Praxis (and especially Buckethead) is one of my favorite bands and with "Transmutation" they have created a masterpiece. Therefore I had big expectations when I got the "Zurich" Live album. Unfortunately that album was a disappointment, because (besides a few pretty good Transmutation tracks) it contains a lot of tracks with nothing but endless and uninspired DJ scratching. Don't get me wrong: I don't mind DJ scratching as long as it contributes to the music (as has been the case on the Transmutation album), but on "Zurich" the DJ-only tracks are simply far too many, far too long and far too boring, making the album hard to listen. Fortunately "Tennessee 2004" (recorded at the Bonnaroo Music Festival) is completely different! Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Brain and especially Buckethead create a great and unique atmosphere here. There is no DJ this time (a good decision) and there are absolutely no "fillers" (except for a lengthy drum solo, that could have been a bit shorter in my opinion). The show starts with "Vertebrae", a great Praxis/Live adoption of Buckethead's "Jordan". There also is a live version of "Night of the Slunk" (from Buckethead's "Monsters and Robots" album). And the "Guitar Virus" track sounds like a fusion of "Big Sur Moon" (Colma) with "Giant Robot". With "Machine Gun" there also is a Jimi Hendrix cover included. The rest of the album mostly consists of jamming, but it simply never gets boring. So if you are looking for a great Praxis Live album, go with "Tennessee 2004" and keep away from "Zurich".
