Mangrove: Live Beyond Reality/More Or Less...An Acoustic Evening DVD's

Even though these two DVDs, Live Beyond Reality and More Or Less...An Acoustic Evening, from Dutch Progressive Rockers Mangrove were released some six months apart, in many ways they feel very much like companion pieces, right down to their Spartan, if rather neat packaging, where the spines continue into one another. Hence rather than review them separately, it feels more natural to bring the two releases together into one.

Released in 2009, Mangrove's third studio album Beyond Reality saw the band grow from being a competent, if slightly understated Progressive outfit, into fully fledged masters of the genre, with songs such as "Voyager", "Time Will Tell" and "Beyond Reality" itself, proving to be captivating, multifaceted pieces of music with the ability to transfix and inspire in equal measure. Capturing the band just as they had completed recording this album, Live Beyond Reality is notable both for being the final show that drummer Joost Hagemeijer would play with Mangrove and for capturing the whole of the Beyond Reality album live. The performance is split into two sets, a "Black Show" and a "White Show", easily distinguishable, as the band perform the first half fully attired in black, while in the second...well I think you can work it out for yourself. More importantly however the black half consists of older material from the Massive Hollowness mini-album, Touch Wood and Facing The Sun, showing the band to be confident, talented musicians, who give an engaging performance. The white half, however is Beyond Reality played in its entirety and due to the unfamiliarity that the band had with this material at this time, the approach is more concentrated and focused, although the results are, if anything even more convincing. Highlights from the first set come in the shape of the ever evolving "There Must Be Another Way", "City Of Darkness" and "Zone III", while settling on a song that isn't a highlight from the second set is actually quite a tough task, although that said "Love And Beyond" and "Beyond Reality" are stunning to say the least. Clocking in at just over two hours this release never dips, holding your attention from start to finish, which is impressive in itself, especially when you consider than it is only really singer/guitarist Roland Van Der Horst who makes much effort to roam the stage. Obviously Hagemeijer is ensconced behind his drums and keyboard player Chris Jonker is similarly trapped behind his rig (and a lack of camera time on him during the black set is rather frustrating, although it is a glitch that is rectified for the white set), although a little more animation from bassist Pieter Drost wouldn't go amiss. However that observation is an extremely nit-picky one, in what is an otherwise excellent DVD.

As its title suggests, More Or Less...An Acoustic Evening, finds Mangrove in a different setting, with acoustic guitar and bass, Hammond organ and piano being backed by session percussionist and drummer Aldert Glas, who switches from kit to hand percussion and back again numerous times, proving to be a real asset in these surroundings, especially for a "stand-in". Dressed in all white again (Horst has seriously questionable taste in frilly silk shirts by the way), this DVD is undoubtedly more about the music than the "performance" and while, as a fan of the band I found More Or Less..., to be equally captivating, if not maybe even more so than Live Beyond Reality, I would think that it would definitely be the harder of the two releases for newer fans of the band to get in to. Due partly to the fact that Mangrove record most, if not all of their shows and that Live Beyond..., wasn't initially intended for a full release eleven tracks are duplicated between the two DVDs (leaving only two exclusive to Live... and four to More...). However the opportunity to compare the vastly different arrangements and use of instruments between the two, actually makes both releases even more interesting. In fact many of the tracks on More Or Less actually need your full attention to work out exactly which song is being reinterpreted, showing the versatility of the musicians, both as performers and arrangers. Highlights this time round, although again I'm choosing the best of the best here, are an emotional "Facing The Sunset", a poignant "I Close The Book" and a raucous "Beyond Reality" (although you must have guessed by now that I do really like this song!), although as stated, I could easily pick a different three to showcase and be equally happy with the choices.

Both of these releases come in smart, if simple digi-pak cases, with a single sheet "booklet", with a nice introduction from keyboard player Chris Jonker and neither have any extras whatsoever. However in terms of their musical merits I have no hesitation in recommending either to followers of melodic Progressive Rock. For fans of the band, both are undoubtedly no-brainer purchases, although for interested newbies, I'd recommend Live Beyond Reality over More Or Less, but only as previously mentioned because it is more instantly accessible. Either way, both DVDs show Mangrove to be one of the best, under rated bands in Progressive Rock and are well worth watching again and again.

Track Listing

LIVE BEYOND REALITY
SET 1 The Black Show
1. I Fear The Day
2. Facing The Sunset
3. Zone III
4. Fatal Sign
5. Wizard Of Tunes
6. City Of Darkness
7. There Must Be Another Way

SET 2 The White Show
8. Daydreamer's Nightmare
9. Time Will Tell
10. Love And Beyond
11. Reality Fades
12. Beyond Reality
13. Voyager

MORE OR LESS...AN ACOUSTIC EVENING
1. Zone I
2. Zone II
3. Zone III
4. Facing The Sunset
5. I Fear The Day
6. Wizard Of Tunes
7. I Close The Book
8. City Of Darkness
9. Fatal Sign
10. There Must Be Another Way
11. Love And Beyond
12. Voyager
13. Time Will Tell
14. Here Comes Te Flood
15. Beyond Reality

Added: April 15th 2012
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Mangrove Music Online
Hits: 2889
Language: english

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