Chris Thompson - 2023 - The Final Round. Live

(121:00; Cherry Red Records)






















Recorded in Germany during ‘The Final Round Tour 2022’, this album is going to be the last live release from ex-Manfred Mann’s Earth Band vocalist Chris Thompson. It was recorded with his band of 21 years featuring Mads Eriksen, Frank Hovland, Gunnar Bjelland and Zsolt Meszaros, with special guest Marc Rohles, and as one would expect it is packed full of MMEB classics, plus some of his other material, including the song made famous by John Farnham, “You’re The Voice”, giving us 18 songs in total. I have always loved Thompson’s voice but have only seen him in concert once, when he was part of the live version of ‘Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds’ when it toured New Zealand. I was massively disappointed that night as I felt his voice was shot and no longer had the power, control and range, and this album was recorded 15 years or so later.

That there is a cooking band on this tour is never in doubt, but Thompson’s voice is suffering which is only to be expected given he was in his seventies when this recorded. There are times when he is almost as good as he used to be, but it is inconsistent throughout, while some of the arrangements are quite strange and certainly do not add to the material and somewhat detract from it. I also have no idea why he performs “Demolition Man”, as although he provides vocals on some of ‘Somewhere in Afrika’ that song always firmly belonged to Steve Waller who performed it not only on the album but also when MMEB played the song in concert. I found myself comparing this release to the 1984 MMEB album, the greatly under-rated ‘Budapest Live’ which (although it was heavily edited from the original gigs) is one of the finest live releases of all time, and needless to say it does not stand up. All power to Thompson for producing physical copies of the CD, which he is giving away, all signed, for free, or with a donation to a Kids Cancer Station in Karlsruhe which he is supporting but I found myself sadly distinctly underwhelmed by this. 

Kev Rowland, June 2025

Links:
https://www.christhompson-central.com/
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/

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