Recorded at a live German date in 1994, Spring Blooms is easily the equal and arguably the superior to Manchester, 1993. The recording quality is a touch less crisp than on the other Sons of God concert record -- apparently it was an audience tape, though it was a very well recorded one, with only a slight boxiness on Burgess' vocals. This said, the song list and performances are simply stellar throughout, beginning with a lovely version of the Chameleons' rarity The Healer. Other tracks that surface here which weren't on the other live album include Time, Tears, and a sprightly run through the Burgess solo tune World on Fire, with a guest appearance on congas by Nils Cordes from the Convent, a German band Burgess has long been friends with. The Sons of God show both an increased confidence and familiarity with the material, with the extended creep-out introduction to Monkeyland sounding even more disturbing than before. Burgess' well-known Beatles love surfaces here once again, adding the opening lines of Please Please Me at the end of Second Skin (similar to the performance on Manchester, 1993) and prefacing a strong performance of Soul in Isolation with the chorus to Eleanor Rigby. He also throws in the chorus from the James Bond theme You Only Live Twice, covered by him on Zima Junction, as the start to a strong version of Caution. As before, it's perfectly incorporated into the song's flow. Burgess plays around with his own lyrics from time to time as well, adding in a slightly naughty bit to Perfume Garden at one point. As a welcome bonus, some copies include an additional CD with the three songs from the Manchester, 1993 album -- Swamp Thing, Paradiso, and Refugees -- not performed on the Spring Blooms date. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

1		The Healer
2		Time
3		Soul in Isolation
4		Perfume Garden
5		Monkeyland
6		In Shreds
7		Caution
8		World on Fire
9		Tears
10		A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days
11		Happy New Life
12		Second Skin
13		Don't Fall