NIGHT AFTER NIGHT

"Night After Night" is a live album release by British progressive rock act U.K. The album was released through E.G. Records/Polydor Records in September 1979. It´s the last official release from U.K. before they disbanded in early 1980. A third studio album was in the planning stages in late 1979/earky 1980, but U.K. ultimately decided to split-up as Eddie Jobson and John Wetton, who were the two main composers, couldn´t agree on the future direction of the band´s music. "Night After Night" was recorded during three shows in May and June 1979 at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo, Japan and at Nippon Seinenkan, Tokyo, Japan.

In addition to selections from both the two preceding studio albums (four tracks from "U.K. (1978) and three tracks from "Danger Money" (1979)), the tracklist also features two tracks which are exclusive to this live album in the title track and "As Long As You Want Me Here". "Night After Night" was remastered and included in the November 2016 "Ultimate Collector's Edition" box set featuring quite a few additional tracks. That version of the album also features the correct tracklist order from the concerts, which the original version doesn´t.

"Night After Night" shows a band in top form in terms of musical performances. The trio of Eddie Jobson (keyboards/synths, electric violin, backing vocals), Terry Bozzio (drums, backing vocals), and John Wetton (bass, vocals) deliver a tight, powerful, and skillful performance and it´s hard not to be even more awestrucken by how great U.K. actually were. The lack of a guitarist in the lineup on the tracks from the debut album is fixed by Jobson playing alternate versions of the solos on keyboard/synths, which provide those tracks with a more atmospheric and less jazz-rock/fusion sound than the originals. Featuring a high quality live sound production, "Night After Night" is through and through an excellent live album (both the original versions and the 2016 remaster) A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.