Pink Cream 69 – Live In Karlsruhe

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The counterpart to new double live DVD career retrospective Past & Present, this terrific-sounding double live album includes the complete Karlsruhe show which occupies the first disc of the DVD. A great thick guitar tone, good stereo balance between the guitars and perfectly balanced mix of instruments, particularly when solos are called upon give some of these songs a vitality they’ve never had before, although David Readman’s vocals are a little buried in some places. Superb renditions of classic tracks from their full career from the Andi Deris-fronted first three albums through to 2007′s In10sity, and they satisfy their penchant for cover versions with a medley of The Police classic So Lonely (heavied up brilliantly in the chorus) and Bob Marley‘s No Woman No Cry, which aren’t great, but present another side to the band. As bonus tracks excellent live acoustic versions of One Step Into Paradise and Better Days recorded at Das Fest are included at the end of the second disc (the Japanese edition replaces Better Days with The Spirit), really completing the Pink Cream 69 picture perfectly. This is one of those rare live albums which, given the chance, could change perceptions of Pink Cream 69. They’re a lot heavier and a lot less AOR than their reputation, and this is the best introduction to their music.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Hard Rock, Live Albums, Quick.Play Reviews, Pink Cream 69