It only took 28 years, but Twelfth Night has finally released Live and Let Live as a complete show. By "complete show", I mean they took the setlist for the two Geoff Mann (RIP) farewell shows at The Marquee in November, 1983 and picked a version from either show > put them in the correct running order. Even so, there's still an * by this as The Collector is not from The Marquee shows but a gig the week before in Watford. Tracklist:
Disc 1
1. The Ceiling Speaks: recorded 4 November 1983
2. Human Being: recorded 4 November 1983
3. The End of the Endless Majority: recorded 5 November 1983
4. We Are Sane: recorded 4 November 1983
5. Deep in the Heartland: recorded 5 November 1983 (soundcheck)
6. Fact and Fiction: recorded 5 November 1983
7. The Poet Sniffs a Flower: recorded 4 November 1983
8. The Collector: recorded 27 October 1983 (Watford)
Disc 2
1. Afghan Red: recorded 4 November 1983
2. Sequences: recorded 5 November 1983
3. Creepshow: recorded 5 November 1983
4. Art and Illusion: recorded 5 November 1983
5. East of Eden: recorded 5 November 1983
6. Aspidentropy: recorded 5 November 1983
7. Love Song: recorded 5 November 1983
*****
When I loaded the album in to my iPod, I changed the tracklisting on the second disc. I wanted the regular set to end with Sequences ("this is the last one" says Geoff) > the traditional Love Song encore so for me, "Disc 2" goes: Afghan Red > Creepshow > Art & Illusion > East of Eden > Aspindentropy > Sequences > Love Song.
It sounds fine, except for The Collector unfortunately, the source is not the best. Oh well..... It's nice to finally hear songs like Afghan Red, Deep in the Heartland and Aspindentropy, and of course, songs like The Ceiling Speaks, Creepshow and Sequences have been in steady rotation for me since 1984.
I saw them in July 1983 at The Marquee while I was on vacation in London, not having heard a note of their music. I still remember Geoff as The Collector and the Sgt. Major in Sequences, so when this album came out in 1984, I grabbed it immediately. I've listened to that (and the expanded 1996 version) regularly since. Nice to finally have the whole thing. The two shows were videotaped (the second night without sound ), so maybe in another 28 years, the video will show up for sale.
I love the Geoff Mann-era Twelfth Night, I love his lyrics and it's kind of interesting to speculate what would have happened if CBS had signed them like was rumored. Would he have stayed? How would their music have evolved? IMHO they're much better than the Fish-era Marillion of 1983/84, far less derivative, better lyrics, better players. OK, not Brian Devoil, he sounds like a hair metal drummer trying to play prog, but still.
Highly recommended for those that are in to this sort of thing.
Freedom along the way
Oh I'll sing celebration
I'll sing for a new day
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