In any kind of songwriting and arranging, there’s an optimal point at which everything is just right and all the component parts in balance with each other. That centre of gravity will change from tune to tune and in a collaborative process between four individuals, locating it can be a tricky process.
In the hands of another group, the middle section of The Night Watch could have tipped into something lugubrious or lachrymose. Yet as these isolated tracks taken from this legendary live performance demonstrate, all the sifting and honing in the rehearsal room and on the concert stage have resulted in something approaching perfection.
In any kind of songwriting and arranging, there’s an optimal point at which everything is just right and all the component parts in balance with each other. That centre of gravity will change from tune to tune and in a collaborative process between four individuals, locating it can be a tricky process.
In the hands of another group, the middle...