UTRECHT ...THE FINAL FRONTIER

PENDRAGON are one of the better-known neo-progressive bands from UK. They have a big and impressive back catalogue, and this is their third and probably best live album. PENDRAGON have often been compared to MARILLION, and I think it's the best description of PENDRAGON's music. It's a combination between GENESIS, MARILLION and RUSH. Many of the tracks on the albums are over ten minutes long. This live album were recorded on their "The Widow Of Life Tour" during April and May 1994. The gig you can hear on this CD took place at the Vredenburg Muziekcentrum in Utrecht Holland. Tracks from "The Window of Life" together with "older" classics such as one of my favourite PENDRAGON tracks "The Voyager". The recording quality is very good and have improved since "The very very bootleg - Live in Lille". For every PENDRAGON fan or member to "The Mob", this is a really great moment and a good landmark in PENDRAGON's live history.

This live CD contains material from Kowtow (Kowtow, The Mask), The World (The Voyager), and the rest from the The Window of Life. First track sounds better then on studio album, very nice to hear it live. The second (Breaking The Spell) is in my opinion the best song of this album. Played really perfectly. For this track it is worth to buy it. Really breathtaking. After that more poppy "The Mask". Very good (but not essential). Another song (The Last Man On Earth), one of the best songs of Pendragon played again perfectly. Powerful, and beautiful. "Am I Really Losing You?" (what a beautiful guitar riff!) keeps that level, but I prefer studio version. "The Voyager"... Maybe the best Pendragon song, maybe not. It also sounds very good on this concert. "Nostradamus" is a perfect ending for this CD. Very fast, catchy, hard.

If you want to discover Pendragon's sound on concerts, start from this album. You won't regret it!

The Netherlands are really a country in which lots of "neo-prog" bands will be very much welcome and popular: Marillion, Arena, Fish, Pendragon... (although another love story will soon start for this band). The audience sounds very enthusisatic to the short song introductions of their charismatic leader : Nick Barrett. We'll even get some words in Dutch (very limited, I admit).

Not less than four songs come out their last album "The Window of Life". The central piece of a wonderful Pendragon trilogy. I guess more were played during this live set like "The Walls of Babylon" and its very controvertial intro (which I like very much BTW). But unfortunately, I won't get it here.

But "Breaking The Spell" as well as the great "The Last Man on Earth" will satify the lovers of their long and marvelous melodious songs. Nick brings so much passion, while being singing or when playing guitar ... just beautiful musical instants. "Am I Reading Losing You ?" will only confirm this. Just listen to the final guitar solo, and close your eyes.

I regret even more the abscence of "The Walls", when I listen to "Nostradamus" which was IMO, the weakest track of the studio work. One of the encores of the night preceeded by a very much football oriented mood from the Pendragon supporters !

This live album will feature two songs from "Kowtow". Their worst album. Fortunately, the title track which was the best and the longest one will be featured. But, "The Mask" really do not belong to the best of their discography. A rhythmy and poppish song. Maybe funny for an encore medley...

My favourite song from "The World" is featured as well : "Voyager". Another Pendragon jewel.

Like some of other great "neo-prog" bands (although I rank it in the symph category) like Arena or IQ, Pendragon does not sound very different on stage than in the studio but it is always pleasant to hear and see Nick's very emotional play. A wonderful souvenir.

The very short format of this live set (but I assume it was only part of it) and the appearance of two very average songs (out of seven) on this effort can not allow me to go higher than three stars. There will be better Pendagon live albums, don't worry.

I waited a long time for the review of this one even though I have this CD for a long time now. The reason is that I can't make up my mind for the rating. I have this problem more often but this is an exact doubtcase (50-50) for 3 or 4 stars. And actually I still can't decide. The dilemma is caused by two elements: the sound and the choise of songs.

The sound is very good for a live album in contrast with The very very bootleg from 1992. So that's already an important plus for the album. The choise of songs is making it pretty hard for me, because I'm a huge fan of Breaking the spell and Last man on earth. I'm ok with Kowtow and The Voyager but the other three are absolutely no favourite songs of mine. So that doesn't make things easy. does it ?

But all in all it's a big plus versus a 50-50 aspect which makes things positive where the balance is concerned. I let the atmosphere in the hall do the final verdict and I can say the atmosphere was terrific there in Utrecht. So that makes things very enjoyable when playing the album. And the performance on Breaking the spell is another decider. Absolutely impeccable. So I think this release deserves the 4 stars in the end. But it's actually 3,5.

This live album from the Window of Life tour is a step above The Very Very Bootleg both in terms of sound quality and song selection. Drawing heavily from The Window and with a single some from The World slipped in (The Voyager), the album is skewed towards the best material in the Pendragon repertoire at that point, though at the same time I could have done without the two selections from Kowtow - whilst they do provide an interesting change of pace from the more recent material, setting them against these songs only underscores just how far that album fell short of the standards we know Pendragon acn achieve. In addition, the production on the album is of average quality at best - still miles about The Very Very Bootleg, but the mix is a little off, with Clive Nolan's synths being just a touch too quiet. It may be worth a listen if you are really fond of The Window of Life, though I personally prefer the crystal-clear studio quality versions of the songs.

Review Nº 822

Pendragon is an English neo-prog rock band that was established in 1978 in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England as Zeus Pendragon by guitarist/vocalist Nick Barrett. The word "Zeus" was removed before the band began recording, as the members decided it was too long to look good on a T-shirt. There were some personnel changes in the early days, but since 1986 the line up has remained relatively stable with only the drummer changing several times since then. The band is still active today, remaining as one of the former bands of the neo-prog style and one of the most important too.

"Utrecht?The Final Frontier" is the second or the third live album of Pendragon and was released in 1995. It was their second live album if we don't consider "The Very Very Bootleg Live In Lille France 1992" as their second live album. In reality and despite its name, "The Very Very Bootleg Live In Lille France 1992" isn't in fact truly a bootleg but an official fan club release. The recordings were taken from the band's live performance in Lille, France in 1992. As the recordings were never remixed or dubbed, we probably can consider it a quasi official release. It's something between both.

"Utrecht?The Final Frontier" was recorded and released when the band made their "The Window Of Life" live tour. It became the most extensive live tour that Pendragon ever made until that date. They played at the prestigious Muziekcentrum Vredenburgh in Utrecht, Holland on 30 April 1994. The recordings for this live album were taken from this live show. Pendragon played together with their compatriots Jadis and the German band Everon. Which is more interesting is that ten years before they performed in the same place with Marillion. However, ten years later Pendragon was the support band of Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood" tour, but now they returned to Vredenburgh as headliners.

Beyond this live concert in Utrecht, Holland in April, the "The Window Of Life" tour comprised other places. So, in the same month they played in Lille, Paris, Besancon, Lyon, Grenoble, Bordeaux and Marseille, all in France and Barcelona in Spain. In May they played live in Andernach, Stuttgart, Nordhausen, Hanover, Hamburg and Wiesbaden, all in Germany, Milan in Italy, Zabrze and Warsaw in Poland and Plymouth, Winchester, Rotherham and London, all in the UK.

The lineup on "Utrecht?The Final Frontier" is their classical line up. So, we have on "Utrecht?The Final Frontier" the performance of Nick Barrett (vocals and guitars), Clive Nolan (backing vocals and keyboards), Peter Gee (backing vocals, bass guitar, Taurus bass pedals, Olw Korg keyboard and guitar) and Fudge Smith (drums and percussion).

"Utrecht?The Final Frontier" has seven tracks. The first track "Kowtow" is the title track song that was originally released on their second studio album "Kowtow" in 1988. The second track "Breaking The Spell" was originally released on their fourth studio album "The Window Of Life" in 1993. The third track "The Mask" was also originally released on "Kowtow". The fourth track "The Last Man On Earth" was also originally released on "The Window Of Life". The fifth track "Am I Really Losing You ?" was also originally released on "The Window Of Life". The sixth track "The Voyager" was originally released on their third studio album "The World" in 1991. The seventh and last track "Nostradamus (Stargazing)" was also originally released on "The Window Of Life".

It wasn't a coincidence that Nick Barrett says at the beginning of the show: "It's great to be back in Holland". The band has a large and enthusiastic fan base in Holland. In a sold out house and if we compare it to the live recordings that have been released to date, "Utrecht...The Final Frontier" can be reconciled in terms of sound, pressure and energy. The album opens with a very animated version of "Kowtow" that almost sounds the same as the studio version. The live version of "Breaking The Spell" is very good. The guitar sound is better compared to the studio version. "The Mask" is a very common Pendragon's song with a very good chorus. This is a great version. "The Last Man On Earth" has always been great and this live version is even better. The instrumental part proves why this is a great live version. "Am I Really Losing You?" is close to the album's version. "The Voyager" has always been a great song and this live version is played very aggressively without losing its impact. "Nostradamus" (without the ballad intro), was played as an encore and this version is better than the album's version. It's very enthusiastic and a very rocky version.

Conclusion: Comparing "Utrecht?The Final Frontier" with "9:15 Live", we can say that "Utrecht?The Final Frontier" is, without any doubt, a better album than "9:15 Live" is. In general, this is an album with better songs and the band at that time was much better, confident and more mature when playing live. However, there will be better Pendragon's live albums very soon. The only problem with this live album is that it was released in a very short format. Unfortunately, it represents only one part of all the live sets. Nevertheless, "Utrecht?The Final Frontier" is a great live album with some great live versions of the original studio versions. We may say this was a night to remember for all who were present.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)