Short Reviews [ Riverside - 2017 - "Lost'n'Found" (Live in Tilburg)]

Over the last 30 years I have been fortunate to have been introduced to a great deal of Polish progressive rock, a country which surely punches well above its weight in that genre. For some reason few bands have really gained the recognition internationally which they deserve, but Riverside flung the door open with their debut ‘Out of Myself’ in 2003 and since then they have become the most recognized Polish group around. This set was recorded on October 18th, 2015, at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands, finding the guys at the end of their ‘Love, Fear and the Time Machine’ album and documents the group’s last tour with original guitarist and founding member Piotr Grudzinski who died the following year from a pulmonary embolism. Tilburg has long been renowned as a progressive hotspot, and quite a few bands have recorded live albums there. However, this album was originally designed to be something different so even though the performance that night was very special indeed, this was originally only available as a limited self-released fanclub/tour-edition. It was only three years after the original release, and 5 years after the recording, that this became available through Inside Out who have made it available in multiple formats. That an album of this strength and passion has only been available to a select few is nothing short of a travesty, as here we find the quartet on absolute top form. Riverside’s strength has always been their ability to combine wonderful vocals, in a manner which is reminiscent at times of Greg Lake or John Wetton, with great songs and superb musicianship. When they need to rock, then they really do, but there are also times when they are far more reflective. This means we can get wonderful piano-led numbers like “Conceiving You” where Michal Lapaj provides a rippling undercurrent for Mariusz Duda to place his vocals against, adding his bass when the time is right, drummer Piotr Kozieradzki doesn’t play at all at the beginning, and then adds the nuances one expects, while of course we also have Piotr Grudzinski. Piotr was a wonderfully fluid guitarist who was able to switch from driving power chords to delicate solos, and the four of them combined to create music which was always full of proper songs. If I were to introduce someone to Riverside, this would be a great place to start, as the band are on fire, the crowd respectful, and it is such a great set. Dada says, “It was a remarkable concert. During the "Love, Fear and the Time Machine Tour 2015", the band were in excellent shape, and although we were promoting our more "song-oriented side", we played such compositions as "Hyperactive" or "Egoist Hedonist". On top of that, there is a 20-minute version of "Escalator Shrine" and a special, unique version of "The Same River" with a modified intro. The fact that it was one of the last concerts with Piotr Grudzinski makes it even more emotional and memorable. Riverside have always tasted best live. On this release, their music has an exceptional, unique flavour.” I agree.