LIVE IN AMERICA

This double live CD from Swedish band PÄR LINDH PROJECT is a great proof that PLP isn't only a magnificent band in the studio, but also as a terrific live act. The complex compositions are performed flawless. All tracks except two were recorded at Progday Festival in Chapel Hill North Carolina on September 6th 1998. The other two were recorded in Macaé Basil December 9th 1997. Sometimes the live versions are even better than the original studio version. Maybe it's because of the intense energy and power in their stage performance and the great interplay between the musicians. This live album gives you a good selection of PÄR LINDH's works. They're performing songs from PÄR LINDH PROJECT's all albums ("Gothic Impressions", "Rondo" and "Mundus Incompertus"), a medley of songs from Pär Lind & Björn Johansson's "Bilbo" album and cover versions of EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER's "Jerusalem" and KING CRIMSON's "21st Century Schizoid Man". If you're not familiar with PÄR LINDH POJECT's works, they're playing progressive rock with strong classical influences and many lengthy instrumental passages. They're often reminiscent to EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER. The sound and production quality is great. The CD comes with an impressive 12-page CD-booklet with lots of photos and information. This album is highly recommended to every PLP and ELP fan. If you want to check out the band this live album is a perfect introduction.

So it's Par Lindh out on the road with his five peice band playing tracks from the first 3 albums plus covers of ELP and Nice tracks.It works extremely well and would be a good one to get if you want to skip getting the earlier albums as this is effectively a live compilation album.Worth a five star rating.I can't imagine too many prog fans not liking this although again will appeal to Emerson and Wakeman fans mostly.

In 1999 Swedish keyboard wizard Par Lindh decided that it was time to release live recordings, these are from a concert during the Progday Festival in Chapel Hill, USA (September '98) and two songs from Macae, Brasil (December '97).

The two discs contain a good view on his musical curriculum vitae with the Par Lindh Project, most tracks even sound 'live' more powerful. I'm not really pleased with the a bit powerless vocals from Magdalena Hagberg (also violin and keyboards) in the more bombastic passages but during the mellow pieces she has a beautiful and pure voice like in "The crimson shield" (wonderful harpsichord and Spanish guitar). Surprising tracks are the two ELP covers "Jerusalem" (fiery and heavy guitarplay) and "Allegro barbaro" (virtuosic pianowork). The titlesong from their latest CD entitled "Mundus incompertus" delivers excellent and varied keyboardplay on Grand piano, church organ and Mellotron. On "Rondo", "A la Turka" and "Toccata in D- Fuga" Par Lindh showcases exciting work on the Hammond organ, in the vein of Keith Emerson, GREAT! Remarkable is the propulsive guitarplay, almost heavy metal. The final composition is the King Crimson 'classic' "21st. Century schizoid man" featuring again heavy guitarplay and a surprising vocal contribution.

If you are up to Seventies inspired, bombastic keyboard driven progrock, this 2-CD is yours.

4.5/5.0

I saw that show in Mount Clemens (near Detroit) in June 1999. That was a huge trip; I actually met Pär Lindh and the band, helped them to arrange the stage and watched one of the best show I've seen... in front of an amazed mid-empty crowd which had never seen anything like that before. I was all alone right at the front, in my bubble, moving like hell on those great songs. That was an amazing show, well worth days of hitchhiking across Canada and all the trouble crossing the borders...

Actually as much as I enjoy Mundus Imcompertus and Gothic Impressions studio album, I consider this live album to be even better in many aspects, particularly in the voice of Magdalena Hagberg, which is great. This woman is so amazing... I remember meeting her and she had this presence on the stage. The fact that she was singing the songs left a strong impression on me.

As for Jerusalem, I am sorry for ELP fans (which I am by the way) but this is probably even better than the original. If ELP had been around in 1999 making prog music, that would be how Jerusalem would sound like. I was literally blown away when they played that song.

If you like Emerson Lake & Palmer and progressive metal or even classic music, you will enjoy this album. Highly recommanded; probably one of the best live albums I ever listened to.

This 2 cd live album is beautiful, exciting and expectacular. They sound much better live than in the studio. the combination of organ , grand piano, harpsichord, Hammond organ, mellotron, analog & digital synth, percussion and 12-string guitar are brilliantly performed.vocalist and violinist Magdalena Hagberg is shining here also, her voice is honey.

the song "Cathedral' is unbelievable.prog rock meets classical. ELP fans should not think twice in getting this live album,.They play ELP's "Jerusalem" also Crimson "21st Century Schizoid Man" Sound quality is quite excellent as well. n my opinion this is the best album of 1999, period. The album includes a booklet and pictorial guide that guides you thru the band's history.

This double live CD has the characteristics of showing at the same time both the goods and the limitation of Pär Lindh as player and composer, other than giving the band the possibility to show an excellent skill.

First of all the presence of a version of Jerusalem that's almost the same arrangement as ELP on Picture at an Exhibition on CD1 and of a cover of 21st Century Schizoid Man on CD2 which can give a clear idea of who the main influencers are, but listening better, specially to the long medley entitled "Rondo" on CD 2 you can hear more than one reference to Bo Hansson and his Lord of the Rings, and considering that the band has released an album entitled "Bilbo" inspired to the first chapter of Tolkien's trilogy it appears clearly that Bo Hansson is another point of reference for Lindh.

All the goods and the limitations I was saying...the already mentioned Rondo is enough to show them all. There is an impressive drumming throughout the over 10 minutes of the medley, and effectively Nisse Biedfeld is a very resistant drummer, able to play very fast for a long time, really impressive. It's fun trying to recognize all the excerpts from rock, classical music, traditionals and anthems which are part of it, and here is where we see the limitations: Pär Lindh plays very fast but on the classical parts is sometimes too approximative. Lovers of classical music would surely be disappointed, not only by the arrangements but even by the keyboards' execution.

On his original parts, like the Bilbo Medley but across the whole CD1 the band plays at its best and it makes this double CD a worth buying.

The fact that it's sometimes an ELP clone, plus the mentioned not great performance in the classical parts make me decrease the rating to 3 stars, even if a mention has to go to the rest of the band, not only the drummer which is able to cover the mistakes and to the great soprano voice of Magdalena Hagberg.

One last note: Par Lindh is an excellent keyboardist it's only when he plays Bach or Mozart or tries to make an anthem fit into chords that aren't its domain that I quite dislike him.

3 stars