Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 12/02/2008
Run Time: 63:49
The primary difference when comparing this live performance and the rendering simply titled
Go (1976) is that
Go Live From Paris (1978) presents the proceedings (as they exist) in a properly linear fashion, as correlated to the Eastern mythology that informed the extended two-part suite. This is in direct contrast to
Go, which assembled the contents out of sequence. The stage show was recorded at the
Palais Des Sports in Paris, France on June 12, 1976 and the recital setting allows for considerably longer and more exploratory interaction amongst
Stomu Yamashta (percussion/piano),
Steve Winwood (vocals/keyboards) and
Michael Shrieve (drums). They are joined by legendary
jazz axeman
Al DiMeola (guitar) as well as
Tangerine Dream and
Ash Ra Tempel veteran
Klaus Schulze (synthesizer) -- all of whom had contributed to
Go. Filling out the band are
Jerome Rimson (bass),
Pat Thrall (guitar),
Brother James (congas) and
Karen Friedman (vocals). In terms of sheer intensity, it is hard to beat
DiMeola's searing leads and
Winwood's
blue-eyed soul on the driving
"Ghost Machine," easily topping its former incarnation.
"Surfspin" lands into the funky mid-tempo
"Time Is Here" highlighted by
Karen Friedman's expressive exchanges with
Winwood, while
Rimson punctuates the rhythm with some penetrating bass interjections. This is followed by the sole
Winwood composition
"Winner/Loser," which further exemplifies how the spontaneity of the concert yields results that best their predecessors. In fact, on the whole the material on
Go sounds like a blueprint for the exceptional and inspired outing found here. The second movement commences with fairly even renditions of the trifecta
"Solitude," "Nature" and
"Air Voice" -- which had previously been given the name
"Air Over." "Crossing the Line" is an additional zenith, spotlighted by
Winwood's emotive vocals and the untamed and otherwise incendiary frenzy of fretwork courtesy of
DiMeola. Clocking in just shy of a quarter-hour,
"Man of Leo" provides another opportunity for the players to loosen up and fuse their collective
improvisations behind
DiMeola's intense soloing and the similarly seminal instrumental offerings from
Shrieve,
Rimson -- who is at his most melodic -- and
Freidman's haunting warbles. In 2004,
Hip-O Select compiled both
Go and the companion
Go Live From Paris (1977) on to a limited-edition (of 2,500 copies) two-CD set remastered by
Gavin Lurssen and includes all of the original notations, lyrics and artwork within a 16-page liner booklet.
~Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
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