Posted: 19 November 2011 at 5:17pm | IP Logged

I finally downloaded Der Kommissar (the album) from Amazon, as I thought it would fill the odd gap in my collection (which it does), and remind me what their studio tracks sounded like. Well, to an extent it was OK, although most of the Studio work does tend to sound a touch overproduced when you're used to the live stuff. Maybe it's just dated. But, o dear! Some of the tracks are quite different - presumably reworkings by Andy Piercy. "One Rule"  is just dreadful, Billy Billy has no guitar solo (surely the proper AFT version always has that?), and one or two others are also not what I would wish. I just didn't dare listen to "Starflight" (I'd mixed up the order on my CD so that it was the last)- maybe it's OK ...

So, my verdict is: This is a very unreliable and not altogether happy representation of ATF. The BBC Sessions is far, far better for an overview. And although the line up is now a little different, the live stuff they are doing now is qualititively extremely good, even given the odd hitch ;-) . Basically, ATF are, and always have been at theit best as a live act - which is always a good tribute to any band.

Posted: 22 November 2011 at 5:39pm | IP Logged

Yes, that album was released twice back in the early 80s, initially with the "proper" versions intact and again a year or so later with re-recordings of Dancing In The Shadows, One Rule For You and Starflight.  I think I'm right in saying that Starflight was the full band, but that the other two tracks were essentially Andy P and session musicians.  Personally, I really like that version of Starflight, and liked the full version of Dancing In The Shadows for the guitar solo which comes in at the end (I heard somewhere that it was the J-Dog who played that, but don't know for sure - can the man himself confirm?!), but unfortunately the version on the album was the single edit, which didn't include the solo!  When this album was re-released on CD in the 90s, it still had the re-recorded versions, despite the cover claiming that they were the originals, and it is essentially that 90s CD which is now available on iTunes.

Confused yet?!

If you want yet another version of Starflight (neither this re-recording or the version on ATF), look for a CD called "Nick At Nite Goes To Outer Space".  I'm told it features Mick Brotherwood on drums - there are fellas around these here parts who would know for sure!

Posted: 22 November 2011 at 8:15pm | IP Logged

Thanks for that! I was begining to think it was just my imagination. You mention the Guitar solo on "Shadows" - I must admit the sax solo is awesome, but generally, I don't like Piercy's other instrumental ideas. Starflight is growing on me, and as you say, it sounds like the authentic  band, but the keyboards are quite different, arn't they, and rather different from what I'm used to - a bit tame.
I think there's no excuse for "One Rule". It is, as  I said, just awful!
Good then, to know that there is a better version of this Album around!

Posted: 24 November 2011 at 8:45pm | IP Logged

Yes, I like the sax in Dancing in the Shadows too.

Gonna have to listen to the whole thing now.