Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

With just one studio album to the super group’s name, to bring out a live C.D. might be considered slightly presumptuous, even possibly improper but then this is Flying Colours and when you have the outrageously good Mike Portnoy and Neal Morse of Transatlantic, Steve Morse, the beautiful resonating voice of Casey McPherson and Dave LaRue giving the audience at the wonderful venue of the 013 in Tilburg, then to be honest all you can do is sit down, and feel envious of those who made the trip to Holland and revel in the music coming through the speakers.

Live albums can divide opinion. There are those who wish to devour everything that a group or performer ever does, to hear the slight differences in the songs and sets played and to wish beyond measure that they could be at every single gig. Then there are those whose desire to lose themselves in each and every moment of a tour is more overwhelming than to sit at home feeling the bitter pangs of jealousy as the music overpowers them, so much so that they just get on with something else instead.  Both sides of the argument are valid but in the case of Flying Colour’s album Live In Europe, to sit at home, to listen on the bus or in the car that takes you too work each day or even whilst you drift off to sleep at night, is a rite of passage that enriches the experience and the admiration of the group.

Live in Europe is a mixture of songs from the fantastic studio album and popular favourites of the individual members of Flying Colours, with Dream Theatre’s Repentance, Spock’s Beard June and the sensational Can’t Find A Way standing alongside tracks such as Blue Ocean, Kayla, Infinite Fire, The Storm and Shoulda Coulda Woulda as the epitome of grace under the scrutiny of a huge live audience and the millions waiting to hear the album at home.

Flying Colours bring together the warmth and love to be found in a live set firmly into the living room with such ease that that they exemplify their name completely. The five outstanding musicians and technicians behind the scenes truly pass the difficult test of transferring a live show to C.D. with flying colours.

Ian D. Hall