FREEZE FRAME
It’s typical of the quirky and unconventional nature of instrumental-fusion giants The Aristocrats to release a live album 18 months into a global pandemic. But despite the fact that new album Freeze! captures performances from the trio’s tour of Europe at the beginning of 2020, it’s not totally removed from the defining event of our age: the performances were caught as the band blazed across the continent with the spectre of COVID hot on their heels. Each country they visited was on the brink of lockdown during their stay and then closed down shortly after they left. Somewhat miraculously, they completed all but two gigs of that 40-date tour
The live album is a timely reminder of what we’ve been missing over the past year-and-a-half. Though it features just six songs, rest assured that this is no short-player. The band customarily extend and cajole each arrangement to flex their virtuosity and sense of fun. And, as per one of their inspirations, Frank Zappa, the studio versions of songs arguably provide merely a framework – it’s in a raucous live environment that they truly come to life.
It’s a far cry from the last 18 months for most of us, and while many of his peers have spent the pandemic reinventing themselves online, social-media-shy Guthrie Govan has been quiet. But that doesn’t mean he’s been resting on his laurels.
A live album captures a particular moment in time. Are you able to listen back to your performances and enjoy them or
