Kayak - Eyewitness


Year of Release: 1994
Label: Pseudonym
Catalog Number: CDP-1018-DD
Format: CD
Total Time: 53:26:00

Originally recorded as a live album containing most of their "hits," Eyewitness was in fact conceived ? in the studio! In fact, the band recorded the entire album with a live feel, but ? without an audience! All of the tracks were recorded in the famous Wisseloord studios in Holland. Later, 200 members of the band's fanclub were dragged in so their applause could be recorded. The fake audience has not been included on this CD-transfer so what you get here is the "real" sound of the band, how they sounded live without the polished studio treatment.

"Ruthless Queen" remains one of the many highlights in the band's remarkable career. There's the funkiness of "Want You To Be Mine" (although I remember having seen Kayak live when I was young (gasp), and hearing that track more in a Uriah Heep fashion) and the driven force of "Chance For A Lifetime" including some superb Moog interventions! There's an almost disco-feel with "Who's Fooling Who" before Scherpenzeel can musically show his love for his wife in the instrumental "Irene," which sounds very much like Camel what with Johan Slager throwing in some cool Latimer chords!

One of the all-time Kayak live favourites, "Starlight Dancer," is also included here, although it sort of misses what made the studio version so special. Hard and driving is "No Man's Land" with a versatile Scherpenzeel banging the ivories whilst Slager joins in with some stunning guitar licks. Two interesting bonus tracks have been added here. "Car Enchanter" is a specially recorded version from the Merlin album, recorded for Keystone products. "Ivory Dance '94" is a re-recorded instrumental with a nice minimal build-up.

If you're fed up with greatest hits packages and still want to own a cross-section of a band's material then this one's for you. By means of the various moods, it clearly depicts the great potential which was always available within Kayak, one of the biggest names in "acceptable progpop from Holland!"


Tracklisting:
Eyewitness (3:21) / Periscope Life (4:09) / Ruthless Queen (5:05) / Want You To Be Mine (4:48) / Lyrics (1:59) / Chance For A Lifetime (4:22) / Who's Fooling Who (3:44) / Irene (3:12) / Only You And I Know (3:12) / Winning Ways (3:28) / Starlight Dancer (4:58) / No Man's Land (5:22) / Bonus tracks : The Car Enchanter (2:36) / Ivory Dance (2:51)

Musicians:
Ton Scherpenzeel - keyboards
Johan Slager - guitars
Max Werner - drums
Peter Scherpenzeel - bass
Edward Reekers - vocals

Discography:
See See The Sun (1973)
Kayak II (1974)
Royal Bed Bouncer (1975)
The Last Encore (1976)
Starlight Dancer (1977, US version)
Phantom Of The Night (1978)
Periscope Life (1980)
Merlin (1981)
Eyewitness (1982/1994)
Close To The Fire (2000)
Chance For A Livetime (2001)
Merlin - The Bard Of The Unseen (2003)
Nostradamus - The Fate Of Man (2CD) (2005)
Excerpts From Nostradamus - The Fate Of Man (1CD) (2005)
KAYAKoustic Live (2007)
Coming Up For Air (2008)
The Anniversary Concert (CD/DVD) (2008)
The Anniversary Box (CD/DVD) (2008)
Letters From Utopia (2009)
Anywhere But Here (2011)
Cleopatra - The Crown Of Isis (2014)
Journey Through Time (2017)
Seventeen (2018)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin NL

Added: July 11th 2001
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.kayakonline.info
Hits: 2598
Language: english

  

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