ELOY LIVE

'Eloy Live' is a magnificent live performance of one of my favourite bands that fits snugly onto one CD of almost 80 minutes. The musicians are Eloy in their prime; Klaus-Peter Matziol on bass, J'rgen Rosenthal on drums, Detlev Schmidtchen on keyboards, and the incomparable vocalist, guitarist extraordinaire Frank Bornemannn. The concert is dynamic and vibrant musically throughout and features some of their greatest triumphs beginning with the almighty epic 'Poseidon's Creation' and moving gradually to the classic 'Incarnation Of Logos' with that astonishing melody that locks in towards the mid section, both masterpieces from 'Ocean'. The vocals sound clear and unrestrained and the production is excellent on this 1978 live album.

The break gives Bornemann a chance to speak to his adoring audience in German, though for too long without a translation. This leads inexorably to 'The Sun-song' from 'Dawn' that is a popular song judging from the audience reaction. Immediately I remember the melody as it builds to the beautiful solo passage. Bornemann sounds so fresh and clear on vocals, as good as you would want in a live setting. 'The Dance In Doubt And Fear' follows also from 'Dawn', building with cymbal splashes and a heartbeat percussion that the crowd can clap to. The synths are tranquil golden swathes of beauty, along the waves of bass and guitar. Next is a longer track with 'Mutiny' at almost 10 minutes, a good choice from 'Power and the Passion'. I like the drums on this and the really powerful keyboards over the dreamy guitar phrases. After this the band launch into 'Gliding Into Light And Knowledge' that returns to 'Dawn'. This concert performance showcases how brilliant the musicians were, every track is spell binding virtuoso prog at the highest calibre.

'Inside' follows, the title track from one of their greatest masterpieces, and this is followed by the stunning beauty of 'Ocean''s 'Atlantis' Agony At June 5th - 8498, 13 p.m. Gregorian Earthtime', that clocks a mammoth 20:54. It is an incredible finale and caps off one of the most treasured concerts from Eloy. I wish it had been filmed but listening to this is still a compelling experience. All of the gems are here and this setlist is outstanding. I loved this live album and have no problems awarding it 4 shining stars.