Nits - Hotel Europa (Live Recordings 1990 - 2014) download free

Nits - Hotel Europa.A hodgepodge of recordings, sometimes of top quality.The second live CD of the Nits, following Urk. That of course creates expectations. As does each new Nits release for me. But it has not become Urk 2. It couldn’t have. Hotel Europa covers a much longer period, namely 25 years compared to the nine years Urk covered. And in those 25 years, so much happened with the band. Their artistic best period (Giant Normal Dwarf and Ting), followed by the timespan without Robert Jan (but with the great Laetitia and Arwen) to the first years of this century, in which alternately beautiful records (Les Nuits / Malpensa) and lesser albums (1974 / Strawberry Wood) were released. That cannot form a consistent whole. It doesn’t anyway.It has become a hodgepodge of recordings, and the fact that the recording locations are listed on the back cover, also indicates that the band wants us to hear it like that. It also can’t be considered as alternative "best of", like Urk somewhat was.Beautiful sound, beautiful artwork, impassioned performances, leave that to them. Henk has made many pictures of the hotels where they stayed. Discs and artwork are inserted into a digipack, which is not the best form of packaging. The paper used is on the thin side and reached me with folds in it.Listening halfway through both discs the "Urk" feeling returns. The melancholic tracks that are on Les Nuits and Ting, are placed in the heart of the CDs. And that’s where they get to me the most. The Long Song is an unexpected highlight.Incredible is the fact that they felt the need to include yet again "In The Dutch Mountains" (erroneously listed as "Dutch Mountains" on the cover). Not only is that a track from 1987: it is in my opinion a failed attempt to make the CD more commercial than necessary. They will not sell more copies because of this. The band will never get really commercial and the true fans are not waiting for that. They just want to hear more beautiful stuff from their favorite band.Finally, "off-topic": let them open the archives. I'm sure there is much beauty hidden in there. The fans would love to pay for that. Perhaps a re-release of the first album? 2CD or reissues of albums, instead of the recently reissues by Dutch label “Music On CD”? Those are "old wine in new bottles", an old Dutch saying says.Meanwhile I play Urk once again. Or even better, the DVD, because it is one concert and therefore really feels as a whole. The next live CD should in my opinion also be a recording of one concert. Preferably with tracks that are pre-selected by fans. Success guaranteed!