IN CONCERT

This live album from DECIBEL includes about 40 minutes from a concert in Mexico City back in 2000, as well as close to 30 minutes of music recorded from two different shows in the late seventies. I'm going to review the show from Mexico City in 2000 only because the sound quality for the seventies shows aren't the best.

The concert opens with someone with a really deep voice introducing the band to applause. "Terpia De Fakirato" opens with keys and we get a full sound before a minute. The violin is just screaming and I love the drum work that follows. More violin after that. "El Charco De Los Caimanes Part I" opens with percussion and violin as other sounds come and go. A calm after 1 1/2 minutes. The sound starts to build a minute later. This gets pretty intense. It settles around 5 minutes. "El Charco De Los Caimanes Part II" opens with violins before a beat comes in. Clarinet as well in this one. "Tarot" features percussion and odd sounds. We get a beat after 1 1/2 minutes as clarinet and other sounds continue. Violin 3 minutes in.

"Suite Safari" is the 22 minutes closer. It kicks in fairly quickly and it sounds great as the violin plays over the excellent drumming. It settles as the tempo continues to shift throughout this track. Strange sounds 3 minutes in. Birds are chirping wildly then the song kicks back in around 5 minutes with violin and drums leading the way. A change after 10 1/2 minutes to almost a circus-like atmosphere. The music continue to evolve and weave it's way until we get a calm with spoken words after 18 minutes. It kicks back in for a big finish. I have to mention that the audience was very enthusiastic for this concert and for good reason.

I'd rate this concert 4 stars but the live music that follows doesn't sound good as the band acknowledges in the liner notes. So 3 stars poor sound quality and all. 3.5 stars over all. Well worth picking up though for the first 40 some minutes.