DFA - Work In Progress Live


Year of Release: 2001
Label: MoonJune Records
Catalog Number: MJR003
Format: CD
Total Time: 66:34:00

DFA performed for the first time live here in the U.S at the annual NEARfest concerts on June 17, 2000 at Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center. The group hails from Italy and has quite an international following. This performance was a key factor in elevating their status as one of the premier prog-rock bands in the world in the eyes of the American audience. The responses of the audience show that they were an enormous success. The group is Silvio Minella (guitars), Luca Baldassari (electric bass), Alberto De Grandis (drums, vocals) and Alberto Bonomi (keyboards, vocals).

DFA's music is heavy on the keyboards with a multitude of layering of all the other instruments, which makes for a remarkable listening experience. The separation of each instrument is astounding for a live recording; it's difficult to notice if it's actually live or in the studio. If it wasn't for the dialogue and the crowd's response to the music you would never know the difference. I have to tip my hat to Giampaolo Righetti, the mixing and remastering had a profound effect on this recording. An extraordinary amount of time and effort went into this process, you can tell. The musicianship in this group is quite simply put, out of this world. Most of the music is instrumental. A few of the tracks offer vocals in their native tongue. The vocals are pleasant and they reminded me of Airto Moreira when he did those echoing background vocalizations on Al DiMeola's Soaring Through A Dream album. The vocals don't actually sound like Airto, they have the same texture and quality, which creates the same ambiance if you will.

Work In Progress Live is exactly what it says it is ... music that's in a constant state of building and changing. "La Via" is their prog-rock masterpiece, clocking in at over fifteen minutes; in fact, there isn't a track under six minutes on the entire recording, which is status quo for any good progressive work. This a solid release from start to finish with absolutely no weaknesses whatsoever. Progressive rock doesn't get any better than this, and this live recording could easily set the standard for other groups that are looking to achieve the same results. I can't possibly imagine that a group this good could possibly get any better, but I am sure they will. They will most certainly become legends in no time if they maintain the standards and quality that they set when they play live. I haven't had the pleasure to hear one of their studio recordings yet, although I am sure that they are just as fantastic as what I heard on this disc. Keep your eyes on this group; they are paving a path that others will soon take.


Tracklisting:
Escher (10:08) / Caleidoscopio (9:16) / Trip On Metró (6:36) / La Via (15:25) / Pantera (8:10) / Ragno (11:12)

Musicians:
Silvio Minella - guitars
Luca Baldassari - bass
Alberto De Grandis - drums, vocals
Alberto Bonomi - keyboards, vocals

Discography:
Lavori In Corso (1997)
Duty Free Area (1999)
Work In Progress Live (2001)
#4 (2008)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin IT

Added: February 8th 2002
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck

Artist website: www.dutyfreearea.it
Hits: 2314
Language: english

  

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