BIRTH CONTROL LIVE

I was going to review my favorite Birth Control (of the 4 I know) "backdoor possibilities" (1976, ****), it has strong Gentle Giant influence. Then I realized I had this 1974 double album (**1/2) that represents their first original phase when they grab you by hard-prog energy.

Rock and vocals side in this live B C reminds me the American style with Deep Purple influence, while the experimentations take you to authentic kraut language. This expands the music to prog realm like almost all German bands do; you may know : Germans like keyboards and thanks to them Klaus Schulze invented "meditation music", Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerck invented "electronic music". By the way, do you know some pure hard rock German band other than Scorpions ? I don´t ! They always put keyboards and prog arrangements mixed. Even the 1st Scorpions album is a bit prog.

My german favorite style are the symphonics which keyboards are "the think" - Triumvirat, SFF, Tritonus, Pell Mell, Eloy, Novalis, Epidaurus, Ivory, Sahara, Tibet, Neuschwenstein, Madison Dike, Choice, Serenity, etc. yeah they are MANY and indispensable.

The cd liner notes by Mr. Norbert Stockheim says that Birth Control with this music ".paved the way for the whole German rock scene by heavy notices in London clubs." he continues saying well " .it's audible proof that B C delivers live rock compatible to studio recordings, which is one reason for the almost legendary their fans loyalty.they don't have to fear either lumpy "precious" music.what they get, imaginatively arranged but not mannered is a sound that goes straight ahead and hits you in the gut- a kind of 'physical rock'".

From this live Birth Control the first 4 tracks are nice but the "physical rock" could be not so extended as many minutes are dedicated to drums solo (ala Ginger Baker), percussions and improvisations. When you have the tight arranged music it's really grabbing. Probably the studio versions are better looking to PA reviews, anyway I like more Frummpy than this live Birth Control.

If you like Deep Purple "made in Japan", Frummpy, Uriah Heep "live 1973", you will probably enjoy this live B C more than me. Otherwise I HIGHLY recommend "backdoor possibilities" for its polish, "precious" art prog; this later work is a demonstration of B C abilities for sophistication ala GG.