One record at a time: 348. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Atmospheric and Greatest Hits - Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Released in 2023 this recording was created the previous year during two nights at the famed Royal Albert Hall. This version is pressed on three orange LPs and housed in an generous tri-fold sleeve - it's a pretty lavish package. 

Whilst this is yet another Live Here Now album, it is much better than the previous ones I have looked at. For a start the sleeve design is much improved and this record also seems to have actually received a full post production mix. We know this album was properly mixed as its release was delayed as a result of Paul Hamphreys moving house and his studio not being set up. 

There is another Royal Albert Hall Live Here Now album by OMD dating back to 2016, but this newer record seems to justify its existence by presenting different content. As the title suggests, there is a mixture of the usual hits and some tracks the band consider to be atmospheric. The hits are easy to discern and most of the usual suspects are present and correct. "Ghost Star", "Statues" and "Stanlow" do seem to fit neatly into the 'atmospheric' selection but I find it harder to discern how "Bunker Soldiers", "Red Frame / White Light" or even "Pretending to see the future" fit this category. 

Still, the mix is good and the performance polished. Whether this is enough to justify yet another live release is left to the individual to decide. 2/5

One record at a time: 347. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Live At Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

This translucent blue, triple vinyl set only exists for one reason - to make some cash. There's little artistic merit in this album as, whilst good, the performance is unremarkable. Essentially this is just another Live Here Now cash cow. 

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, Live Here Now are a label that record concerts from the mixing desk and then release them under a licensing agreement with the artist. The benefit of this service is that albums can be made available almost immediately after the concert, with the down side being the unpolished and raw nature of the recordings.

I have mentioned the use of post production on live albums on this blog before. It's no secret that overdubs and edits are often used to present the best possible version of a live recording possible. Sometimes these changes amount to a little touching up (e.g. "101" by Depeche Mode or "Physical Presence" by Level 42) but it can also extend to outright subterfuge (e.g. "Destination Docklands" by Jean Michel Jarre or "Public Pressure" by Yellow Magic Orchestra).

This record however is totally unvarnished and every slight issue you would forgive in a live setting is preserved on disc. For instance, the snare drum on "Isotype" is far too loud and cuts into my eardrum like a razor blade. In fact all the live elements are allowed to dominate with the backing tracks left languishing in the background. The credits for the record do suggest Paul Humphreys mixed it, but it falls far below his usual standard if that is true. As this is such a mediocre recording, you might wonder why they went to all the trouble of pressing it on the audiophile's format of choice. Even more curious is my decision to buy it. 2/5

One record at a time: 345. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Live With The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

In 2017 OMD released a single called "What Have We Done". If that song had been made available a year later, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to assume it was a reference to this record.

You see "Live With The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra" is something of a car crash and is probably the worst thing OMD have ever put out. Not only does this album sound bad, but the route to purchasing it also proved to be tortuous for me.

Back in 2018 I was an avid user of the Pledge Music platform and when this album was launched I decided to back it. What I didn't realise was that Pledge Music had begun experiencing severe financial issues and projects had begun to fall into trouble. 

On the scheduled release day this album was made available digitally with a promise of the vinyl arriving in the near future. However, as time went on it became increasingly apparent that I wasn't going to receive my records. From what I can discern, Pledge Music decided to use everyone's money (including that belonging to some artists) to keep themselves afloat and had stopped fulfilling orders.

To be honest, having heard the digital files of this album, I wasn't too worried about the absence of my triple clear vinyl and was resigned to the financial loss. Pledge Music was put into administration in the summer of 2019 and closed its doors soon after. During the death throws of the business I think there must some kind of clear out as my order was finally posted some six months after it was promised. I was both relieved and crestfallen in equal measure.

OMD seem to be entering into the same cycle that Gary Numan is stuck in where he releases an album, embarks on an extensive tour and then releases at least one (sometimes more) live album before starting the process all over again. I understand that the income model for musicians has changed and that nobody is forcing me to buy these records, but it does besmirch their legacy just a little bit. OMD existed for more than twenty years and ten studio albums without feeling the need to release a live recording. Yet since they reformed in 2006, we have had to endure at least seven of them.

In an attempt to break the monotony of their concerts and live albums, OMD decided to perform for two nights with the The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The trouble with this idea is that OMD have never really used an orchestra in any of their records and very few of their songs lend themselves to such arrangements. When other artists attempt this sort of thing they tend to use the orchestra to augment the original production and create a more vibrant sound. "Orchesography" by Wang Chung or "Concrete" by Pet Shop Boys or are good examples of this approach. 

Unfortunately OMD went in a different direction and decided to rely solely on truly tortuous orchestral arrangements and some live vocals. Half of the time the orchestra sound out of tune with both each other and the vocalists. The finished recording is only slight above bootleg quality and it doesn't flinch in presenting every rough edge and bum note. Terrible stuff. 1/5

One record at a time: 310. Mike Oldfield - Exposed

One of the things I find fascinating about this record is the sticker. It shows how much things have changed that 100,000 copies of a record could be considered a 'limited edition'. If anyone but Taylor Swift were to press 100,000 copies of a record today they would have enough stock to last until their great-great-grand children were still around. 

As I understand it, this record was initially pressed as a limited run to recoup some of the costs incurred on the tour that Oldfield embarked on post "Incantations". However the record sold so well that Virgin continued to press it and it finally paid off the debt ten years later. My copy is an original pressing from 1979 and is in great condition. This is a SQ Quadraphonic record but sorting out a decoder and the witchcraft required to hear that effect isn't worth the effort.

I've also read online that elements of this record aren't live as the Manor Mobile couldn't record all of the sources on stage - so the multi tracks of "Incantations" were used to fly in the missing elements during the mixing. There is also a suggestion that this nefarious activity resulted in the multi track tapes being lost or damaged and thus the 2011 reissue of "Incantations" didn't include a new mix as with previous albums. I have no idea if its true as reading things on the internet is the twenty first century equivalent of hearing something from a bloke down the pub - but it would explain one or two things.

The cut-down versions of "Incantations" sound remarkably good here and you can't help but wonder at the chops of the performers. Inevitably the second LP contains a live version of "Tubular Bells" and I have no doubt this contributed to the success of the album. The use of drums is probably the most startling difference to the studio recording but there are all kinds of embellishments and changes that you ether love or loathe. "Part Two" is trimmed right down to a lean eleven minutes and is much more upbeat than the album version. I'm no purist and don't regard the original as sacrosanct, but this rendition of "Tubular Bells" isn't to my taste. We finish on a high with the disco tinged joy of "Guilty". 3/5

One record at a time: 244. Level 42 - A Physical Presence

This was the last Level 42 album I added to my collection as I prioritised buying records with new material (new to me at least) ahead of compilations and live albums. As a result, I didn't really get to hear this record until I purchased it a couple of years ago - almost forty years after it was released.

This fees like the first authentic live album I have come across in my collection so far. Admittedly I've only listened to 'live recordings' by Erasure, Jean Michel Jarre and Japan up to this point, but I can't imagine much else in my collection is going to surpass the skill and cohesion on display here.

There is a varied selection of songs on offer from the older jazz influenced instrumentals like "88" to the more recent hit single "Hot Water". Every track is executed with energy and a real sense of fun. 

For once, you actually get more material on the double LP compared to the compact disc edition. The CD lacks the afore mentioned "88" along with "Turn It On" and "Mr Pink". All editions feature a new song called "Follow Me" which is a great pop tune that was used as the lead song on the "Physical Presence EP". There's nothing on the EP that isn't on the album, these were just marketing ploys used by record companies to promote live albums back in the eighties. Such ploys must have worked at some stage, but they seem very anachronistic now. 3/5

One record at a time: 200. Jean Michel Jarre - Live

One evening in October 1989 I took a rare trip into town to go record shopping with a fiend. Things were very different back then and information about upcoming releases wasn't as easily available as it is today, so I was very surprised when I saw "Live" on the shelves of HMV that evening. 

The trouble was that I had already spent my cash on a single and didn't have the £14 required to buy the CD. My companion proved his friendship by agreeing to lend me the gargantuan sum as long as I repaid him the following day. I made good on my debt and still have that CD to this day. As we can see, I also own a copy of the vinyl which I bought sometime in 2014.

The first thing that struck me about this album when I bought it was how underwhelming it was to look at. The artwork looked rushed and the title didn't make any sense. Was it "Jarre: Live" "Jean Michel Jarre: Jarre Live" or "Jean Michel Jarre: Live"? No wonder it got a new sleeve and proper title when re-released in the nineties.

However, I have an even bigger issue with this album: I don't believe it captures a 'live' performance. To my ears most of these songs sound like the album versions with some added reverb and crowd noises. There are a few different arrangements, but I think they are still just playback. The version of "Magnetic Fields Part II" has different drums but features a suspiciously perfect recreation of the solo played during the "Concerts In China". "Oxygene Part IV" carries some additional synth and percussion, but it sounds like the mix released on the 1989 "Oxygene" single with added reverb and crowd noises. "Fourth Rendez-Vous" has some additional guitar by Hank Marvin, but I can't tell if it was recorded live or an overdub in the studio. To be honest, it doesn't make much difference if Hank was miming or not as the album lost credibility long before we reach his track.

Personally, I think this album was released to recoup the cost of the two Docklands concerts and nothing more. As a live recording it has little value and must rank as one of Jarre's least interesting works. To add insult to injury the LP has two less tracks than the CD because “London Kid” and “September” are culled. Given the nature of the rest of the album, maybe that's not such a bad thing. 2/5

One record at a time: 198. Jean Michel Jarre - In Concert - Houston / Lyon with Orchestra and Choir

In my rush to get through Jarre's enormous back catalogue I skipped this album when I first began this post. This is a little ironic as "Houston/Lyon" is probably one of the records I played most in my youth. Yet when these concerts were released on VHS in the early nineties the scales were lifted from my eyes and I began to regard this record with less reverence.

Why did I not like the album so much after I saw the videos? Because it clearly showed Jarre was miming to backing tapes. There are live drums and bass on this recording but they are playing to a click from a backing tape. I had often mused why an electronic musician had to promote the fact that their album featured 'orchestra and choir' on the sleeve, but now I know it is because they are one of few live elements on these recordings.

For some reason we are only given a small snipped of the music for "Oxygene Part V" before it moves into an audio collage of TV reports regarding the Houston concert. The first movement of "Ethnicolor" is just playback before the bass, brass and percussion join for the second movement. There is a recording of a radio broadcast of the Lyon concert where someone is clearly playing the synth parts and percussion live. It's a shame nothing so authentic seems to have made the cut here.

In the transition to the next track there is another audio montage that features so many American voices it is clear the focus is firmly on the Houston concert. Whilst it is obvious there are live elements in "Magnetic Fields Part I" it is equally clear there is a great deal of playback going on too. Similarly "Equinoxe Part V" sounds like the album version with some live drumming and a few firework noises.

There's a big subterfuge right at the end of the first side when we hear a man exclaim, "The most amazing sight ever seen by the human eye!" We assume he is talking about the concert he has just witnessed, but the video shows us that the man is actually a magician entertaining people on the streets of Houston before the concert. 

We finally hear something of the Lyon concert as the pope provides an introduction to "Third Rendez-Vous" in which there is a real choir and some real miming by Jarre on the "laser harp". "Second Rendez-Vous" does feature live drumming and, as you might imagine, the choir becomes prominent. "Last Rendez-Vous" sees Kirk Whalum playing lead saxophone and it sounds better than the album version to my ears. This record goes out with a bang as "Fourth Rendez-Vous" receives some horrendous fretless bass and a sax solo laid over the top. I hate the bass playing on this song; always have. Still, the album is entertaining enough if you can forgive the fact it is a largely fabricated and sterile version of these concerts. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 194. Jean MIchel Jarre - The Concerts In China

"The Concerts In China" is a double album that documented (and paid for) Jarre's 1981 concerts in Beijing and Shanghai. 

This record contains live renditions of previously released tracks along with 'over 40 minutes' of new material.

Much like Japan's "Oil On Canvas", there is much debate as to just how 'live' these recordings are. Most artists edit, mix and overdub their live recording to make them sound better, but with this record I get the feeling the post production changes amounted to more than a few minor embellishments. 

There's no doubt that the coda, "Souvenir Of China" is a studio recording as it was written after the tour. Whilst "Orient Express" seems to have been played during some of the concerts, I strongly suspect the version heard on the album wasn't captured in front of a live audience. 

We get some indication of just how much post-production went into these tracks if we compare it to other sources such as the recording of the first Beijing concert that was broadcast by Dutch radio or the VHS of the album. The music on these recordings is unvarnished and comes replete with mistakes and even some different arrangements. Whilst we know the content of the shows evolved during the course of the tour, this doesn't fully account for the obvious gulf between these raw recordings and the finished product.

So there is no doubt there is a considerable amount of studio augmentation going on and this record doesn't reflect exactly what was heard in the concert halls. I guess its down to the individual to decide if that matters or not. As with many things Jarre does, you are supposed to enjoy the spectacle and ignore the details.

I own a copy of the "40th Anniversary Edition" of this album but haven't played it yet. From what I read on Discogs the audio on this version is compressed and the discs may even have issues with skipping, so I will need to investigate that at some stage. With this in mind, we will spin a copy of the original UK pressing from 1982.

The album begins with "The Overture" which is brooding piece that uses the same sequences as "Magnetic Fields Part I" at a much slower tempo. After this great opening we move on to one of the most revered tracks from this album with the stunning "Arpegiator". Yes, the title is unimaginative but the music is a sublime slice of early eighties electronica that deserves to be lauded as one of Jarre's best. The first side closes with a rendition of "Equinoxe IV" which sees Roger Rizzitelli dominate the rest of the band by enthusiastically attacking his Simmons kit.

Side two starts with an arrangement of a traditional Chinese tune "Fisherman's Song at Dusk"  but the sleeve gives the impression it was written by Jarre. At nearly ten minutes in length this can be a test of even the most ardent Jarre fans stamina, but the synthesiser driven sections are entertaining enough. There is a short rendition of "Band in the Rain" from "Equinoxe", which is only significant because it was the first time the piece was given a title. The long meandering introduction to "Equinoxe VII" builds a tension that resolves with the introduction of the songs sequenced bassline and the audience clapping along completely out of time. The ten minutes of this song pass in a blur of melody, Fairlight samples and a merciful respite from the Simmons kit of Rizzitelli.

The second disc opens with "Orient Express" which is a new composition that features a poppy melody over a disco bassline. Whilst this song is passable, it isn't exactly Jarre at his peak. The sleeve notes mislead us into thinking the next track is "Magnetic Fields Part I" but in reality it is just a sample of pong pong balls - this has always mystified and annoyed me in equal measure. Up next is a version of "Magnetic Fields Part III" which gives way to a lively and entertaining version of "Magnetic Fields Part IV" which the crowd seem to respond to enthusiastically. 

"Laser Harp" would probably have been a more entertaining spectacle when seen live and the rather tuneless piece Jarre generates with his new found toy is nothing to write home about. "Night In Shanghai" is another new track which sees Jarre sampling traditional Chinese instruments and running them through his Fairlight. After about two minutes a sequence starts up and the piece begins to gather some momentum and once it is up and running this is an entertaining piece. On this album "Magnetic Fields Part V" is rechristened "The Last Rhumba" and isn't a track I enjoy much. The finale to the concerts was always a stirring rendition of "Magnetic Fields Part II" which has the most amazing solo by Dominique Perrier. A new studio recording "Souvenir Of China" is tagged onto the end of the album and fits quite well. Personally I'm not too keen on the track as it seems very ponderous and largely devoid of melody, but it doesn't detract too much from what has gone before. 3.5/5

One record at a time: 190. Japan - Oil On Canvas

With this record we reach the last that I own by Japan and the end of the first row of shelves in my storage unit. I bought this double LP almost 2 years ago whilst visiting Hull and it's not in the best shape.

Released six months after the band had split up in 1983, this is Japan's highest charting album. "Oil On Canvas" is a bit confusing as, whilst it purports to be a 'live' album, it actually includes a variety of studio recordings. There is also some debate as to just how 'live' the rest of this album really is. Most bands admit to overdubbing live recordings to correct small mistakes, but if the internet is to believed then just about everything on this record was re-recorded in the studio.

The title track that begins the album is a studio recording that is effectively a solo piece by Sylivian. Whilst the music is competent, it isn't remarkable and I fail to see what value it brings. "Sons of Pioneers" is the first 'live' recording of the album and it benefits from being a bit shorter than the original version. There's not a lot you can do to ruin a songs as good as "Gentlemen Take Periods" so this sounds pretty good. Were evidence needed that the band used backing tapes then it would be provided by "Swing". The pre-recorded CR-78 drum machine and saxophones play away as the band mould themselves around it quite successfully. 

The flip side of the first disc starts with "Cantonese Boy" which sounds so precise it's almost mechanical (in a good way you understand). "Visions of China" and "Ghosts" sound good, but they don't really deviate from the album versions. At this point I can't help but feel there isn't any innovation or further exploration of these songs.

The first sign of invention comes with a new studio recording of "Nightporter" on the second disc. This mix is much more synth driven and has a few additional effects but nothing too extreme. I am choosing to pass over "Still Live In Mobile Homes" as I really don't like it. The two tracks to feature the same synth patch "Methods of Dance" and "Quiet Life" come next and, as you might expect by now, they are almost carbon copies of the album versions. Instrumental "Canton" sounds a little ropey on this version and Mick is clearly struggling to reproduce the distinctive bass motif in a live context. Another short instrumental "Temple of Dawn" rounds things out. This album is a confused mess and it really doesn't offer anything above the studio recordings. 2/5

One record at a time: 169. Heaven 17 - How Live Is

In 1998 Erasure threw their old friend Martyn Ware a bone and invited Heaven 17 to be the support for their Cowboy tour. Up to this point, Heaven 17 hadn't played live for many years, so they decided to record the shows for posterity.

Confusingly this recording has been released under various titles including, "How Live Is", "Live at Last", "Absolutely The Best Live" and "Deluxe Heaven 17 Collection" - but they all have the same content.

I'll be upfront and say that this is one of the cheesiest live albums you are ever likely to hear and I only own it because it was included in the box set "Another Big Idea".

Whilst this isn't a total car crash, the crowd is clearly overdubbed and no matter how enthusiastically Glenn may shout between songs, there is absolutely no atmosphere in the recording. The music and vocals are competently recreated but everything sounds flaccid and lifeless.

The highlights are the Brothers In Rhythm arrangement of "Temptation" and a faithful rendition of "Come Live With Me" but the breakbeat version of "Fascist Groove Thing" is a confused mess that comes nowhere near to the Big Beat sound it aspired to. There's an ill advised stab at "Let's All Make A Bomb" and The Human League's "Being Boiled" is butchered live on stage. 

The sleeve notes say that nothing the band created between 1984 and 1996 could be moulded into the electronic sound they were looking for, so we are presented with a 45 minute set culled from their first two albums and their then current offering "Bigger Than America". On this evidence the other songs had a lucky escape. 1/5

The 'live' minefield of Gary Numan

Along with my New Year's resolution to not buy any new music by Bjork, I have vowed to fill in some of the holes in my Gary Numan collection (and there are very many).

As a relative newcomer to the music of Gary Numan, the main thing that strikes me is the mind boggling number of releases. There are 20 studio albums, of which 5 have been released in two versions (extended and regular editions), the majority of his output from the Numa label has been released in a remastered/expanded form, there are untold number of compilations (especially licensed budget ones), lots of fan club CDs and bootlegs of every variety.

2004 and the new 2014 "Redux" edition of  'Electronic Pioneer'

The only thing that helps me keep track of what I own and what I am chasing is the Discogs website and my Numan bible: "Electronic Pioneer: An Armchair Guide to Gary Nuaman" by Paul Goodwin. This book is a good source of information and has helped me prioritise what I should buy. If you are drawn towards Gary's back catalogue, I'd recommend you track down a copy (it's screaming out for an index and colour images however).

But despite this book and all of the online discographies, the one area of Gary's back catalogue that mystifies and appals me in equal measure are his live recordings. Every studio album (and some compilation albums) seem to have resulted in a tour and an associated live recording being released. It is unclear if these live albums are released to recoup financial losses incurred on the tour (such with Jean-Michel Jarre's "The Concerts in China" or Mike Oldfield's "Exposed") or if Numan sees genuine value in releasing them. Personally, I can see little merit in some of these albums. The vocals on "White Noise" are indistinct and muddy. Paul Goodwin describes the version of "This Is New Love" included on this album as 'truly dire' - and he's being kind.

The number of Numan live albums is staggering

"The Skin Mechanic" is a clumsy, soulless journey through Roland D-50 presents (just like a few Numan studio albums). "Dream Corrosion" finds Numan at rock bottom with poor material and audio that doesn't even sound live. It's almost as if he sampled some crowd noises, rigged up his D50 (again) and sang his way though his back catalogue. "Dark Light" is a fine sounding album that is just let down by terrible artwork.

"Scarred" features more prominent guitar work but remains smeared with "Digital Native Dance" and other D-50 presets that had been out of fashion for 15 years by the time the record was released. "Engineers" was dragged out of the vaults by Beggars Banquet, dusted down and released almost 30 years after it was recorded. And as good as it sounds, I can't understand what it adds to the roughly contemporaneous Living Ornaments '79, '80 or '81. More recent offerings such as "Hope Bleeds" and "Replicas Live" are quite good individually but when considered in the context of Numan's back catalogue they just feel like overkill. Other recent releases such as "Jagged Live" seem to generate some debate as to whether it is was "live" at all.

"Ghost" is one album I am yet to track down (strangely from a tour held to promote a compilation album) along with "Telekon Live" and "The Pleasure Principle Live". I even want to acquire CDs that don't even appeal to me such as the "Fragment" albums or the recent "Big Noise Transmission". Why do I have this compulsion to own this stuff? What power does Numan posses? I must say I have noticed that his fans seem to be the most loyal, vociferous and devoted I have ever come across. Maybe, just maybe, he's beginning to exert this power over me.