STILL BEAUTIFUL - LIVE 2011

"Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" is the twelfth live album of Mostly Autumn and was released in 2011. This is a live album recorded and released with songs taken from their live tour to promote their last studio album, at the time, "Go Well Diamond Heart", which was released one year before, in 2010. Somehow, "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" became a very special live album to Mostly Autumn an all their fans because it represents the first time that a live album from the band features Olivia Sparnenn, previously the backing vocalist, as the lead vocalist of the band, taking over the duties and position vacated by their previous vocalist Heather Findlay, who left Mostly Autumn to pursue a solo musical career.

So, the line up on "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" is Olivia Sparnenn (lead vocals and tambourine), Anne-Marie Helder (backing vocals, flutes, keyboards and acoustic guitars), Bryan Josh (lead vocals, lead and backing guitars and acoustic guitars), Liam Davison (backing vocals electric and acoustic guitars), Iain Jennings (keyboards, piano and Hammond organ), Andy Smith (bass guitars) and Gavin Griffiths (drums).

"Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" has nineteen tracks. The first track "Hold The Sun" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The second track "Deep In Borrowdale" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The third track "Something Better" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The fourth track "Forever Young" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The fifth track "Ice" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The sixth track "The Dark Before The Dawn" was released on "The Last Bright Light". The seventh track "The Last Climb" was released on "For All We Shared". The eighth track "Questioning Eyes" wasn't originally released by Mostly Autumn but by Breathing Space. The ninth track "Heroes Never Die" was released on "For All We Shared". The tenth track "Distant Train" was released on "Passengers". The eleventh track "Answer The Question" was released on "Passengers". The twelfth track "Caught In A Fold" was released on "Passengers". The thirteenth track "Nowhere To Hide (Close My Eyes)" was released on "For All We Shared". The fourteenth track "Go Well Diamond Heart" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The fifteenth track "Passengers" was released on "Passengers". The sixteenth track "First Thought" was released on "Passengers". The seventeenth track "For All We Shared" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart". The eighteenth track "Evergreen" was released on "The Spirit Of Autumn Past". The nineteenth track "And When The War Is Over?" was released on "Go Well Diamond Heart".

CD one opens predictably with five tracks from "Go Well Diamond Heart", their most recent work at the time. There are eight songs from that album. That isn't strange due to "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" was based on recordings from the live tour of "Go Well Diamond Heart". All those songs were performed great because in a live context they sound better. That was nice because I'm not a great fan of that album. Following the domination of "Go Well Diamond Heart", the next track "The Dark Before The Dawn" get up the quality flag of the album soon followed by "The Last Climb" another great track of the band of their beginning. The superb "Questioning Eyes" brings the first half of the livr set to a rousing conclusion. Opening the CD two is "Heroes Never Die" that gets the extended treatment thanks to a blistering solo from Josh. Disc two is, however, weighted firmly in favour of "Passengers". So, we have the excellent instrumental "Distant Train" followed by the rocking "Answer The Question" and the blues rocker "Caught In A Fold". All this represented another great moment on the set. With "Nowhere To Hide (Close My Eyes)" they returned to the great days of their starting. The title track of "Go Well Diamond Heart" is one of the most interesting songs on that album with a great wall of sound. With the title track and "First Thought" they returned to "Passengers" with another two nice tracks. "For All We Shared" shorn of the symphonic introduction is a vulgar track but "Evergreen" is a poignant reminder of the good old days. The dramatic "And When The War Is Over..." takes the final honours sounding suitably as an anthemic track.

Conclusion: It seems that Mostly Autumn have a live album for almost all studio albums and even for almost every occasion. "That Night In Leamington", also released in the same year, bid a fond farewell to Heather Findlay whilst "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" introduces to the front Olivia Sparnenn that proved to be a more than adequate replacement. As happened with their previous three live albums "Live 2009 ? Part I and Part II" and "That Night In Leamington", the second CD is better than the first. Still, I think "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" is a step bellow of those albums. However, "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" is a fine live album. It reminds me why bands like Mostly Autumn must release live albums. It confirms that Mostly Autumn remains a great live band with or without Heather Findlay. So, "Still Beautiful ? Live 2011" is a fine introduction to the band. The band is in a great shape with a Josh guitar work particularly impressing.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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