LIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD

An Excellent Live Performance by King Crimson man ..

I have always considered John Wetton as part (important part) of King Crimson because I never got attracted by his lousy (oops .. sorry .!) solo albums. So, when I purchased this DVD, I looked at the track list first. In fact, I actually watched the DVD first from my colleague Mamak when I visited his home and was surprised with the fact that IQ member Martin orford and Arena member John Mitchell were in the line-up. Wow! It must be an interesting line-up. Prior to watching this DVD my colleague Mamak sent me an SMS telling that this is a great DVD. So, when I visited the International Java Jazz festival (to watch the legendary Canadian singer and composer, Gino Vanelli) I found this DVD was displayed with good discount. Without any hesitation at all, I purchased it.

When I spun the DVD, what happened into my mind was a feeling of nostalgia - the days when Wetton was involved with King Crimson, Asia and of course UK. Terrific! I found a feeling of satisfaction and happiness watching how the legendary tracks like "Red" (King Crimson), "In The Dead of Night" (UK), "Rendezvous 6:02" were being played at modern sound. Wow! I stirred my emotions, really! The emotion of being part of the seventies and the emotions of having strong capabilities to digest the music in its entirety. I could find hw different the track "Red" being played by Steve Christey (drums) instead of Bill Bruford. Putting away the expectations of drum sound when it was played by Brufod has helped me comprehend better this live set.

"Sole Survivor" is actually not "the" thing that I usually considered important to enjoy. But with this line-up performance I even enjoy the subtleties offered by this line-up. As usual, John Mitchell contributes his guitar work in a way that he does with his band Arena. He moves his body better than the quiet Mr Wetton. "Starlee" without any doubt has been my favorite track and this line-up performs it brilliantly!

Overall, I would suggest those of you who love early Asia, early King Crimson as well as UK to purchase this DVD - you won't regret at all. Once you spin it, you're gonna have another spin for sure. It's an excellent addition to any prog music collection. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

The master and his disciples, or would it be classic prog meets neo prog? Or just Wetton and his solo band? Well, a little bit of all the above. I was very surprised when I found this DVD. When I looked at the cover I could never have guessed the backing band and the track. Instead of pop songs of his solo albums we are greated with many classics, starting with the instrumental Red (wow!). It also includes another King Crimson track (Starless) and many classics from Asia and UK, besides some of the best songs from his solo career. Prog pop most of the time like Asia? Hell, yes, but sophisticated and convincing, and I like it! It´s all very well done!

And the band? Would you ever figure him being backed by such neo prog experts like Martin Orford (IQ, keyboards), John Mitchell (Arena, guitar) and Steve Christey (Jadis, drums)? the result is absoltutely gorgeous! John is in excellent form and the band mebers give their best to every tune. Clearly they all are very reverent to Wetton and play as they were having the time of their lives. And the ambience in a small club make things look even more cozy and informal. I could not belive that I found such DVD lost in a sales section! It cost me only about $4.50.

The production is adequate and the sound is very good for such a small place. If you´re a fan of John Wetton, this is a must have. This DVD should be given more attention than it got. Simple and well crafted. No big lights or arenas. Just plain good prog rock music delivered by some of its biggest names in a humble manner. Four stars.