801 LIVE

Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera had this short-lived side project with Brian Eno (ex-Roxy at the time). Others involved in the concert in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, September 1976, were keyboardist Francis Monkman (Curved Air, Sky), bassist Bill MacCormick (Matching Mole, Quiet Sun) and dummer Simon Phillips. These names make one expect a lot, but I can't help I don't share the enthusiasm with previous reviewers here. [There was one thing I felt totally unnecessary in the package I borrowed: it was an extended edition with an extra disc featuring the rehearsal (of the same set) in Shepperton Studios. Jesus, who cares. That of course shouldn't have affected to my reception of the live album itself, but it may have, in terms of frustration, having expected more of various material.]

Agreeably the repertoire is very many-sided, from Manzanera's biting guitar pieces and instrumental jazz-rock (mainly from his solo album which I haven't heard) to three ENO songs - already familiar to me, and IMHO not among his best - and two 60's rock covers ('Tomorrow Never Knows' and 'You Really Got Me'). On the other hand this diversity means some sort of directionlessness. Maybe I felt too strongly that this band lacks its OWN profile in material instead of taking stuff from here and there. Maybe they could have been called Phil Manzanera & Friends or something, if they were just a live project. It's inevitable that the other musicians - except Eno for his own songs - are in much lesser role than Manzanera in musical direction. For example I wished to hear more of Monkman's excellence.

Surely this is a noteworthy set if you dig Manzanera and live albums in general, but to me this was rather unnecessary; I'm not that much into live albums. Actually I would have preferred to hear the Manzanera solo album in question, or Quiet Sun, to find out what kind of music he makes outside Roxy Music. By all means don't let my attitude affect yours. By the way, also in allmusic.com this release is praised (4,5 stars).