THE FORUM, LONDON, UK. 19 NOVEMBER 2008

As part of the Happiness On The Road series, this show was the 'main' show - released as the only show with multi track recording. Therefore, I'd assume it's better quality than the rest of the releases. It definitely sounds quite raw. I find the keyboards are mixed a bit loudly, with the vocals lacking punch, but I became less worried about this as I listened, forgetting the slightly off quality, and just listening to Marillion.

Note that this review is from the digital download version of the album. Not sure if that changes much - should be the same as the CD stuff. Also, any comparisons I make to other live versions are from previous live albums I have, such as 'Family'.

The main attraction for fans will be the new tracks. They open with 'Dreamy Street/This Train Is My Life', neatly merged just like the album version. It quickly becomes clear that this isn't the best live album quality you'll have ever heard - especially prominent during the solo towards the end of the song, where the power is somewhat lost. Luckily, I didn't notice this dragging on, and the quality didn't get in the way of my enjoyment. The band keep going with 'The Other Half' (a rather dull rendition of this song - not that it stood out in the first place), 'Nothing Fills The Hole' and 'Woke Up' (quite well done), 'Beautiful' (crowd sings some of it, good performance), and 'Fantastic Place' (suffers from the quality somewhat, sadly, but still an excellent song).

A standout next, 'Out Of This World', from the 'Afraid Of Sunlight' album. A very interesting talk is given by h about this track before its performance (explaining the extra length - don't skip this talk, it's interesting trivia). The performance here of the song it self is great, especially the solo and the ending.

Next, 'Mad' (part of 'Goodbye To All That' on 'Brave', if you didn't know, is performed well), and the compulsory 'The Great Escape' (not a very impressive performance of this track, sadly).

CD owners will need to swap discs at this point, to hear 'The Man From The Planet Marzipan' (extra length here is due to a rather humorous talk given by h to give the recording people time to change tapes). Sadly, this one lacks energy too, with the slap bass at the start of the track being rather muted and disappointing. Other than that, the track is well done. 'Asylum Satellite #1' (another new track) is given a great rendition here, better than the album version, which I always thought was really quite dry. This time, the guitar really has a powerful edge, with the crowd really enjoying themselves - a great cheer after the bulk of the solo is finished. h tells the crowd they'll be performing their last track - 'The Invisible Man' - which is excellent. The crowd love every moment, not a single note is lost. The end is monumental. Possibly the best live release of 'The Invisible Man'. Not that the extra length here is due to the crowd cheering them back on for an encore, and a bit of Kelly talking.

Now, the first song of then encore - preceded by the band discussing which note actually starts the next song. The crowd certainly enjoys this one, and you will too, as it's a fer powerful version of the song. The guitar isn't quite up to it in the middle but this is only a minor detraction. The end is great. Next up, 'Neverland'. Excellent. A favourite from Marbles for anyone. Very powerful here. Much like previous versions of 'Neverland' live. It appears Marillion walk off at this point, and return for another go - explaining the 11 minute length, as the track only lasts 9 minutes.

The third song of the encore is 'Three Minute Boy', a more obscure track from 'Radiation'. After a short chat from h it gets going. If you know the song well, you'll love this rendition. The conclusion is great, with the final notes played very well. However, the final song is perhaps the best one on here.

The masterpiece from 'Happiness Is The Road', 'Happiness Is The Road' is the finale. The intro is just like the album - truly beautiful. Only one minor gripe with this one - vocals are lost a little just after the drums enter. However, the vocals become the centerpiece of this track, with a great echo effect. The crowd is made to sing a chorus solo at the end, accompanied by some guitar twists by Steve, and some great drum breaks by Ian. By the 10 minute mark it's just the crowd clapping and singing. Sadly, the band don't come back to play a final chord or anything, they just seem to leave the crowd to themselves.

So, a weak start, but by the end of the first disc the listener will be enjoying themselves. The second disc is the best out of the two, which is all great, save parts of 'The Man From The Planet Marzipan' and the end of 'Happiness Is The Road' (although it's an interesting finish to it, I would have preferred the band to return).

Knock off a star if you think the quality of parts of this album would irritate you; add one if you love any of the tracks 'The Invisible Man', 'Three Minute Boy', 'Out Of This World', 'Whatever Is Wrong With You', and 'Neverland', because this is what you should look forwards to on this album.