Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

It is now 25 years since the first tentative steps were taken by The Resurrection Band on their epic musical odyssey and Glenn admits in the sleeve notes that after all those years they were trying hard to come up with something fresh for their ever faithful (and every increasing) legion of fans. It seems that the band had a gig in a 300 year old church in Finland a few years back and they were asked to play an unplugged set for fear that a typical rib-crunching Rez session would bring the plaster down on everyone's heads. The band had so much fun they did it again at a Cornerstone Festival, and again everyone dug it. So the idea was born; Resurrection Band with amps surgically removed, hence the wince-inducing pun in the album title. Here we have 15 Rez classics written between 1978 and 1995, with the usual lineup of Stu Heiss, Roy Montroy, John Herrin and Glenn and Wendi, but with only Roy's bass using electricity. I've only a few of these tracks in their original form and the ones I do recognise sound good as new; the vocals in particular are all the better for not having to compete with several squillion watts of power, and playing acoustic instruments enables Glenn and Stu to show their virtuosity. I remember when Chris Rea re-recorded some of his back catalogue, he called the album 'New Light Through Old Windows'; pity he got there first - it would've been an ideal title for this one. Another quality product from Chicago's finest.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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