Daft Punk reminds us of their superior work with a show from November 1997

Once upon a time Daft Punk used to be the leaders of the French revitalised music scene (after so many anti-Rock years), then they became hip, made their second album (disappointment in comparison with the debut), starred in Gap ads… All that screws up one’s perspective; artists usually claim that they haven’t changed but that is such a bull-stock argument as every day alters us in the most obvious and profound ways.

Richard Ashcroft sings in ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ that we all are million different people every day and that’s nearer to the mark of human life rather than any pretence that a star is unaffected by fame. Anyway, before Daft Punk-sters joined the money-elite, they were music lovers… Well, they might still be but the price is gone up which proportionally reduces the amount of lovin’.

‘Alive 1997’, as the title states, is a document from their debut tour in the last century. This particular 45 minutes come from a show in Birmingham (for no special reason, I gather) the Paris-based duo presented in November of that year. ‘Alive was a tour low on visual orientation but it was musically tight, highlighting material from the band’s debut ‘Homework’ album.

It contains plenty of relentless beats, funky-loops, electronic doodling, dirty rhythms spiralling up past the stratosphere, twisted pop-elements… A mutated-disco form with plethora of segments that cross-section all categories. Operation mindgame is loudly acknowledged when the audience recognises a favourite track, such as ‘Da Funk’.

Live (as well as the ‘Best Of’) albums usually have a purpose to fulfil a contract but this is a gem. The twosome were at the top of their inventiveness and spun a really terrific performance. The way it would never be again so grab this, exceptional party music in our one-room existence!

Lo-hi packaging and lo-quality fun-stickers should be snapped up pronto as this is a limited release due to be deleted come the New Year’s Day.

8/10