Track Listing

1. Ritt Mickley
2. One Left Handed Peter Pan
3. Diamond Hard Blues Apples Of The Moon
4. Someday
5. Papillon
6. She Belongs To Me
7. Grand Canyon Suite
8. Refugee Jam

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109797 in Music
• Released on: 2007-03-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Customer Reviews

Surprising find in this great live recording from Moraz and company
For anyone into keyboard based prog rock from the 70's this release is manna from heaven. Refugee, the trio of Patrick Moraz (keyboards), Lee Jackson (bass, vocals) and Brian Davison (drums) only made one studio album before Moraz was whisked away by Yes. For many who deem the debut album "Refugee" as a classic of the genre, they were left wanting more, knowing that was that. Well, while biographer Martyn Hanson was interviewing Brian Davison back in 2001 he asked if there were any live tapes of "The Nice". He had none, but did have a C90 cassette of live "Refugee", recorded at Newcastle City Hall in 1974. It's from that tape that this CD has been produced. Now, the prospect of a live album taken from a cassette does not bode well, but this was recorded straight from the mixing desk. Surprisingly it sounds pretty good. Not outstanding as there are a few sonic limitations as would be expected. But it's the performances that shine through. The band are on top form and rip through extended selections from their album, still to be released when this was recorded, as well as a take on The Nice's "The Diamond Hard Blues Apples Of the Moon" and a couple of unreleased gems, including a fantastic work out of Bob Dylans "She Belongs To Me" with some bonkers synths from Moraz.

Moraz's keyboard playing is outstanding, as he moves effortlessly around his arsenal of synths, Hammond organ, electric piano, clavinets and so forth. Some of his playing is really funky, especially on the final track, "Refugee Jam", where the band show how well they interact in a live setting. You are left wishing there was more of this stuff! Lee Jackson's bass is really up-front and punchy, though his vocals, never the strongest part of this band, really highlight the limitations of the source recording.

Hats off to Chris Patterson and Jean Ristori on bringing this to CD and making it sound the best it possibly could. The CD booklet is excellently produced by Jon Price, who did an expert job on the recent re-issues of Patrick Moraz's back catalogue. There is an informative essay by Martyn Hanson, press cuttings and lots of superb archival photos of the band in concert. Nice photos of Moraz's slinky! Well done to Voiceprint and all concerned for the work they have done in putting this together.

This is such a welcome live document from band that existed all too briefly and is a beautifully put together package. For many fans of the band, the fact that this recording not only existed but has actually been released is nothing short of miraculous!

If you like the Nice, ELP, Early Yes, this is for you
I loved the Nice etc in the 60s/70s. I loved the heavy keybord driven songs of Traffic, Hardin and York and Spooky Tooth. Refugee only released one album and then that was it, Mr Moraz went to join Yes and Lee and Brians musical days were over. The folks of today don't know what they have missed. Well now here is a chance to find out. Sourced from a cassette ( remember them?) This gig was a chance to see where the Nice might have gone if Mr Emerson hadn't jumped ship. Yes, Lee Jacksons vocals, although fitting some songs, really were very poor, annoyingly so in some cases, yet somehow they seemed to suit the music. (You can see why Greg Lake was such a more attractive prospect as a bass player/singer). But, Brian Davisons drumming always was brilliant and driving, as much so as anything Carl Palmer ever did and also generated such a mood of anticipation throughout the live gigs that Emerson never again gained the power that Brian could generate during a concert. Pat M plays like a demon and the whole concert just....rocks. Do yourself a favour experience the driving analogue synths and Hammonds that only the 70s could really do authentically. This is a step back in time