Live At Klangart [Digipak] - Klaus Schulze

Advantages: Nice hypnotic grooves and soloing.
Disadvantages: Overlong, can be boring in parts.

...Klaus Schulze has released so much old material in boxed sets or re-issues in the past 10 years that it almost passed my notice that he hasn't released a straight forward new studio album for ages. And here it is, supposedly a "fan pleasing" album featuring a mix of his famed 70s sequencer style with his more rhythmic contemporary sound. The end result is rather a joyful upbeat album for Schulze. The standard overlong tracks are still there, but if you adjust your listening head to just float along, they pass by remarkably quickly. The 30 minute "Playmate In Paradise" is really a track in two halves. The first is his standard contemporary style of rhythmic backbeats with only very sparse soloing. The track is built up very slowly (as is Schulze's style, why rush?) Just as you think it is going on for far to long, it is enhanced by... Read review

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Advantages: Not overlong at 10 tracks, gets better with each listen.
Disadvantages: Opening track not the strongest.

...All the best records take a few listens (at least) to reveal their true nature. On first play this sounded like a typical 2nd album - longer tracks, less up-tempo. A month on this has to be my favourite CD of 2007. Nearly all the 10 tracks have resolved into fantastic, atmospheric (and not always gloomy!) tales of urban life and escape. Great tunes underpin the songs, with the now-trademark steepling guitar riffs standing out most in the choruses. Some not unwelcome echos of The Smiths are to be found in the lyrics, most obviously in the title track, but tracks like Weight of the World and Escape The Nest are really uplifting, the latter also containing the finest moments on the album with its soaring, thrilling chorus. What a live track that promises to be... Recommended! Ok then, what about the digipak? Well if you like a glossy... Read review

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Advantages: Bowie at his absolute brilliant best with a band and music to kill for!
Disadvantages: Practically nothing whatsoever...

...I bought Stage on holiday for cheap after not going to see Bowie perform live back home, as with Bowie I love half his stuff and the other half, well, not. Back at the hotel room in the evening before offing out, I slipped it from the plastic case, allowing the digipak to unfold and very nice it was too. Within liner notes from Tony Visconti enthused about Stage and Bowie's live shows, giving some personal insight into their working and how this re-release of Stage returned the music to the original running order (previously it was separated into one CD of more conventional songs and another of less conventional instrumentals). I slipped the first CD into the walkman, feeling a little uncertain as to Visconti's enthusiasm and… One of 'those' more unusual instrumentals begins - the track he opened the concerts with. Warszawa... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful