RPWL: START THE FIRE

Cover	Release	Style
	2005	symphonic rock
	Label
	Inside Out
	Website
	www.rpwl.de
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	cd 1: 61’26”- cd 2 : 67’03”	SPV48612 DCD
	Review by	Rating
	Luc	10/10
nederlands	Review
What can I say about RPWL’s music that hasn’t been written on this website yet? One of the major examples of contemporary symphonic rock with obvious roots in Pink Floyd music. This live cd, recorded during the WORLD THROUGH MY EYES TOUR 2005, is a compilation of the best songs RPWL ever made. Indeed, you will find songs on it from every album they made. So this review’s purpose is not to judge the music as such - this has been done in previous reviews on the different albums – but rather to find out if it was worth while making a live cd. I had my doubts I must admit. Not that I don’t like the music; RPWL is one of my favourite bands. But I know they don’t play big halls or stadiums so will the live atmosphere be of any importance? And indeed, there are never the big cheering crowds in between the songs and that’s a pity for a live album. But what about the music? Have the songs got an extra compared to the studio recordings? Yes, they do. Technically they have all been perfectly performed and the sound as well as the intensity of the solos do contain the intensity of live music. Highlights are “Who do we think we are”, “Roses” (sung by Ray Wilson who also has a guest appearance with a perfect “Not About Us” from Genesis’ “Calling All Stations”), “The Gentle Art of Swimming” and “Hole in the Sky”. Nice about “Roses” is the short insert of Genesis’ “I Know what I like”. It’s amazing how perfect everything sounds and how well the passion enters the living room through the speakers. Only the incredibly beautiful “Crazy Lane” sounds far better in the studio version in my opinion. The immense intensity of this song slightly disappears, although you can’t objectively say there’s anything wrong with the live version. RPWL has never hidden that they have been strongly influenced by Pink Floyd. Therefore it’s no surprise that they play two covers of this band. A dangerous mission, ‘cause everyone is familiar with the unearthly perfection this band shows on stage an still, RPWL accepts the challenge. A close to perfect “Welcome to the Machine”, including sound effects, in which Yogi’s voice sounds amazingly similar to Roger Waters’. But there’s also “Cymbaline”, a cover of the Pink Floyd song on “More”. This song lasts for 15 minutes and is combined with a large part of the “Atom Heart Mother Suite”. There’s only one word to summarize this: AMAZING! The gentleness of “Cymbaline” itself and the grandeur of “Atom Heart Mother” a work of art that requires full orchestra and choir, and still RPWL succeeds in making you forget there’s only the five of them on stage. Drumming, guitars, bass and synthesizers all take the listener to an experience that is unique. One should even buy the cd just to hear this one song! There’s also one studio track on the album: “New Stars are born”. This previously unreleased song leans close to the sound we have come to know so well. A bit closer to “God has failed” than anything else perhaps and that is a good thing, as this is definitely my favourite. The song I slow, the singing gentle and the drumming perfect in a style that gets close to the way Nick Mason drums. There’s also a very Pink Floyd like bit in the middle of the song that makes you think a bit of “Echoes”. The guitar solo is just amazing! If the new studio album will contain songs like this one, it might become the best thing they’ve ever made.
Musicians
Yogi Lang: vocals, keyboards Kalle Wagner: guitars, vocals Chris Postl: bass, bass pedals, vocals Markus Jehle: keyboards Manni Müller: drums, vocals
Tracklist
CD1 Sleep Start The Fire Who Do You Think We Are Day On My Pillow Roses (feat. Ray Wilson) Not About Us (feat. Ray Wilson) The Gentle Art Of Swimming Wasted Land Crazy Lane Trying To Kiss The Sun CD2 World Through My Eyes Opel Cymbaline Welcome To The Machine I Don't Know Hole In The Sky New Stars Are Born (complete studio version, bonustrack)
Discography
Start The Fire – Live (2005) World Through My Eyes (2005) Stock (2003) Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002) God Has Failed (2000)


Beekstraat 1 - B-2640 Mortsel - Belgium