THREE SIDES LIVE

Another live album recording whose tour I happened to attend a show. The music represented were definitely some of the highlights of the concert: the best, most proggy of the Duke album, "ABACAB" and I have to admit that some of the other songs off of the ABACAB album played live were more powerful than their studio versions. (Especially Me and Sarah Jane.") The non-live, studio album Side Four leaves a little to be desired. These were obviously songs that never made it to album (though "Paperlate" came out of a sound check jam). Without hearing these songs, I cannot recall anything about them save the horns in "Paperlate." As I listen to them now for the first time in thirty years, I find them uneventful and ... well, forgettable. No wonder the 92 CD reissue wiped out the studio songs and replaced them with live versions of "One for the Vine" (which is AWESOME in concert), Nursery Cryme's "Fountain of Salmacis" and "It/Watcher of Skies." The album has excellent sound quality and wonderful emotional conveyance. But do yourself a favor: get the '92 FOUR sides live version.