The live album that closes the golden period of Genesis, a synthesis of the "A Trick of the Tail" tours (the version of "The Cinema Show" features the one and only Bill Bruford on drums) and, above all, of "Wind and Wuthering." Excellent recording quality, great music, an overall killer setlist, even though I've always hated the chopped version of "The Musical Box"—either play it all or don’t play it at all, damn it. I consider it a beautiful live album (the best among their official ones) but not a masterpiece; however, there are many grand moments: "Squonk" and "Dance on a Volcano/Los Endos" always rock the house live, the version of "Cinema Show" with Collins and Bruford stealing the show during the instrumental part is definitely the highlight of the live performance, "Supper's Ready" and "Firth of Fifth" are excellent, "Afterglow" gives chills. Not everything convinces me, for example, the Collins-led "Carpet Crawlers," or a very isolated Hackett, heavily penalized by the mixing—apart from "Firth"—but hey, it’s a great live album. Hackett left the band right during the mixing of the album, and "Seconds Out" remains, in fact, my last Genesis record truly from the “desert island.”
more
