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:: REVIEW ::
What can I tell you? I was there. The show was spectacular and nothing like their
gig at NEARfest, which, let's be honest folks, was the sonic equivalent of sloppy
joe's with extra pickle. No, this show, recorded by none other than the mighty Mike
Potter of Orion studios in Baltimore, was truly great. And I say this with clarity
and total recall because I only got drunk AFTER they were done, in a real bar where
they don't charge you 6 goddamn bucks for Guinness poured in a plastic cup. I have
reviewed Dream Theater's show at the same venue, so I'll waste no more time
expanding on the various negatives of that malodorous den of thieves.
The material here is essentially based on SMPTe, so there are no real surprises,
besides the various Beatles and Genesis covers. I was very happy they decided to do
those sort of covers, but not so happy they let Mr. Portnoy sing lead on a few
spots. The final medley of Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, Marillion and Dream Theater
was a nice touch and a good way to bring the proceedings to an end.
The disc is nicely mastered and mixed, but while it is polished, it does not really
capture the raw, edgier moments of the gig. Of course, a recording can seldom do
that, but overall, this CD is as good as anyone will get who were unable to witness
these guys in action after they started to gel as a live unit, and before they went
astray with their latest Bridge Across Forever, which is a feeble, erratic successor
to the music offered here in my humble opinion. Just listen to the live version of
"All of the Above", and you'll see what I mean.
A damn fine piece of work. My view is that everyone involved in putting this tour
and recording together deserves major Kudos. Get it while it lasts.
Rating: 9 keyboards
Reviewer: Luis Nasser
Visit the artist website:
http://www.transatlanticweb.com/
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Discography ::
SMPTE - 2000
Live In America - 2001 (VID)
Live In America - 2001 (CD)
Bridge Across Forever - 2001
Bridge Across Forever - Special Edition - 2001
You can purchase this CD from
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