Customer Reviews

Strange Behaviour Live

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

 

 

Yes, "Strange Behavior" is the final album from this lineup of Karnataka, and departing lead vocalist Rachel Jones is probably the best reason for you to grab this "live anthology" of the band before she and others left.

They perform all of the songs (except "One Breath Away") from their last studio album "Delicate Flame of Desire", as well as many more selections from their other two albums. There are even a couple of "hidden track" songs tacked onto the last track "Out of Reach", which appear to be previously unreleased songs. With 134 minutes of music here, and a nice cd sleeve with photos of all the band members in concert, you really get your money's worth (assuming you can find it selling in the $20.00 range!).

If you're a newcomer to this band from Wales, Karnataka's music is sort of a cross between progressive rock and classic rock, with some Celtic/folk influences. They probably share the closest similarities with Mostly Autumn, except the vocals are all female. But you'll also find references to Hogarth-era Marillion, Genesis, Enya and some Renaissance. While their songs are mostly in the 5-7 minute range, they successfully weave romantic themes with lush, hypnotic atmospheres and catchy melodies.

The sound production on this live album is really great. Jones' fine vocals are harmonized sweetly with the voice of Anne-Marie Helder (who also plays flute). The standout instrumentalist in these performances has to be Paul Davies whose Andy Latimer/David Gilmour guitar passages really shine here on this cd - even more than on the studio albums.

This album will appeal to many lovers of music in general. There aren't any "killer" tracks that stand out and really move you, but there also aren't any "clunkers". Just a lot of good, pleasurable music of a slightly different nature. I recommend this cd as a great overview of a very entertaining band.

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:

Music quality = 8/10; Performance = 8/10; Production = 9/10; CD length = 10/10.

Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 8.4 ("4 stars")

I will preface this review by saying that I adore Karnataka as a band. I have their other albums and play them constantly, and I was really looking forward to receiving this live album. Unfortunately, it was a terrible disappointment from the very first track.

I am going to be quite blunt. Rachel Jones, who has a beautiful voice, spends a large percentage of the album singing appallingly flat, and Anne-Marie Helder, who is the backing vocalist, is not much better. They are not in tune with the band; they are not even in tune with each other. The problems are worst at the beginning of the performance, which is doubly unfortunate, because they start off with some of their best known songs; but even when they warm up, the problem never entirely resolves itself. I'm inclined to think nerves may have been responsible, but it is a cringeworthy performance from an otherwise wonderful band, and you can't help wondering what they were thinking of when they released it.

I have given the CD three stars, which is probably over-generous given the awfulness of a lot of the vocals; however, the actual band is on good form, so the rating is for the instrumental performance rather than the singing.

I'm sorry that I won't get the chance to see Karnataka live, but this CD is the next best thing. Rachel Jones's voice is just as beautiful live as it is on studio tracks, and even though the band sounds very highly produced on their albums, the live songs retain all the energy and full, rich sound I loved from their album. It's likely that only fans will buy this album, but I agree with a previous review that if you want to introduce someone to the band, this excellent compilation of their best songs is a good way to do it.

This is the most amazing cd I have ever bought.The only other Karnataka cd I have is The Gathering Light which I enjoyed so I thought I would check out the back catalogue and where better to start than a double live album. I'm not into technical reviews and talking about mixes and production and stuff but this is truly an amazing cd. It is long enough that it can stay in the car for a week at a time and will not become one of those that you thrash for a few days and then never play again. As they say 'all thrill, no fill'. Each track has it's star performer. To truly enjoy it a good pair of headphones and a couple of hours kicking back is recommended. Can't wait to get the studio albums these tracks came from.

Rara vez reseño un CD. En el caso de este trabajo en directo es casi obligatorio. Si alguna vez usted ha escuchado los CD'S previamente grabados en estudio y le parecieron magistrales, olvide eso. KARNATAKA es una banda que suena 1,000 veces mejor en directo. STRANGE BEHAVIOUR consta de dos CD'S espectaculares. Sus temas previamente grabados en KARNATAKA, STORM Y DELICATE FLAME OF DESIRE son interpretados con tal sentimiento que hacen palidecer viejas versiones. Rachel Jones indudablemente es una de las voces femeninas mas tremendas que he escuchado que, junto a Annie Marie Helder hacen maravillas. Solo dele oido a TALK TO ME, una melodìa que para los pelos en las cuales describen el instante en que el hombre queda desnudo ante la presencia del Señor Jesucristo para entender de lo que estoy hablando. Y que decir de la versatilidad de Edwards en los teclados....la magia en la guitarra de Davis....la profundidad del bajo de Ian Jones y del baterista Griffiths....Sinceramente, lo mejor que he escuchè en el 2004....¡una joya!.....

Very few times I take my time for doing musical reviews but in the case of STRANGE BAHAVIOUR is a must to do so. If you have ever heard previous KARNATAKA'S works and you thought that they were good.....please disregard that idea. KARNATAKA is a supergroup that performs 1,000 better live. The album is composed of two fantastic CD'S. Rachel Jones is one of the best female vocalist today and the duets with Annie Marie Helder are simply marvelous...Just listen to TALK TO ME, a tremendous song that describes the unique encounter of any men or women with the Lord Jesus or The right time.....is amazing!!!!! At stage, Edwards at the keybords, Davis guitar, Jones and Griffiths performances show that this people really can play almost to perfection.....Without any doubt, this is the best album that I heard in 2004.....simply a PERFECT JEWEL!!!!!!!