Album Description

"Awake, The Best of LIVE", a deluxe 19-song compilation CD spanning the entire 13-year recording history of the acclaimed rock band from York, Pennsylvania.

The CD compilation includes, "We Deal in Dreams," a previously-unreleased track from LIVE's 1994 Throwing Copper sessions.The CD also includes a spirited cover of the Johnny Cash classic, "I Walk The Line." ... Read more

Album Description

Slightly Stoopid possesses a unique dynamic. They have the sort of musical kinship that is clearly the result of years spent growing up together in one of Southern California's premiere surf towns and the relentless pursuit of creating the quintessential soundtrack for the lifestyle that exists there. Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald are perfect musical counterparts, complementing each other in the realm of elctric and acoustic rock, reggae, dub, blues, hip-hop, punk and metal. Boasting dual front men, Slightly Stoopid yields a rare chemistry. Both are multi-instrumental, often switching effortlessly from bass to guitar in the middle of their shows, continuously balancing their vocal stylings and fresh harmonies and always converging into songs that are good enough to be respected by the very artists who inspire them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sick CD
This album is absolutely dope. Buy it. Good to get stoned to. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One disc of this deluxe two-disc set serves up 74 minutes (eight songs) of live material and outtakes; the other offers a DVD (in Surround 5.1) of Tool's four grotesquely artistic videos, plus the bonus clip, "Hush," from their 1992 Opiate EP. Although there's little that's new here, it's put together with as much intensity and attention to detail as the quartet's other releases. The musical high point is the driving but delicate take on "Pushit." It's also entertaining to hear singer Maynard James Keenan in a Neil Young kind of mood on "Lame." This elaborately packaged set is really just a reminder of how creative and powerful this hard rock group can be. --Janiss Garza ... Read more

Reviews (110)

disappointed
Reading the rest of the reviews, I agree with most peoples assesment of tool-they are truly original and talented. However, most are obviously overexcited about finally getting something new from this band.

I was disappointed with this package. First, contrary to what some have said, I found the sound on the CD poor and muddy (and I played it on several systems so it wasn't my player). Next, don't be fooled by the unreleased "tracks." They are sketches at best, self-absored wanking at worst. Although I did like their version of "No Quarter," the other live tracks are ok. I've seen Tool live several times and believe me something is definitely lost in the translation.

But not all about the package is bad. The sound on the DVD is excellent, and the great videos are enhanced by the digital format. But be aware, for the price you only get about 25 minutes of music on the DVD. This could have been so much more, but I'm glad I own the videos. Unless you're a diehard fan, I suggest you wait for the new CD.

A must for Tool fans
The DVD is awesome, and contains their videos for Sober, Prison Sex, Aenema, Stinkfist, and one I've never seen before for their song "Hush". The menus for the DVD aren't labeled, but are instead done very artistically, making browsing the DVD an experience in itself. I'm still hunting through it trying to figure out if there are any hidden items on the DVD disc. The CD is excellent as well, with some great live tracks of some favorites, and also contains some new studio tracks at the end: a cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter", and another track "lamc" which seems to be another "joke" track like many found on Aenima, but then breaks into a hidden song at the very end which was a nice surprise. Over all, not much "new" music, but still a great Christmas gift for the Tool fan on your list.

Life Altering, But $160 Used??????
Everybody knows that anything Maynard touches is gold, and that Salival is spectacular as are all Tool releases, but I cannot believe that some sellers have the audacity to ask for $160-$260 for this box set. I've never even paid $160 for Tool tickets, let alone a used box set of theirs. You're much better off trying your luck at Best Buy or a local used cd store, and I know for a fact that Barnes & Noble carries this box set in their stores for no more than $40 (I used to work there and sell this quite often!) I just had to share that with fellow Maynardologists, do not get sucked into buying this box set at such a ridiculous price!!

tool what you think it could be bad
ok ok this isnt really an labum but it has alot of things for a tool fan to appreciate. it has a full video collection up through aenima. the cd half is totally bad it features live stuff that isnt liek the studio stuff and a song that is totally awesome and a cover of no quarter its just a suggestion but pick this one up

Third eye opened - finaly a tool Video collection
This is what all Tool fans waited for - collection of their controversial and mostly banned videos...as we all know that tool like's to disturb their listeners and watchers their Videoclips are far from standards.videos like "Prison sex" or "sober" are really creepy and sometimes dissgusting...
really - a must have for every tool fan and a metal fan...
and there is a bonus CD - very interesting collection of Rare songs...there's a stunning performance of epic suite "Third eye" (sounding not much different from original, but still it is great),a different mix of "message to harry manback", rare live track "You lied" and many more....the hidden track "Lame" shows shows more calm face of the band - whole song sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin of 21 century...but the ending shows who really plays it.....
switch the dvd or cd on and float into the dark world of Tool... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Recorded live in 1973, Rock N Roll Animal is Reed's glam-rock sneer back at his Velvet Underground legacy. Four tracks are VU classics (two about the redemptive power of rock, two about the transformative power of dope) dressed up into slick, flashy twin-guitar noodle-fests, with big riffs and showboating solos and Reed practically phoning in his vocals. It was something of a hit at the time, and it's easy to hear how the simple forcefulness of these songs sounded good on early-1970s radio. But Reed doesn't bother to conceal his contempt for the commercial trappings he's put on his songs--"Heroin," in particular, turns from savage ambivalence into an easy cartoon--and the album's hard to like now. Two previously unissued tracks from 1973's Berlin-"How Do You Think It Feels" and "Caroline Says I"-flesh out this reissue version of the original LP. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (52)

One Of The Best Live Albums Of All Time!
Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal completely blew me away. It is completely different than most of Lou's other material. First of all, the setlist is great. It includes four great songs by the Velvet Underground; Sweet Jane, Heroin, White Light / White Heat, and Rock and Roll. It also contains three great songs from Berlin; Caroline Says I, Lady Day and How Do You Think It Feels. Each song is done incredibly. The Intro into Sweet Jane is great. Following this, Lou and the band rip through Heroin, doing a 13 minute version that is fairly different than the original, but still great. The two extra tracks, How Do You Think It Feels and Caroline Says I are two of the best songs from Berlin, and these recordings are just as good as the album, if not better. You even hear Lou tell the audience to shut up before starting a song. The version of White Light / White Heat is even louder than the original. The version of Lady Day done is even better than the album version on Berlin. The album closes with a great version of Rock and Roll, with a funky rhythm solo in the middle. The overall effect of the album is incredible. It makes you feel like you are actually at the show. If you are a fan of Lou, you will love this album. You'll love it even if you aren't a fan. It makes a good starting place for Lou Reed. Especially with the two extra songs, Rock and Roll Animal is one of the greatest live albums of all time.

One of the best live albums ever recorded, period.
"Rock n Roll Animal" was my introduction to Lou Reed and his music. I became a huge fan as a result, and despite the high quality output over the course of his ever-evolving career, this is the disc I return to when I want to experience vintage Lou Reed.

This is the one Lou Reed album that even non-Reed fans get into, and with good reason. It is simply one the hardest rocking guitar albums of all time. Some of the best tunes from Reed's Velvets repertoire ("Sweet Jane", "Heroin" and "Rock & Roll") are given high voltage heavy metal treatments, complete with thundering humbucker crunch and an almost obscene number of solos.

It has been said that the band (which later went on to back Alice Cooper) overshadows Reed, whose singing is deliciously deadpan throughout. Yet, without the material, and - more importantly - the attitude that Reed supplies, the result would probably be akin to a real-life Spinal Tap (sound and fury signifying nothing, thank you Bill Shakespeare).

While Reed himself has decried the album as little more than commercial pap, there is clearly something going on here. By melding his unique brand of decadent, literate music with a big arena rock sound, Reed was able - finally - to reach the masses in a way the Velvet Underground never could. And he was able to accomplish this with a live album that still sets the standard for what a "live" album should be: big, bad and dangerous to the ears.

INTRO,SWEET JANE,HERION!!WHOOHOOOO
SOME OF THE SHARPEST GUITAR LICKS I HAVE EVER HEARD,THE MAN CAN FLAT OUT ROCK!!!

this one kicks ass
I don't agree with the reviewer! I enjoy this album as much as I did in 1973 or 1974, when I first heard it. The intro to Sweet Jane is by far one of the best examples of rock and roll I've ever heard. I know plenty of folks who feel the same way. I'm a lot older and ... well older, but I still want to jump up and play air-guitar on this one. Lou Reed is an acquired taste that a lot of people just don't acquire. But if you like him, this is a great example of one part of the musical journey this crazed artist has been on.

DON'T pass it by because of the opinion of some Lester Bangs type.

Good, Not Great.
I put this on for the first time in many years and it isn't as powerful as I remember it being. The Intro/Sweet Jane is an amazing piece of dual guitar work, and throughout the CD the band is powerful and technically proficient, but therein lies the problem. First of all Lou Reed's voice just can't compete with this dominating band. Secondly the band is too proficient and showy, to be playing Velvet Underground songs which many consider the foundation of Punk Rock music. The guitar playing reminds me of the Rolling Stones with Mick Taylor. Yeah, he was an accomplished musician, but his guitar playing was just a bit too velvety for Rolling Stones music. This is a good live album, it's just not a great live album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Too much too soon is the m.o. of so many bands who, thanks to the fleeting fame that accompanies music-video breakthroughs, are famous before their time and has-beens five minutes later. You could be excused for thinking that's the case with Counting Crows, darlings of both MTV and VH1, who here release a double concert CD after only two studio albums. But you'd be wrong. The set, an acoustic disc recorded for VH1's Storytellers and an electric one from MTV's Live from the 10 Spot, proves how well the oft-bootlegged Crows have earned their reputation as a smoking live band. It also shows how elastic their rambling and evocative songs can be, some of which appear on both discs but in vastly different arrangements. People may tire of vocalist Adam Duritz's perpetually-wounded-soldier-of-love act, but this is one band whose success was hard-won and is richly deserved. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (128)

THIS IS A GREAT 2-CD ALBUM!
I became a fan of Counting Crows about a year ago. Well, I heard Mr. Jones in 93/94 and liked it but could never remember the bands name. Then in 96/97 Long December came out, and again I forgot the band's name, but finally remember (somehow) and found my friend had this CD, and I borrowed several times before I could buy the CD. Anyway I t! en to like LIVE versions of songs better than the album versions. The only complaint I have is that one the first disk, which is their VH1 Story Tellers show, I wish they would have kept Adam's monlogues, I mean it would interest fans, at least it would me. Oh well. Here is a complete list of the tracks, since the one here is incomplete. I decided to put * by my favorite songs.

DISK 1 1. Round Here 2. Have You Seen Me Lately? 3. Angels of the Silences * 4. Catapult 5. Mr. Jones * 6. Rain King 7. Mercury 8. Ghost Train 9. Anna Begins 10. ---"Secret Track"--haven't figured out which song it is, though, sorry :( ! "Maybe Things Are Differnt These Days" is what I figure from listening to it.

DISK 2 1. Recovering the Satalites 2. Angels of the Silences * 3. Rain King 4. Sullivan Street 5. Children in Bloom 6. Have You Seen Me Lately? 7. Raining In Baltimore 8. Round Here 9. I'm Not Sleeping ! * 10. Murder of One 11. Long December * 12. Wa! lkways

Relax, Adam!
"Across A Wire: Live In New York City" is a great live album from the Counting Crows, and a necessary one as well because of the Crows' superb and different live performances. Highlights on disc one include "Round Here", "Mr. Jones", "Rain King", and a stunning version of "Anna Begins". Highlights on disc two include "Angels Of The Silences", "Have You Seen Me Lately?", and "Round Here". However, this CD is not perfect. I am becoming more and more convinced after every listen that lead singer Adam Duritz takes his music (and sometimes himself) way too seriously. It almost becomes very depressing to hear his voice, but in a way that is a testament to the emotion he puts into his live performances. Still, his voice can become tedious and over-blown. Besides that, this is a great double-disc live set, even if the Counting Crows only released two prior studio recordings.

wonderful and yet....not
I am a diehard Counting Crows fan and this album really opened them up to me. The Storyteller's disc lives in my CD player. Hearing "Rain King" played is a kind of slow jazzy style made me almost cry and the electric versions of "Anna Begins" annd "Ghost Train" are worth the price of both discs. Just hearing the total difference in all the songs from what I was used to demonstrated the Crow's versatility.

However, the live CD didn't impress me at all. I've only listened to it once but the entire thing seemed flat and somehow less passionate than what I've heard in the past.

I would recommend buying this only if you are a fan of Counting Crows as you probably won't listen to the second one and may not appreciate the first. Stick with August and Everything After and other studio albums. If you are a fan looking for where to go for more Crows get this. The Storyteller's versions are worth it.

Best Crows Ever
Having listened to all their other albums (& a lot of other live stuff) I gotta say this stuff really stands out. It's absolutely brilliant what they did with this performance. Taking classic Crows songs & changing them up (& thank God changing them in a way other than a remix) was a risk. It pays off though, the entire thing is awesome. If you're not already a Crows fan, I'd suggest buying a studio album or two first. It'll make this experience much more meaningful. Those seasoned in Crows music need to have this...NOW.

a seminal live album
what a live album should be. Do you see the number of songs and the price they are asking? What a deal!

This is the reward for supporting a band for years - being able to get such a nicely produced, packaged and delivered live version of so many songs.

This band goes all out in their live shows and this collection is the next best thing to being there (and better in some ways - such as when you've seen them live and someone else is inexplicably sharing top billing with them, affording them not much more than an hour of playing time!)

Counting Crows prove their worth in a live venue, so this one's definitely worth it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Todd Snider really knows how to work a room. As a storytelling troubadour for the slacker set, he takes inspiration from the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker (as he explains in one of this solo concert album's deadpan introductions) and Robert Earl Keen and applies it to a selection of shaggy-dog stories, talking blues, and slices-of-life gone askew.One of his earliest signature tunes, "Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues," has now outlived grunge by too long, but the more recent "Waco Moon," inspired by the death of guitartist Eddy Shaver, shows that Snider's songwriting is good for a whole lot more than laughs. Some of his most engaging songs such as "Beer Run" seem to have practically written themselves, while others such as "Tension" and "Statistician's Blues" sound like songs that were just waiting to be written. It's an integral part of Snider's engaging appeal that he makes it all seem so effortless. As with Keen, the challenge for Snider is balancing the easy laughs with his more serious progression as a songwriter. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (11)

When's he coming to my town?
"When's Todd Snider coming to town?" That's what I want to know after hearing this live cd. He sounds like he would be a great show. Great songs, great storytelling and rapport with the crowd. This is downright good American music!

Best album of 2003
I agree with everything all the other 5-star reviewers here have said but I have to admit to being late to the Todd Snider party.

I first heard Todd play live a couple of years ago opening for Suzanne Vega. He seemed like a little bit of an odd fit but I liked him though since it was in Seattle and he did a song about Seattle music scene that was really funny, I just assumed he was some local guy. I think I may also have seen him open once before that for John Prine.

So why did it take me until now to get around to discovering his greatness through this record? Well, I think he's taken awhile to reach his peak as a writer and also he makes you laugh so easy and makes it look so easy to do what he is doing on stage that I might have easily assumed he's coasting a bit and not see how good he is. Play this album a few times and you will quickly realize that's just flat out misperception. Todd's a fully rounded songwriter and performer who can make you laugh one song and put a lump in your throat with the next one. For example, if you tend to have just heard him as a 'funny storytelling guy' check out "Lonely Girl", "Waco Moon", "I Spoke As A Child" or especially "Long Year" here. They are just fine well crafted tender songs that show he's as capable of observing about heart ache and the depths of the human condition in his songs as he is at making clever light verse. Oh, and not to discount the funny songs either. They are right up there with anybody's best when it comes to humorous songs. You will find that you can laugh just as much at Todd's lyrics and delivery of them in "Tension", "Beer Run", "Statistician's Blues", "Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" and "The Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern" after multiple repeat listenings as you might have the first time they caught your ear. What's especially nice is the way they are sequenced and interspersed here with the more straight-up or sobering songs.

He's also best served here by being able to pick from among the best of his material (and he's got some great ones that didn't make it on here - if I have one nit pick here it's that I'd have traded a 2nd version of 'Beer Run' on here for 1 more from his rich songbook) and by presenting it in a solo setting where both he and the audience are clearly relaxed and can settle in and focus on enjoying his storytelling skills and concentrate on his fine well crafted lyrics and his timing and delivery of them. Each song comes off like a rough and ready diamond honed through years of touring and performing but because of his comfort in playing them live this way, they come off as fresh and inspired as if he had just sat down and played them all for the first time.

Buy this album if you love great folk songwriting like John Prine, classic 1960's period Bob Dylan, or Neil Young. I think Todd's best stands up next to the best of those guys if they are left to deliver songs in the solo performance format.

bri
This is what music is about. I am a music lover of all types and I never had a whole album affect me so much. Don't think this is only for ages 50 and up. I spread this music at work amonst 30 or more people, and you'd be amazed how many 20 year olds loved it. They've just never heard good music like this. The only complaint I have is that Todd never comes to Iowa.

More Brilliant Music lost in the world of Corporate Radio!!!
Todd Snider is superb in the same vein as John Prine, Townes VanZandt and Arlo Guthrie. This is a cd that will have you stop what you're doing and totaly get lost in the songs. Alternating between funny and painfully serious, he holds you in the palm of his hand and you live through his lyrics. The only complaint is it's simply not long enough. If there is a heaven above Todd will get the break he deserves.

BUY THIS CD!!!

he makes you laugh, he makes you cry
I was afraid this live album would be a bit disappointing, because I thought his last studio-album New Connection, was an absolute masterpiece, with great arrangements and all. But this one might even be better, because Todd is immensely funny inbetween songs, and he manages to make me and the audience silent when he sings Waco Moon. That's a rare feat. To make you laugh out loud one minute and make you cry the other.
And he makes you really listen to the songs, which, in the end, all have a bit of melancholy. A great album, and I hope Mr Snider will come to Europe soon. I'd love to see him perform live. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Recorded on the Dallas date of the 2003 Summer Sanitarium arena tour, with Metallica, Limp Bizkit, et. al, Live in Texas is a concise, no-frills two-disc DVD/CD souvenir of the muscular Linkin Park live experience. 5.1 Surround Sound captures every nuance of Brad Delson's explosive guitar, the incendiary turntable flourishes of DJ Joseph Hahn, and the interplay between MC Mike Shinoda and singer Chester Bennington (although the audience sing-along on "Numb" gets lost across the barricades), as the sextet runs through a tight set of selections drawn exclusively from its bestsellers Hybrid Theoryand Meteora, with the big hits ("Crawling," "In the End") programmed toward the climax. Casual fans may grumble about the absence of extras--there's no backstage-with-the-band documentary or viewing angle options, no previously unreleased songs--but hardcore devotees (who get plenty of face time on the DVD) should appreciate the opportunity to revisit the thrills of Linkin Park in concert whenever they wish. --Kurt B. Reighley ... Read more

Reviews (77)

It's Summer..100+ degrees, and Linkin Park are ready to rock
If you are already a fan of Linkin Park you should know that last summer, the band went on a large scale arena tour with Metallica and Limp Bizkit called Summer Sanitarium. What you might not know is that the ticket prices were ridiculously high and unless you were considerably wealthy, there was little or no chance you would be able to attend the concert.

Linkin Park had that in mind when they went to record "Live In Texas" thier 68 minute long concert set that was packaged as a 17 song DVD and 12 song CD released on November 18th. Recorded at two different venues in Texas this DVD showcases the power and emotion that is Linkin Park live.

While no new songs exist on this record, fans will notice that some songs on this CD have been reanimated for a live audience. People who own Reanimation will recognize influences of that record on the original songs when performed live. Linkin Park even go far enough to perform the Pushing Me Away remix from Reanimation flawlessly making it stand out as one of the highlights of the entire cd.

If you have never been to a Linkin Park concert (like myself) you will find this CD to be a perfect replacement for the tickets you missed out on. Recorded on 35MM film, the DVD looks beautiful while managing to sound beautiful at the same time. Definetely recommended for anyone who wants to hear thier favorite Linkin Park songs, performed live in an excellent manner.

Plus don't expect Linkin Park to be all serious in this concert, there are several humorous surprizes that go on throughout this DVD that will leave you laughing yet headbanging at the same time.

Truly, They Are An Amazing Band...
After the release of "Meteora" (which is still in the top 40 and has been since it's March '03 release) disappointed quite a few fans, it did not me. I knew it would not match "Hybrid Theory", and it had it's great tracks as well that were better than some of "Hybrid Theory"'s, such as "Faint", "Figure.09", "Breaking the Habit" and "Numb". Now, only 8 months after the release of "Meteora", LP returns with their delightful DVD / CD combo "Live in Texas", recorded live Irving & Houston Texas during Summer Sanitarium shows in August.

Before I watched the DVD on this album, I had heard a few things about Linkin Park's live shows, most bad. However, after watching the DVD, I was completely convinced that they deliver one of the most emotional and energetic shows of any of the new rock bands out there. The people who were saying their shows were unsatisfactory were probably just those "anti-everything mainstream" people (and there's nothing wrong with not liking mainstream music, because most talent is, in fact, in the underground, however, some people push it over the limit) who hate Linkin Park because they sell records. But anyway, the DVD is 68 minutes long and contains these tracks and how I rate the performance:
1. Don't Stay (4/5)
2. Somewhere I Belong (4/5)
3. Lying From You (5/5)
4. Papercut (5/5)
5. Points of Authority (5/5)
6. Runaway (5/5)
7. Faint (4/5)
8. From the Inside (4/5)
9. Figure.09 (5/5)
10. With You (3/5)
11. By Myself (3/5)
12. P5HNG ME A*WY (5/5)
13. Numb (5.5)
14. Crawling (3/5)
15. In the End (4/5)
16. A Place For My Head (5/5)
17. One Step Closer (5/5)

The DVD alone would be worth the price of admission. After the performance is over you wish you were there for an encore.

Now on to the compact disc. All the tracks here can be seen on the DVD, and I don't know why LP didn't just transfer the whole performance from the DVD onto the CD instead of cutting out half of it. I guess they just like making short CDs, like they have with all their albums (except "Reanimation"). The CD tracklisting is:
1. Somewhere I Belong
2. Lying From You
3. Papercut
4. Points of Authority
5. Runaway
6. Faint
7. From the Inside
8. P5HNG ME A*WY
9. Numb
10. Crawling
11. In the End
12. One Step Closer

The CD is give 2.5 out of 5 stars, because they could have made it so much longer and it features nothing that can't be SEEN or heard on the DVD. However, the DVD is wonderful and gives the whole thing 5 stars. If you're a fan of LP, go get this.

Meh...
These guys can play all their material well, but their live shows seem very very boring. Theres very little crowd interaction, their in-between song banter consists of "thank yous" or "we want you all to sing this with us". Theres no humor or attempts to get the crowd pumped up really. Also, I was a little disappointed to find out that what I thought was a riff in In The End's chorus actually turned out to be a keyboard/FX part, showing again that LP's guitarists are capable of little beyond playing 3-4 powerchords. The drums are suprisingly better than they are on the albums, but still nothing amazing. Again, the bass gets lost and sounds mute, just as it does on their albums. The real winner in LP is the vocals, Chester and Mike really show off their talents.

LINKIN PARK LIVE? It's like a dream come true for some folks
"No other nu-metal band of the rap/rock generation has garnered as much attention and success as Southern Cali's Linkin Park," is a statement well said. Now they're out with a new take on their older and newer songs. From Hybrid Theory to Meteora, this dvd/cd combo shows Linkin Park at its best by rendering their older hits while staying focused on songs that never became a known track such as "A Place For My Head", "Runaway", "Papercut", "By Myself", and many more. On the other hand, I watch the DVD every single day on my computer and it always keeps me entertained. I say if you buy any of Linkin Park's releases BUY THIS ONE!! I would have liked all of the songs on the cd instead of twelve selected songs, but that is a miniscule detail compared to the overall rating. I personally dislike the extras and bonus-footage, so having that gone from the complete package is a plus (in my opinion, of course). Yet, if you are into the mentioned above, unfold the cd/dvd package and in the middle fold reach in the slit (upward) and pull out a red packet which has a lot of pictures from the live preformances to keep you somewhat entertained. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who is into the genre of 'nu-metal'.

I was throwin the ROCK ON sign in my living room!!!!
This is definitely a good buy. Yes, this is real, not studio recorded. There has been plenty of controversy over whether this is really them live. I must tell you. This is good, but if you've seen them live already, then you might not get as hyped up. Luckily, I saw this before the Meteora World Tour, and was just addicted to it. I have to tell you, they're better live.
Nevertheless, go get this. It is a great buy.

www.theouttakes.cjb.net ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kick Out The Jams still sounds astonishingly powerful after almost 30 years. Recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom in 1968, this relentless, aggressive set offers the frenzy of politicized garage punks blasting through giant stacks: a blitzkrieg of hard rock ignited from the dueling guitars of Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith and of the throttled vocals of Rob Tyner. The Stooges with barricade-busting ideals, the Five turned the Motor City into a Mecca of sonic excess and shattered the dazed dreams of hippie America. From the pounding of the title track to the eight-and-a half-minute weirdout of "Sun Ra's "Starship,"" Kick Out The Jams will rip your head to shreds. --Barney Hoskyns ... Read more

Reviews (42)

The best punk album to come before The Ramones
Most people know punk officially started with The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. Before those bands, there was a form of proto-punk called garage rock (And, no, I'm not talking about The Strokes or The Hives). These bands included The Monks, The Stooges, The New York Dolls, and MC5. MC5 remain to be the best of all these bands, with this politically-charged masterpeice. Music hadn't been this political since 1966's "Black Monk Time" by the Monks, and wouldn't be more political until The Clash's self-titled album. Well, enough with the history lesson, and a reveiw of the album.

1. "Rambilin' Rose" 10/10: The opening speech is amazing, and you can feel the excitement.

2. "Kick Out the Jams" 11/10: The classic of the album, legendary for the controversial opening line "Kick Out the Jams MOTHAF*CKA!". One of the best songs of the 60's, and certainly an anarchy anthem.

3. "Come Together" 10/10: Another classic on this album.

4. "Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)" 9/10: Not my favorite on the album, but good anyways.

5. "Borderline" 8/10: It's good, but no classic.

6. "Motor City Is Burning" 6/10: My least-favorite song on the album. A little bit slower than the other songs.

7. "I Want You Right Now" 10/10: The album picks up after a slight slump. Of course this is nothing compared to the next track....

8. "Starship" 10/10: A memorable weirdout cover of Sun Ra (!). Words cannot describe this avant-garde classic.

Like so many other political bands of the past (Dead Kennedys, Millions of Dead Cops), the politics slightly date. However, just like it is with Dead Kennedys and MDC, the music certainly doesn't. Go and spend the $10, it's worth it.

full tilt rock and roll at its best....
I can remember ther first time I heard "Kick out the Jams". I was at a party for a friend of mine and he happened to have an old dog-eared reissue jamming on the CD player. I borrowed it that night nearly five years ago and haven't given it back yet. Do I regret it? My neighbors' ears have never been the same. The energy at the heart of this album is the complete essence of rock and roll. Nothing has been distilled or added at all. Their mutation of anger and brashness and overall guts (and this album spills over the brim with guts) is often echoed in the music of Pearl Jam and the best hardcore punk (Black Flag comes to mind, as well as the Minutemen). Many mornings in peaceful suburban Azusa the air was shattered by the primal scream of this record (the UNCENSORED version, thank you) blaring through my apartment window. "Well I feel pretty good...." Music to play when your grandma comes over and you have plans with the opposite sex. She'll run for cover guaranteed. Not many people I know are fans. Buy this CD and let me know what you think by email. I'd like to hear from people who liked it. LA is full of fake punks who've never heard it. Long live the Motor City Five!

Outrageously wild
When I first met this CD,I was nearly knocked down to the floor.The extreme heat that this album possess is almost incredible.If you want to search for proto punk music ,this will be the one.And these guys are really politically aggressive,many taboo words can be heard.This Cd can lift you into higher ground.
Loud and hard-driving sound will set you free from your tedious everyday life.Shut your mouth ,and listen !

A Grande Night Indeed
It was only a short 10 days before my first birthday that this event took place. I guess Mom and Dad wouldn't let me trek from Philly to go see this; well the 60's for the most part except for some pop tunes, and country, and stuff like Glenn Yarbourough were part of "thier" record collection. It took to when I was a teenager to find out about this group. I got the sanitised version of "Kick Out The Jams" in a local record store. Mind you I drove the owner nuts as he was more into accapella, and doo wop. I got this tape for my 19th birthday, and was a little put off by it at first as the first song "Ramblin Rose" sounded like a woman singing. It made up for it quickly as the title cut followed, and then there was "Come Together", and my fave "I Want You Right Now". This was rock at it's angriest. The snarl that The Standells used in "Dirty Water" was a pussycat mew compared to this. Not even other local legends like Iggy and The Stooges, or The Sex Pistols were as "MANLY" sounding as this. It was after this that the MC5 severed ties with thier manager as they felt he was turning them into a hate machine with his lyrics, and his propaganda. I'm glad that the group woke up to that realization, but you can't help, but feel "Oh What A Night(Halloween, 1968)".

I was there, man!
This is the greatest rock album, ever.

Wayne Kramer didn't use an SG, he used a Strat painted like the Stars and Stripes. The only thing missing from this album is the intense ear-splitting volume.

Brothers and sisters, the MC5's music will drive you wild, into the streets, tearing down everything that would keep us from being free.

Kick out the Jams and stay alive with the MC5. ... Read more

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The biggest difference between a kick-ass studio album and a kick-ass live album? Intensity. Live: And All That Could Have Been, recorded on Nine Inch Nails' 2000 "Fragility 2.0" U.S. tour, provides that trait in abundance. It helps that Trent Reznor has a band, instead of just a battery of keyboards, to help him work through 16 tracks of the raging yet surprisingly listenable musical vitriol that made him a star. The live musicians, who allow him some freedom to play with tempo, help kick "Closer" up a notch and lend some atmospheric weight to a slow version of "The Frail." The band rips into older material with gusto; Reznor sounds just as pissed off performing "Head Like a Hole" as he did in 1989. The CD closes with "Hurt," which might seem like an odd choice, but somehow, after everything that's come before, it's like the denouement of a tragedy. While a CD can only capture a piece of NIN's onstage energy, their first live album is an intense, sometimes overwhelming recording, further vindication of NIN's continuing popularity and influence. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (59)

A Live Album That delivers Like No other
Coming off from the "Fragility 2.0" U.S.Tour, Trent Reznor decided to make a 16 track live album that would commemorate the memories of "The Fragile" era. However, what he did was create a complimentary of a "best hits" album that would satisfy any die hard NIN fan old or new.
This was the CD that started my love for Nine Inch Nails or Industrail as a whole. After hearing "Starf*ckers.Inc" on MTV, i liked it immediately. So being the stubborn idiot i was when i borrowed this from a friend, i kept "Starf*ckers" on repeat for 2 days. Then, on the third day i decided to give the other songs a chance, and soon enough, it changed my life.
"And All That Could Have Been" starts off explosively with the loud thundering beats of "Terrible Lie", and ends with the quiet emotional whisperings of "Hurt". Reznor's onstage energy is unmatched elsewhere because it is so raw and pure, the sound itself is original rather than a live version of his studio albums. Theres a wide range of variations in between the 16 songs from the powerful angst of "Head Like A Hole" to a soft moving ballad like "The Great Below". This is even excluding the mysterious instrumentals such as "The Mark Has Been Made" and "The Frail". Although the sounds of the audience are in the mix, they do not interfere with the recording at all. This is the great feature seperating this CD from the live albums of other bands. Reznor incorporates every detail distinctively including his famous ... replacements in between lyrics. Overall, this is a MUST buy for any old NIN fans, but also an outstanding introduction to new NIN fans like me.

One of the best live albums you'll ever buy.
I always wanted Trent to release a live album, after all, you can only fill up on remixes for so long. "And All That Could Have Been" delivers everything a NIN fan would want. The live tracks are of extremely high quality, performed very well and the audience is into every minute of it. All of the usual suspects are included on this 16-track disc (Closer, Hurt, Head Like a Hole, Terrible Lie, Sin, March of the Pigs, Starf***ers Inc., The Day The World Went Away, etc.). There are a few tracks I would have liked to have seen included, such as Something I Can Never Have and Ruiner, but I'm not complaining. The best live versions on here would definetly have to be Hurt and The Day The World Went Away. I've had this CD for two weeks and I've been listening to it all the way through at least twice a day. If you call yourself a NIN fan, you must, I repeat MUST own this album!

Nine Inch Nails-'And All That Could Have Been Live'(Nothing)
Perhaps not the best live CD release in existence,but STILL a fine disc at that.Not sure what is missing,but 'And All That...' does seem to leave something to be desired.Notice that the used stores seem to have a fair share of used copies,but I most certainly plan to hang onto my copy for years to come.The sixteen track CD serves as an audio document of NIN's 2000 U.S. tour,of which I saw and I remember the gig being no less than top rate.Trent Reznor and his four touring musicians appear to draw the listener in with tunes that(more or less)had managed to make NIN a household name.You know,their gems like "March Of The Pigs","The Frail","Wish","Suck","Closer","Head Like A Hole","The Day The World Went Away" and "Hurt".Must admit though,the disc sounds very close to the studio versions of the songs on there of.Overall,I wasn't really disappointed with this disc,but I've heard of a few other fans that somewhat were.

Very good live Nails
The mega-hyped live NIN album seems to get widely mixed critical responses, but I believe it's a fine record and a nice compliment to the excellent DVD. Some of the older tracks such as "Head Like A Hole" and "Gave Up" actually surpass their studio versions. Especially "Sin", the album's highlight, which has even more menace than the original. Many tracks from the Fragile, particularly "The Wretched"" are superior to the album versions. However, many of The Fragile's more forgettable tunes take up time, and a few songs like "Wish" are ruined by a lack of clarity. The setlist has some nice touches with "Suck", and classics like "Piggy", "March of the Pigs", "Closer", "Terrible Lie" and Hurt" are presented with a fresh energy. A damn good live outing.

very well done, as compared to the dvd version
compared to the dvd version, its cd counterpart in a sense does live up to what the dvd did accomplish. overall, the sound on the cd is alot better then on the dvd. for intstance, during a guitar solo in the middle of "gave up", the guitar fades out of its solo and can barely be heard on the dvd version. the cd version cleans that up nicely tho. also, i think the cd was mixed a bit better then the dvd. the backing guitars and vocals were somewhat underpowered as compared to the cd version. i did not totally agree with there decision to cut out complication from the cd version. that instrumental is incredible and would have been nice to hear it on the cd. the day the whole world went away is a bit lame played live. the album version is alot better. i guess they tryed compensating for this by adding a slow, brooding drum beat to the middle of the song to act as a solo/bridge section. the only other gripe i have is the song selection. i thought that songs like perfect drug, mr.self destruct, the fragile, were in this together and other non-commericial songs be included but no dice. i am happy with the version of the fragile that was released on the still cd tho. all in all, i would recommend this to anyone who has even heard 1 nine inch nails song and is willing to give them a listen. you cant really go wrong with this live cd ... Read more

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Nevermind that Alanis Morissette's career spans back to her early teens and she has four prior CDs to her credit. It's just too early to go unplugged. Performances like this are better done in the privacy of one's acoustically appointed bathroom. An expressive, emotionally naked singer, Morissette bares a little too much on this outing. Recorded at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music and produced solely by Morissette, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the carefully wrought songs and slices of her inner life, but there's little to be said about her shrill, thin delivery. Included is the never-before-released "No Pressure Over Cappuccino," which shedebuted on her Jagged Little Pill tour, and two songs left off last year's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie: "Princes Familiar" and "These Are the Thoughts." They were dumped for good reason. The only redeeming moment is her out-of-breath rendering of the coy "Head Over Feet." --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (166)

You get it or you don't
The thing about live or unplugged CD's is that you either appreciate the nakedness and pureness of them or you keep wondering when the beat machine is going to kick in. Alanis has a beautiful, unique voice. Far from "shrill and thin" this CD exposes the raw beauty of her voice. Some fans of "Jagged Little Pill" may not appreciate the calmer versions of the tracks from that album but they certainly have a uniques sound and are no less meaningful. The cover of Sting's "King of Pain" is quite beautiful. As for the new tracks, most are largely forgettable, though not awful. The exception is "Princes Familiar." It has a really nice lyrical quality to it. This CD is definitely worth buying, the only real dissapointment is "Joining You." While it is prettily done, it lacks the force and power of the version from "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" Buy it. You'll like it.

In with the old; in with the new
Well, to many this CD might be "just a live version of old songs". It's nothing to buy because you previously owned them. This is so not true! This album is truly a masterpiece. I could be considered "biased" as I'm a huge fan of Alanis but I also have a wide range of musical tastes and I can assure you that I love this CD for its content.

The new revisions of older songs is simply breath-taking and beautiful. I love the meloncholy, 'blusy', and 'jazzy' type feels to every song. Hearing Morissette live is always a treat because of this and her addition of words ("I am aware now...I like to think that I am.") and notes, and a great deal of other things.

Hearing flute on TIWBG and Deron's back-up vocals on King of Pain is remarkable. And who 'can't not' love her thought-out lyrics and interesting metaphors? Not to mention her use of one's "poetic license" in many songs. Truly a treat. I would recommend buying it.

Nice Unplugged performance!!!
Alanis has out together a nice Unplugged CD. It's a great recording - has the real open ambience of a live performance.

Some thoughts on the tracks:
1. You Learn -A nice version, but not significantly different from the studio version.
2. Joining You - Beautiful vocal performance.
3. No Pressure Over Cappuccino - An interesting new song.
4. That I Would Be Good - GREAT song, very heartfelt. This song pulls you in and doesn't let go.
5. Head Over Feet - A nice version, but again, not significantly different from the studio version. I still think this song has one of the funniest harmonica parts ever.
6. Princes Familiar A song left off of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. I LOVE this song. Possibly my favorite song on this album.
7. I Was Hoping -Great performance.
8. Ironic A nice version, but again, not significantly different from the studio version
9. These R The Thoughts A song left off of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie . Alanis thoughts while alone. Haunting.
10. King Of Pain - A nice version, but Alanis doesn't really make the song her own,. I was hoping for more out of this one.
11. You Oughta Know A nice version, but again, not significantly different from the studio version
12. Uninvited - Heartbreaking. Beatuful.

Excellent Live Performance!
I love No Pressure Over Cappucino after her rousing performance on Alanis Unplugged. You Learn, Head Over Feet, Uninvited and Ironic are excellent live. The only thing that irks me is that sometimes her voice doesn't hit the notes we hear on the album versions. Besides that, it's a great CD.

Unpluggedly amazed with this.
I started my Brazilian Valentine's day, 6/12/2000, by walking on my 50,000 inhabitants city streets all by myself. So I went to a CD store about 3 kilometers from my house and saw that red album with strange words, with a white-skin colour wrote on the singer's face. So I remembered her form all his success in 1995-1996 here in Brazil. All her videos on MTV were exaustively played here, in Brazil. Her studio version to That I Would Be Good was played more than 3 times in a morning on our main radio station. I recognized her face, her single and then other musics as the so-commented You Oughta Know. I bought that CD intuitively, without knowing how good it could be. So I brought it home, and I didn't have a cd player. My sister made me lend it to her and then lended it to another one, a friend of her. Twenty months later I could get it finally. So I started to listen to it as it was the world's only cd. Everytime. I got alanis.com and so all its lyrics, translated them into Portuguese, sent it to relatives and friends. Alanis' poetry, voice and mainly the marvelous unplugged songs (as Joining You, No Pressure Over Cappuccino and Uninvited) made me stay wondered by that magnificent kind of art. Alanis' unplugged was my first real contact with her opus. I think unplluged version of Joining You is the world's best song. I think this album is accessible to everyone, because heavy rock songs are translated into acoustic ballads, as the ones we would like to listen to when we are with our girl or boyfriend. Alanis' unplugged has been one of the most ones: perfect songs, perfect lyrics, philosophy, music, formal perfection in arrengements, feminism, percussion, violoncello and violins (...) and relationships turned into art. A perfect piece of art. Joining You (the second track) let its grunge form to become a perfect ballad song. The problems Ms. Alanis Morissette writes in that song are perfectly showed in unplugged version. She sings with extreme pain. When we listen to the studio version of the music, we think she is talking about someting she read on the newspaper. When we listen to her singing the unplugged version, we can experience the problem by ourselves. I can say it for every one of that tracks, but I stayed much time listening to the strange and exquisite Uninvited, one of the best ones, strong, fierce. Listen everyone to Princes Familiar, strange and full of good surprises, like Chinese food. You have to listen to to experience it. Listen accurately to Alanis' voice, try to realize her tessiture and her lyric singer's performance in No Pressure Over Capuccino, or the reshaping form of her big sucess, Ironic. You have to pay attention to her voice, it sounds like pain, happiness or funny things. She says that she spilled water over her clothes, she thanks her fans, and mainly she interacts with all her fans. More than a singer, Alanis is a kind of philosopher, not by trying to make new laws or explain things, but she analyses everything and shows us a own and important world. Thanks for reading.
Enjoy it so much!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

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For many pop-music cynics, excess can be neatly summed up in three things: live albums, double-CD's, and Tori Amos records. Damned ifTo Venus and Back doesn't hit the trifecta. But perhaps Amos is just trying to prove what we've always suspected: that her muse possesses a sly, ironic wit and has been frantically trying to give us a wink while Tori whipped up her heady cocktail of quiet Sturm, desperate Drang, and angst in the panties. There's teasing moments on this double-dose of Tori's love affair with her own melodic and mystical dramaturgy to support that notion, even in the disc of powerful new studio recordings that inaugurates this set. Dubbing a song "Glory of the 80's" is burlesque enough, but yearning to have oneself cloned as Kim Carnes at its climax is simply inspired. Amos is to Kate Bush's distaff mysticism what Mark McGwire was to Roger Maris; she hasn't so much broken the mold as willfully hammered it into her own image. After Bush hit the snooze-bar on her career in the late `80s, Amos boldly stepped into the fray, building a body of work that demanded to be taken seriously, even while the thrift-store chic set were laughing up their tattered sleeves at her ambitious chutzpah. They're not laughing now; in fact, many may find Venus to be a deliciously guilty pleasure. Amos supporters have long maintained that the key to understanding her intrigue lies in her live performances. Disc two boldly states their case as Amos coos, whoops, and warbles through a hit-sprinkled set, her shrewd, sorely undervalued band hanging with every nuance and turn of phrase. Cynics are from Mars; Tori is from Venus--that's just the way her galaxy crumbles. Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (404)

Not exactly a full-of-suprises following but still stunning
" I've had sex with God " said Tori Amos once and while a statement like that would be considerred ludicrous if it came from the lips of any other singer , coming from her makes it somehow sound naturall . In order to understand her work you must fully believe her supernatural fairy-like universe . Her lyrics don't make sense otherwise . Her confessions on "Bliss" ( " Father i've killed my monkey... " ) are blurry and confusing. What is she talking about ? If you let go though and give to the words your own meaning everything becomes so beautifull! In her 1999 album "To The Venus And Back" she displays once more her enormous vocal and writing skills . This project seems to be the logical continue of "From The Choirgirl Hotel" . Although it's not exactly the beautifull nightmare that record was , she focuses again on building a rich background atmosphere by using a big number of musical instruments .Tracks which stand out are "Concertina" , "Riot Poof" , "1000 Oceans" and the divine "Lust" .What makes this release even more noteworthy is the extra cd with songs from her live acts .Anyone who hasn't had the chance to see her perform can't help but feeling the desire to live the experience . She's delivering her melodies with an even greater passion , talks to the fans , reveals details about the songs and makes " Precious Things " sound like the ultimate musical hymn of the 90's.

No Angel Came
Most of Tori's albums are based on a major thing that happened in her life. Little Earthquakes was the "rape" album, Pele was the "breakup" album, Choirgirl was the "miscarraige" album but it seems to me that this is the "gee i'm bored" album. The songs on Orbiting seem to lack the original pizazz that first got me hooked on Tori. Don't get me wrong, it's still a pretty good album and I would recommend it to any tori fan. Bliss, suede, 1000 oceans, and the haunting Jaurez are among my favorites on the first disc.

As for the second disc, I have never really liked live albums (why should i pay to hear the same songs i already love played differently with all that background noise?) but of course they do add a sense of 'being at the concert'. If you like live albums you'll probably like the second disc. But listening to tori sing 'little earthquakes' live, immediatly prompted me to stop in the middle of the song, and put in the original cd.

Well, there's my two cents on To Venus and Back. I give the album 3 1/2 stars. If you're new to Tori, start with Little Earthquakes or Boys For Pele instead.

Missing the Old Tori...
If you're one of those people who has the tendency to say, "I like their old stuff better.", this is not the Tori CD for you. Similarly, if you're a Tori neophyte, this is NOT the introduction you want to her music. While I can't say I didn't enjoy this electronically-influenced venture from Ms. Amos (I still listen to it often), it left me aching to hear her doing the "girl at the piano thing" again, as she puts it. Tracks like 'Concertina' and 'Spring Haze', (the most old-school Tori on the album), are the ones on which I find myself pushing the repeat button. 'Juarez', a deep, sexy track, and 'Glory of the 80's', with its clever lyrics and pulsing beat, are also on my replay list. However, tracks like the whiny and repetitive 'Suede', and 'Datura', (coming in at over 8 minutes long with not a lot of substance to show for it), are where this album falls short. Also less than impressive is the live CD, which I'm convinced was only attached to force die-hard Tori fans who must own every album to pay upwards of $20 for the new release. It's your standard fare-- the kind I wish Tori would have written more of for the new portion of 'To Venus...' The final verdict? It's a great exploration into Tori's eclectic capabilities, but I doubt it will ever be anybody's favorite.

Not a dull moment... rediscovering Tori
I've owned this album since days after it was released back in 1999, but for some reason the studio tracks on it had managed to "elude" me until today, while I focused my attention on the live 'side', which continues to be a personal favorite Tori recording of mine.

Five years after its release, it feels like the time is perhaps more ripe for these studio songs. She was most definitely ahead of her time when she recorded tracks as experimental as the electronic-based "Datura," "Lust," "Glory Of The 80s," "Concertina" or "Juarez", to be found in here, all of which add a new dimension to her typically-more-acoustic-based work.

It'd always been a pleasant experience to listen to the live renditions of some of Tori's classics, along with the unique "Cooling", which I hadn't heard prior to this release. But paying close attention to the 'new' tracks has given new life to this production by one of my favorite contemporary artists and composers of all times.

Probably Toris Best Lyrically.
I can't understand why a lot of fans didn't like this. It's just beyond amazing. maybe if you would stop comparing everything she does to "little earthquakes" then maybe you can enjoy this spectaular music. i believe that some of these songs show tori at lyrical best. songs like "bliss", "lust", "suede", "1,000 oceans", "juarez" & "datura" are probably some of her greatest masterpieces to date.

GET IT STRAIGHT IN YOUR MINDS PEOPLE. TORI IS NOT GOING TO MAKE "LITTLE EARTHQUAKES: THE SEQUAL" SO GET OVER IT & STOP ANALYZING EVERY SINGLE THING ABOUT EVERY OTHER RECORD SHE DOES & SAYING THAT SHE SOLD OUT! THIS IS AMAZING, & REAL MUSIC, ENJOY IT!!!! ... Read more

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The defining moment of 1985's Live Aid music festival was U2's pulsing, magical performance of "Bad," where Bono climbed down into the audience and danced with a young woman while millions watched, for almost 20 minutes. The album version of the song wasn't anywhere near that amazing, so the centerpiece of the four-song Wide Awake EP, released in a hurry after Live Aid, is another gorgeously drawn-out live take on "Bad." It's augmented by two rather nice outtakes from the Unforgettable Fire sessions (which had previously appeared as British B-sides), both more showcases for the band's collaborative electricity than good songs per se, and another solid live recording. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (37)

U2 at Live Aid in 1986 one of the best live performances
This is U2's second live album. It's their two performances at Live Aid in 1986, and two b-sides. The live performance of "A Sort Of Homecoming" is great, but, there's no denying that U2 released this four-track live album for one purpose, to give their fans an album with their historic performance of "Bad" on it. That performance lasted eight minutes, pretty long for a rock song, and there was absolutely, positively, good reason for it. There was so much emotion in the whole performance, Bono's always heartfelt singing, the rhythm section made up of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., and The Edge's superb guitaring, with solos that went on for what seemed like minutes. This unbelievable live performance really proved that U2 was the best live band around.

A Great But Pricey Performance
Although I paid full price for this CD when I bought it 11 years ago, I still think it was worth the money. Mainly because the live version of "Bad" is nothing less than great! This EP shows U2 at its best both in the studio and in concert.

"Love Comes Tumbling" and "Three Sunrises" are polished pieces that should've been included in "The Unforgettable Fire" CD. Given the overall weakness of UF, these two cuts alone would've helped raise the caliber of that album.

"Sort of Homecoming" is an outstanding live perfomance that makes the studio version of this song seem pathetic. Without a doubt, the live version of "Bad" is among rock's gold standard of concert recordings. The rhythm section of Mullen and Clayton are solid and very much in harmony here and Edge's chiming guitar is vintage U2!

I agree this disc ain't cheap but what's on here is worth the price of admission. Buy it. You won't regret it.

Wide Awake
After the "Unforgettable Fire Tour", which accompanyed the album of the same title, U2 had some side gigs. They played some gigs for Amnesty International's Conspiracy Of Hope tour, and they played Live Aid. This EP is simply two live songs from that period of time, plus two b-sides from that period of time. Note that the version of "Bad" on this EP is unequivically NOT the legendary Live Aid version that spanned the better part of 30 minutes. U2 never officially released that track, a smart move in my opinion, as it preserves the mistique of that performance.

Back to this EP, "Bad" and "A Sort Of Homecoming" are great, and it was also a good place to hear the b-sides "Love Comes Tumbling" and "The Three Sunrises" for those who hadn't heard it before. In this time period, especially with the Live Aid performance of "Bad", the public was 'wide awake' with anticipation for what this band would do next, which put quite a bit of pressure on U2 for their next LP. U2 were on the brink of superstardom, but not even they knew what their next LP would start.

Triumph...
Amazing...

Bad is always a great live track. This version is well defined and smooth compared to Live Aid, yet still packs that punch.

A Sort Of Homecoming - For those who dont read U2 books then let me burst the bubble for you. This version was recorded at soundcheck. The crowd was put on after. Still, its a great track and gives you a clearer picture of the song. The original is on a par but very different. The unfocused becomes focused if you like.

Three Sunrises - I used to love this track (and still do) and had a great time watching them record it on the Unforgettable Fire video.

Love Comes Tumbling - Bono in real Bono vocal mode. So many people tried to emulate this style and still do - see Baby Bird. I have a version of this with different lyrics which is very weird.

Overall, a great EP and an absolute must for that U2 collection.

Cheers...

A teaser, and a good one at that
All four tracks on Wide Awake in America are really great. The two Unforgettable Fire outtakes, Love Comes Tumbling and the Three Sunrises, should have made the album in order to distract you from the pieces of "filler" that made it on there instead (Elivs Presley and America). And the two live songs are oustanding. Bad comes across much more spirited and moody onstage than it did in the Slaine Castle recording sessions. Go figure. And A Sort of Homecoming, Unforgettable Fire's best song, gets a faithful performance.

But that's it. Four songs, twenty-some minutes, nothing else. And when it is done, you want more of the same. So here's a little hint for Island records: either expand Wide Awake in America (stuff from Live Aid or more b-sides) or keep it as it is and charge an EP price for it. The LP price isn't fair, unless it's actually an LP. Good grief. ... Read more

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Whether or not Me First and the Gimme Gimmes were successful in their attempt to Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah depends, naturally, on Jonny. If he's a fan of pop (and circumstance) classics reconfigured as punk, Jonny's special day must have been quite a treat because that's what he got. The Gimmes brought their tongue-in-cheek sneering delivery and souped-up versions on hits such as "Take it on the Run" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." Me First even tackles "Stairway to Heaven" here. And, as you might guess, "Hava Nagila" closes the set. This CD is a low-brow party favor, perfect for 13-year-old boys actually. Others may be worn a little thin depending on how hilarious they find a rocked-up "Delta Dawn." Still, the band barrels through this party of friends and relatives with plenty of charm. Listeners will visualize the Bar Mitzvah dance floor while they place bets on whether or not Richard Cheese gets billed at Jonny’s prom. --John Moe ... Read more

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Before Anodyne, Uncle Tupelo already had one masterpiece in 1991's noisy and tense Still Feel Gone, but this album, the band's major-label debut, had even grander ambitions. Replacing the group's grungy guitar with soaring lap and pedal-steel fills, plus fiddle and mandolin breaks both sweet and raucous, Anodyne is overflowing with a spacious grandeur that alludes to, and then makes it own, everything from the Band and the Stones and Neil Young (both as a solo artist and with Crazy Horse) to old Acuff-Rose songs--all of which is just to say that it's among the best roots-rock records ever made. The 2003 remastered and expanded edition offers three unreleased tracks from the original sessions plus a pair of live covers from a 1993 Chicago show. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Wow
This is a truly amazing album. My favorite Uncle T record was No Depression, but then Anodyne came out, and it may be better. If you've only got the first two records (or one of them) then this will be a change of pace. The thrash from the early days is almost all gone here, there's nothing at all like "Factory Belt" or "Gun" here. While they do have some really great rocking moments like on "Chickamauga", it's the sad, mostly acoustic numbers that really stand out, though. Farrar's "Slate" and the title track, and Tweedy's "New Madrid" and "No Sense in Lovin'" are my favorites. This is much sadder on a personal level, whearas the first two Tupelo albums were angry about everything from their girlfriends to the economy.

Despite the change of pace, this is definetly an Uncle Tupelo album. There is still that half (and sometimes more)-defeated tone to all of the songs, and there are occasional strong echoes of not only Husker Du, but of Paul Westerberg's Replacements-era songwriting. Add a little twang and see what turns up!

Great, great album, definetly give this one a try.

A raw, passionate parting shot
Upon the first listen to Uncle Tupelo's 1993 album Anodyne, the aura of something coming to an end is clear. Nearly every one of Farrar's songs contain lyrics hinting at separation: "The time is right for getting out while we still can", "No sign of reconciliation", "We can't seem to find common ground", and finally "No more will I see you". In hindsight, we should have seen Uncle Tupelo's demise as clearly as we should have seen Kurt Cobain's suicide. But we didn't, and that only makes the music more haunting and timeless.

As splintered as some Tupelo albums are, it is ironic that Anodyne is cohesive and flows effortlessly from track to track. Jeff Tweedy clearly caught up with Jay Farrar on the album, his songs emitting the buoyant and upbeat antidote to Farrar's mournful ballads. The frenetic energy of the band's early days is gone, replaced with a more balanced and subdued mix of rock and country. The band's sophistication has always stood in contrast with its age, but while listening it's hard to imagine that this band has only been releasing albums for 4 years. While Anodyne is UT's first release on a major label, it retains the raw edge of earlier releases; this can be attributed to the band's standards of getting the songs down live in one take. Mistakes are clearly audible and some parts could be tightened, but the deficiencies actually add to the quality and credibility of the album creating an achingly vulnerable atmosphere. Remarkably, the orchestration is stunning in most places and you have to remind yourself that there were no overdubs or studio trickery in place. Mandolins and guitars drive in sync, lap steel floats over the mix, bass hooks abound creating a sound that at the same time soothes and rubs against the grain of your eardrums. The songs are the best the band ever created as a unit and the lyrics, Farrar's especially, reveal the anatomy of the band's breakdown in a poignant manner. By the time the chorus of the closing track "Steal the Crumbs" comes around anyone who cares about the band's music will feel saddened and deprived of what this band could have become.

The bottom line: Anodyne is essential for any fan of rock music. Pick it up, it's impossible to be let down.

Saving Their Best For Last
Anodyne was Uncle Tupelo's major label debut and also their swan song. After going the acoustic route on their previous album, the band revs back up into the country-rock arena. They shoot for the top and don't miss. The album is a perfect blend of rock songs "Chickamauga" and "The Long Cut", folk like the amazing "New Madrid" and "Steal The Crumbs", straight country in "Acuff-Rose" and the marrying of their sounds on the brilliant remake of Doug Sahm's "Give Back The Keys To My Heart" (Mr. Sahm provides guest vocals on the track). The band unfortunately splintered apart after the album with Jay Farrar forming Sun Volt and Jeff Tweedy forming the more successful and critically lauded Wilco. But as their parting gift, they served up one of the best albums of the 90's.

one more reason to love uncle tupelo
all sorts of great things have been written about this group, here and at altcountry.com, and at any other place that has taken the time to review this band. two reason i own all their music and most of the two off-springs of this group: great lyrical content, great music...what more can ya ask for? write about american history, heartbreak, folklore, tragedy,love, combine that with timeless folk, rock, punk, country. what do you get? a classic must own collection of songs, albums, you get the picture. this album stayed on my disc player for at least two straights months...i only took it off so i wouldn't burn out on the album....will be as classic as any dylan, stones, who, or neil album!!!!

The Irreparable Rift
By now it should be apparent that, irrespective of genre, two brilliant songwriters can coexist within the same band for only so long. Such collaborations may last but a few months, as in the case of the early incarnation of Metallica that featured both James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine, or as long as several years in the cases of the dynamic duos that fronted the Beatles (ok, George Harrison made them a dynamic trio of songwriters) and Uncle Tupelo. Ultimately, however, a band with more than one ingenious songwriter is destined to fission.

Luckily, in the case of Uncle Tupelo, childhood friends Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy were able to work together long enough to produce four excellent studio albums, the last of which, Anodyne, represents their most remarkable artistic achievement as a songwriting team.

The proceedings start out well enough with the mournful "Slate" and hoedown worthy "Acuff-Rose". However, the meat of the album starts on the third track, "The Long Cut", which is the first in what seems like an endless stream of classics to come. "Give Back the Key to My Heart" manages to be sweet, funny, and heartbreaking all at once. As perhaps the finest and most rocking song UT ever recorded, "Chickamauga" features a several minute blistering guitar solo outro that soars to the rarified heights achieved before by only a handful of bands such as Pearl Jam on "Alive" and Pink Floyd on "Comfortably Numb". After the frenzied glory of "Chickamauga", the laid-back country pickin' on "New Madrid" comes almost as a relief. "We've Been Had" snags the riff from Springsteen's "Crush on You" and does great things with it. "Steal the Crumbs" is a wonderfully mellow closer.

It's a shame Farrar and Tweedy could no longer work together after Anodyne, yet you've got to admit they've both acquitted themselves quite well on their own since then. Maybe sometime I'll take the time to compare their post-Tupelo output and throw my two cents in on the Farrar vs. Tweedy debate. For now, I suggest that you pull out your copy of Anodyne, grab a bottle of IBC, and enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It may have taken until 1991 for punk to break as a commercial form, but the genre was hardly new. In that story, even Jane's Addiction were latecomers to the revolution. But it was the frenzied trailblazing rock of this quirky Los Angeles quartet that made the later successes of Nirvana, etc. somehow inevitable. In this recording of a hometown club gig, Jane's offer raw versions of songs that would appear in a more refined form on their debut album, along with a dubious cover of "Sympathy for the Devil." Hear a noticeably younger and shriller Perry Farrell while guitarist Dave Navarro plays out his Jimmy Page dreams across a punk canvas the rest of the world would soon discover. --Steve Appleford ... Read more

Reviews (34)

incredible promise
The band Jane's Addiction is one of the most important bands in the last twenty years of music. They brought rock and roll back to a music scene dominated by pop acts. This is their debut indie release. It documents their early life on the streets of Los Angeles. A series of live cuts including covers of the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil" and Lou Reed's "My Time." Not on the level of their follow up classic albums "Nothing's Shocking" and "Ritual de lo Habitual" this self titled album offers an early look at what will become one of the greatest bands of our time. An early version of the now-classic "Jane Says" and "Chip Away" are the best songs on this album.

Ear-blowing
Jane's Addiction is the only band I know who released a live debut album. Any other band would run too great a risk doing that. Not Jane's. They already had an incredible live reputation by 1987.

Particularly the first 5 songs on this live CD prove how good Jane's Addiction already were back then. The interplay of Perry's echoed vocals and Dave's juicy, voluminous guitar playing cause an eargasm, no more no less.
Compared to the band's 1988 studio debut "Nothing's Shocking", however, this is just an embryo. Later, as we know, it would grow into a voluptuous, beautiful girl.

Not every song works as well as the opener "Trip away" or the conscious, street-smart "Whores" and "1%". The covers of "Sympathy for the devil" by Rolling Stones and "Rock'n'roll" by Lou Reed don't leave any impression- these songs were only played for this record and didn't belong to the band's repertoire.

This album features 2 early versions of Jane's Addiction classics "Jane says" and "Pigs in zen", the best song ever written about pigs with a spoken part not featured on "Nothing's Shocking": "The pig is led to the slaughter/This he says is the price some pay for a simple life". Perry's lyrics- deep and insightful as on any Jane's Addiction album.

4 recommending stars for this ear-blowing live disc

Shockingly good.
Their other albums might have gotten more attention, but this debut from "Jane's Addiction" is just as good as the next two. In some ways it's better. The big difference is that this is live, and has a much more raw feel, and captures their sound before they got more popular. A much younger "Perry Farrell" adds alot to the music with his unique voice, and "Dave Navarro" plays guitar better than he possibly does today. Plus some absolute classic songs are on here, like "Trip Away", "Whores", "I Would For You", "My Time", and of course "Jane Says". There's also great covers of the "Stones" and "Velvet Underground". Anyone new to this should be greatly impressed, and any major fan will find this as essential as any other album.

Own this Album
For a live album, this disc is incredibly crisp & audible. You can hear the energy of the band and can't help but jam out. The tracks are a lot of fun... I particulary like the cover of the Rolling Stones' SYMPATHY. Not to mention, TRIP AWAY is a great rolling tribal beat that is easy to get lost in... awesome!

Bringing back the medicine train...
Probably the most incisive thing ever said about Jane's was a comment my brother made, just after we got out of one of their early gigs. Something along the lines of (my paraphrasing):

"You know, people make such a big deal about the hype, and the "new Led Zeppelin" thing that they forget the band just seems like four guys that want to play music."

Here's the proof. A no-frills, underproduced live album made up of some early "Nothing's Shocking" material, a few covers ("Sympathy For The Devil"; average--Lou Reed's "Rock&Roll"; quite good), and some all-around great pop tunes ("My Time", "I Would For You").

I'm not going to say I was there since the beginning; like most of us, I began with "Ritual..." and made my way back. And in this case, the search is worth the time spent on it. Disregard, however, the "Live 1986" album which is poorly recorded. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Punk rock is meant to be played loud and snotty. Blink 182 are a San Diego punk rock threesome whose interest in arrested development has led them to a sparkling array of sex jokes that cover everything from anal sex to masturbation to... Well, you get the idea--and that's just the between-song banter. This limited-edition live collection--a holding pattern until the band's fifth studio album is released in 2001--features a slam-dunk collection of the band's hits, fan favorites from their various studio albums, and new tunes ("Blew Job" among the enlightened tracks). One additional studio track, "Man Overboard" (already a hit on a radio near you), packs a harder punch than most, thanks to the studio finesse. But mostly these are revved-up versions of songs to break a skateboard by. With the added appeal of a color booklet and about seven minutes of "stage banter" tacked on at the end, guaranteed to either leave you in stitches or have you grounded for a month. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (260)

A great live album for every kind of Blink 182 fan!
For those of you that like Blink 182's punk-turned-pop album, Enema Of The State, you'll appreciate some of the songs that they play in this album, such as "All The Small Things" or "What's My Age Again?"But this album also contains some old Blink 182 favorites such as "Dammit" or "Carousel" that will keep the punk fans satisfied. Mark, Tom, and Travis play great, with few mess-ups and very high quality sound. The jokes in between songs and the ones in the last 28 tracks are hilarious, but inapproprate, which is probably the reason it got the parental advisory label, but hey, they aren't too bad, and most 12 year olds could hear em. This album has 49 tracks, the first 19 being a whole show with entertaining commentary in between, 20 is "Man Overboard," their awesome new single. 21-49 are just the guys jokin around at various concerts. This CD is great, only a few problems being:1.It gets a little boring hearing it over and over, especially the jokes, and 2.Travis doesn't talk at all. C'mon, Travis, don't just bang on those drums! Other than those facts, this CD rules, and is a must-have for any Blink 182 fan.Buy it NOW!!!!

Pure Blink 182.
Wow. This is a fabulous CD. Right off the bat, you realize what you have- a CD that totally embodies what the band Blink 182 is all about, that being girls, potty humor, and punk rock. The boys do great live versions of some of their best hits, "Dammit," "All the Small Things," and "Dumpweed" standing out, though I was disappointed that their early hit "Girl Next Door" wasn't included. That aside, they did a great job on this CD. They sound great live, and aren't one of those bands that needs numerous studio tricks in order for you to like them. Mark's bass solos are great, and make the songs that much more of unpredictable and fun ride. Tom's recognizable lead guitar chords jump out at you, and as you hear them a smile comes on your face knowing what the song is. Travis's drumming is as phenomal as ever, never missing a beat and rocking hard. These three big kids mixed together have a style that is impossible to resist. They blend their love for girls, bathroom jokes, and their token punk rock in one desirable package. A real treat on the CD is their latest single "Man Overboard." Totally Blink's style, it has all the guys at their best, with catchy lyrics, plenty of times for each one of them to shine, and an overall tone that's impossible to resist. Another aspect of the CD fans will love are the last minutes of the CD, devoted entirely to commentary made by Mark, Tom, and Travis at their live shows. It includes outrageous dares, hysterical dips into their pasts, and even a visit from Satan. Simply put, if you love Blink 182, this CD is a must-have. You will laugh, sing along, and when it comes to "Adam's Song" maybe even cry on the wild trip with the guys of Blink. So get this CD. It's worth the money, and you'll love it guaranteed.

Awsome Live CD!
This CD is the next best thing to actually being at one of their live shows. Listen to them as they ramble on about pointless crude things in between songs and hear the audience loving it just like you will. After the last song listed #19 Man Overboard, there is alot more on the CD. There is alot more tracks of them making lots of jokes and of course more crude humor. This is one of their best releases. Not only does it have songs from their extremely popular cd Enima of the State, but also songs from their older stuff too! Overall this is a great great cd!

Good live album from Blink 182
The Mark, Travis and Tom Show is Blink 182's live album documenting the Enema tour.Many great songs make the album, and the songs are performed with great energy, but there is way too much stupid dialogue in between songs, that after awhile it gets annyoing and starts to take away from the enjoyment. I'd borrow it from someone before, I'd fork over 20-30 dollars for it.

The next best thing to a Blink concert.
You want this CD ... you want this CD.

"Untitled" is the ultimate break-up anthem from Blink. Oh wait ... no, "Dammit" is, but "Untitled" comes as a close second. Blink has a way of writing songs that people can relate to, with honest lyrics and damn depressing themes. Between songs, there are a lot of dirty jokes and funny dialogue (it's not tasteful, but who cares?). After "Man Overboard" the CD goes on and on for about an extra 40 minutes with talk. Good stuff. Best of all, it's like a portable Blink 182 concert. ... Read more

Album Description

This live, double disc collection is the first and only compilation package on the market. It spans Setzer's entire 25 year career, from the Stray Cats to the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and includes the hits "Rock This Town", "Stray Cat Strut", "Rumble In Brighton", "I Won't Stand In Your Way", and Grammy Award winning songs such as "Jump Jive An' Wail", "Sleepwalk", and "Caravan". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A lot of fun
Live cds can be either really good or really bad depending on the production work done.
Well this one is very good the audience sound dosen't interfere with enjoying the music as some live cds can and the music sounds crisp clear, the vocals not all fuzzy as some live shows can sounds and the other instruments are also very well produced.
I like the selcetion of songs on both cds as they are two different concert many years apart and they don't repeat any tracks even though I'm sure the actual concerts had some of the same songs played. Very well thought out and an excellent addition to your BSO collection.
Another one of the reasons I like this cd is that live Big bad/Swing/Rock-a-billy sounds much more exciting in live concerts than they can in studio albums....now don't get me wrong I love the BSO studio albums but the energy is completely different and if you are like me and love the higher energy music style of these genres then live is sometimes the best way to get the best versions.
Well worth it! ... Read more