Planet X - Live From Oz (CD)

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Live from Oz is the second release from superband Planet X and was recorded during their Australian tour.
Why any band whose entire back catalogue exists out of just one studio album feels the need to record and release a live album as a follow-up is beyond me. After all, what could possibly be on offer apart from exactly the same songs as on the debut ? Nothing. That is what.
The main bulk of the songs on offer here of course come from Universe, completed with the Atlantis trilogy (from Derek Sherinian's solo CD), Ignotus per Ignotium from the forthcoming Moonbabies release and a couple of solo-spots. Naturally, the performance of the musicians are excellent, since each one of them clearly belongs to the top on their respective instruments. The quality of the recordings in itself is not too bad, but a bit too dry and lifeless for my taste.
The big problem however for me seems to be in the songwriting itself, no matter how good the musicians are, there hardly seem to be any real songs on offer here, just a lot of freaky breaks and instrumental showing off (admittedly done very well though, since again, each of the musicians is a master in his own field). Apart from this, while I like instrumental spots in live set lists, 70 minutes is just a bit too much and after a couple of tracks I could hardly stay interested.
As far as I'm concerned this album is a real misser and brought out far too soon in the band's career. If you are a prog/fusion fan however you will probably get some enjoyment out of it. For me the conclusion is simple : forgettable and unnecessary.