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England - Kikimimi - Live in Japan CD (album) cover

KIKIMIMI - LIVE IN JAPAN

England

Symphonic Prog


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erik neuteboom
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars England their album Garden Shed from 1977 is one of the most acclaimed efforts by a lesser known symphonic progrock band. They have gained a kind of cult status with their wonderful and melodic tribute to the Classic Prog sound of bands like Yes and Genesis, layered with the unsurpassed Mellotron! In 2005 England surprised us with a special limited edition CD re-release of Garden Shed featuring a vinyl single format, a nice booklet and a previously unreleased version of the epic track Three Piece Suite. The huge demand for a reunion since they disbanded has finally led to a concert in Mexico (Bajaprog) and two gigs in Japan. These two concert are recorded on this CD on July 8th and 9th in 2006, the Club Sitta' in Kawasaki.

The current line-up hosts two members of the original band, Robert Webb (keyboards, guitar and vocals) and Martin Henderson (vocals, bass) and additional musicians Alec Johnson (guitar and vocals), Steve Laffy (drums and pecussion) and Maggie Alexander (vocals and keyboards). They play five of the original six songs from their LP Garden Shed (not the track All Alone) in slightly re-arranged versions and also the compositions Nanogram (from the CD The Last Jubblies, 1977), Open Up and The Imperial Hotel (abridged version form a 1975 composition, released on EP in Japan, 2006). England starts the concert as if they have never stopped, what an amazing and inspired sound, from Midnight Madness (pleasant intro with the Hohner clavinet sound), Three Pieces Suite (wonderful vintage keyboards like the Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond organ and lots of Mellotron eruptions) and Paraffinelea (dynamic featuring an extensive, quite fiery guitar solo) to Yellow (acoustic rhythm guitar, violin-Mellotron and subtle guitar work) and the splendid Poisened Youth (intense violin-Mellotron, a compelling guitar solo with howling runs and a guitar improvisation). Then the three to me unknown tracks: the up-tempo song Nanogram with sparkling Fender Rhodes piano and sensitive electric guitar, the swinging Open Up with a strongly build-up Hammond organ solo and fiery electric guitar work and the final composition The Imperial Hotel delivering lots of shifting moods and the wonderful Fender Rhodes piano and choir-Mellotron sound, goose bumps!

I am impressed by this 'reunion England' performance and hope they will tour Europe, what a beautiful symphonic prog!

Report this review (#119770)
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2007 | Review Permalink
4 stars Another good live album from a rather unknown symphonic prog band.

England's only true studio album Garden Shed is a true gem. The second album was more a collection of unfinished songs. It is therefore a pleasure to find this live album which shows England from their best. Four songs from the Garden Shed and some other compositions is included here. They are delivered with flair and a high degree of skills. Their style on this live album is somewhere between Genesis, Yes, Fruupp..... and Supertramp. I did not discover the Supertramp vibes before I heard this live album. I guess that is what's happening in a gig situation in Japan. Strange.

Anyway, the Robert Webb's vocals is a bit of an acquired taste, I have to admit. The vintage keyboards on the other hand sends shivers down my spine in pure joy. The fourteen minutes long Three Piece Suite is full of those and they gives me a lot of pleasures. As a whole, this album is full of small wonderful details. Most of them, if not all of them, delivered by these vintage keyboards. This live album will please vintage keyboards lovers all the way to the sunset and beyond. The drums and the bass to is good.

The songs are superb and this is a good live album. It is a weak four stars for me. But it is still a four stars album.

4 stars

Report this review (#269183)
Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 | Review Permalink

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