LIVE IN BREMEN, 1972

4,5 stars really!!!!!

Review 1300! I had to make sure that this would be a good one , and I garantee you it is one of the best thing the great Cuneiform label ever! And the sound quality is impeccable!

These recordings were taken as Nucleus was still in its prime although Chris Spedding had left and Jeff Clyne also, only to be replaced by Ray Russel and Roy Babbington! The only recorded live traces of Spedding with Nucleus can be found in the BBC recordings that are named The Pretty Redhead released by Hux label a few months after this album in 2003. The superb thing about this package is that only a few tracks are from studio albums, the rest apparently being composition that will not find their way in succeeding records either. Songs For The Bearded Lady and Torrid Zone as well as Elastik Rock are only slightly elongated and Snakehip Dream is actually shorter than the studio version. Superb long tracks such as By The Pool and Kookie At The Zoom Club (where this was recorded) are obviously improvisations, but are they incredibly tight! Even with Russel not at Spedding's level, he manages to come out unscathed from those sessions.

On the second disc, Oasis/Money Mad is clearly a great moment, just after the Snakehip Dream (the major work on Solar Plexus) is a superb start but the rest are not as high standard (Elastic Rock excepted). This is maybe where that halfstar is lost, IMHO! But still well worth the investigation and the investment!

Gotta give Steve F. and the Cuneiform label a lot of credit for digging this one up. A double live album from one of Jazz / Fusion's pioneers. This was recorded at the Gondel Filmkunsttheater, Bremen, Germany on May 25th,1971 by "Radio Bremen". Ian Carr on trumpet, flugelhorn and percussion, Brian Smith on sax, flute and percussion and Ray Russell on guitar, for this tour only by the way. Then three future SOFT MACHINE members fill out the linep in Karl Jenkins on aboe and electric piano, John Marshall on drums and Roy Babbington on bass. This sounds excellent and I have to say that Ray Russell who does not appear on a single NUCLEUS studio album really adds a lot to this album with some fiery solos. This was recorded after they had released their third studio album ("Solar Plexus"). I have to say that this is one of the best live Jazz / Fusion albums I have ever heard, in fact one of the best live albums period. I love the two band photos that were provided by John Marshall.

Things get started with "Song For The Bearded Lady" which is from the "We'll Talk About It Later" record. It sounds like they're warming up early as sounds come and go with no real melody. When it kicks in though around 1 1/2 minutes it pure joy for me. It settles after 4 minutes and the rhythm becomes infectious as the trumpet plays over top. Check out the guitar before 6 1/2 minutes as Ray lights it up when the trumpet stops. Carr's back to end it. "By The Pool" opens with strummed guitar and flute. I really like this tranquil sound. Drums and cymbals join in. Sax before 8 minutes then it calms right down. It's building until it settles down to end it. "Kookie And The Zoom Club" has such a good rhythm when it kicks in.Trumpet plays over top. It's like Marshall is holding himself back here. Guitar comes in around 5 minutes sounding incredible.This is great ! He's playing these almost angular melodies until he starts to rip it up. A big applause when he's finished. Electric piano and horns replace guitar as it builds. The guitar is back briefly 12 minutes in then the tempo picks up then it calms back down. "Torrid Zone" is from "Elastic Rock". Bass and light drums to open as trumpet joins in. Just a beautiful sound here. Flute 3 minutes in followed by some intricate guitar. Great sound 6 minutes in as it gets more intense. It blends into "Zoom Out" a short Russell composition to end the first disc.

Disc two begins with "Snakeships' Dream" from "Solar Plexus". Aboe and other sounds come and go early. Some dissonance 1 1/2 minutes in until we get the main melody a minute later. This sounds amazing ! The guitar takes the lead after 7 minutes in this groovy and relaxing track. It blends into "Oasis" from "We'll Talk About It Later". Just a great sounding tune. So much going on after 4 1/2 minutes then it settles before getting intense again after 7 minutes. It settles and blends into "Dortmund Backtrack". Love the intricate sounds that come and go here. Some applause when the horns stop. Guitar takes over and he's lighting it up after 5 minutes. It settles a minute later and eventually blends into "Bremen Dreams" a short trumpet led tune. It blends into "Elastic Rock" from the album of the same name. Bass, light drums and trumpet before the guitar joins in. An applause when Carr stops after 3 minutes. Sax takes over and Brian gets an applause when he stops too. It's chaotic late. "A Bit For Vic" is a drum solo from John Marshall. "Persephone's Jive" is the closing track and it's from the album "Elastic Rock". They all pretty much let loose on this short song.

Another valuable piece of history for my collection.