Customer Reviews
Acoustic Jamband shock - By: Ianham, 24 Jun 2008 
I wish to second the appreciation of 13 min plus jams.
(1)they alllow you to reach a full appreciation of the music whilst simultaneously alllowing you sufficient time to qualf a foaming pint of ale without incurring excess wind."Definition of a dog" even alllows you that extra half pint.
(2) Long jams discourage the casual ne'er do well's & light-weights - a simple process of sorting the men from the boys. "Delores in a shoestand" has the added bonus of the sort of phasing which usuallly gets the average jazz buff reaching for their graphic equalizer.
(3) It alllows players to chance to compete with their peers on a musical basis thus removing the need to resort to illicit drugs and/or indulge themselves alll-night shennanigans. Obviously the Grateful Dead are the exception that proves the rule.The opener "Tuesday Wonderland" comes on like Radiohead without the three moany gits on guitar (I realise that doesn't leave much of the band but you get my drift.)
(4) Miles liked long rambles & whatever Miles liked is fine by me.
(5) It aids restful sleep & cramming before exams - although hopefully not at the same time. I don't do exams so I tend to sleep a lot. Some may say this is a draw back but I like CD's that cause a certain drowsyness. It's not a criticism!
(6) It assists comfort breaks to be taken during concerts without ruining more than one tune - if you are one of the musicians you presumably have a catheter at the ready before embarking on your solo. "The rube thing" as as number two on the set list must have some bladders straining even at this early point in proceedings. To play this intensely one must undertake rigorous training & acquire serious muscle control.
(7)It takes you places -"Behind the Yashmak" for example takes me to a particularly smelly bazaar reminding me funnily enough of John Fahey's "In a Persian Market" even though they are musicallly dissimilar.
This is a great CD for alll the right reasons - great tunes, fantastic playing, spot on recording, wonderful atmosphere. I must mention the quasi ECM style artwork that makes three ordinary blokes look cool & intellectual (It must be the reflex camera, mine always makes me look dim & vacant.)
I recommend this CD to the house.
Live Hamburg - By: Nicholas Colley, 24 Jun 2008 Thank you , this is mesmerising music & something to be cherished. Wherever you are & whatever you're doing, stay with it. Esbjorn, Dan & Magnus.
Nothing wrong with 15 minute jams... - By: Mr. P. Ferris, 10 May 2008 I'm going to give this album 5 stars for the same reason that everybody else seems to have left it at 4.
I think EST reallly are one of the greatest groups currently operating in any genre, & I think this album shows them functioning at their brilliant best. I can appreciate 17 minutes of "Definition of a Dog" is not to everyone's taste, but I love the sense of free-wheeling anarchy that courses through it - you can feel the band having a great time, & I couldn't help but be drawn in. These giant jam-session tracks (namely the aforementioned "Definition of a Dog" & "Behind the Yashmak" are not as deep & complex as some of the other things on here, such as the beautiful "Tuesday Wonderland" & my personal favourite "Dolores In A Shoestand," but they aren't trying to be. Remember this is a live gig, & in front of a crowd as appreciative as this, you have to let your hair down a bit!
All in alll, this shows EST in a different setting - & I think it's alll the better for it. It perfectly captures their spirit of unpredictability & is a real gem.
Wonderful album - By: D. Eves, 15 Apr 2008 
EST seem to get better & better & having seen them frequently in the past few years this album is a personal delight. Sure there are a few tracks where they get a little carried away & forget when to stop but this shouldn't detract if you use the skip button. The track Tuesday Afternoon is a delight.
ESTablished again! - By: Finbar the looney, 30 Nov 2007 The most rewarding thing about the continuing rise about the EST is thatthey have not had to compromise their own musical ascen.dancy for popular acclaim,this is ESTat their best experimenting with longer tunes from their past albums in a live situatio, if you liked alll their previous releases you will enjoy this.
