LIVE

Genesis......who ?

I have just converted to the disciples of The Watch. Mostly because I love the Peter Gabriel era GENESIS. I guess most here share my love of that era. THE WATCH most definate fills a gap and stirs my blood.

This live album was released the 30th of December 2008. It is pretty new, in other words. It also have a superb sound and I guess the album had some nice cosmetic surgery in the studio. The sound is simply too good just to be a live recording. You should regard this as an endorsement of this album and not as a negative remark....

THE WATCH has a sound which is very similar to GENESIS during their Selling England By The Pound era. The songs are very good, but not as good as GENESIS output. That's the only difference between the two bands. This live album only contains songs penned by THE WATCH. The songs are pastorial, grand and symphonic. They are not as symphonic as GENESIS in fact. THE WATCH also has slight neo- prog edge with references to the likes of IQ, PALLAS and PENDRAGON. GENESIS copycats, they are not. I think THE WATCH stands firmly on their own two feet although their sound very much makes the heart strings of a GENESIS fan sing like a songbird in my garden. And that is very much a personal endorsement of THE WATCH.

The songs......... I really like the pastorial The Fisherman. The grand final of Another Life is brilliant. The grandious opening of Sound Of Sirens stirs my blood. The final song Berlin 1936 is an excellent song. In short; this is a superb collection of songs. I am missing some live feeling on this socalled live album. I am also missing some truly outstanding tracks from THE WATCH. But except from that; this is a fine live album. It is also an excellent introduction to this band and very much recommended as such.

4 stars

"The Watch" has been touring for quite a few years now as a "Genesis" tribute band. They have faced lots of difficulties to seduce the audience with their own repertoire, and it is mainly a financial issue that led the band to choose this direction AKA Marco who told me this during our chat at one of their gigs in Verviers. This live album features almost their own material. Since it was recorded during their 2008 tour, it is normal that almost half of the songs are extracted from their latest album at the time ("Primitive").

One of their best songs ever is the great "Shining Bald heads" which is a track that they almost always played during all their live performances and which is taken out from their best album as far as I am concerned. I mean "Vacuum".

I have seen the band quite a lot in Belgium (I even missed a concert in Rome while I was on holiday but did not know they were having a gig!) and it is almost like a family meeting when we see each other at concerts over here in Belgium (either at the Spirit of 66 or in Mons thanks to one of my friend Danny Melchiorre who organized the latters).

I have to say that this live album is quite pleasant. It also features a very old song from Simone's previous band ("The Night Watch") which was quite premonitory of his future work. "The Fisherman" is also one of their own repertoire favourite on stage. Rightly I have to say since this is one of their best songs ever (both bands considered).

The band also performs a rare "Genesis" song. Never released on an album (only on a "B side" or available on the great "Archives 67-75). They also don't play it so often and it is of course a pleasure to listen to this great piece (only partially unfortunately). It will combined in some medley with "Another Life" from their "Primitive" album.

Threes stars for this effort.

Italian The Watch have a special position in The Netherlands: they have performed there many times as a Genesis cover band, now The Watch are highly acclaimed for this, more than composers of good own material. I have seen The Watch several times since their early years and was also in the crowd during their acclaimed performance on Symforce II, part of the 2008 tour that is featured on this live CD.

Their pleasant and melodic sound alternates between 1970-1973 Genesis-era: from mellow with acoustic guitars and flute to bombastic with bass pedals, Hackett-inspired guitarwork, organ and Mellotron. But also early IQ: compelling with powerful interplay between moving guitar and sumptuous Mellotrons layers. The emphasis in the tasteful 7 compositions is on creating compelling, often Mellotron drenched atmospheres rather than complexity and inventive arrangements. The enthousiastic and sympathic singer Simone Rossetti has the same melancholical undertone as Peter Gabriel, at some moments only his accent reveals he's not the one! An original song is the dreamy Riding The Elephant because of its electronic-oriented climate with howling guitar and majestic violin-Mellotron. Halfway the medley Twilight Alehouse/Another Life we can enjoy a bombastic 24-carat symphonic rock sound: with lush Mellotron, a deep bass pedal sound and a sensitive guitar solo, goose bumps.

But my absolute highlight on this live album is the final track Berlin 1936: first dreamy vocals, then a mid-tempo with bombastic interplay between organ and guitar, wonderful Mellotron drops and finally the ultimate symphonic rock sound featuring moving guitarwork with volume pedal, bass pedals, choir-Mellotron and Hammond organ, you can't beg for more!

Although I am not really a The Watch fan, I am very pleased with The Watch Live. Because in my opinion their sound on stage is more powerful and captivating than on the studio-albums. And for sure many early Genesis and IQ fans wil be delighted about this live album.

My rating: 3,5 star.