EXPOSED

Exposed is a two-cd set that includes live versions of Incantations, Tubular Bells, and Guilty. The material was recorded in the Spring of 1979 in several different European cities. Finnish legend Pekka Pohjola sits in here on the bass guitar. The performances are top notch as you'd expect from Mike, the arrangements are dramatic, and the sound quality is reasonably good for a live 70s recording. My problem is that I just don't like the edited versions of the two long pieces. If I'm in the mood for either TB or Incantations I will always prefer the original studio recordings to hear the entire piece. If you don't mind the edits then by all means you would enjoy this. Some people may actually prefer a shortened Incantations. Another change I would have made would be making the second track either Ommadawn or Hergest Ridge, both of which would add another star to my rating I'm sure. Guilty is a fun track but the space should just have been given to the longer tracks. 3 stars is perfect for me, certainly good but by no means essential.