LIVE IN NEW YORK - OFFICIAL BOOTLEG

I am not sure that I understand TFK's strategy here. If a band releases an "official" bootleg, the idea is to bootleg the bootleggers. Meaning, marketing an offical product that will stop the sales of the parallel circuit. To do so, I guess that you need to inundate the market and have a very attractive pricing to be be able to sell a lot.

In this case, the original production reached 1,500 copies and there is apparently no plans for reprinting. This will allow the black market and its stupid prices. Second alarming point : the pricing. Almost 25 US $ ! Is must be a joke !

This record is the result of a mixing from the soundboard as well as from an audience recording for additional ambience.

Almost seventy percent of this CD, is dedicated to a shortened (still forty-seven minutes long, don't worry) version of "Garden Of Dreams). This "song" was already available on "Meet The Flower Kings" in a similar format. Nothing new then.

One of my TFK favourite song, "In The Eyes Of The World" is reduced almost by half; to a mere 6'30". Only one part out of two for "I Am The Sun" (but the original track was split into two parts, so...). Same treatment for the originally very good "Circus Brimstone". From a twelve minutes song, it will be reduced to less than 3'30".

I know that I have complained quite a lot about TFK exaggerately long (double) albums all along their career. But what's the f.ck of shortening good songs to such an extension ? The only good idea was to do so with "Garden..." which is still a bit too long here (by ten or fifteen minutes), especially during the second half.

Needless to say that the "bass and drum solos" are totally useless.

My advice is that you should get away of this CD (anyway, it should out of print by now). For the equivalent budget in ? (25) , you can get the limited edition of their very good "Meet The Flower Kings" which includes two CD's, two DVD's and a nice booklet (20 pages).

Still three stars because of the music present on this live album.