I get a kick out of reading the KJ reviews in here. Many adhere to the 'Where's the savagery?' argument, while missing the point. Killing Joke have been about seeking balance within the savagery for many years now. In the mid-80's (when this show was recorded) they hit their stride in Europe with a few hit singles (while America obsessed over the likes of Johnny Cougar) and were probably on the bill with several other global heavyweights at this large outdoor concert. Compare even this material with what was popular at that time, and surely you can hear the difference. Geordie is still one of a kind, and he's really on fire during this show (check out "Kings and Queens"). Jaz's vocals do seem a bit subdued (maybe all that daylight) but he starts off the show with dark humor, announcing "It's good to be back in the USA!" (they're in Europe - Lorely, actually) and there's a certain perverse twist to including "Good Samaritan" on the setlist with its cavernous droning. Otherwise, this tour showcases just how good the most intense band in the world can get once they soften the edges a bit, yet still handle an element of menace ("Darkness Before Dawn") that was unequalled anywhere else.

The mix on this is actually superb - probably taken from the soundboard (where vocals often do sound 'up front')- sounding far superior to the video of this performance that I've had for for over 10 years, and these discs also include 2 tracks off a German tv appearance from the controversial "Brighter Than 1,000 Suns" album. Geordie's guitar purrs like a fierce jungle cat, and bassist Raven sounds an awful lot like a jazzy Geddy Lee. As on the recently released BBC Concert from this same era, "Chessboards" falls to calamity as Jaz's microphone fails. The perk is that we get to hear only the music, which is probably the closest thing to heaven that I'll hear in my lifetime.

As a fan of Killing Joke who owns everything they've ever released (yes, I can even stand "Outside The Gate"), I have to scratch my head over "No Way Out But Forward Go". The band and their fan club thought this would be a good thing to make available? What were they smoking? The band perform in broad daylight to a bored crowd that is far more interested in their picnic spreads. Killing Joke is NOT a daylight band. And Jaz sounds completely winded and out of tune (check out "Love Like Blood" -- ugh). This package left a bad taste in my mind that I am still struggling to be rid of. Surely there were other, more appropriate concerts they could have documented rather than this one?

It's kind of hard to review this record. Recorded primarily during the "Night Time" tour on a festival stop, "No Way Out But Forward Go" finds Killing Joke in full flight, but there's something quite wrong with it.

Recorded off the soundboard, it's crisp, clean, and reasonably well balanced (Jaz Coleman's vocals are a bit up front), but... and this may be the tour moreso than the recording, it's a bit too clean, a bit too crip. Take a piece like "Requiem" off the band's first album. Rather than the sludging force that it was on the studio recording, it's crisp, with the instruments well really widely separated and sounds a bit too clean. Not helping this at all is it sounds like Jaz Coleman isn't quite up to snuff in the open air performance-- he sings out of tune mangling fine takes of "Empire Song" and "Love Like Blood".

Further, you get the impression that the band's energy got a bit diffused by the atmosphere, several pieces fall a bit flatter when you'd really like to see them pushed ("Tabazan").

All this aside, there's some decent moment-- "The Hum" is dark, trudging and powerful, "Kings and Queens" is downright explosive, and certainly "Pssyche" never seems to miss. But by and large, this is not a record for a casual fan.

I am extremely happy with this CD! I can't stop playing it in my car! This CD was recorded from a live performance in The USA, so the audio quality is 'ok'. But, if you are a 'Joke fan, than this IS your CD! The song: 'Complications' is BEST! I give this CD '5 Stars'!

It's kind of hard to review this record. Recorded primarily during the "Night Time" tour on a festival stop, "No Way Out But Forward Go" finds Killing Joke in full flight, but there's something quite wrong with it.

Recorded off the soundboard, it's crisp, clean, and reasonably well balanced (Jaz Coleman's vocals are a bit up front), but... and this may be the tour moreso than the recording, it's a bit too clean, a bit too crip. Take a piece like "Requiem" off the band's first album. Rather than the sludging force that it was on the studio recording, it's crisp, with the instruments well really widely separated and sounds a bit too clean. Not helping this at all is it sounds like Jaz Coleman isn't quite up to snuff in the open air performance-- he sings out of tune mangling fine takes of "Empire Song" and "Love Like Blood".

Further, you get the impression that the band's energy got a bit diffused by the atmosphere, several pieces fall a bit flatter when you'd really like to see them pushed ("Tabazan").

All this aside, there's some decent moment-- "The Hum" is dark, trudging and powerful, "Kings and Queens" is downright explosive, and certainly "Pssyche" never seems to miss. But by and large, this is not a record for a casual fan.