My album of the day (Dec, 5th, 2008)
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
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Topic: My album of the day (Dec, 5th, 2008)
Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Subject: My album of the day (Dec, 5th, 2008)
Date Posted: December 05 2008 at 09:55
Live, released in 1996 Track Listings 1. Introduction (1:05) - John Gladwin / lead vocals, guitar, lute CD - HTD Records, HTD CD 56 (UK, 1996) http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=7121 - Mandrakeroot
(Andrea Salvador)  My review is produced using this release: Blue Flame Records (distributed by Dragon Records)/ HTD license (BFFK 001)
Rating: 10/10 Wow... An Amazing Blondel CD for €8,90!!! And a great live album. Yes, I bought this album only for "Sheperd's Song" (that in this version is superb but in true I discovered a great band. Ok, isn't true Rock but true English Folk. But isn't relevant because with this musical level... This is Rock, Metal, Folk, Classic Music, Medieval Music, Renaissance Music, Baroque Music... Universal Music. The artwork of the Blue Flame version is excellent because is a painting of a Medieval village with a Gothic church in the background and a trap drawn from a horse with the three musicians in first plan. And the booklet have the photo of the three musicians more their caricatures in the near page emphasizing the spirit of the band. The music... The music is great. The music seems write in the 16th or 17th Century, things that amplified the glamour and the power that comes sent out from the songs. The vocals armonies are too good and the great atmospheres of the live recorded is all in the CD. Magical live from a magical band. Sure... Isn't a simply live. Is a country party in farm. Secure a masterpiece. Extreme recommended to all Folkers and Prog Folkers!!! http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=11349 - kenethlevine
(Ken Levine) Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team  This collection of live performances demonstrates that Amazing Blondel was fully capable of reproducing their studio sound in a live format, which should not be surprising given their level of perfectionism and professionalism. It also shows they had some charisma and a sense of humour in a concert setting. Beyond that, not much is added to our appreciation, as most tunes are simply reproduced fairly faithfully, with precious little improvisation and embellishment, and no material is presented that has been hitherto unavailable. In fact, the only place where they really deviate is in "Shepherd's Song". Of all the great songs in the AB canon, why they enlisted "Shepherd's Song" as a singalong is quite beyond me. It really doesn't give one much to work with, being dreadfully mundane as is, but extended to 10 minutes by half-baked audience participation it becomes a serious barrier to listening pleasure, especially if the skip button is far away. Moreover, the poor sound quality especially in the upper registers in many tracks completes the picture of a disk that is really only for those who want to....complete the picture. At least a DVD would have been interesting from the perspective of how odd the band must have looked with its instrumental smorgasbord, and given me cause to round this review up a half star, instead of down. eberhard.fritz
This live album brings back the atmosphere of an early '70s 'folk(-rock) concert and shows what great entertainers Amazing Blondel were on stage. Although the instrumentations is reduced compared to the studio albums the obvious fun they had on stage makes this a great live album. Unfortunately they forgot to indicate where exactly those songs were recorded (from the announcements it becomes clear that a part of it was recorded in France). ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: December 05 2008 at 11:42
| It's Images & Words lately, just bought it 8 or 7 days ago and can't get enough of it. Of course, I'm a newbie to DT, I also have Octavarium which would have been my Album of the Day(Week) last month. |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: December 05 2008 at 18:13
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Supsyre- When Time Fades Excellent album and the use of saxaphone is just as great as on their previous album, A Great Divide. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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