SERPENT

This live recording is one of the many live albums of Circle. It´s recorded from Croft club in Bristol. After 2000`s they`ve released almost as many live albums as studio recordings (I have wondered have they released all they have recorded). Albums have become in vinyls, cd:s and quite recently only a cassette releases. Recordings have made in a very strange circumstances: places (church, museum), in the connection of visual art shows, also one live performance is mixed in the studio and replaced live played instruments to synth effects (only cassette release "Hukkaamiskielto"). Circle has always played some of their studio material live, but mostly at least released live material is very much improvised. This album is great exception: all the songs are from studio albums, but naturally some of them has also improvisations in them.

"Lintu Joe" starts the album and is played quite the same as it was released a little later in "Manner"-album. Mika is singing something completely different as in studio version. Next "Vaellus" is also quite same kind as it is in "Rautatie"-album. But the tittle song of "Rautatie" has enlargened in fifteen minutes. After the middle uptempo period band starts to improvise something that sounds little bit southern rock. In the end improvisation changes really free jazz. After there has been silent period with a little noise and Mika´s nonsense talking, band continues the original song like they´ve never been anywhere else. Really great version! "Saturnus Reality" is much more faster than studio version in "Katapult"-album. It´s true black metal! "Lääke" reminds a studio version from "Rautatie". "Blue King" is also played really same way as in forthcoming "Manner" and the rest of the material is also from that album. "New Fantasy" is also as great as studio version, although Mika´s vocals are not as festive. The last Eno-cover "Here Comes the Warm Jets" is even better than their studio version. Unlike studio version, Mika´s singing nonsense.

This live album is highly recommended among the huge Circle live releases (they haven´t all added into progarchives discography). The recording quality is quite good. You can have quite good picture of Circle´s live magic from this record.