Poland Live 1983 - 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... Read review

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Advantages: Glorious music
Disadvantages: As ever a bit pompous

...A third U2 album, War, was released in January 1983 and while reviewers cooled a little, seemingly wary of the group’s religious leanings, it went gold in America, made number 1 in the UK and yielded a British Top Ten single in New Year’s Day. On War, the group’s overall sound was more rhythmic and less reliant on The Edge’s guitar work; in addition, the music was filled out on certain tracks by the violin of Steve Wickham, the trumpet of Kenny Fradley and the voices of The Coconuts, and yet the group sacrificed none of their previous intensity. For almost the first time, the lyrics tackled specific topics - the troubles in Poland and Ulster, the nuclear threat. Yet the songs offered no solutions beyond that of personal renewal. In keeping with the group’s spiritual outlook, they located problems within the individual human heart... Read review

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Advantages: Great comeback, their best album for 14 years, inspired soloing and riffing.
Disadvantages: Few blips on the CD.

...System Has Failed' due to many internal troubles in the band. Bassist Ellefson has since sued Mustaine for several things, something I'll leave for the time being, or perhaps another review. You have to understand also, Dave didn't want Megadeth to reform, but contract obligations restricted him from doing his solo project. Recruited for this CD were... Dave Mustaine - Vox, Rhythm and Lead Guitar Chris Poland - Lead Guitar Jimmy Lee Sloas - Bass Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums Even more strange was the fact that Mustaine hired Chris Poland back for this CD. Chris Poland was thrown out of Megadeth in 1987 for supposedly stealing much of Mustaines gear and selling it off to buy Heroin. Dave came back with the blistering assault that is 'Liar' from the 'So Far....So Good....So What?' album, which makes it that bit more funny that they could record... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful