Wildfire!
Reijo Piippula | Turku, Finland | 02/13/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just like the Radio Sessions 1974 & 1978 collection, this 2CD package is great for true Budgie fans. There's five live sets - 23 songs. The first earlierst concert was recorded in Paris Theatre in 1972. There's only four songs and the sound quality is not perfect but it's the best you can get right now. It's just great to hear live songs from the two first Budgie albums. There's also a concert in Reading Festival 1980 after those four songs. There's "Breaking All the House Rules" and more, especially "Napoleon Bona Part 1&2 is a great live version. "Breadfan" is a "lost edit not transmitted" - there's guitar solo after the song - or actually it's only half of a song.
The CD number two is a great one too although not as great as the first CD. There's two songs "Sky High Percentage" and "In the Grip Of A Tyrefitter's Hand" performed in John Peel Show in 1976. Those two live versions are absolutely amazing! Then Friday Rock Show tracks in 1981 "I Turned to Stone", "Superstar" and "She Used Me Up" sound more like second studio versions but they are still great material for Budgie fans. Reading Festival 1982 starts with "Forearm Smash" and is perfectly played, but quite similar to RF 1980 - except there's no 70's material in set list, only 80's. I cannot do nothing else than recommend this great 2 CD collection for Budgie fans who want to hear one of their favorite bands live."