DICE – Live (Belle Antique, 1993; rec. 1978-1979)

 

English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

The second of two live Dice discs on the Japanese Belle Antique label, the other being ”Live 1977”, and this the weakest of all available Dice albums. Compiled from four different sources, the sound quality varies. Only the last four cuts, billed as bonus tracks, are of studio quality but they're also the musically worst. No specific date is given, late 70s I guess, but the band sounds like a faceless FM radio band on these demos, like a mix between Kansas and Steely Dan.

The live portions are audience tapes of so-so quality, and Belle Antique has tried to cover up their limitations with added reverb. It still sounds like audience tapes though, I've heard worse, but the tinny sound soon gets fatiguing.

”Live 1977” was a motivated release, but ”Live” looks more like an attempt to squeeze water out of a stone. For Dice completists only.

No links found

DICE – Live 1977 (Belle Antique, 2013; rec. 1977)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Japanese archival label Belle Antique released three discs of archival Dice material. The recordings here were made for Swedish Radio on 11 May, 1977, and portions of the show were also included in ”Progglådan”. But this is the complete session.

Recorded between ”The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse” (one of the archival CDs) and their only proper album ”Dice”, ”Live 1977” falls somewhere inbetween stylistically. It's not quite as pompous as ”Four Riders”, more 'complex' or if you prefer 'unnecessary complicated” and thus not as focused as the following album.

I'm not sure it's actually a live recording because there's no audience – it sounds more like a studio session with the songs interspersed with interview bits. A distracting feature as the album would have run much smoother without the spoken parts. They should have been edited together to a bonus track instead. Still, a must to Dice fans.

Sjukdomen (from Progglådan)
Begäret (from Progglådan)

DICE – Dice (Marilla, 1978) / The Four Riders of the Apocalypse (Belle Antique, 1992; recorded 1977)

English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***/***

Dice's was originally released on illustrious character Hans Edler's Marilla label, known for its stylistic diversity. ”Dice” is probably the only symphonic effort on the label though. It bears the band's Yes influences on its sleeve (not literally meant) with dashes of Focus, Gentle Giant and Egg. Complex and competent tracks with quite a few guitar leads to go with the abundant keyboards. A very accomplished work only marred by insufficient vocals. Not my cup of tea, but certainly a lot more lively than most of what Kaipa did (another relevant comparison) and a must for symph heads.

”Dice” was reissued by Japanese label Belle Antique in the late 80's, and they also released the archival ”The Four Riders of the Apocalypse” a couple of years later. Recorded before their first and only proper album, it lets us have a peak into their progress. Dice's ambitions were high but their compositional skills not yet fully developed. It sounds as if they wanted to prove everything at once, making the pieces overcomplicated and directionless (which of course could be said of quite a few symph rock albums...) Although I don't like Robert Holmin's vocals on ”Dice”, but the instrumental ”Four Riders of the Apocalypse” feels unfinished without them.

Belle Antique has also released two albums with material from Dice's live archive, including one show recorded for Swedish Radio in 1977, also partly found in "Progglådan".

Dice full album
The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse full album

Tonkraft 1977 full album playlist (tracks 7-11)