players, a long ambient middle section on par with the classic 70's sounds of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schultze, and an overall fantastic performance by all. The visualizations added to the film work well and are not over done, generally complimenting and enhancing the live footage. The tiny venue and enthusiastic audience are a fitting testament to prog rocks small footprint on the music scene of the past 30 some years. But the music makes it all worthwhile. The extra tracks on the 2nd CD are not really anything particularly special, but are nice to have. The version of 21st Century Schizoid Man is missing the manic syncopations of the original but is otherwise pretty entertaining.

This would be the last recorded appearance of Sam Bain with the group, but judging from the new album her departure has not changed things much.

Overall, if you are fan of this band this is a must have. If you are just curious, a DVD is probably not the best place to start, but for even the casual fan this is worth having as this band really comes alive in front of an audience.