LIVE 89

4.5 stars. Yeah this is a keeper folks. This was recorded at various venues in 1989 but there is no crowd noise on this album so you wouldn't even know it was live. Five of the tracks come from the second self titled record and two from the forthcoming (at the time) "3rd Warning" recording while five have never been released on any of their studio albums. It's interesting listening to this after just reviewing the two studio albums that most of these tracks came off of. They are a trio at this point yet this sounds fuller and it certainly boasts more variety and power than those two studio albums.

"Dememnted Horse" has a cool intro with intricate sounds as the sax comes and goes. It turns into a steady rhythm then settles beck after 3 minutes with percussion. It kicks back in a minute later. "Trap" has relaxed piano and sax then it picks up. I like this. Dissonant sax before 3 minutes. "Procession" has such a good and uplifting sound to it. The sax is prominant then it turns intense 3 1/2 minutes in. "Premonitory Insomnia" calms down 1 1/2 minutes in as the piano and sax leads. It starts to build 3 1/2 minutes in. Nice. It does settle back and become repetitive later. "Tic-Toc" has an interesting soundscape that builds. A calm before 2 1/2 minutes then it kicks in again. Oh yeah ! "Regards" feastures piano and sax and it's fuller before 2 minutes. Chaotic after 3 minutes. The atmosphere is cool 4 1/2 minutes in as the drums come and go and the sax cries out. It picks up before 6 minutes.

"Network" opens with some nice drum work followed by a calm and sax. This is complex and intricate then we get another calm before it picks up again. "A Milkman's Adventure" opens with nature sounds that continue as spoken words join in. "Suspicion" has lots of sax and drums. I like it ! Piano 4 1/2 minutes in as it settles and nature sounds come in as it blends into "Transmission". The tension starts to build here and it's chaotic and dissonant after 3 minutes to the end. Cool ! "Glimpse" has some interesting sounds in it while the closing track "Breathless" has some crazy sax throughout with a dark atmosphere late.

This is a must for MIRIODOR fans.