TRIO TOUR

The version of German act ANYONE'S DAUGHTER that was reformed around the beginning of the millenium seems stalled at two studio releases, perhaps because it was able to convince neither old fans nor a younger audience of its viability. Nonetheless, their more straight forward rock approach with concessions to pop and electronica, and nods to a full on proggy past deserves better than a dishonorable discharge from whatever implements are now being used to connect ear and artist. But what of a quasi acoustic version with the singer, guitarist and keyboard player alone? Lore has it that the band was merely compiling a video to promote a tour in this configuration when they sensed that the medium might indeed be the message, and "Trio Tour" was born.

While the DVD portion consists of a mere 4 tracks identical in sound to those on the CD, it also serves to confirm the intimacy that one feels when surrounded by these three gentlemen, two of whom I should note are original members of the band that sold 120,000 records in their heyday of 1979-1983. No bass or drums are present but the sound remains textured, at times even dense. Apart from the voice of André Carswell and the largely acoustic guitars of Uwe Karpa, it's really Matthias Ulmer's arsenal of keys that steals the show for better or worse. Usually his considerable chops win the day but occasionally they are like a tugboat trying to lift the titanic, especially on endemically weak numbers like "The Wrong", "Without You", "Miscellaneous" (based unsuccessfully on a riff in "La La", off the 1982 album "In Blaue"), or the Celtic misfit "Porth Mhuirghesa".

The best tracks here bust right out of their studio conventionality: "Far Away" and "Nina" benefit most from the sparkling acoustic backing, while "I'll Never Walk that Road Again" strikes a mood more appropriate to its surroundings than in its original incarnation. Both "Helios" offerings are at least the equal of their studio versions, but it's the rendition of "Adonis II - The Disguise" that tips the scales. At a mere 2:52, it simultaneously reaffirms the compositional and technical mastery of the group's early years while affirming that they "still got it". What's shocking is that the audience doesn't seem to recognize it until the vocals kick in over halfway through, because the progression is faithful even if the instrumentation is dramatically altered. The final encore is a pleasant piano dominated version of their classic prog-pop anthem "Der Plan".

If you have not caught up with ANYONE's DAUGHTER since their reformation in 2000, I recommend this live offering over either of the studio releases, but don't expect another "Adonis" or even a "Neu Sterne". Sadly, it seems that it's just not in der plan.