2020 marks 50 years since CURVED AIR came into existence and, working toward the jubilee, the band not only opened their archives for an extensive reissue programme (not available for review on these pages) but also demonstrated – on a series of releases such as "Tapestry Of Propositions" – that their penchant for sonic experiment is still burning. Yet September 6th will see the issue of two items that should show the ensemble in a slightly different light.
One is an on-stage recording documenting their 45th anniversary concert recorded in September 2015 in London when the current line-up was graced by the presence of former members Darryl Way and Ian Eyre, and when they played the entire “Air Conditioning” album. The other a family album sort of thing, presenting rare cuts from the mothership alongside pieces from the artists’ solo and collaborative endeavors and stray numbers like “Soon” from the recent tribute to YES, where nine songs haven’t previously seen the light of day.
Here are the details of these releases.
“Live At Under The Bridge – The 45th Anniversary Concert”
Live At Under The Bridge
Disc One:
1. Atmospheric Prelude
2. Spider
3. Young Mother
4. Stay Human
5. Time Games
6. Melinda (More Or Less)
7. Images & Signs
8. Interplay
9. Marie Antoinette
10. Metamorphosis
Disc Two:
1. Introduction To Air Conditioning
2. Rob One
3. It Happened Today
4. Screw
5. Hide And Seek
6. Situations
7. Blind Man
8. Stretch
9. Propositions / Under The Bridge Improv
10. Vivaldi
11. Back Street Luv
12. Everdance
“The Curved Air Family Album”
The Family Album
Disc One:
1. Coming Home – CURVED AIR
2. Children Of The Cosmos – Darryl Way
3. Citadel – Sonja Kristina
4. Ouverture From Handel’s Suite No.7 In G Minor – Francis Monkman
5. Ichiban Girl – Sonja Kristina and Darryl Way
6. Coming Out – Mike Wedgwood
7. Screw – CURVED AIR
8. Towards Tomorrow – CURVED AIR
9. The Fury – CURVED AIR
10. Shame – Kirby And EN MASSE
11. Made In Hollywood – CURVED AIR
12. The Stars That Played With Lucky Joe’s Cards – Stewart Copeland
13. Midnight Wire (orchestral version) – CURVED AIR
Disc Two:
1. Stay Human – CURVED AIR
2. By The Fire – Paul Sax
3. Angel – Sonja Kristina
4. Boundless Optimism – Robert Norton
5. Moon Beams – Sonja Kristina and Robert Norton
6. One Step Forward – Chris Harris
7. Time Games – CURVED AIR
8. Labyrinth – RFK
9. Interplay – CURVED AIR
10. The Gift – Kit Morgan
11. Images And Signs – CURVED AIR
12. Paraselenae – Andy Tween
13. Soon – CURVED AIR
