This glass is half empty
G. Brian Ingham | Orchard Lake, MI | 03/09/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This release is for the diehard, UFO completist (such as myself). Otherwise, only half of this release is worth getting. The first 2 discs (recorded in Vienna) are from the same tour that produced the "Werewolves In London" release. If you liked that release, you'll enjoy the first 2 discs. The true UFO fan will recognize this recording from the bootleg, "Will You Please Welcome From England...", that circulated soon after the 1998 tour and included most of the show from the soundboard (the first 3 tracks were from an audience recording).
The third disc is most likely from a low grade cassette tape, recorded from someone's home stereo and played once too often in a bad car stereo on a hot summer's day. The sound is harsh, mono and unbalanced. You'll only listen to it once. This show was probably a WMMS Coffee Break Concert radio broadcast. WMMS put on several concerts from the Agora Ballroom. If this is so, where is the master tape? Most of those Coffee Break Concerts have been popping up in trading circles. In fact, there is a complete June 9, 1982 UFO Coffee Break Concert in circulation from the master tapes. The fourth disc is a bigger disappointment. IT IS FROM AN AUDIENCE RECORDING!!!! You can forgive them for trying with the 1977 tape. But we would hope soundboard tapes would have been available from their 1995 tour. Instead, what we have is something that should have remained in trading circles. There are digital pops, dropouts and bad edits on at least 4 of the tracks. For the casual UFO collector, I would stick with the 2 CD version of this release containing only the Vienna show."
For Collectors Only
Wild Colonial Boy | England | 04/02/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Yet another live performance from the near classic line up and one for the collectors only. Everyone knows from the "Strangers In The Night" album that UFO put on a great live performance but the repetition is starting to get boring. Do we need to keep hearing the same old classics re-hashed several times over on one collection? With such a vast catalogue of songs this compilation perhaps missed the chance to show off to the full and produce a live career defining review (as Rush always seem to manage to do quite well with their live stuff). Instead we have a four disc set, the first two discs of the Vienna concert being fresh and very good, the other two from Cincinnati and Cleveland being Bootleg quality, terrible sound and not very listenable. I find myself buying these for the unusual tracks like the live version of "Gettin'' Ready" and dispensing with the umpteenth versions of "Doctor Doctor" or "Rockbottom". An expensive hobby!
The "Walk on Water" songs sound best on the first two discs 'Live in Vienna'. Although the performance is fraught with mistakes the sound quality is good and encapsulates a lot more raw power than "Strangers" (even if it is in effect another copy of the 'Werewolves of London' set).
Reviewers seem to be confusing the 4 disc set with the 2 disc set. I also own the two disc copy (Vienna only) which is better value and worth considering if you don't want everything they ever recorded. I play the 2 disc version in the car while I keep the 4 disc set under wraps as a keepsake. This is a nice addition to any UFO collection but I still prefer "Strangers in the Night" for it's perfection.
"
Track Listings (41) - Disc #1