Don' be fooled by the cover, Fujio aint on this particular platter of Rallizes action. Mizutani has another guitarist in addition to the bassist and drummer, who they are remains a mystery.
Four tracks of live rock action from 1973 - a short and sweet package in quality low fidelity crunch - in particular, you can hear Mizutani's youthful exuberance in his singing and guitar slinging.
The disc begins and fades into the repeat-o rock oblivion one can only call Field of Artificial Flowers, and what a scorched earth version this is. If you have doubts about this being their best rocker, put them aside as Mizutani and company GROOVE like no other on the intro stanzas, and then out of nowhere, after piercing the highest registers with his hyper treble distortion, the group slinks into an amazing CAVEMAN lock groove (imagine Yoo Doo Right on fire) that stomps its way down the island. Serious rare wah damage from Mizutani as he leads the march in face melting solos of white hot electricity until the bassist suddenly picks up the original groove, their spinal cords energized enough to belt out the final rock groove, Mizutani sounding like he absorbed enough energy to belt out the chorus to the highest mountain climbers. Unfortunately, as they pick up the lock groove again, the track fades out - argh. This is THE DEFINITIVE VERSION of Field, unlike any others with that caveman stomp and hyper treble frying electricity- such a great version.
Fade into The Last One, but here its not quite fully formed, adding credence to the fact that this IS probably from 1973 (same concert even). The drummer is in particular bashing away heavily as Mizutani is shout-screaming his invocations, the guitar trying to pierce the mighty THUD of it all. And THUD it does, odd drums fills pulsating around the beat / until tape cut into later in the song with Mizutani yelling at the mic until it fades out oddly. Great thudding version - so intersting to hear as its still being worked into the death march.
Night of The Assassins fades in next, upbeat and spiky- great cutting rhythm guitar contrasting Mizutani's electrical storm outbursts. The rhythm section is really tight for a Rallizes concert on this number, Mizutani letting loose with a more lyrical side in his solos than the past two numbers. Mizutani is coo-ing in tune and everything until he decides to erupt at the end with his guitar, shards of black everywhere until the fade out. A great upbeat version of the Rallizes staple.
Field of Artificial Flowers (Take 2) comes screaming in, but there is no way this is the same song - this is an entirely different bass line, vocal melody and tempo - could be from the end jam that was faded off from the earlier version (the lead guitar still in that searing high treble style). Anyways, what a great jam it is nonetheless, a giant swooping bass hook anchors the two minute composition, guitar screaming between vocal exhortations from Mizutani, almost a great POP song in that destruct-o Rallizes way until the fade out.
Its so nice to hear the 1973 punk Rallizes laying down their electric synapse rock, destroying membranes everywhere in their path. Like the best parts of Live 1972, we get a glimpse of the FURY that can be projected from Mizutani and company in the straight-on ROCK mode - no ballads. While not as devastating it its totality of vision as Live 77, this ranks right up there in the Rallizes canon, 30 minutes and all. An electric 9/10 - PD
the last track is actually deeper than the night :)
ReplyDeleteWhich is odd because the first logged performance of Deeper Than the Night is 1974 (Night of the Assassins didn't even come along until '76), I don't think this release is all one show from 1973.
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ReplyDeleteAnyone got a copy of this one?
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