Over the years, there have been quite a few on-stage releases from John Wetton – some close in their contents to the others but always revealing details that made them special in a way; some totally different and unique in their representation of classic repertoire – yet each new one still makes a connoisseur’s heart skip a beat, if occasionally for the wrong reason. This is the case with “Concentus”: a 10-CD box set which will be issued on November 15th and given a teasing subtitle “The John Wetton Live Collection, Volume One” to signal a launch of a tripartite series.
Featuring seven concerts, a festival appearance and a smattering of previously unaired soundcheck and rehearsal recordings, the new collection spans both full-ensemble shows where John unleashed his wild electricity with the likes of Billy Liesegang and John Young, Wetton’s solo performances where he fleshed out unplugged delivery with backing tapes and even more intimate outings in the company of Ian McDonald and Martin Orford, the forthcoming offering feels extremely alluring. However, it doesn’t only restore the original, long out-of-print discs, but also partially repeats what fairly recently saw the light of day on "Akustika / Akustika II" and "The Official Bootleg Archive - Vol. 1" – almost rendering these redundant, with the “almost” quite probably to get removed once the next volumes of “Live Collection” hit the shelves – and still, with all the rarities on display, and the veteran’s Progfest '97 stint being expanded, plus neat packaging, it seems like a must-have item.
CD 1 – Chasing The Dragon:
1. Heat Of The Moment
2. Don’t Cry
3. Rendezvous 6:02
4. Crime Of Passion
5. Caught In The Crossfire
6. Easy Money
7. In The Dead Of Night
8. Thirty Years
9. Only Time Will Tell
10. Hold Me Now
11. Starless
12. Book Of Saturday
13. Battle Lines
14. Open Your Eyes
15. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
CD 2 – Akustika – Live In Amerika:
1. Voice Of America
2. Hold Me Now
3. Rendezvous 6:02
4. Christina
5. Thirty Years
6. Only Time Will Tell
7. Book Of Saturday
8. Don’t Cry
9. Battle Lines
10. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
11. Heat Of The Moment
12. You’re Not The Only One
CD 3 – Live In Argentina – Part 1:
1. In The Dead Of Night
2. Sole Survivor
3. Only Time Will Tell
4. Voice Of America
5. Book Of Saturday
6. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
7. Thirty Years
8. Hold Me Now
9. Quilmes
10. Rendezvous 6:02
CD 4 – Live In Argentina – Part 2:
1. Thomas Lang’s Drum Solo
2. Caught In The Crossfire
3. Easy Money
4. Battle Lines
5. Heat Of The Moment
6. Starless
7. Don’t Cry
CD 5 – Hazy Monet:
1. The Circle Of St. Giles
2. Heat Of The Moment
3. Book Of Saturday
4. Sole Survivor
5. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
6. Thirty Years
7. Hold Me Now
8. Rendezvous 6:02
9. Quilmes
10. The Night Watch
11. Arkangel
12. Battle Lines
13. Starless
14. Easy Money
Concentus
CD 6 – Live In Osaka – Part 1:
1. Intro
2. The Last Thing On My Mind
3. Sole Survivor
4. I Can’t Lie Anymore
5. Battle Lines
6. John Young’s Keyboard Solo
7. Arkangel
8. Emma
9. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
10. The Night Watch
11. Thirty Years
12. Hold Me Now
13. Only Time Will Tell
CD 7 – Live In Osaka – Part 2:
1. Rendezvous 6:02
2. Thomas Lang’s Drum Solo
3. Easy Money
4. In The Dead Of Night
5. After All
6. Heat Of The Moment
7. Starless
8. Don’t Cry
CD 8 – ADAMA – Live In Amsterdam – Part 1:
1. The Circle Of St. Giles
2. In The Dead Of Night
3. Sole Survivor
4. Voice Of America
5. Billy Liesegang’s Guitar Solo
6. Battle Lines
7. Arkangel
8. The Night Watch
9. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
10. Thirty Years
11. Hold Me Now
12. Only Time Will Tell
13. Quilmes
CD 9 – ADAMA – Live In Amsterdam – Part 2:
1. Rendezvous 6:02
2. Thomas Lang’s Drum Solo
3. Caught In The Crossfire
4. Easy Money
5. Starless
6. Heat Of The Moment
7. Don’t Cry
Soundcheck:
8. Short Jam
9. All Along The Watchtower
10. Starless
CD 10 – Akustischa & Progfest 1997:
Akustischa:
1. Heat Of The Moment
2. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
3. Hold Me Now
4. Don’t Cry
5. Open Your Eyes
6. Battle Lines
7. Rendezvous 6:02
Rehearsals:
8. Book Of Saturday
9. Lament
10. You’re Not The Only One
11. Starless
12. Thirty Years
Progfest 1997:
13. In The Dead Of Night
14. Rendezvous 6:02
15. Sole Survivor
16. Battle Lines
17. Starless
