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THE ENID - LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH (VOLUMES I & II)The EnidSymphonic Prog3.61 | 23 ratings |
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
| Chocolate King like |
This is a review for the CD version of this release. I had the vinyl versions for years but the CD is such a
step up in terms of sound quality that it's an essential purchase for the Enid fan. It starts with an
arrangement of the national anthem by RJG that blows other versions away, before a performance of
side two of 'In The Region Of The Summer Stars'. This is the highlight for me, wonderfully played and full
of great melodies, from the bolero-like opening to the massive Wagnerian middle section to the dreamy
ending it's 19 minutes of The Enid at their most powerful. Note that this version is based on the original
album, NOT the re-recorded version issued on CD, which had some sections redone or replaced. I rate
this the best version of these tracks - partly because the original has never been released on CD so is
only available on second hand vinyl copies. Next up are some shorter tracks - 'Mayday Galliard' and some
selections fron "Touch Me', here listed as 'Music From Charades'. Best of these is 'Cortege', with its
military style percussion and trademerk Enid melodies. To finish up you get a 20 minute version of 'Fand'.
And this is where I have some gripe with the CD release. This version (absolutely great though it is) was
already available as a bonus on the CD release of 'The Spell' and its inclusion here means "Albion Fair' is
missing, which I would have prefered to see on the CD. Apparently the live version of 'Albion Fair' is
available on the 'Alternative History' CD's but I have never seen these for sale, so I'm stuck with my vinyl
edition if I want to hear it. For this reason, and because a couple of the shorter songs aren't as strong as
the rest I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5, although the first 3 tracks would make it a five on their own
in normal circumstances!
Chocolate King |
4/5 |
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