THREE SIDES LIVE

I had no intention to buy this album because people from the musical industry assumed that nobody in Perú could care for early Genesis songs (the same reason why they released a different edition for USA), so only the American version reached the stores, version that has a fourth side even worst than the previous three.

A few months ago I went to the store and the salesman offered me the Definitive Edition Remaster, which has the second CD mostly with early stuff, I wasn't decided until the guy told the price was only 8 bucks, so even if I don't like Collins voice very much is always nice to have another version of some classics.

I refuse to comment CD 1 because it's only POP stuff and this is a progressive place, so I'll go directly to CD2.

This CD starts with Misunderstanding which is not one of my favorite songs, but still can be listened without feeling sick, but to be honest this version is worst than the studio one because that nasty habit that Phil has of repeating some lines endlessly, simply drives me crazy.

In The Cage (Medley - Cinema Show/Slippermen) is a very good track, starts with Collins version of In the Cage, probably the most emotional song in Genesis catalogue. The band sounds better than ever, specially Tony's keyboards, but Phil's voice lacks from emotion and variations, Peter Gabriel expressed the claustrophobic atmosphere of this song without need to rise his voice, his semi yodeling and variations transmit anguish and pain, Phil can't do this, so he only shouts taking all the emotion out of the track, but still does a better job than I expected. Because they only play instrumental sections of Cinema Show and Slippermen, Phil does what he should always done, forget the mic and sit behind the drums, he's amazing as all the band.

Afterglow is a song made for Phil's voice, because he doesn't need drastic changes he can focus on the lyrics and show he has a very nice voice for simpler stuff, very good version.

One for the Vine is one of my all-time favorite songs, but this version was a disappointment, but strangely because of Banks, I don't know what Tony tried to do but his keyboards are terrible sounds as if he was playing a toy piano and the instrumental section in the middle of the song seems like a laser battle taken from Star Wars, simply weak.

Fountain of Salmacis is IMHO the one of the highest point of the album, Phil understands at last that his voice fits perfectly when the track is played slower and he uses his own style forgetting Gabriel's ghost. All the band is perfect and the song is a masterpiece.

The closer "It/Watcher of the Skies" is an older recording with Hackett and Bruford and of course is the best one, Stuermer is a good guitar player but he can't replace Steve's atmospheric guitar and Bill is the top drummer in prog history.

If you're willing to pay a double CD to play only the second one you should buy it, but please don't get the USA version with the studio tracks because you will regret CD2 deserves 4 stars but as a double album only deserves 3.