3 out of 5

Album version of Dream – a good track from the Ryuichi Sakamoto-produced Dreamland, so very layered, rich production, and a good poppy song to lead off part 4 of the live set… each part essentially a single.

The three live tracks: Mattress of Wire, if memory serves, matches the original’s bare guitar-and-voice format.  The recording is quality, and Roddy takes his time, slowing it down a bit to embellish the vocals and sink into his guitar strumming, but it’s a short and somewhat standard track.  Similarly stripped down is a take on ‘Orchid Girl’ – also an early track – and perhaps a little too indulgent, as Frame strips out the poppy twinkle of the original and turns it into more of a vocal affair, though the piano (Gary Sanctuary) is nice, giving it sort of a, eh, nightclub feeling… not intended as a criticism; Frame certainly has that adult contemporary crossover vibe on occasions, and that’s evident on this track…  The recording is a bit echoey, which is weird since it’s from the same session as the others, which are crystal clear.  So sort of a soft ending to the disc.  Thankfully, in the middle, we get exactly what can be exciting about live / alternate renderings: Let Your Love Decide, the pacing (and acoustic vibe) really highlighting Frame’s guitar skills and maintaining the original’s sense of build-up while actually feeling more powerful than the album version (also from Dreamland), since that was a bit glossier.