LIVE - THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG

This "Official Bootleg" is an old live recording from 1994. It was recorded between their debut album "The Crime" and "Forces". You can conclude this from the intro of the song "The Crime".

"GLD" was support act for a "Pendragon" gig (this is confirmed in the final part of the first encore "Run Like Hell").The band was little known back then. This live album was released a year before their legacy live album "The Times Of Our Lives" at the mythical Astoria (London). As a support act, the concert lasted for approximately seventy-five minutes.

Some duplicates with the Astoria gig, like "Annabel" (the opener) and "12:02" (the closing number of the concert, before the encores). Both from their debut album "The Crime". Both songs (especially "Annabel") were better rendered on the true offical live album. The sound during this first track is not great at all but the problem is solved after it. Not that we will get great a quadrophonic album, but more than decent (and better than most of the "true" bootlegs).

Only two parts of the great "The Crime" were written by the time of this recording (third and last one will come on "Fear" in 1997). FYI, the only time that the band played it in full (just over half an hour) was precisely on "The Times Of Our Lives". Still, the version holding these two parts lasts for over than twenty-three minutes (23:35 to be precise). Martin will tell the crowd about his lenght and tell "This is 23 minutes of sheer something. Try to enjoy otherwise you can get a beer". It is as great as the studio recording, but played as one song (which was not the case on the studio work). Martin will say after the song(s) : "We'll never do that again" !

From their next studio album already in gestation "Forces", two songs are played. The beautiful "The Flyer" as well as "The Cold Stage". The two highlights from this studio album. While playing live, "GLD" was close to their studio work, so not much difference in here. An inch of additional passion in the voice of Martin Wilson maybe. I have mentioned already that I really liked his tone of voice. And he is performing very well again during this set. Guitar work during the closing part of "Cold Stage" is just excellent.

The band will play two covers : "Run Like Hell" from who you know and "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" from the great "Sparks".

"Run Like Hell" is the first encore. Much faster than the original, it almost sounds as if the band was in a hurry to finish their set. It is almost punkish! (can be compared to "Help" from the Beatles while being covered by "The Damned"). But when the latter was funny, this one is a true massacre. It is also the occasion for Martin to introduce the band. I believe it is showing little respect for this great song. A catastrophy. "This Town ..." is not good either. The vocals are really disturbing. Of course, they are very difficult to approach. Not mentioning of matching! I believe that it was not a good idea to play these two songs.

There is also an unreleased song : "Time and Tide". The second song from the encore. A soft and mellow piece of music. Pop oriented with a pleasant melody but nothing really to write home about.

To a certain extent, it is a good companion of their full official album. Sound is not top notch, but decent. Three songs (over fort- five minutes, which reprsents sixty percent of the total recording) are definite highlights. "The Crime" of course, "The Flyer" as well as "The Cold Stage".

Three stars.