"You'll think it's tragic When That Moment arrives
Ah, but it's magic, it's the best years of our lives "
or even:
it is 40 years ago today (February 2015) Steve Harley told the band to play !!
and how they played! Back then, of "Make me smile" over the moon, I was a little irritated by the rest of the album. Not quite as inclined as the predecessor Psychomodo (still one of my favorite albums of all time), but quite "different" / nor oblique. At first, I reduced this disc on "Make me smile", the rest was just as tape recording, not so easy to hear and "disappeared" on the shelf.
Only the following LIVE record some songs have "drilled" into my head and with a low resurrected Cut-out version of the original LP, I have learned to appreciate this disc properly. Make me smile, played dead, is still good, but the "rest" beginning with Mad Moonlight over the 49th Parallel until slightly depressive swan song of "The Best Years ..." this album is a huge success. But there is a kind of "Gesamtkunstwerk", from the Make me smile almost "fall out", one could almost say disturbs - like Judy Teen had disturbed Psychomodo.
BUT: In praise is not enough! Tempted, I have now acquired the "Definitive Edition" of this disc. And it was worth it !!! After "Cavaliers" with the first two discs (plus bonus / live recordings) now also almost 100 minutes of live recordings from 1975 - so to speak, of a stopgap until the LIVE "Face to Face" of 1977. For this purpose almost 30 minutes of live Video recordings from the final concert at the Hammersmith Odeon. The focus of the song is on "The Best Years" (All songs except for "It Was not Me". For this, the "usual suspects" plus Judy Teen. The version of Death Trip is between quite "violent", are finally Duncan Mackay on keyboards similar escapades like Rick Wakeman his time with the Strawbs to the best ... At Judy Teen violin a pretty tough guitar has given way.
Interesting: Live plays as second guitarist Jim Cregan next (Family, Chappo, later Rod Stewart) Snowy White, later Pink Floyd / Roger Waters and Thin Lizzy ... on Face to Face (besides Harley) called the only guitarist Jo Partridge. The solos are relatively similar, but Partridge plays even harder / distorted (eg Sebastian). After the first hearing impression Snowy White is quite mixed in the background, is doing well like Ron Wood on most Stones Live discs.
For Video: Who know the recordings of that time, will not be surprised. Gimmicks like the late Beat Club, medium quality (I suppose, magnetic records? "MAZ off!"). It's nice to see Harley from this period times live. But no "HD Quality" expect (is not necessary!).
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable package when importing dirt cheap now the purchase of the year!
