The Curious Paradise ‘double whammy’: This release contains an audio CD plus a bonus DVD of part of the concert! As you will see from the track listing below, the selections are pretty much as the studio album. So why put out such a similar programme? Well, as you’ll see from the blurb in ‘About Curious Paradise’ the production of this album was really something of a surprise. We were touring to promote the first album and serendipitously we ended up with a live version that was too good to leave on the shelf. In any event, the addition of Steve Hamilton and Steve Watts lifted the band a gear and inevitably influenced the whole colour of sound we were creating. This, coupled with the fact that the band had now some serious touring experience under its collective belt, meant that the pieces had a new energy which merited being documented.
There are plans for a full-length DVD in the near future which will include additional narrative footage. For now, this vignette contains half an hour of the concert. The audio quality is notable for its ‘studio-like’ clarity and warmth, without having lost any of that vital ‘live’ presence. A treat for hi-fi buffs!
Personel: Pete Oxley electric, acoustic, synth guitars Mark Lockheart tenor, soprano saxophones; bass clarinet Steve Hamilton piano; keyboards Steve Watts acoustic, electric basses; percussion Russ Morgan drums; percussion
Audio CD recorded live at the Zodiac Club, Oxford, 20th May ‘04; mixed at ‘The Better Button’ by Adrian Zolotuhin in January ‘05. DVD filmed by Robin Hill at The Zodiac Club, Oxford 20th May ‘04.
