Pineapple Thief, The - Live 2003

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Self-released
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 60:32:00

Limited to a mere 250 numbered copies, this combined set of DVD and CD was sold out in a very short space of time. Recorded in Whitchurch (UK), Royan (France during the Crescendo festival) and Rotherham (UK) during the summer of 2003, the DVD contains images of the band's first ever concerts as Pineapple Thief. Shot with handheld cameras by friends with unsteady hands, by no means is this the kind of DVD that you would find next to the multi-angle visuals of Rush In Rio. Yet it serves as kind of a documentary of the band's humble early beginnings. However the audio quality that goes with the visuals most certainly is top of the range as the balance between acoustic and electric guitars is very detailed. Mixing black and white footage together with colour images also illustrates the arty elements present, so no doubt these guys could deliver a memorable show if only they were given the right amount of money. With "Preserve" recorded on a different location than the opening track "Part Zero," this time around we find ourselves inside a venue with people talking in the background during the softer passages. Why people attend gigs to chatter all the time I will never understand. Let's blame it on the stereo condenser microphone for the time being!

When I hear Bruce Soord sing, he reminds me of Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, but once our friends deliver the goods such as "Keep Dreaming" or "Kid Chameleon," it's authentic Radiohead all over. Delivering six tracks from their latest studio album Variations On A Dream and four from 137 the band's live set for sure leaves behind a big impression. OK, the band's stage presence can be seriously bettered, but don't forget these are images of the first ever three concerts by the band. Yet one thing's for sure: Bruce Soord is to become a star real soon, although at times his singing is not 100% perfect. However, if you look at the way Bruce tackles that guitar, then there's no doubt that everything he does comes from the heart, and that's only reserved for the BIG ones amongst the artists! A song like "Unspoken" (which on the album Variations On A Dream is called "This Will Remain Unspoken) clearly is a well-crafted song, which could do damned well in the charts if only the band was given a decent producer and, above all, some decent airplay. Throughout these recordings Soord's vocals are not always perfect, but then I tend to think that "practice makes perfect" so as long as Pineapple Thief gets plenty of opportunities to perform this band will get better and better. And when they get a real orchestra to help them out during "Subside" then this band will finally be able to really shine!

The DVD ends with footage of the various band members, whilst the backing track is a brand new song called "Bliss." This song, together with three other extra studio tracks, can be found on the audio disc that accompanies this great set. First on this disc you'll find the same concert as on the DVD, augmented with four bonus studio tracks. Indeed a nice extra as we wait for the band's next album. Ah, if only John Peel could put in a good word for these guys. With enough potential to become the next Radiohead or Coldplay, no doubt this very limited set "for fans only" will be a huge collectable in years to come. However, regardless of the value in forthcoming issues of Record Collector, I will never part with my copy. Who knows, one day I might carry it with me to an edition of Antiques Roadshow in 2034!

Tracklisting:
CD: Part Zero (7:58) / Preserve (4:59) / Keep Dreaming (4:04) / Kid Chameleon (6:21) / MD One (4:23) / Sooner Or Later (4:08) / Vapour Trails (8:56) / Unspoken (3:40) / 137 (5:17) / Subside (6:32) / Bonus Studio tracks : Bliss (3:52) / What A Way To Lose (2:47) / Crash (3:58) / Your World (3:20) (total time: 70:20)

Musicians:
Bruce Soord - guitars, vocals, keyboards
Wayne Higgins - guitars, backing vocals
Jon Sykes - bass, backing vocals
Matt O'Leary - keyboards
Keith Harrison - drums, backing vocals

Discography:
Abducting The Unicorn (1999)
137 (2002)
Variations On A Dream (2003)
Variations On A Dream - Ltd. Edition (2003)
Live 2003 (2003)
12 Stories Down (2004)
4 Stories Down (ep) (2005)
10 Stories Down (2005)
Little Man (2006)
What We Have Sown (2007)
Tightly Unwound (2008)
Someone Here Is Missing (2010)
Someone Here Is Live (2010)
All The Wars (2012)
Live At The 013 (2013)
Magnolia (2014)
Your Wilderness (2015)
Live 2014 (2015)
Where We Stood (2017)
Dissolution (2018)

Live 2003 (2004) (DVD+CD)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: June 7th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.pineapplethief.com
Hits: 1915
Language: english