Search - Anthony Phillips :: Living Room Concert

Anthony Phillips overcoming stagefright.

barbellion | Leiden, Netherlands | 11/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anthony Phillips is one of the world's masters on the twelve string guitar. He may have experimented with numerous other instruments over the years, when it comes down to just him and the guitar, he is at his peak. Just as he is when he has the least possible production. "Private Parts & Pieces I", that rough collection of half-faded demo-tapes, is still a favorite Ant-record of mine, as is no. V, as is this one. Stripped down, cut back and live. Despite his famous stage fright (for which he left Genesis), Phillips' music gains a huge benefit from the spontaneity playing live forces onto a musician, as it does on "The Living Room Concert". From the first noticably nervous tones of "Reaper", Phillips gains himself a confidence while playing, showing that he may not have a very powerful voice, but that he sings songs like "Which Way The Wind Blows" and "Sistine" with more understanding and sense of measure, and therefore better, than "a certain mister P. Collins", as Ant refers to the original singer of the first hereforementioned track. Beautiful pieces like "Conversation Piece" and the last track on the album, finish the record and fortify it, probably much against Phillips' will, as one of his freshest and therefore better releases."