From the luxury cruise ship tour "CRUISE TO THE EDGE 2014" held from April 7th to 12th, 2014, the first day stage of the UK (9th) is completely recorded, the best performance, and the best sound quality are all three of the best, and this title is sealed on CD in ultra-quality! The transparency, punch, range and depth of the recorded sound are already soundboard class, but the bass in particular is captured with a close sound image as if it was being played right in front of you, making it a must-have for Wetton fans. Another feature of this year's UK is that Virginal Donati is back on drums. He was a temporary member of UK as a replacement for Terry, who left the band after last year's CRUISE TO THE EDGE "2013" (a total of six North American performances from April 19 to 27, 2013), but many people remember him as a person who competed fiercely with Mike Mangini, who was ultimately selected as the final selection for the successor drummer of DREAM THEATER when Portnoy left the band in 2010. Eddie also seemed to like Donati's drums, and when the planned members of UK for the next CRUISE TO THE EDGE 2014 (the performance recorded on this album), which was announced on July 20, 2013, Donati's name was already announced, and this time it was realized as announced. It was also an important factor in inspiring Eddie and Wetton, and the original two members' passionate performances with their fresh drum approach are recorded with superb sound quality. At the beginning of Disc-1, the first song that emerges from a noisy violin improvisation is "Starless". It was played in the middle of the show in April last year, the first performance with Donati, but it will be surprising to see this as the opening number. Of course, it seems that they were calculating that people would talk about "starting the show with Starless!", but the real intention was probably to have people check the current U.K.'s performance ability with a popular difficult song that everyone knows well. If you are worried about the performance in the first place, it is a song that you would not select in the first place, and in fact it is a very good performance, and you will be pleased from the beginning with the sudden appearance of the close and transparent "Starless". "In The Dead Of Night" was performed with a strong driving feeling on this day as well, and the depth and power of the performance sound that is transmitted to the ears with a punch is wonderful. Wetton's vocals are also attractive here, and you will be sure to be captivated by the dramatic performance and sound image, such as the crisp bass sound and the restrained guitar that comes in in the middle part. When we move on to "By The Light Of Day", Wetton's thick and solid singing ability is highlighted, but the volume contrast with the soft sounds such as the delicate keyboards and finely moving cymbals in the background is recorded so well that we hope you will pay attention to this as well. "Thirty Years" fully demonstrates the power of this recording, and the way the notes fly through a wide range of sounds, from low to high, as well as soft to loud, is captured in detail. For example, in the beginning of the song, which is bassless, you can follow the delicate movements of the guitar and cymbal toms, and as the song changes, the bass comes in (around 3:57), which has a stronger attack on each note, and the keyboard and guitar melody that starts to sing loudly in the background conveys the richness of the high range with a wonderful tone, and you will be amazed at the way these harmonies intersect freely. Just before the end of the song, there is a part where Wetton's powerful bass line stands out (around 7:39-54), which is also a hidden highlight. Disc-2 is the second half of the show. In the beginning of "Time To Kill", various tones move around in a harmonious manner, but please pay attention to the high resolution of each sound with a solid outline. Here, too, the bass with a strong effect can be heard very close, but at the same time, Wetton's powerful singing is also a big topic, making it a scene that his fans will love. "Nevermore" is a masterpiece that further evolves the quality of the original song, and is probably the most musically fulfilling scene of the day. The dialogue between the piano and guitar in the first half of the song is so clear that you can hear each sound, and even in the impressive scene before the end where the music becomes blurred, the mysterious musical change is perfectly recorded down to the faintest sounds. The difficult song "Mental Medication", which was included in the set for the first time at last year's Japan performance, has many scenes that seem difficult to play, but what I want to pay attention to here is the fact that the other three members are struggling, relying on Eddie's unwavering melody. Unlike the other songs performed, the contrast in each person's interpretation of the song is clearly highlighted, which is what makes this song interesting. "The Only Thing She Needs" shows Donati's skills well, and you can feel that there are few drummers other than Terry who can liven up the song so brilliantly from the bottom up. That's why Eddie and Wetton are often seen riding the beat more comfortably than other songs and performing brilliantly. In addition, because the bands were running late on this day, "Caesar's Palace Blues" and "Forever Until Sunday" were not performed as originally planned (※ They were performed on the 11th, but "Mental Medication" was removed instead), but because of that, the show was a little shorter and unusual, which is also a unique point of this title. Even though Terry has left, the U.K. is not over yet. Rather, if you listen to this, you will get a good sense of how the band's history is stepping into unknown territory as the baton is handed over to Donati. Live at Pantheon Theater, MSC Divina, Docked at Cozumel, Mexico 9th April 2014 ULTIMATE SOUND Disc 1 (39:15) 1. Violin Intro 2. Starless 3. In The Dead Of Night 4. By The Light Of Day 5. Presto Vivace And Reprise 6. Thirty Years Disc 2 (46:15) 1. Alaska 2. Time To Kill 3. Nevermore 4. Mental Medication 5. Carrying No Cross 6. Band Introductions 7. The Only Thing She Needs John Wetton - Bass, Vocals Eddie Jobson - Keyboards, Violin Virgil Donati - Drums Alex Machacek - Guitar
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