Joscho Stephan - Live In Concert With Richard Smith (2007)

The DVD captures the live feel of the concert exceptionally well and Andy displays his virtuosity with the guitar which few people are aware of.His unique voice is as good as ever though obviously in a slightly lower key for the Amen Corner stuff these days. Chris Stainton on keyboards is magnificent as is Dave Bronze on bass both ex Clapton band members. Paul Beavis is the unknown quantity here and I can tell you he is one of the most animated drummers I have ever seen. He just loves what he is doing and shows it. The interaction between the musicians and the banter from Andy and his rapport with the audience is something to enjoy. As far as the songs are concerned they are all good. They range from soul, blues, gospel, skiffle to good old rock n roll. I have never listened to any AFL album, (I own a copy of each one) and found a song I do not like. It is great to hear the old "Fairweather" Natural Sinner being done somewhat differently and the "Amen Corner" songs stand the test of time and were good songs in their day even though the tag of teenybopper band never did Amen Corner justice. The songs from "Sweet Soulful Music" are well represented. Andy clearly enjoys what he does and does it so well. The interview is an hour long and is very interesting as he has worked with just about everybody including BB King, Satriani, Hendrix, Roger Waters, etc and his anecdotes would make a "history of rock" book in itself. He is no name dropper though as he comes across in interview as a very unassuming humble man who after his gigs always takes time to meet his fans and is happy to chat away and sign autographs.The sound on the DVD is superbly engineered but the interview is not so but it adds to the charm because I was wondering what this scratching sound was. It was Andy rubbing his bristly chin and the sound was being picked up by the mike. Marvellous not to see that edited out! Top class musicianship and songs showcasing a great career which I hope continues for many more years to come.

Tracklist:
01. "Train to Paris"
02. "Artillerie new"
03. "Rondo alla turca"
04. "Tenderly"
05. "The Watkins man"
06. "Lover come back to me"
07. "Ocean"
08. "After you've gone"
09. "Bolero"
10. "Bosso Dorado"
11. "C'est si bon"
12. "Hot club swing"
13. "J'attendrai"
14. "Sweet Georgia Brown"
15. "Lex yeux noirs"


Features:
- Direct Scene Access
- Interactive Menu