Sydney Opera House, Dec 02 2012
Unbelievably I don't think I've ever commented on this stunning gig - it appeared on here with grateful thanks to the taper Exile-Ed, but I need to quote a contemporary post from marcvolta:
marcvolta wrote:Is it just me or is this Sydney bootleg one of the best live recordings out there? It just sounds amazing to these ears!!
In short - yes!
Lengthy - this is an awesome show and is easily my favourite of the entire world tour of
Sweet Heart/Sweet Light - sadly enough one of the last with this formation of the band also.
Anybody who feels they miss the "electricity & acid" in recent Spiritualized live shows really needs to listen to this gig, particularly the latter half:
'Come Down Easy'. WTF? This kills me. Has the Staples Singers influence ever loomed so largely? Shot full of
Exile on Main Street blues?? This is incredible and the close harmonies of the girls is pure shivers from the off.
'Take Your Time' - one of the few (if only) boots that manages to present without too much distortion or lack of sensory oblivion the incredible jump in volume causes near the end. Mighty!
'Electric Mainline' -
fucking hell!!! They hit it there that time, no doubt at all.
Also let me state clearly now that this take is
the very best version of this song I've ever heard - it's just so good. There is a point - several points actually - in the latter half of this track where you think
"there's no way this can get any more insane...". Yet they do. It hits this mad, Wall-of-Sound critical mass early on yet they keep going...
And going.
Eventually amongst the maelstrom of - yes, "acid & electricity" - either Jason or Doggen is playing the theme through this mad echo and it's
still getting stronger. The closest live band thing I've
ever heard that can approximate the giddy rush of peaking acid techno house at it's finest.
No stronger recommendation possible.
'Smiles' - detonation. They perform the initial, vocal part almost perfunctorily - as though the band just really wants to get down. And how! For those who miss the the pure 'These Blues' level of intense hypnotism as rewired through
WL/WH 'Black to Comm' insanity... well, you definitely need to hear this!
Somewhere near the end, the unreal return of the mad, panning, sweeping delay of the entire band on stage (see 'Electric Phase') as heard on early boots of 'Medication' and such, makes a welcome and headspinning return here.
Also, whoever once described the modern takes of 'Walkin' With Jesus' as sounding like "John Fogherty" should listen closely to the epic take on here!
The huge breakdown part, with Jason reprising his
Perfect Prescription-style guitar shimmers, while Doggen creates this wave of pure sound... wow.
Not to make lesser of the first half - the version of 'Here It Comes' is easily the best I've heard and sounds so perfect.
'Song A' - I can make out most of the lyrics on this take - awesome stuff indeed, and you never get bored of that churning, glammy riff.
'Perfect Miracle' - this might be considered the ballad track as such, but have any of Jason's ballads really featured lyrics so incredibly dark? Toward the end it's like... is this the same song he's singing? The similar to 'Ladies and Gentlemen...' chords make this so much more heartbreaking.
There's also a beautiful version of 'Freedom' that the album fans will enjoy...
ENJOY
To put it simply, if you don't have this already you need it.
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