Quantity not quality
v. e. matthews | leicester United Kingdom | 07/10/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Yet another in a long line a live cds from Nippon Crown, and you'd be forgiven for wanting such an odd tour cd. However, the sound quality is poor for most of the show. It sounds like it was recorded off the radio during a thunderstorm! There is little depth of sound, and there is a general muddiness to the sound. I couldn't hear the usually excellant harmonies, and I felt a bit cheated. Didn't anyone listen to this release prior to it being released?The songs are unusual in the fact it's an odd period in Utopia's catalogue (Beatle pastiche) and most of the time they work. However, I wouldn't have thought that the other songs that have become the staple diet of a Todd set list were churned out, but reworked using the new approach. Sadly, this is not a must for anyone, a curiosity at best, and an expensive one to boot. I've got this crazy idea that Todd should release a new album of songs where he's bothered about the end result. 'One Long Year' sounded like something he knocked out in the afternoon when he could think of nothing better to do! Is the issuing of these old live concerts a symptom of Todd losing touch with his creative muse? I hope not, but it's been so long since we had a serious offering from probably one of the only surviving musical geniuses of the twentieth century. One of Todd's strengths has always been his ability to surprise his audience, and do the unexpected. There has always been the feeling that Todd never takes the path of least resitance, sadly this seems to be the case with the 'Deface The Music Tour' cd."
Another Disappointment
James R. Hinchman | sacramento, CA United States | 11/12/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"What is going on with the Archive series? This marks the third release I have purchased with much less than expected results. For historical purposes alone, it is worth owning. This tour of Utopia did not make it to the West Coast (we saw Todd do a solo show instead). Alot of material from Deface The Music is present here. The performances overall seem above average. BUT, the recording quality is horrendous! What are these people thinking? I am becoming very disenchanted at how the quality of these releases has headed downhill FAST! I am a fan of 26 yrs. But I can't even listen to this. It is really that poor. What a shame!"
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1