Eugene Reynolds and Fay Fife are smart enough to know a good thing when they see it, and when their band the Rezillos came to a premature end in late 1978, the vocalists werent about to give up on a great concept. Early 1979 saw the birth of the Revillos, whose mix of upbeat, hooky punk, 50s and 60s pop and girl group influences, and glorious junk-culture detritus mimicked the sound and style of the Rezillos with commendable accuracy. In 1985, the Revillos called it quits, but Reynolds and Fife knew what they created had value, and when Japanese promoters invited the group to do a reunion tour in 1994, they assembled a new edition of the band and headed to the Land of the Rising Sun. The Tokyo date of the tour was recorded, and an edited version of the gig was issued on a 1995 album, Live & On Fire in Japan. Almost 25 years later, the tapes of the same Tokyo concert have been remixed and remastered, and the full 21-song set has appeared under the title Live from the Orient. For this tour, Reynolds and Fife were joined by Revillos veterans Rocky Rhythm on drums and Kid Krupa on guitar, with the lineup filled out by ringers Mekon on bass and Frankie and Polly on backing vocals. Playing for a clearly appreciative crowd, the Revillos sound bigger and bulkier than they did in their 80s heyday, as the rhythm section sounds more decisively rock than in their original incarnation. But the level of energy and showmanship in these performances are impressive, the Revillos seem to be having a splendid time (as does the audience), the set list is an appealing mix of fan favorites and rarities, and they even throw a couple of Rezillos tunes into the mix for good measure. Listening to the reunited version of a band created to take the place of another group might sound a bit dodgy, but Reynolds and Fife sing with the same passion and playfulness they delivered in their youth, the band hits their marks, and a good time is had by all. The audio is also a significant improvement over the original 1995 edition of this show. Longtime fans of the Revillos will dig this, and though this isnt a substitute for their original studio material, at the very least Live from the Orient communicates what made people fall in love with the band, so beginners will find it useful. ~ Mark Deming

Rovi