Ruins - Live in Guang Zhou - China

All Music Guide

Is this a good album by the Ruins? Yes, definitely. Is it a necessary one? See, that's where it hurts. Live in Guang Zhou -- China was recorded on August 13, 2000, only a month after the concert released by Tzadik as Mandala 2000. The two discs share 12 tracks (out of Guang Zhou's 19). Granted, the order in which they appear is quite different, short improvisations creep in between numbers, and the whole thing has the energy of a roller coaster, but the fact remains that the album feels like a repeat of Mandala 2000. All the key tracks are there: "Quetzalcoatl," "Yawiquo," "Bupphairodazz," and the progressive rock and classical music medleys. Fans will not mind because they know that there are bound to be differences, and recouped mistakes -- they feast on those -- but the casual listener will need to choose and the Tzadik disc is more generous in terms of duration. That said, Live in Guang Zhou -- China offers an excellent ride. Yoshida Tatsuya and Sasaki Hisashi are in excellent shap...e, going from one tune to the next at the speed of light, like a crack-boosted Japanese version of Magma. The idea that a duo of only drums and bass can be limited never crosses your mind. Wong Lei joins in on vocals for the concluding "Improvisation," which is simultaneously scary and stupid -- the Ruins' conception of avant-garde vaudeville. Recommended, given the above warning. - François Couture, All Music Guide Read more Less