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01 |
Karelia |
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08:04 |
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02 |
The Old Man & The Sea |
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08:02 |
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03 |
Harvest |
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05:42 |
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04 |
Slow Fire |
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07:51 |
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05 |
Thoughts In Absence |
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03:38 |
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06 |
Road To Nowhere |
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04:56 |
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07 |
Book Of Hours |
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10:04 |
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08 |
The Flow |
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09:14 |
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01 |
Groundbound |
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07:30 |
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02 |
Where Solitude Remains |
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07:58 |
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03 |
Wheel |
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08:58 |
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04 |
Tabatah |
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09:39 |
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05 |
Nucleus |
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06:10 |
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06 |
Rubankh, Part 1 & 2 |
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12:48 |
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| Country |
Sweden |
| Spars |
DDD |
| Sound |
Stereo |
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Live in Japan
Arcangelo (ARC-1036/1037)
Sweden 1998
Jan Erik Liljestrom, bass, voice;
Nicklas Berg, guitar, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, voice;
Peter Nordins, drums, vibraphone;
Anna Sofi Dahlberg, Mellotron, piano, Rhodes, cello, voice
Tracklist:
1. Karelia - 8:04
2. The Old Man and the Sea - 8:02
3. Harvest - 5:42
4. Slow Fire - 7:51
5. Thoughts in Absence - 3:38
6. Road to Nowhere - 4:56
7. Book of Hours - 10:04
8. The Flow - 9:14
disc 1 time 57:31
1. Groundbound - 7:30
2. Where Solitude Remains - 7:58
3. Wheel - 8:58
4. Tabatah - 9:39
5. Nucleus - 6:10
6. Rubankh, Part 1 & 2 - 12:48
disc 2 time 53:03
total time 110:34
Bob Eichler:
My first experience with Anekdoten was seeing them play a live show (in a VFW in Philly, of all places). One of the bandmembers later told me that it was a particularly bad show (the mellotron kept going out of tune, the guitarist broke several strings and the audience was kind of pathetically small). But it was still a powerful enough experience that it turned me into a big fan of the band, and I ended up buying all their albums.
Due to its expensive price tag, I picked up this live album last. I shouldn't have waited, because this set represents the power of the band I saw that night in Philly better than any of their studio albums. The live discs sound a little sloppier than the studio works, and lack the subtle dynamic shifts and precision. But the band more than makes up for it with roaring, energetic performances. The bass, drums and guitar give it all they've got, while the keyboards and cello remain fairly reserved but still add a moody atmosphere to the music.
When it first came out, this set included a lot of unreleased material. Some of those songs later appeared on the band's third studio album, but there are still a couple gems here that you can't find elsewhere. Particularly impressive is the nearly ten minute long improv "Tabatah", which starts out slow but builds up intensity until it reaches its impressively crushing conclusion. Possibly my favorite Anekdoten track.
If you're a fan of the band but have been avoiding this album due to its price, my advice is to splurge. It's worth every cent. If you've never heard Anekdoten but enjoy heavy prog that's reminiscent of mid-70s King Crimson, odds are you'll find something here you'll like. And if you've been avoiding the album fearing poor sound quality (due to the "Official Bootleg" on the cover), rest assured that the sound is actually quite good. I'm not sure why they decided to call it a bootleg.
Brandon Wu:
For the Anekdoten fan, this is a pricey but well-executed gem. Anekdoten's heavy, moody, very Crimson-influenced brand of hard prog rock would seem to lend itself well to a live setting, and if this document is any indicator, it's true - these guys cook live. The playing is a curious but not unexpected (given the nature of the band's previous studio albums, especially Nucleus) combination of cleanly played lines and sloppy instrumental noisemaking. Vocals are typical Anekdoten - for the most part passable, but at some points a little grating. What separates this set from the studio albums, aside from the excellent setlist - which includes early versions of compositions found on From Within, as well as a few unreleased pieces - is the sheer raw power of the performances; Liljestrom's bass in particular is deliciously loud and aggressive, and Berg's guitar is higher in the mix than in the studio albums. "The Flow" in particular is punchy and effective. "Groundbound", while a little fragmented, is in my opinion much more interesting than the studio version released a year later. The unreleased tracks, some of them improvised, are generally very good, though the second part of "Rubankh" is a somewhat dull extended jam. Overall, this is a definite must-have for fans of the band; and I would heartily recommend it as a starting point were it not for the $30 price tag.
Ankekdoten - Official Bootleg: Live In Japan
Released: 1998
Label: Arcangel
Cat. No.:
Total Time:
Review courtesy John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, July 2000
Japan has long been known as being the country of the well looked after releases. If they release a digipack over there then you can be sure they needed to chop down half of the rainforest in order to provide the necessary paper and cardboard! Although we didn't hear any new material for some time, "out of the blue" there's this expensive double CD Live In Japan. Expensive, yet worth every cent. Next to powerful versions of well-known material from the Vemod and Nucleus albums we also find four "new" songs which can be situated amongst the "vintage" Anekdoten material. The quality of the recording is superb and the intensity with which Anna Sofi, Jan Erik, Nicklas and Peter bring their music strongly leans towards King Crimson during their Red and Lizard period, Magma and Univers Zero.
The booklet states "play loud" and that's exactly what this music needs. The material we know is similar to the studio versions yet the song "Rubankh" which we know from the Nucleus album lasts a cool ten minutes longer here. Also the new material contains a fair bit of mellotron and cello as main ingredients. By means of the uncertain singing of Jan Erik, a song like "Slow Fire" builds and builds and due to the mellotron and the hypnotizing rhythm it works towards an explosive climax. "Road To Nowhere" embroiders on the repetitive bassline of Jan Erik whilst drummer Peter opens all of the percussive registers. In "Groundbound" it's guitarist Nicklas Berg who turns "freaky" forgetting every known rule in the book. The result is a big lump of avant-garde. In "Tabath" Jan Erik is once again allowed to deliver the darkest and most ominous bass sounds ever. A wonderful, powerful, dark album!
More about Official Bootleg: Live In Japan:
Track Listing: Disc One: Karelia / The Old Man & The Sea / Harvest / Slow Fire / Thoughts In Absence / Road To Nowhere / Book Of Hours
Disc Two: Groundbound / Where Solitude Remains / Wheel / Tabatah / Nucleus / Rubankh Part 1 & 2
Musicians:
Anna Sofi Dahlberg - keyboards, cello, voice
Jan Erik Liljestrom - bass, voice
Peter Nordins - drums
Nicklas Berg - guitar, keyboards, voice
Contact:
Website: www.anekdoten.se
Note: will open new browser window
Email: anekdoten@anekdoten.se
Discography
Vemod (1991)
Nucleus (1995)
Official Bootleg: Live in Japan (1998)
From Within (1999)
Anekdoten - Live In Japan--The Official Bootleg
Member: Prog Owl
There's a passage in the Bible that talks about making a joyful noise. This group of four feisty Swedes can get very noisy in the most delightful post-King Crimsonesque way, that's for certain! You can definitely hear the utter abandon and joy they infuse in their musical forays, even though this is definitely NOT what you would call happy-slappy Hallmark Card music.
For those unfamiliar with Anekdoten, try to imagine a wonderful melding of Red or Starless--- period King Crimson, Stone Temple Pilots heavy crunch/grunge, driven along by thundering Zehul/Magma-esque fuzz bass.
In addition to putting some extra fangs into material from the previous albums (Vemod and Nucleus), we see them trying out new material that would later wind up on From Within. Among the newer songs, "Slow Fire" (one of the band's most hypnotic pieces) and "Groundbound (a mysterious sounding rumination into the human psyche) are the highlights. Older material like the instrumental "Karelia", "Old Man And The Sea" and "Thoughts In Absence" gain added fire, urgency and poignancy in a live setting.
One of Anekdoten's most endearing qualities among its fans is the liberal use of the mellotron. Not only do they employ the usual spine-chilling crowd-pleasing sounds like strings, choirs and flutes, but they also employ far lesser used sounds like clarinet, bassoon, oboe and vibes (used to gloriously spooky effect on "Groundbound"). The other key parts of Anekdoten's blustery, windswept and wintry soundscapes are Ani Sofia Dahlberg's mournful cello and Peter Nordin's insistent power drumming. Guitarist/Keyboardist Nikolas Berg has definitely studied his Robert Fripp and also added some grunge as well.
Ahh, the drawbacks (there are very few though). In the singing department, bassist Jan Erik Liljestrom and Nikolas trade off lead vocal duties, but in all honesty, neither really stands out. They're certainly not grating or unlistenable by any stretch, but a lead vocalist with a strong musical personality would be a great addition here. The only other quibble is a couple of jams that seem to hit dead ends and are uncertain what to do with themselves ("Road to Nowhere" and "Tabatha").
Of course, even the best live recordings can never capture the full fury and detail of a great performance, that is something that has to be experienced in person (if there were any justice at all, bands like Anekdoten would be touring regularly and no-talents like Britney Spears and Kid Rock would be laboring in deserved obscurity, but I digress). Until a time comes when Anekdoten can grace our shores more often, this thunderous live offering is the next best thing to being there!
