Chris Thompson is one of those people who has helped shape the history of rock music and you could definitely say he’s one of the “voices of rock”, with his distinctive vocal style, which has thrilled us on albums by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Gary Moore, Jeff Wayne, Mike Oldfield, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Alan Parsons, Starship and so on.After leaving Manfred Mann’s Earth Band he has embarked on a successful solo career, which sees him mostly touring Germany and Scandinavia, places where classic rock acts are still thriving when it comes to live performances. From one such tour comes his latest live album, Berlin Live & Live at the Colos-saal, a 2CD/DVD combo, which is a mouth-watering prospect for any Chris Thompson fan.
As Chris is best remembered for his role as Manfred Mann Earth Band singer and that's what the fans still want to hear, we naturally find that the track list is dominated by MMEB material. But that's okay, the band puts its own slant on things and aren't afraid to branch out in directions that MMEB didn't go. Don't get me wrong, the songs are still recognisable, but there's enough going on to give the songs a new shine. And Chris and the band sure know how to polish these already pretty flawless jewels.
Besides the MMEB material, which is a must at Chris Thompson shows these days, a few nice surprises also tickle our adventurous nerves. We have some of Chris’s solo songs, but the greatest surprise comes in the form of You’re the Voice, a song which Chris co-wrote for John Farham’s huge hit. We were supposedly also close to getting something off War of the Worlds, with which Chris had toured recently, but it was unfortunately not included (or maybe not even performed). Despite getting 2 CDs and 1 DVD, there is of course still not enough room to capture even a fragment of this man’s collaborations.
The band is in full flight on the whole album. It’s no surprise really, they’ve been together for a while now. They bring a breath of fresh air to all the songs and offer Chris a variety of choices. Chris sounds really good, though it has to be said that his voice has lost some of its power, but he still remains totally convincing in his delivery and performance. Most of all, the band seems to be enjoying itself and Chris still looks like he loves being on stage, even after all these years.
This is a must document for true Chris Thompson fans. If you’re a fan of MMEB, this might actually be good value for money because you get a ton of MMEB music and it’s also an opportunity to investigate Chris’s other projects.
8 out of 10
A review copy of this album was provided by the record labelGonzo Multimedia and Glass Onyon PR
Check out Chris Thompson's Gonzo Artist Page
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