Customer Reviews

Live

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite what anyone says, this is the one Curved Air album to buy. In the studio they always sounded more than just a little timid and underproduced, but live they cut loose. Sonja Kristina's vocals are like an unleashed screamin' demon(well maybe like a more British Ann Wilson crossed with the arti-ness of Peter Hammill)especially on my favorite cuts "It Happened Today" and "Marie Antoinette".Daryl Way is one of the greatests violinists you will hear. If you are a fan of 70's progressive you'll be amazed by this record.

This album features songs from Curved Air's first three albums, including classic songs like "Vivaldi" and "Back street luv". Curved Air offered a harder rocking sound on stage, and all in all, this album is more satisfying than their often very slick studio efforts. However, there's also an album available called "Live at the BBC". This is probably a better purchase because there are much more songs on this disc, even some pieces from Curved Air's later-era albums "Midnight wire" and "Airborne".

This is a good representation of how the band sounded live back in the mid 70's. There is a decent balance of songs off their first three albums, but it would have been good to have expanded it to a double-album.

The songs are generally heavier than the studio versions. On the good side, the songs are somewhat rearranged, so the listener gets something new. On the down side, the recording quality is a bit raw, loosing the polish that makes the studio versions sound much better in contrast. Sonja Kristina, though a great singer, tends to over-exaggerate the vocals in this live setting, for added emphasis. Although this might have seemed like a good idea at the time, it unfortunately makes her singing a bit annoying. She does a much better job on the studio albums.

This is still a must for Curved Air fans. For those new to the band, I'd recommend their first two albums instead (Air Conditioning and Second Album).

I"m extremely biased when it comes to curved air. I grew up in the sixties and seventies and Marie Antoinette has always been a favorite. On the technical side, it's a great recording of a great set. A must for any fan.

I already had the vinyl of this and finally got around to replacing it with this CD.

This was a great band from the 70s with quite a following and this pressing captures them live at the peak of their abilities, before they started going stale, but after they got really tight.

Unlike a lot of reviewers, I actually think Sonja Christina's voice is a weak spot in the band's sound, I guess that is an acquired taste that I never got, but the musicianship and writing talents more than make up for it.

Wonderful show, nicely recorded.

This was the first Curved Air lp I ever bought so I was introduced to their music thru it. If you get into intense keyboard and electric violin solos, this is the band for you. As a longtime fan of 70s prog, they are in my mind a milestone. The tracks contained in CA Live are an excellant portfolio of thier best work as of 1974.
Darryl Way does with the violin what Hendrix did with the guitar. It serves at the lead instrument on many of the tracks, 'Vivaldi' in particular, where he demonstrates his ability to produce masterful solos. Also of note is the amazing way the keyboardist interweaves his own solos with that of Way's, as though they are singing back and forth to each other.
One of my favorite tracks is Young Mother. Sonja Christina's vocals are superb throughoutm but tend to become a little raspy toward the end when the band as a whole reaches a crescendo.