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Triumph - Stages Audio CD

A fair review of the Triumph "Stages" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Triumph reviews here, or go back to the Triumph tabs.

Triumph Band: Triumph
Title: Stages
Rating:
Release Date: 2004-11-09
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: When the Lights Go Down 2: Never Surrender 3: Hold On 4: Magic Power 5: Rock & Roll Machine 6: Lay It on the Line 7: World of Fantasy 8: Midsummer's Daydream 9: Spellbound 10: Follow Your Heart 11: Fight the Good Fight 12: Mind Games 13: Empty Inside

Great music, bad packaging
But not just because they don't fit well with the live tracks, or because they are quite poor songs (especially "Empty Inside", a very lame ballad). The other reviewer is absolutely right: the two studio tracks are out of place and should NOT be on this remastered cd. No, even worse, because this means that a live song that was originally included in the vinyl version (i. e. "Allied Forces") has been left out of the cd! You really have to wonder who chooses to put studio tracks instead of live tracks on a live album.

Another complaint (but this was already so in the vinyl version as well) is that the applause is faded out between the songs. Obviously, this is because the tracks were taken from various shows during different tours, but by not mixing the tracks together, it's harder to get into the feeling that you are really witnessing a live show.

These remarks aside, the actual live music on this CD is great, especially Never Surrender, Magic Power, A World of Fantasy and Fight the Good Fight. The songs often sound even better live than in their (often too polished) studio versions, making this pretty much the best overview of Triumph's music around. If not for the bad packaging this would be a five-star CD.


A Triumph In Live Concert Recording
Triumph were specialists in the field of concert performance and this remaster of their 1985 Concert piece entitled "Stages" is a testament to that fact. There is nothing like a good live album when it comes to big arena-level rock. The CD was originally recorded over the course of several of the bands tours, so the fact that is crosses many years in their career makes it all that much more interesting to listen to. Like all live albums of the time, this particular one did not skimp on including all of the classic numbers. The radio hits as well as the fan favorites are all here to listen to in a fresh and cleaner production.

For those fans who already own the original version of the CD you will be happy to know that the drum solo by Gil Moore that was excluded on the release when medium went from vinyl to CD is included once again. The surprise to me was still leaving the two studio tracks that were here instead of perhaps modifying it for an unreleased or unheard classic. I thought it would have been prudent to move them to a different remaster, but they did not do anything different on that end.

As with the other remasters in the Triumph catalog there is no bonus material included. I was not happy about this fact, but do enjoy seeing the time taken to expand on the original booklet artwork as well as making sure that the production was as concise and clean as possible. Triumph were one of those bands that you just had to see in concert, and owning this remaster just made me relive the experience all over again. They are one group that I hope does some sort of reunion sometime soon.
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You can see a complete list of all Triumph discography, or go back to the Triumph tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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