Live 93 Live by The Orb

Live 93 Live

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Live 93 Live

Reader Reviews
It has to be said that 'Live' Albums can be notoriously tricky beasts. Trying to capture the energy of a Live Performance, can be a little like trying to capture 'Lightning in a Bottle', because it's hard trying to replicate the actual experience of actually being there, that's probably why their aren't as many expectational 'Live' albums as their should be, as there's nothing quite like actually being there, and seeing the performance for yourself. And although there are expectational 'Live' albums available, especially for the Rock/Soul/Jazz genres etc....there are very few 'Live' albums available for the electronica genre, that stand amongst the best 'Live' albums. Maybe its because the genre is largely reliant on digital technology, and seeing as that produces a crisp recording, there isn't as much a need for for Live recordings, that are arguably of a much lower fidelity than listeners are used to. Which makes 'The Orb's' decision to release a 'Live' album all the more puzzling, and even more remarkable, considering that their music leans heavily towards downtempo/ambient grooves, it's hardly the sort of format to replicate the energy or dynamics of a conventional 'Live' album. But the first thing that'll surprise listeners, is the fact that the sound quality on this double Cd Live album is that it's only a couple of shades lower than that of the duo's actual studio recordings, with much of the crowd noise keep to a minimum. And as well as retaining the sprawling and soothing rhythms that the duo, became known for with their music, a lot of the crowd favourites are included here, although it should be noted that tracks have been shortened or slightly modified on some of the more 'Epic' tracks. (having 20 minute tracks in a 'Live' performance, wouldn't leave much room for a variety of tracks), yet surprisingly everything is consistent, and the playful sampling and sound effects, that feature almost everything from BBC nature recordings to American NASA space broadcasts and reflective synthwork, and a multitude of special effects, coupled with those ambient flourishes, all remain intact. And listeners that are paying attention, will notice the various "Pink Floyd" references dotted over the course of the album (Check out the CD Cover art, which is a cheeky reference to "Pink Floyd's - Animals" album). This has definitely got to be one of the albums that I've been enjoying most over the last couple of weeks, it's not something that I've been sitting intently and concentrating on all the time. Instead it's been more like music to have on whilst I've been working, as it has that delicate and soothing flow, that works remarkably well, to have it on, in the background, and it's surprising just how well this music has aged, considering that the 'Ambient House' genre is now behind us (commercially at least). It's not an album that I'd recommend to listeners new (or fairly New) to 'The Orb', as you really should have: "Adventures beyond the Ultraworld", "U.F.Orb", or even the 'Best of' first. As this release feels as little bit geared towards the existing fan base, rather than attracting a new fan-base. But providing that you are acquainted with their previous work, I'd say that providing you can still find this, it's the next logical step, and it also joins the (very) small collection of essential 'Live' electronica albums.

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