NIK: Space Ritual - Live at the Venusian Electric Ballroom

[Stephan Forstner]

...in the Cygnus 5 Galaxy.

First impressions:

Finally, a Space Ritual disc that sounds better than an audience recording!

A whole lot better in fact - this may be the best-sounding HW or related
release in yoinks, or at least the one with the sound that I like the most.
Great not-muddy-but-giving-that-impression wall-of-sound production that
still lets you hear the solos clearly - Slattery and Turner both turn in
some very nice ones. Excellent though HLL is on so much HW material, I
always thought he never quite nailed the proper feel for Space Ritual-era
material (not necessarily his fault as the band as a whole usually didn't
nail it either between 1980 and 2000, with the exception of 89-90 which was
down to Simon House). Slattery however does. And its not just the frontmen,
everyone here turns in solid performances, particularly the drummers who
lock into a groove like nobody's business. Speaking of which, many of the
tracks are played slightly slowed down, a too-rare choice and one which I
much prefer to them being speeded up - it emphasizes the impression of an
obliviously unstoppable juggernaut that is a highlight of the SR-era songs.

Overall I'd put this disc in the same league as Nik's mid-90s live releases
on Cleopatra. Of course, against the very good sound and the very good
performance you have to weigh the fact that this is basically the same old
setlist, played, despite some minor variations, in the same old way. For me
though its a no-brainer: I definitely recommend this.

Second impressions:
Coming later if I should change my mind on subsequent listens.

Stephan

666.00066600066600066600066600066602 - High-Precison Number of the Beast
                                       The Devil is in the Details