KIKIMIMI - LIVE IN JAPAN

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!