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If you missed 1998's Family Values tour featuring Incubus, Orgy, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Rammstein, and Korn, fear not: 15 tracks from the aforementioned bands, plus "interludes," add up to well over an hour of neo-metal-angst-rap that can be enjoyed without venturing into a mosh pit. The CD is a cool deal in that it contains the best songs from each lineup, including radio hits such as Orgy's cover of New Order's "Blue Monday," Limp Bizkit's breakthrough version of George Michael's "Faith," and Rammstein's incendiary Germanic ode "Du Hast." Korn's medley of older material and singles from Follow the Leader prove why they're the headliners. In fact, this CD--and the tour itself--was partly based on the accurate assumption that Korn have such a strong influence that any band they tour with must appear Korn-approved kool to the kids. Both Ice Cube and Rammstein seem out of place, though kudos to Korn for including them. Ultimately, Family Values '98 is a great sampler for a metal-rap neophyte. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (106)

It's All Good Except For Ice Cube
I am a big fan of KoRn and Limp Bizkit, so I thought this cd would be good. First of all I didn't hear of Incubus until this cd. Their song "New Skin" is incredible, and its one of the best on the album. Then it goes to Orgy where they have 3 pretty good songs including the hit-single "Blue Monday". After that Limp Bizkit comes on with 3 awesome songs including one of the best songs of 1998 "Faith" and House Of Pain's song "Jump Around". Then here's the part I skip, Ice Cube I feel shouldn't belong on there. Next, you have 1 song by Rammstein, their single "Du Hast". Last KoRn comes on with their first song being a mix of songs including "Shoots and Ladders",then the 2nd is "Freak On A Leash",3rd is a mix of "Twist" and "Chi", and the last one to end the album is "Got The Life". This is a really good cd for anybody who went to the Family Values Tour or just likes any of these bands, it is a great mix of some of the best bands out there today.

Great Rap/Rock/Hardcore
'Family Values Tour 1998' is a great CD. I ranked the tracks:

1. ORGY - "Blue Monday". 9/10. Great chorus, great singing, a excellent song.

2. LIMP BIZKIT - "Faith". 9/10. Great verses, great singing, heaps of DJing.

3. INCUBUS - "New Skin". 8/10. Great guitar work, great chorus, great singing, great song.

4. LIMP BIZKIT - "Jump Around". 8/10. Great singing, great rap.

5. LIMP BIZKIT - "Cambodia". 7/10. Good song, good vocals, good rap, good song.

6. ORGY - "Dissention". 7/10. Great singing, great sound.

7. ORGY - "Gender". 7/10. Good sound, good singing.

8. ICE CUBE - "Check Yo Self". 5/10. Pretty pathetic, electronic sound.

9. ICE CUBE - "Natural Born Killaz". 4/10. Repetitive, stupid.

10. KORN - "Freak on a Leash". 3/10. KoRn's best, but still bad, 'chant' is stupid, vocals are bad.

11. ICE CUBE - "Straight out Compton/ F**k tha Police". 3/10. Rappy, stupid.

12. KORN - "Got the Life". 2/10. OK but pretty bad song.

13. KORN - "Shot Liver Meleody". 2/10. Hurts ears, bad sound, pathetic.

14. RAMMSTEIN - "Du Hast". 1/10. Bad singing, German, electronic, pathetic.

15. KORN - "Twist/ Chi". 0/10. No words, worst track, horrible.

I also ranked the bands:

1. LIMP BIZKIT - Great audience connection, great songs. 8.5/10.

2. INCUBUS - Should have played more, "New Skin" is great. 8/10.

3. ORGY - Great songs, great singing and a great band! 7.5/10.

4. ICE CUBE - Bad Rap, bad songs. 4/10.

5. KORN - Bad vocals, bad songs. 2/10.

6. RAMMSTEIN - Bad song, very, very bad band. 1/10.

Overall, this CD is great. The best bands were Limp Bizkit, Orgy and Incubus. Bands like Rammstein, Ice Cube and KoRn we could do with out. 'Family Values Tour 1998' is a fantastic CD if you like Rap/Rock/Metal.

Fred Durst, Wes Borland, Brandon Boyd, Mike Einzigner, Alex Katunich, Chris Kilmore, Jose' Pasillas, Sam Rivers, John Otter, D.J Leathel, Jay Gordan, Ryan Shuck, Paige Haley, Amir Derakh and Bobby Hewitt are really cool people.

Jonathan Davis, Fieldy, David Silveria, James Shaffer, Brian Welch, W.C, Crazy Toones, Til Linderman, Richard, Kruspe, Paul Landers, Oliver Reidel, Flake Lorenz and Christopher Schneider are not good musicians.

'Family Values Tour 1998' by KoRn, Limp Bizkit, Rammstein, Orgy, Incubus and Ice Cube is a fantastic album. Well produced by Josh Abraham. Five stars for a great album.

family Values tour '98
This CD Is The Best Of all The family values tour CD's
If you want to hear the best live performamnces of these bands you will need to buy this CD.

few minor problems
great cd. several minor problems- why the intros? take them out, and we could have more Rammstein and Incubus. alternatively, take out the Limp Bizkit song that ISN'T a cover; the other two are much than it. the Korn songs are great (since they are an excellent band you can't expect bad from them). considering I don't like live recordings, you know this one must be good for me to give it such a good rating.
here are 2 other good live "sampler" cds (I call them that because usually they have the hit songs from the artists):
Family Values 99 (various artists)
From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (Nirvana)

A touch of rock
This cd includes everything I like, everything I have ever listened to! Limp Bizkit, KoRn, everybody. This is a cd you should get whenever you can. Go and buy it! ... Read more

Album Description

Full title - Q Are We Not Men? A We Are Devo/DEV-O Live.Import reissue of the new wave icon's 1981 live release(out-of-print in the U.S.) combined with their 1978 debut & three bonus tracks, 'Social Fools', 'Penetration In TheCenterfold' & 'Soo Bawlz'. 21 tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

D.E.V.O.
Devo were pioneers in the 'New Wave' movement and the world is just that little bit better off for their existence.
This CD combining 'Q: Are We Not Me? A: We are Devo' and 'Devo Live' is fantastic. As a starting point and introduction to their music I would recommend greatest hits compilation instead, but this CD is most defiantly worth getting. Not only do you get two albums on one CD but you get two of their best albums.
'Q: Are We Not Men...' is fantastic, worth buying alone for just 'Mongoloid', 'Jocko Homo' and the best Rolling Stones cover ever 'Satisfaction' - I shudder when I hear it (the video is awesome but no one ever shows it anymore).
'Devo Live' is a testament to the musicianship and proves just how fantastic they were, and since I never got to see them live (being that I was to young and also living on a different continent) this recording is just enough compensation.

If you like post-punk, new wave, synth pop, college rock with hints of avant-garde then you probably have this already, if you don't why not?

A Breath Of Old Fresh Air
For those who's experience with Devo is limited to their three hit tunes will be in for a great surprise when they discover this 'punk rock' anthem. In addition, we do get extra tracks including as was previously mentioned the best live Devo ever. I agree. Although it is a major contrast from the Q./A. album in terms of attitude and timbre.
Growing up in NE Ohio [the land of futile tradition and complacency] around the time these guys were getting popular adds a little to the magic of this band for me. To think of these guys playing this stuff to those people at that time, well - it's amazing these guys didn't end up permanent residents of a hospital somewhere. At the time we all heard it we thought it was too unusual to be cool because NE Ohio wanted more and more and more derivative and stale metal rock, until one day we realized "we're all Devo!".
This premiere recording by Devo is guitar-driven psychotic angst at its finest. To me, it's the sound of past, present and future rolled into one loud lump: like 50's music played by aliens on 70's musical equipment. This album set the precedent for the yet-to-be-seen punk variety of new wave and in retrospect, it's amazing how prophetic the band was. Go back 25 years and hear the future of rock. I challenge you, spuds.

Three great bonus songs plus two free albums!
Not only do you get Devo's first real album with them singing "We Are Devo" in the song "Jocko Homo" and the only version of "Satisfaction" that tops the Rolling Stones, you also get three bonus songs tacked on the end. The extra tunes are very high-energy and are 3 of my favorite 5 Devo songs ("Wiggly World" and "I'm a Potato" are elsewhere). These same songs are on the two Hardcore Devo albums. Squeezed between this is the 1980 Freedom of Choice tour recording (which is available in long form from Rhino Handmade). Buy this CD and the other two double-album CD releases.

TWO Of the ultimate DEVO albums on ONE CD
This CD contains the first "hit" album from DEVO. Includes Satisfaction and Jocko Homo. DEVO LIVE is the BEST Concert Recording DEVO has released to date. Includes Whip It and Planet Earth. There are also two "BONUS" tracks on the end that are not availible anywhere else in the US. This is a MUST-HAVE!!! ... Read more

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For most musicians and groups, the live box set marks the culmination of a lengthy recording and concert career. Not so for Laurie Anderson, whose United States Live appeared in 1984, following her tenure in academic and bohemian circles and a small handful of releases on Warner Bros. and smaller labels. The release was an unusual event, though perhaps less so for a musician who seeks to upend musical traditions, most notably the distinctions between pop and classical, spoken and sung, live and Memorex. The lengthy set is a recording of a live performance composed of dozens of carefully defined experiments in form and technique, most of them fitting into one or two of these three categories: show pieces for items from her technological music arsenal (like her emblematic electric violin), witty narrative snippets (back when "spoken word" was called "performance art," prior to the rise of the poetry slam), and full-band performances, featuring, among others, Peter Gordon and David Van Tieghem. "O Superman" and "Big Science" are the familiar titles that appear amid the nearly 80 tracks. "Just a slow accumulation of details," her computer-enhanced voice intones moments before the intro to "Blue Lagoon" (later heard in a studio version on Mister Heartbreak). That makes a nice epigram for the collection as a whole, which is essential to understanding art music of the '80s in general and the New York scene in particular. --Marc Weidenbaum ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Professor Anderson's American History 101
One of the many qualities that separates Laurie Anderson from the sub-par pop world of the Backstreet Boys and Korn is her unerring intelligence, and it is on full display in the ambitious four CD box set entitled "United States Live". Taken from a series of shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Anderson attempts nothing less than a cultural, historical and psychiatric dissection of America. Though this was probably much more interesting to watch (as it included the use of multimedia which is obviously incompatible with audio formatting), the songs nevertheless work on a cerebral level, the likes of which have seldom, if ever, been duplicated. Utilizing her electric violin, Harmonizer and toy saxophone (among other instruments), Anderson has concocted a tour de force of sound and expression. Admittedly, each of the 78 tracks available here are exceedingly intellectual and demand the listener's full attention; consequently, one cannot listen to this box set in one, five or even ten sittings as though it were a simple collection of pop songs. The themes, multiple meanings and interior layers of each track unfold gradually with repeated listenings. It is also of note that a few of the songs included here can also be found on Anderson's first studio album, 1982"s "Big Science". Personal Favorites: the history of Tesla's relationship with Einstein that accompanies the song "Dance of Electricity", the philosophical musings on the nature of human motion found in "Walking and Falling", and the pseudo-Native American vocal rhythm of "Hey Ah". Representative Lyrics: "I can see the future and it's a place- about 70 miles east of here." ("Let X=X")

Professor Anderson's American History 101
One of the many qualities that separates Laurie Anderson from the sub-par pop world of the Backstreet Boys and Korn is her unerring intelligence, and it is on full display in the ambitious four CD box set entitled "United States Live". Taken from a series of shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Anderson attempts nothing less than a cultural, historical and psychiatric dissection of America. Though this was probably much more interesting to watch (as it included the use of multimedia which is obviously incompatible with audio formating), the songs nevertheless work on a cerebral level, the likes of which have seldom, if ever, been duplicated. Utilizing her electronic violin, Harmonizer and toy saxophone (among other instruments), Anderson has concocted a tour de force of sound and expression. Admittedly, each of the 78 tracks available here are exceedingly intellectual and demand the listener's full attention; consequently, one cannot listen to this box set in one, five, or even ten sittings as though it were a simple collection of pop songs. The themes, multiple meanings and interior layers of each track unfold gradually with repeated listenings. It is also of note that a few of the songs included here can also be found on Anderson's first studio album, 1982's "Big Science". Personal Favorites: the history of Tesla's relationship with Einstein that accompanies the song "Dance of Electricity"; the philosophical musings on the nature of human motion found in "Walking and Falling"; the pseudo-Native American vocal rhythm of "Hey Ah". Representative Lyrics: "I can see the future and it's a place- about 70 miles East of here." ("Let X=X")

Overdue for digital remastering
I remember seeing this performance series being advertised in The Village Voice & wanting desparately to go...but at 17, I didn't quite have the wherewithall to get the $ together to go & have always regretted this. But it was soon enough after that I had a summer job & the LPs were available. The sound was rather thin & scratches noticeable, so I bought the CD box soon after that. I always see this box set around (new & used), so I'm surprised that people say they haven't been able to find it. I always had half-wished that it had gone out of print, if only so that it finally gets the digital remastering (from the original tapes) that it deserves. The one thing that has bugged me about the set is that there is occassional popping/crackling noises that makes it sound as if the cd's were mastered from a pristine LP. The sound on the LP's was always very quiet & you had to turn up the volume, which made any surface noise extremely unpleasant. The CD's are louder, but the tape hiss is more obvious. Some cd's are already on their 3rd remastering.....so it seems that an upgrade is long overdue, SACD would be nice too.

Buy it, relive it or live it for the first time...
I had the good fortune of attending this two day performance in Brooklyn. It felt then like we were participating in something special. Looking back it was as I can't think of anything else from the 80's that was in anyway cultural or arresting. Maybe the Clash's first night at bond's before the fire dept showed up? Anyway during intermission the second night my current wife then girlfriend accidently kicked Grace Jones in the ankle while she was sipping champagne. We thought she was going to kick both of our asses. Luckilly Phillip Glass was walking by at that moment and struck up a conversation w/ her and save us from such humiliation. Plus it was so hard to get a cab to take you from the city to brooklyn back then.

Nights I Swim in the Blue Lagoon
Yeah, it's worth [money] for her 13:00 minute version of "Blue Lagoon" from MISTER HEARTBREAK. Professor Anderson says it all very well, below. I never fully appreciated Laurie until I saw her live recently on tour. I mean, I knew she was smart and inventive, but she finally got to me. She's paying attention to it all; she sees beneath the surfaces.

I suspect you do, too.

And she's coyly feminine and beguiling.

This is a great live set. ... Read more

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Guy Clark approaches songwriting the same way he approaches fishing--if what he comes up with is too meager, he throws it back; only the best specimens are considered "keepers." Fifteen of those specimens are featured on Keepers--A Live Recording (Sugar Hill), which was taped at a Nashville club in 1996 on Halloween weekend. Two strong songs are unveiled--"A Little of Both," a bouncy, witty song about avoiding choices, and "Out in the Parking Lot," a slow, poignant look at the action outside a nightclub. These two are joined by 13 old favorites, including those turned into hits by Ricky Skaggs ("Heartbroke"), Jerry Jeff Walker ("L.A. Freeway"), and Johnny Cash ("The Last Gunfighter Ballad"). They're all wonderful songs, but these aren't necessarily the best versions. Clark is a limited singer, but his voice cracks more than usual on several of these live renditions; this version of "She Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is practically unlistenable. Clark did put together a sharp little band for this recording, but if he was going to make a live album, why didn't he deliver some of his long, droll stories rather than these truncated introductions? --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not a keeper
One of life's greatest joys is a Guy Clark performance. Though I left Nashville shortly before the one recorded here, I listened to Mr. Clark play every dive in town for 20 years, sometimes sick, sometimes overly fortified with alcohol, and he was always the consummate showman. As such, the idea of a live recording was very appealing to me. The result, however, is a little disappointing.

The songs are indeed mostly keepers, and the track listing is typical of a Guy Clark set list. It relies heavily on his first album, with half the tracks coming from Old No. 1, and then a song or two from subsequent albums of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some, like "Heartbroke", are pleasant surprises I've never heard him perform live. I tend to be a little more sanguine about Mr. Clark's post-1975 oeuvre than he seems to be based on his shows and on this CD though - I think he's written a lot of other "keepers" that are conspicuously absent here, some from the "Old Friends", "Boats to Build", and "Dublin Blues" recordings that were released before the concert presented here, and that usually find their way into his sets.

It is the performances that disappoint in the end, though, not the choice of songs. The songs are mostly tried and true classics. Guy Clark may or may not tire of singing his first album for 30 years, but he has remarkable stage presence and can play "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train" a thousand times and make me misty every time. In general, though, the vocal performances are better on the original recordings. There is something to be said for re-recording many of these songs using the acoustic sound found on Clark's CDs from "Old Friends" onward, or perhaps in the simple guitar and bass form often used in his performances. The electric instrumentation used on some of his older albums has left some of his best material sounding dated. But here, with Mr. Clark not hitting some of the notes, sometimes off-key, most of the time I felt I'd be better off just pulling out Old No. 1. Or that he'd have been better off re-recording the "keepers" in the studio. There are some fine moments here. Texas Cookin', though recorded perfectly well in the studio, is a fine performance, and I can't help but smile at Mr. Clark, Jr. on bass doing the riff from Hendrix's "Third Stone From the Sun" near the song's end.

In short, the songs are keepers but the performances aren't. I have every Guy Clark CD ever made, and I listen to several of them fairly regularly. He is a personal hero in the world of music, and in his corner of this genre, I'll say something he'd disagree with - I think his work far eclipses that of Townes Van Zandt. But this CD has been in my CD player only twice over the years, once when I first bought it and was disappointed, and once today when I was disappointed again. The only good reasons to have this CD are to have a complete Guy Clark collection or to remember this particular concert if you were there.

Texas Without Being There
Guy Clark is the unofficial music ambassador for the great state of Texas. His songs are simple and straightforward tackling the always tough relationship department and lightweight subjects like eggs, tomatoes, chili, trains and his home state. ( "Texas 1947", "Texas Cookin" & "South Coast Of Texas" ) He's also intelligent when it comes to a live recording, putting together a great band which includes brilliant sideman - Verlon Thompson. Guy is definitely ON this night balencing songs, stories and laughter. The album literally brings Texas to my home until I can make the next visit. The purists seem to like his first two LP's found on "Essential", the critics pick is "Boats To Build", but the real Guy Clark is "Live" and this one is for the "Keepers".

Great atmosphere
The best thing about this record has to be the way it's recorded. Anyone with a half decent hi-fi system will love it just for that.

The small band Guy has gathered for this recording are as tight as can be and even Guy himself stays in control of his fingers...

Great versions of Heartbreak, Texas Cookin' and Home Grown Tomatoes. He's at his best when you can hear the smile on his face. She Ain't Goin' Nowhere is a classic Guy Clark song too. I'm less enthusiastic about some of the slower "moody" songs like Desperadoes (I can never understand the popularity of this one) and he misses out songs from Boats to Build - my favourite album. All in all though, a fine effort.

Texas Pure......
You yankees want to know what Texas is about? Hear it in his voice, words, and music. If you don't live here...listen to this cd and you'll want to get here as fast as you can.

Texas country-folk's main attraction delivers live
Imagine John Wayne with a guitar ... conveying toughness, pride, humor, and above all, integrity without having to raise his voice and rarely changing the pace of his words. That is the kind of talent and charisma Guy Clark possesses. His guitar playing is wonderfully intricate and his lyrics rank with anyone else's best. Slices of life like "Texas 1947" and "Desperados Waiting For A Train" perfectly convey the feel of those little Texas towns a few miles south or north of any main highway. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very Energetic Performance
The disc buzzes with raw energy and makes me wish I had a chance to see them live at the point this was recorded. This version of "The Man with X-Ray Eyes" is wonderful and the herein contained version of "Bela" is the definitive version. It is worth it for those 2 songs alone. I only give it 4 stars due to imperfect sound quality. Not the best place for newcomers to start - better for fans.

Live
Buy this album for the re-worked, and highly enhanced version of The Man with X-Ray Eyes, as it is the root and pith of this amazing live recording. The album is worth buying for that song alone.

Richard C Williams

Great Live Rock n Roll from a Great Rock N Roll Band
If you want a perfect slice of goth rock, get this album just for the live reworking of "The Man With X-Ray Eyes", it's worth it alone. The whole album proves how Bauhaus shouldn't be confined to just a "goth" status -- they're a great rock n roll band in the vein of Bowie, VU, Stooges, T.Rex. A hip-swinging, finger-snapping, blood-sucking good time.

Great band, Great songs, Poor recordings
I love Bauhaus don't get me wrong, but the live recordings though energetic, are of lackluster quality. If you're just getting into Bauhaus I'd wait to buy this album til you're accustomed to them & know what they're suppost to sound like. If I were you I'd start by purchesing: Mask, or The Skys Gone Out. Press Eject & Give Me the Tape almost lead me to leave Bauhaus behind.

A masterpiece of Goth Rock
Bauhaus, Push the Eject and Give Me the Tape

For a brief period of time during the early to mid 1980's, the ultimate in pale white kid music was a new offshoot of post-punk that the critics were just then beginning to call "Goth Rock." At it's prime, Goth Rock was (much like its listeners) dark, depressing, and yet frighteningly attractive. However, that prime didn't last long beyond the style's infancy. As a music, Goth Rock soon began to spiral downwards into pits of self-indulgence. It's once meaningful lyrics started to become inundated with "poetic" discussions about mysticism and the like, which were at times boring and at others just downright laughable. The stage performances began to turn the way of Kissesque garish costumed melodrama. Possibly even more detrimental to Goth's reputation, was how as a culture, it began to become associated with that creepy kid you saw walking down the hallway with the fishnets and the big gaudy cross hanging across his chest (ironically, that kid probably listened to Ozzy Osbourne, but that's another story...). Basically, as soon as it all started taking itself too seriously, it became a joke.

Looking at all this, it is easy to see why so many people began quickly forgot Goth Rock's startlingly impressive origins. In their 1979-1983 prime, bands like Joy Division, Sioux and the Banshees, and The Cure were able to construct sorrowful soundscapes that were addictive at the same time as they were powerful, with lyrics that were introspective, intensely personal, and suprisingly intelligent coming from boys who wore eye makeup. Arguably the quintessential Goth Rock band from this "golden age" was Bauhaus, an English based band, who many have called the founding fathers of Goth.

In 1979, Bauhaus released their first single, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," which is, for all intensive purposes, the first Goth Rock song. Two years later, they had released two albums (neither of them masterpieces, but both good), and were rapidly increasing in popularity. Then, in 1982, they released Push the Eject and Give Me the Tape, a live album. It documented a series of shows across Europe and perfectly captured Bauhaus where it seems clear that they shone brightest: on stage.

Push kicks off with "In the Flat Fields," the title song off their first album. It rushes in with gut wrenching guitar noise, synthetic drums, and howling screams. It is angry and dark, exploring territory that beforehand had never really been touched in rock. Lead singer Peter Murphy openly sing/speaks of things like decay and fear. On tracks like "Hollow Hills," he discusses topics like the occult in a way that may now seem cliche, but then was completely revolutionary.

However, being revolutionary is only enough to make an album a point of fascination. It doesn't necessarily make it good, or even listenable. But what keeps Bauhaus' music from being dated is two things. The first is its humor, which is very rare in Goth music. The band constantly had a sense of the cult that was so quickly forming in their wake, and they always made a point to look at themselves, their posturing, and (even more appropriately) their fans, and have a nice long creepy cackling laugh. Even as their songs get ridiculously depressing, there is this sense of "Hey, we understand that we're singing about the dead guy who used to play Dracula (Bela Lugosi), and we find it just as hysterical as we do morbid." For me, listening to a Bauhaus song is like watching Terry Gilliam's Brazil or reading the posts at godhatesfags.com, it makes you laugh while it tears at your soul.

The other strong point is a big one: Bauhaus' songs are amazingly well written. Chord-based chilly guitar work and globs of feedback attack you at first, but after a song or so you forget it, as it has already seeped into the gloomy atmosphere that surrounds what are in essence the core of Bauhaus' catalog: some amazingly well written, albeit wholly unusual, pop songs. The standout is a nine and a half minute version of their signature song, "Bela Lugosi's Dead." Starting with some insanely perfunctory minimalist drum work, Bela run almost a minute before a guitar enters. But once that down-the-scale baseline starts mumbling, there's no way out. By the time the two lead guitars and Murphy's echoing vocals step in, the trance like state you will be in will be shattered to pieces and slowly gathered and forced into climax by the end scream of "Who's dead? He's DEAD! I'm dead...I'm dead, I'm DEAD, I'M DEAD!" It's surreal, it's sublime, and shows why this band hasn't receded into the annals of music history, why this song along kick started a music revolution, and why it was so hard for any of Bauhaus' followers to ever match them.

Final Rating: 9.6/10 A masterpiece of Goth Rock that has escaped the ravages of cliche and time through its excellent songwriting and intelligent, darkly humorous philosophies. Bauhaus is the ultimate example of what Goth Rock was at its height, and what it could have been had the rest of the bands followed suit. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

More Miles Than Money: Live 1994-96 is the most compelling solo release yet from this Austin roots rock legend, an alumnus of Rank & File, True Believers, and Buick MacKane. On these live recordings, Alejandro Escovedo broods--usually quietly--in front of solemn picking and a weary cello or violin, as is the case during a beautiful version of his best song, "Pissed Off 2 A.M."A couple of times, though, he shows he can still rock out (a wicked "I Wanna Be Your Dog"), and when the electric guitar springs in to steal the show, during the Stones' "Sway," the sudden contrast takes your breath away.--David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (6)

the next best thing
this album is only a shadow of what alejandro escovedo is like live. his music is moving...he has a gift that enables him to really touch your soul when you here him. overall, a very good album. if you are lucky enough to have him visit your town, please give him a listen...it will be entirely worthwhile.

too bad about the money, al
really nice disk from austin-based alt.country rocker alejandro escovedo. actually, the alt.country label may be both overly confining and misleading: escovedo started out as a punk (the nuns) and subsequently moved through a variety of bands including punk-country (rank&file) new romantic (the troobs) revivalist (buick mckane). his bands often feature strings (as in violin and cello). so what we've got is a middle-aged singer-songwriter with a punk background and string players in his band. uh-huh.

one could argue with some of the song selections (where's "put you down"?) but the covers are interesting (the stones "sway", lou reed's "street hassle" and a violin/cello driven version of the stooges' "i wanna be your dog." yeah, you read that last part right. he turns the string players loose on that one and they make like the second coming of john cale.

A really good record
This is my favorite solo Escovedo record -- it catches his world-weary sound much better than his studio recordings. The live versions of his own songs, particularly _Pissed Off_, and _Broken Bottle_ are riveting, and his choice of covers nothing short of inspired. And, it's great to hear his punk rock roots showing on _I Wanna Be Your Dog_ and _Street Hassle_.

Put this one on late at night, with a smoke in one hand and a double-scotch in the other. Trust me, you'll feel better.

One of the few American musicians who really matter.
Although often lumped into the "alt-country" grab bag of styles, Escovedo's music defies simple categorization. He deftly navigates the disparate influences of folk, rock, punk, country, and many other styles. The whole, however, stands far greater than the sum of it's parts.

mesmerizing
The arrangements are masterful and the storytelling is mesmerizing. If this is what his live shows are about I can't wait to catch one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Comprehensiveness isn't always a virtue, as this three-CD set proves. It gathers together everything David Bowie recorded for the BBC between the years referenced in its title, plus a third disc taken from a June 2000 London concert for the famed British radio broadcasting company. Head first to disc two, which focuses on Bowie's in-studio recreations of material from Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, and marvel at the glam-rockabilly heat generated by Bowie's Spiders from Mars band. By comparison, the other two discs are a disappointment. The first reveals a musical chameleon uncomfortably changing his spots, from music-hall entertainer to free-festival folkie to sub-Dylan sage. The third and final disc betrays a different problem. By 2000, Bowie had calcified into a very slick entertainer. His performances here, particularly of later material such as "I'm Afraid of Americans" and "This Is Not America," are technically fine but a little bloodless--disappointingly human instead of wonderfully alien. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (38)

David Bowie's live boxed set
Ever since David Bowie's two live albums (1975's David Live and 1978's Stage) ceased to be manufactured due to low sales and inadequate sound quality, his more dedicated fans have been forced to hunt down expensive imports and bootlegs for documentation of Mr. Bowie onstage. In 2000, however, the performer attempted to compensate for the lack of official live recordings with Bowie at the Beeb, a two-CD collection of performances from the BBC radio shows on which he guested during his formative years, augmented by a third, bonus disc, recorded at a small fan club gig in June of 2000.

The first two discs feature material from 1968 to 1972, during which a young Mr. Bowie shifted from gleeful mod to heady folk-wizard to glamrock superstar. No matter what form he takes, the singer and his band hit every note of his excellent compositions almost perfectly. A little too perfectly, in fact. On these particular performances, the ensemble sound almost robotic, expunging every moment of the arrangement right on key with the album version, sacrificing the looseness, energy and adventurism listeners expect from live recordings. During an interview segment on the first disc, a host asks Mr. Bowie why he would not be performing his hit, "Space Oddity," that day. "We'd need about five orchestras to get the right sound," he replied. A bolder performer would have coped. This attitude is much different from his approach to amphitheater performances during the time, as the aforementioned bootlegs (many of them featuring a heart stopping twenty-two minute version of Mr. Bowie's mystical-sexual epic, "Width of a Circle") can attest. Perhaps Mr. Bowie felt it best to keep the songs concise, cleanly cut and professional for the somewhat stuffy BBC programs. Regardless, Bowie at the Beeb sounds less like a live album than a series of alternative takes from regular recording sessions. If not for the generous offering of noteworthy rare songs (including such early gems as "Silly Boy Blue" and "Let Me Sleep Beside You" and a stunning cover of Jacque Brel's "Amsterdam"), the first two CDs would be almost useless to any fan who already owns Mr. Bowie's studio albums from this era.

The third disc, featuring Mr. Bowie and his backing band on an actual stage exchanging energy with an actual crowd of fans, fares significantly better. The musicians and back-up vocalists muster a spirit of enthusiasm and playfulness that streams through a set of grade A songs spanning Mr. Bowie's entire career. They perform a soaring "Survive," an enthralling "I'm Afraid of Americans," a triumphant "Absolute Beginners" and a lushly gorgeous "Always Crashing the Same Car." The disc's best track, however, is the performance of Mr. Bowie's 1983 mega-hit, "Let's Dance." The song begins as a slow, dreamy twinkling before fervently bursting into an onslaught of the anticipated clunking drumbeats and swinging guitar riffs. If the young Mr. Bowie had shown this vigor, charisma and confidence in the BBC studios thirty years ago, Bowie at the Beeb would be an absolute stunner. Unfortunately such is not so. This package may prove that Mr. Bowie can still arouse an audience, but for recordings that display his utmost power as a live performer in his younger days, fans are going to have to continue chasing bootlegs.

Highly recommended
Fine set of "historical" Bowie, with the added bonus of the live CD from 6/2000. Some people complain about this latter disc because it sounds "polished", but I was simply stunned by the quality of the mix and the flow of the music. Two of the songs here (Survive and Seven) sound better to me live than they do on Hours... - more fluid and rich. And a nice broad range of old and new in this live mix. (Odd guitar line on "Americans", though...)

As for the two BBC discs - yes, they're primarily for fans (of which there are a lot out there). But they are terrific renditions of familiar songs that are fun to turn to, especially if you've heard the originals countless times already. There's a rawness to them that breathes new life into them. I'm not as much of a fan of the earliest Bowie work, but it's still interesting to hear.

If you're a Bowie fan, I recommend this highly, and furthermore suggest you grab it while you can still get the "bonus" third disc. This is what grabbed me first in the set, so it hardly has the feel of an offhand bonus and is worthwhile in itself. At least in my humble opinion.

A sprawling triple CD effort
I rarely listen to this although having said that I have been listening to it a lot more recently. The fact is is that this is a hard thing to recommend. You might not have some of the songs that are on here and for that you might want to top up. I bought it as an overview of Bowie's earlyish career ( I'm not going anywhere near The Laughing Gnome ). Which in hindsight was probably a bit of a mistake but I wouldn't buy this album if it didn't have the extra CD - call me banal if you will but that's what happens when you have collector tendancies in you!

Bowie's early stuff ( pre-Ziggy ) sounds anodyne and twee. The conversations you hear on the CD make Bowie seem genuinely nervous but pleasantly friendly. Of course he might not do one song " because to do it would be possibly over everyone's budget." You could take that as nerves if you will but this is the BBC we're talking about. Their budgets at the time were not astronomical.

I've said this before that when you see " Live At The BBC " it doesn't really mean it's really *live* if you've ever heard BBC radio presenters like John " that was quite tasty " Peel or any others you'll know that they say " and we have [musician's name] here live in the studio." It's in a studio and it will never give you a live feel for the songs. It's just BBC engineers working on Bowie's songs and in return you could I suppose think of them as session outtakes from his album. But one thing should be made clear - if you haven't got Bowie's version of Jacques Brel's Amsterdam, this is where you can get it. It's passion almost matches Le Grand Jacques in it's intensity

As the second CD moves and the classics come in you begin to think " this is more like it " and Bowie seems more at ease with everything. Notice his covers of White Light/White Heat ( " make me sound like Lou Reed ")

Now the third CD becomes even more sprawling since it tries to fill in all the places that the first two CDs left out. And it's not always a winner. Little Wonder and I'm Afraid of Americans are terrible songs but actually sound better than what they sounded like on their original album. Still doesn't make it good but at least you can probably tolerate it this time. But overall it didn't capture the gig very well since I saw this on TV when I was 15 and I thought the gig was fantastic. Bowie really had them going ( but then that was to be expected right? ), the CD just doesn't capture the songs well and though I like nearly all of the songs, it lacks the cohesion that the show actually had. Still, for the money I paid for this it's not too bad. But then, there's always a nagging feeling that it could be improved but whatever about that, the sheer amount of material you have here you can be somewhat happy if you want to buy this.....of course that is if you are a diehard fan. If you're not - try figuring out which compilation you want to get of Bowie. There's a lot of them around!

CD 2 still the best, but CD3 doesn't disappoint/Bowie Rocks!
I did track down this version that has the fine recently recorded third CD, HOWEVER, I would have been happy to have just heard the original two CD collection. On Disc 3, I was impressed with some of the old songs that were chosen such as "Man Who Sold The World" and some classics I have never heard done live like "Ashes To Ashes" and "Stay." The biggest and best surprise is the closer: "Let's Dance." Sweet!

This is certainly an interesting collection of songs! I can't say I love DISC 1 in general, but there are some nice surprises. "Kooks" is a lovely little song! The band playing with Bowie is quite good in "The Width Of A Circle" and "Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed." I heavily prefer Disc 2 because I have loved the "Ziggy Stardust" material for many years. The familiar songs sound different but as enjoyable as the released versions. Bowie was great at reworking good songs into even better songs, which is quite apparent on "I'm Waiting For The Man" and "White Light/White Heat." I can't say enough positive things about Disc 2 other than "Freak out, in a Moonage Daydream! Oh yeah!"

3rd CD is the charm
The third CD's modern small-club concert is the reason I bought this set. Actually, I found the third disc used somewhere, but I was grateful because I had not wanted the goofy early-BBC material anyway. Seems many reviewers here agree that the 3rd disc is the wonderful part of the set.

On the 3rd disc Bowie plays an interesting selection of tunes, avoiding most of the hits that quite honestly, maybe you don't want to hear again (and perhaps neither does he). Instead, there's a good mix of other material, some with new arrangements that really work well. The overall impression is of a "pleasant", small show; he's among friends, and has nothing to prove (except perhaps that he can still sing and even handle the high notes with a certain style, if not frequency).

One unfortunate aspect of the 3rd disc (that I took one star away from the rating for) is that they fade out between songs - an asset if you tend to put your music on shuffle play, but otherwise unwelcome - and it appears that a piano introduction mentioned favorably in the liner notes is omitted. Be sure to read the liner notes, too - it explains how this small club gig came to be.

With Bowie now free of his label, and intending to self-release from now on, I hope he will consider releasing more of these intimate gigs on disc; I'm sure there have been a few others. Untl then, honor this rare opportunity to get an officially sanctioned live disc. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

July 8, 2003
Will be now and forever the absolute best concert I will ever go too. Mansfield was as good, but no doubt NYC CD be a clasic CD in years to come.

Not to good...
This was a pretty shotty CD, the quality was bad. Singing some times out of key. I love Pearl Jam but this was their worst live album I've heard. They didn't play some of their hits as well.

Still not bad, only cost me 12 bucks new.

Both shows are great
Great shows. More than 50 different songs, including gems like Crown of Thorns and Breath; along with classics like Do the evolution, Alive, etc.I prefer the first show, but both of them are great performances by the band. Get them both.

Buy the pack, you get a great deal!!!!!!!!
Asome shows, specially the second show.

Touring band 2K3
A great band at the height of thier powers. Returning to New York City the first time after 9/11. Pearl Jam shows the power of a band with something to prove....

A must for even a casual fan. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Great as far as live CD's go
The problem with live CD's is that you can't make everyone happy because everyone has their favorite songs and if those aren't on there people get disappointed. So then the formula for a successful live album is to change up the songs a bit by throwing in new elements and adding in rare stuff. By this 311 succeeds brilliantly. They mix up the songs like a whole new verse in Misdirected Hostility, and a whole minute of build-up guitar before Hydroponic. Also Nix Hex and Light Years sound very different than their studio counterparts. Also in the mix is the great song Tribute from the Enlarged To Show Detail video EP which only hard-core fans have and a great cover of Who's Got the Herb? which is a great concert song. So as far as live albums go this one is really good.

One of the best live albums.
If you're not familiar with 311 or you're new, this album is a must for all fans alike. There are no fillers in this one and it's sure to keep you pleased.

A fine note: We're tributed to a drum solo by Chad Sexton on Applied Science. Chad is an awesome drummer and you shouldn't look him over. There are also solos from P-Nut and Tim Mahoney. The quality isn't bad, and I prefer some of these songs live rather then the studio versions. Some great examples are Omaha Stylee, Hydroponic, Who's Got the Herb, Beautiful Disaster, and Nix Hex.

Put it in, press play, and enjoy.

311 and Sublime are the greatest of all time
This cd to start is great. It has a lot of 311's best songs. I like down and whos got the herb, a lot it is a great live cd that has a lot of great drumb and guitar solos. If you are true to the game and love 311 then you gotta get this cd it is one of the best ever.

if you have never seen these boys live...do it now
to show their appreciation for their fans' support, the group decided to compile a live album, including tracks from all of their albums up to that date and more. stand-out tracks (although they're all pretty amazing) include "applied science" with chad sexton's 3-minute drum solo, "homebrew," and "down." the band also decided to add in a live version of "tribute," a song previously unreleased and now only available on the bonus CD that comes with their home video titled "enlarged to show detail." if you want to get the "live show feel" you get when you see three eleven on the road, get this album. it's great.

Good, but nowhere near the live experience
First off, this review is coming from a big 311 fan. Having seen them in concert, I can attest to the fact that they have one of the most energetic shows out there today. I have never been as dehydrated as I was when I saw them in concert - even during the slower songs, the energy never waned.

That said, I picked up this album expecting it to blow me away like live albums from other explosive groups. At times it does. "Nix Hex" improves on the studio version with its extended coda leaving ample room for Tim Mahoney to flex his musical muscles; "Applied Science" features a phenominal drum solo by Chad Sexton - funky, fast and jaw-dropping, it's enough to make people who hate drum solos take notice; "Feels So Good" grooves along better and stronger than the studio version and P-Nut improves on his original bass break. Plus, there's also the rare cut "Tribute" originally only on the "Enlarged to Show Detail" EP and the remake "Who's Got The Herb" that has been a crowd favorite for years but has never been featured on one of their albums.

However, the rest of the album is a mixed bag. The other tracks are almost note-for-note replicas of the studio versions and some - "Freak Out" and "Light Years" - actually sound weaker.

Any big 311 fan should pick this up - "Herb" and "Applied Science" are worth the list price alone - but don't expect it to come anywhere near the experience of a live show. Any tepid fan should probably stick with the studio albums. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Laurie Anderson scored an improbable hit in the early ‘80s with the atmospheric "O Superman," a song that appears near the end of this exhaustive two-disc live set. Despite a new arrangement, the track sounds just as entrancing as it did 20 years ago, if only because the 90 minutes leading up to it features some of the most complex, dreamlike, and unnerving music ever produced. But given that these concerts were recorded just days after the September 11 attacks in New York, the effect is all the more chilling--just try to hold back the goose bumps when Anderson sings, "Here come the planes / They're American planes / Made in America." The air of intensity is palpable throughout Live at Town Hall, as Anderson pulls out vintage pieces like "Let X=X" and "Strange Angels," each one taking new shape and meaning in the process. It is a harrowing listen. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Brave New World
Laurie Anderson recently applied for and was hired as kitchen worker at McDonald's hamburger joint near her studio in Manhattan. Huh???...yes it's true, and she recounts her McDonalds experience in her new performance piece, "Happiness". Laurie Anderson can find beauty in strange places. At Town Hall, eight short days after the collapse of the Trade Towers, Laurie found beauty in a terrifying place. She performed "Love Amoung the Sailors", from her Bright Red album and the lyric..."There is no pure land now, no safe place...If this is the work of an angry God, I want to look in his angry face..." ; becomes a prophetic statement of iron willed resolve. "Let X=X" takes on a new meaning as we, the listeners, are placed in an aisle seat of a burning plane. George Bush talked about "wanted dead or alive" and "hunting down terrorists like dogs" and Laurie Anderson talked about the phenomena of flaming birds in the sky after the American planes became guided missles from hell. Now, one year later as Sadam becomes the ghost of Osama, I look to Laurie Anderson's concert at Town Hall as a defining moment in a Brave, New World. Laurie Anderson (not Rudy Guliani) is New York's first citizen and the heart and soul of this planet, Earth.

She's amazing....
Well, the first time I got to see Laurie live last
year (2001) in a small theater in New Hamsphire
she doesn't sing a word really, it turned out to
be a talk. Sure, I wanted to experience Laurie
Anderson with a band but I'm glad in a way that I
didn't get to hear her perform considering all that had
happened this past year it has made her new/older music so much more
compelling to experience live. I've listened to this many times now
and I find this to be a classic set of songs for troubled times
and I'm just glad there are caring artists around that have
something to say about this or have written songs that still
mean something. I'm more perplexed that musicians as a group
haven't had a whole lot to say about 9/11?? since the fundraisers. It doesn't say to much
to me about the music community of this country? Music in general seems so hard to be all about being young and unstopable but we all learned real quick whats important! many musicians are still caught up in the get rich
quick trip, thanks to Laurie for this gift of music. I also
enjoy the song "Silver Lining" the David Grey song that Bonnie

Raitt covers on her new Cd, she really shines on this, and she
to has something important to say, as well.

Love
A maximum of 1,000 words is not enough to do justice to one of the most glorious artists of our time.

Attending the event
Playing this CD makes the listener feel they are attending the event itself. The music itself is amazing right through, as are the spken word pieces. There is an intimacy, some intensity, some discomfort but some delight too, for example when the anecdote ('Beginning French') about French 'traffic testers' gives way discreetly to the intro of 'O Superman.' But the intensity is felt most when Laurie refers to 9/11 and her reactions, playing that evening, the sense of an entirley changed world. Her songs fit. My favourites here are O Superman, which I knew from the 8os and Strange Angels, which I didn't know before.
The discomfort comes in when you've listened all the way through and get to O Superman on Disc 2, when the references to 'Amercian planes, made in America' are heard.
This is a good place to go for a live compilation of Laurie Anderson songs.

The Best Concert I've Ever Seen
Firstly, I have yet to hear this album, but I did see her show In Toronto on September 13th, 2001, and I have to say that it was aesthetically and artistically the most incredible concert that I've ever attended. The quality of her performance (and band!) was superb, and the themes that she's been weaving for all of these years really came together. For me, peak of the show was the transition from O Superman to Pieces and Parts: very emotional, new layers of resonance to say the least. She was visibly shaken at the "American Planes" line, almost as though she had just realized what she was singing. The show ran from the quiet and delicate (White Lily) to surprisingly (and successfully) noisy, loud and aggressive (My Compensation), to arty and humourous (distributing pencils and papers for the audience to draw with and pass back after the show). She's consistently been the most interesting American artist for the past 20 years. Content-wise, she has all the bases covered: musicality, intelligence, technique, experimentation, insight, wit, and grace.
Inspired. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Simply Amazing
Ween has always been a great live band, and they've shown that since their first official live CD release "Paintin' The Town Brown". Since then there has been a steady supply of live Ween; including the 3 disc set "Live at Stubbs," "Live in Toronto" touring for their country album, and now "Live in Chicago" with a DVD. This DVD is spectacular. Mastered in 5.1 surround and great picture quality. They change the songs so much, refusing to recreate the studio album version of the song. This makes the concert so much fun and instresting to watch. They change instruments, lyrics, add/change sound effects; it's fantastic. And Dean must be one of the greatest guitarists in music today; some of those solos were just sick, such as "I'll be your Johnny on the spot" or "Voodoo lady"; just tearing up every song with some killer lead guitar. Also, a great cover of Led Zeppelin's "All of my love". This is a must own for Ween lovers, and for anyone who appreciates good music and a great live performance.

I think you NEED this....
If you are a Ween fan, you are going to buy this. If you are new to Ween, you NEED to buy this. This is Weens first DVD release and what a release it is. The quality of the recording on both the DVD and the CD is incredible. Not to mention that the setlist on both is top notch. It covers the hits spanning Ween's illustrious career thus far. The DVD also has a cover of Led Zeppelins All of My love which they rock out to the fullest. I think the boys in Lep Zep would agree with me on that. So enough of my rambling and enough of you reading. This is a must have. So buy it. ... Read more

Album Description

Incredible live album taken from May, 1984 shows in London &Oxford. 10 tracks, including 'The Walk', 'Killing An Arab', 'One Hundred Years', 'The Hanging Garden', 'Primary', 'Charlotte Sometimes', 'A Forest', '10:15 Saturday Night' and more. 1984 Fiction release. Produced by Dave Allen and The Cure. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Original Vinyl Release Has Run-Off Groove Phrases
This is definitely one of their better live recordings. The sound is crisp and the treatment of each song is simple but careful. One note of interest: in this version of "10:15 Saturday Night," an odd pause in the first line suggests that something might have caught Mr. Smith's attention...I guess you'll just have to purchase it and listen to see what I mean! The only version of Concert - The Cure Live I currently have is one of the 1984 UK 12" vinyl pressings (fixh10). The track listing is the same as the Swedish version advertised on this site, at least in regards to titles and track order. One of the great things about the format/version I have is that the record has phrases in the run-off grooves. Side One says, "PLAY ME LOUD," and Side Two says, "EAT ME TOO." (A lot of earlier Cure and special Smith project vinyl pressings have simialr quirky run-off groove phrases.) All in all, this is a great live recording, and I would recommend any version or format of this album...and there are quite a few of them out there...you just have to look for them. When you get it, PLAY IT LOUD.

Great live
This is probably my favorite live album by The Cure.Some of the songs on this album are even better live than the studio versions.If you want a good taste of The Cure live this is the best.My favorite on here has alway been "The Forest".It has so much more depth and atmosphere live than the studio version.I actually prefere it to the other.

Better on Import Cassette
For some reason unbeknownst to mortal men, The Cure has always added more goodies on tape then with CDs. With 'Concert' on the imported version, you get the AWESOME treat of The Cure's 'Anomalies'. These are the best of The Cure's unreleased and demo versions of their older songs. Kinda like the outtakes in Staring at the Sky.

A MUST HAVE
i bought cd back in the mid-eighties at a record store when CD's had just come out, it's still the most treasured cure cd i have. the versions of primary and a forest are fantastic. if you like the cure, don't leave without this one, you won't be sorry.

A must have
The live versions of FOREST, Charlotte Sometimes, Primary, 10:15 & Arab are far better than the album versions! Consider the Sisters of Mercy remake of 'Gimme Shelter' versus the original Stones version! A fan from 'Faith' to 'Head on the door'; for me, this album has always been the source for the definitive versions of the above songs. Buy this CD. If you hav'nt heard them, the experience will be like a new release from the old band!! 'Cool music'(remember that term?) at it's peak!! The only thing missing will be the fog machine! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Cure is bombarding us with disposable product: There's Show,the soundtrack from the film of its Detroit stop on the '92 Wish tour; SideShow, an EP of five live tunes not included on Show, and Paris, adifferent live set recorded in Europe. Considering that much of its reputationrests on Tim Pope's visionary videos, Show (the movie) is a dreadfulbore, concentrating exclusively on the band performing, much like Pink Floyd'sLive At Pompeii. The soundtrack is just as tedious, skimping on thecatchy hits ("Friday I'm in Love" is here, but not "The LoveCats") and dwelling on droning mood pieces such as "From the Edge ofthe Deep Green Sea." Show is for the devoted only, while the otherdiscs are for those devotees who actually go out in public dressed like Fat Bob.--Jim DeRogatis ... Read more

Reviews (17)

mostly superior to the recorded versions
without knowing much about the cure, i would say that this cd alone is enough to make me a real fan. having heard their "greatest hits" album, i would say that with the exception of "just like heaven", the real electrifying experience comes from hearing them live. "lullaby" was done absolutely perfectly--you can literally feel the song, its macabre rhythms, robert smith's genuinely eerie vocals, the sound effects of the "spiderman"...the concert was simply great art. the darkness of their music is chiefly what appeals to me, but the musicianship is so flawlessly done that even a naive listener like myself is amazed. buy this show.

Motown Aside, Detroit has Never Sounded Better
Recorded live at the Auburn Palace outside of Detroit during the Cure's Wish tour, this album has the perfect blend of greatest hits and thicker, harsher, guitar-driven rock. I purchased this album while still "learning" to love the Cure and repeatedly listened to songs such as "Just Like Heaven," "Inbetween Days" and "Friday I'm in Love." Over the years I've grown to appreciate the rest of its majestic and atmospheric music--songs like "Open" and "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" are given brilliant treatment by the band. The album dishes out many of the songs from the Wish album and a few of their other best works, but what sets this album apart from live albums by other bands is the phenomenal energy and sound quality--most live albums are either "too stale" so that you can't even tell that there was an audience roaring in appreciation, or the sound is distorted to the extent that it sounds like a poor bootleg. Show (available on VHS with encores not on any CD) is highly recommended. It also comes with a maxi-single, Sideshow, which features songs that were omitted from the band's main set list, but you can also purchase the UK version that includes all of those songs on 2 CDs. If you like this album, consider "Paris," a live CD from the same tour, but with a very different song list.

the cure does it again
i own 6 of the cure's albums, ranging from 1981 to 2000, so i've gotten to really know their sound and heard their sound evolve over the years. but i must say that their lives albums are what make them the most incredible band. this cd along with "concert" from '84 are both amazing. on "show", the performances are as good as the studio versions, with the best being "pictures of you" (first song i ever heard of theirs.. still my favorite), "just like heaven" (my other favorite), "a night like this", and "doing the unstuck". also notable are "trust" and "inbetween days". truly a great album, everyone should buy it, whether you're a current cure fan or not.

Show Side Show Paris
...

FOR FANS OF THE CURE OR CUSTOMERS OF AMAZON.COM HERE ARE TRUE THOUGHTS ON THE CURE LIVE CD'S "SHOW", "SIDE SHOW", AND "PARIS". FIRST OFF IT IS FAIR TO SAY THE SOUND QUALITY OF THESE DISCS IS POOR CONSIDERING THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS OUT THERE, BUT IF IT IS THE CURE YOU LIKE THEN THESE ARE GOOD DISCS.

"SHOW" IS A SET BUILT MORE AROUND HITS AND SONGS FROM THE "WISH" CD. "SIDE SHOW" IS A NICE COMPANION TO "SHOW" AND HAS GOOD TRACKS OF ITS OWN. "PARIS" IS DARKER AND MORE IN TUNE WITH WHAT DIE HARD CURE FANS WOULD WANT TO HEAR... AND I THINK THAT IT IS NICE FOR A BAND TO TRY TO COVER THE BASES... MAINSTREAM FANS WHO WANT TO HEAR "FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE" ALL DAY LONG AND THE HARDCORE FANS WHO WOULD RATHER LISTEN TO "100 YEARS"... EITHER WAY THE CURE HAS DISCS FOR EVERYONE... IF ANYONE DRESSES LIKE FAT BOB OR NOT REALLY HAS NO IMPACT ON MUSIC DOES IT???

THE CURE CD SINGLE OF "PICTURES OF YOU" ALSO HAS SOME GREAT LIVE CUTS... WITH A MUCH BETTER SOUND TO IT... CHECK IT OUT IF YOU NEED MORE LIVE CURE.

Buy It Now!!! Great!!!
the cure has done it again... a great live show with the gothic-rock sound they have..buy it and buy it now!!! ... Read more

Album Details

Punk Attitude and Drive Comes Through on their First Live Album featuring Some of their Biggest Hits from 'insomnia'. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

buy insomniac
this cd has all of the same songs as in insomniac but insomniac has alot more tracks the only song on here thats not on insomniac is knowledge. (check out the new superhits album before you buy it, i have most of the songs on it and i only have five greenday cds) a four because of the lack tracks and because it has the same songs. but its greenday so its got to be great

Green Day kicks even more @$$ live!
"Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking" is Green Day's first live EP, and they sound even better playing live than they do on their regular albums. Their punk attitude shows through more when they play live than on any other album, even "Dookie." The tracks are few here, only 7 songs, but it is still an incredible record. Personally, I think "Brain Stew" is the best track on this album, but every song is great. I highly suggest this to any Green Day fan. Don't let the high price drive you away, it is well worth the money!

AWESOME GREEN DAY CD
Despite the shortage of tracks, this CD has the live versions of most of Green Day's best songs- which sound BETTER than the Album versions. I think that Brain Stew is the best song on this CD. A must-buy for Green Day fans!

GREEN DAY RULES!
I Bought this CD because I Wanted to own all the green day CD's. The only bad thing about this live cd is there is only seven songs! Where are the rest! [Only] 7 songs? Its worth it if you like green day as much as i do.

Live Green Day Is Good Green Day
'Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking' is the first of the two live Green Day records released officially by Reprise Records, and the only thing it lacks is length. There are only 7 songs blasted out quickly by the punk-rock kings, but a worthwhile purchase nonetheless. 'Knowledge', the fourth song on the record, is especially good and a fun song to listen to live. With the live experience of Green Day in their existence, this album is certainly very good, and easier to get too than the large amount of Green Day bootleg cds there are. Teamed up with the second official live recording, 'Foot In Mouth', 'Bowling... Parking...' results in a very enjoyable record that gives you the brilliant experience of Green Day LIVE! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is a live record to cherish. Getting Away with It is a valedictory wave of the flower-petal handkerchief from James founder and singer Tim Booth, who announced his decision to leave the band late in 2001. Recorded at a celebratory hometown show (in Manchester) on the band's farewell tour, the crowd--clapping louder than hailstones hitting a corrugated roof--egg the group on all the way to the checkered flag. They honestly incorporate the odd technical glitch (a bit of feedback from the dobro) and profane slip of the tongue (Booth apologizes to his mum in the audience for a four-letter outburst), and there's no questioning the grandiose melodic momentum ("Laid," "Sometimes," "Sit Down") evident in the hit-laden set list. Despite accusations of conceited arena-rock posturing and winsome folk-thrumming, James wrote some fine songs. Many of them are here. One suspects we haven't heard the last of them (or of Booth) yet. --Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Farewell Concert to Remember
Yeah, I've heard of James. They did that album "Laid," but I don't know much else. PICK UP THIS ALBUM. If you love/like Brit pop-rock, this is a must for any collector. The fact that it's probably the last time lead singer Tim Booth will perform with the band makes it that much more memorable. For a band that has always thrived on chaos, they come without their armor and have one freakin' good time.

Recorded in Manchester in December of 2001, with nothing to prove, the band puts out for 16,000 fans. The songs are sung as gifts to an audience that came to say "thanks" rather than coming with owed expectations. The loose feel of the concert is captured throughout, from the easy stage banter and peaking with the singalong of the audience with Booth on the band's greatest U.S. hit "Laid."

All 22 songs on this album have never sounded better. Each one is on target, switching from smooth guitars and harmonies to swirling arena anthems belted by Booth with backing vocals by the band. James executes both crunching rock and heartfelt acoustic ballads. "Getting Away with It," mixes dizzying guitar work from Saul Davies with Booth's smooth chimes. "Ring the Bells" opens with blasts from drummer Dave Baynton-Power and goes from zero to sixty by song's end. Radio friendly "I Know What I'm Here For," made me realize that I would have listened to more radio in the 90's if they played songs like this.

Knowing that this is the last recorded concert by James makes this album more precious. After listening, you'll hope it's not the last.

4 1/2 stars really...
Where can I begin? For starters, since I've never seen nor heard James live in concert, this double CD will have to do. GAWI...L is James live at their final concert (w/Tim Booth anyway) in Manchester, England, recorded Dec. 7th, 2001. It is also James at their very finest, performing their songs with such beauty and poetry. The hometown crowd manages to show their appreciation through cheers and sing-a-longs. Compared to their studio performances, the band gives their songs a spontaneity and freshness that in some cases make the live versions better than the studio versions! In any case, GAWI...L is a fitting testimony for a band that's been together for almost twenty years! Songs like "Sometimes", "Laid", "God Only Knows", and "Sound" reveal the band's unique and passionate take on folksy art-rock music. The highlight is the closer "Sit Down" where both Tim and the audience sing a slowed-down version of the song. Anyways, with twenty-two songs (about two hours worth of music), James put on a stellar performance. It's a shame that Tim is leaving the band. But at least, they left us this fine live concert recording which we can listen to again and again! BTW, in case you didn't know, the DVD is also available! (but only in the UK, and it's Region 2, PAL format) The DVD, however, does not include "I Know What I'm Here For" and "Hymn From A Village". Assuming your DVD player can play Region 2 DVD's in the PAL format, I'd highly recommend it! (you can get it through amazon.co.uk) In addition to the live performances, it comes with other additional features!

Wow!!
I`ve never been a huge James fan.The only cd`s I have are Seven and Laid.The other day I saw the DVD of this particular concert in our local record bar and decided to take a chance on it,seeing that I`d probably never get to see them live.
The DVD blew me away.Their music comes across so much more powerful live than on their studio albums.
A song that I`d never heard before,"Waltzing along",is stunning.
Two former members of the band,Andy Diagram(trumpet)and Larry Gott(guitar)also appear on some of the tracks.
The picture quality and sound are excellent on the DVD.
Highly recommended!!!

If only I'd had the chance to hear them live...
I listen to this CD and think "dammit, why did I only just get introduced to this band three years ago and why do I live in the U.S.!?" I envy any of you Americans out there who had the chance to see James in the States. And, of course, now it's too late to see them anywhere. But...on with a review.

For any James fan, this album sells itself. And I'll admit, even though I only started listening to James three years ago, I have managed to amass all of their albums, my point being that I'm a bit biased. Speaking of, I also envy any of you out there that have your hands on any James singles before Millionaires, especially those containing songs left off their album of B-sides.

Anyway, the highlights of this 2-discer for me are, in no particular order, "Sit Down", "Johnny Yen", and "Protect Me". I find that there are a number of things one can do to improve a song for a live performance: add accoustic guitar, slow it down a bit, and/or throw in some nice piano playing. The best example of any of this is "Sit Down". Appropriately, it's the last song (and decidedly my favo(u)rite after hearing this recording) of the concert. Here, it starts off with a very nice piano part, and it's funny because it takes the audience more than a few moments to figure out (at least to me) which song they're hearing. But there's the piano and the first verse, before the chorus chimes in, which is slowed down a great deal and, as a result, even more poignant.

I won't ramble on much longer, only to say this. For me a great live album re-emphasizes just how great a band is and just how truly wonderful are their songs. I go away from this album with a better understanding of every song here, loving many of them even more, and, as someone on the west side of the pond, very happy to hear an entire crowd singing soulfully along with Tim Booth, having only encountered a handful of people over here who know who James are, and even fewer who can name a song beyond "Laid".

Buy this album and enjoy!!

Live, raw, different, often better...
It's incredibly sad to see Tim Booth leave James... although not technically a founding member, Booth has shaped much of what most people know as James from the voice to the words.

This cd is a romp and party through everything that James has been. Fans of James will get to know their favorite songs all over again.

And the enthusiasm that is quite apparent on this album is very, very contagious. If you're a fan of James or just a fan of live music done well this is a great aquisition. Not a bad introduction to the James sound and soul for the uninitiated, either.

and to the writer of "The Orange Review"... it's "fought with kitchen knives and SKEWERS" not squares. ... Read more

Album Details

Limited Edition Hdcd Digitally Remastered LP Style Sleeve Replica. Recorded Live in Frejus in the South of France. Originally, Four Tracks from this Concert were Released as 'the High Road' EP. Years Later, the Rest of the Concert was Used to Createthis Lasting Document of the Final 80's Version of the Band. Includes their Cover of Neil Young's 'hurricane' and a Stirring Version of Lennon's 'jealous Guy', which Had Only Appeared on Single Up to this Point. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great live farewell to Roxy Music
Roxy Music's Heart Still Beating was released in October of 1990. The album was recorded Live in Frejus in the South of France in August of 1982. Originally, four tracks from this Concert was released as The High Road EP in 1983. In October of 1990, the rest of the concert was used to create this lasting document of the final 80's version of the band which featured original members guitarist Phil Manzanera, lead singer Bryan Ferry and saxophonist Andy Mackay plus new drummer Andy Newmark, future Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler keyboardist Guy Fletcher and Bryan's guitarist neil Hubbard and bassist Alan Spenner. This EP turned full live album included their cover of Neil Young's 1977 classic Like a Hurricane, killer versions of Out of the Blue and Can't Let Go. Plus great versions of A Song For Europe, Love is the Drug, Avalon and a stirring version of John Lennon's classic Jealous Guy. This was a great live album which would be their last until their 2003 reunion live album which saw the return of original drummer Paul Thompson. Highly Recommended!

Excellent live farewell to Roxy Music
Roxy Music's Heart Still Beating was released in October of 1990. The album was recorded Live in Frejus in the South of France in August of 1982. Originally, Four Tracks from this Concert was released as The High Road EP. In October of 1990, the rest of the concert was used to create this lasting document of the final 80's version of the band which featured original members guitarist Phil Manzanera, lead singer Bryan Ferry and saxophonist Andy Mackay plus new drummer Andy Newmark, future Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler keyboardist Guy Fletcher and Bryan's guitarist neil Hubbard and bassist Alan Spenner. This EP turned full live album included their cover of Neil Young's 1977 classic Like a Hurricane, killer versions of Out of the Blue and Can't Let Go. Plus great versions of A Song For Europe, Love is the Drug, Avalon and a stirring version of John Lennon's classic Jealous Guy. This was a great live album which would be their last until their 2003 reunion live album. Highly Recommended!

Like a Hurricane
I have NO idea what the one-star reviewer was listening to, but if for nothing else than the brilliant despair of "Can't Let Go" this live album is a stunner. And then . . . and then . . . one gets to "Like a Hurricane" and there isn't a more emotionally charged moment in any live album I have ever heard by any band. Phenomenal. Ferry is the true genius of our time.

Recorded Live Frejus France 1982
Avalon turned me on to the band in the summer of '82. That year as a freshmen in college I bought several of their older records including a very good hits collection on cassette,& Stranded, Country Life, and Siren on vinyl. And out of the blue I heard Roxy Music was coming to my humble college town in Santa Barbara. I bought tickets and remember the show to this day.
I was very familiar with Avalon and the whole sound of that record but not at all prepared for the level of musicianship which I just assumed would be lost in a live performance. I expected stripped down versions of everything but the great Avalon sound remained. Andy Mackay is now a name I am familiar with. The show was outside in early summer and the sun was setting when India began and the rest of the evening was full of such moments, even "Dance Away" sounded pretty good with the background singers adding some vestige of soul to that brand of song I normally don't respond to. But this was no disco tour. The elegant horns throughout and masterful guitar and Ferry's crooning leave you in something like an altered musical state. You can't help smiling when you hear "Love is the Drug".
My memory of the show is better than any mere recording of it could possibly be. And its not only possible but a simple fact that this was not the Roxy Music of 1974 or 75. But I was only 10 then and was not cool enough to know who they were.
This is a cool disc though, especially the trio of Like a Huriicane-My Only Love-Both Ends Burning. The sax on "Like a Hurricane" is enough to make me want to hear this often, and of course the storm of guitar at the end. Even a slow song like "My Only Love" evolves into one powerful jam by songs end alternating between guitar and sax. And "Both Ends Burning" with that distinct Roxy sax blowing and Manzaneras million mile an hour guitar blaring leave no question in your mind that these guys can light a very large musical fire when they want to. Then back to "Avalon", as if the rock ship has returned to safe harbor after the sax and guitar storm of the previous three numbers, and the great female vocal letting loose as the number glides along.
Encore:"Editions of You". Sax raver, with squeaks, and cool electronic gadget sounds and especially the Doors organ. Pure frenzy.
Encore two: "Jealous Guy". Hard to resist that whistling.
Ferry has always been fond of covers but finally he gives one a sincere treatment which features both the song and his voice. With very mellow and rich sax solo providing just the right touch.
I am curious what the new Roxy 2001 tour sounds like. Hopefully a live release will follow.

Heart still bleeding
What can i say more about the band who turned the back to its original fans? What else can be told about Bryan Ferry, who decided to turn to the English Julio Iglesias? Not much, i guess. Try, if you dare, to compare Heart still beating to the early live album Viva. You'll find different bands with the same name. The band of Viva made a real rock music. The band of Heart is just Ferry plus friends. Listen to their terrible versions of the old stuff - "A song for Europe", "Both ends burning", "Do the strand" etc. and you'll get the conclusion: The toys are back in town!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Give Richard Butler and his re-formed Psychedelic Furs credit for knowing what's expected of them. This energetic, note-perfect, live greatest-hits collection (recorded in the cozy confines of Hollywood's House of Blues on the band's 2001 reunion tour) trades on the same tastefully retro, Velvet Underground-meets-Roxy Music sensibility that the Furs displayed in their first 1980 to '91 incarnation--no trip-hop beats, samples, or techno loops for these guys. And if this is a band out of time, it's one whose hazy sense of the dramatic remains surprisingly robust. Though their later, more pop-oriented American radio staples "Pretty in Pink" and "President Gas" still pulse with '80s rock energy--as does the single new studio track, "Alive (For Once in My Lifetime)," included here--the band still seems to have a special place in its heart for the dark and dreamy songs that initially defined them, as represented by "India," the hypnotic "Sister Europe," and the chaotic splendor of "Dumb Waiters." --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (7)

one of THE greatest bands of all time!!!
this disc though short, captures the band at its best...live. exceptional as the furs are on record they are truly an experience to behold in person. richard butler has all the sex appeal and charisma he has always had..and his unmistakeable hoarse growl for lack of better description is as fresh as the first time i'd heard him. time has not had negative effects on them. they defy age. they are ageless in that they were very much ahead of their time back in 1980. its as if they have caught up...but not really. they dont really sound like anyone today, but thats ok cuz they are needed. they are very tight and every bit as capable of producing the wall of sound theyre known for. kudos to fortus for his inspired use of synth-guitar replicating horns, keyboards and viola! you must get this cd and catch them live first chance you get! i miss not hearing 'only you and i, soap commerical, pulse, and imitation of christ.' however the inclusion of a live and studio version of 'alive' helps to makeup for it. this is a hauntingly beautiful song!

I wish the remastered original albums sounded this good...
I saw these guys in '84 for the Mirror Moves tour, and was lucky enough to catch them this time. The sound quality is excellent and does a great job at catching the dynamic of the live show. The only thing missing from this tour were the horns present on the original albums. The new ensemble relies more on guitars, which in itself isn't a bad thing, but it was part of what made the furs so unique back in the day.

The new track is beautiful. If this is indicative of what they can do now, I wish they'd release a new album. If you missed the tour, this may be the closest you'll get to seeing them live. Definitely worthwhile.

Way Better Mix than the DVD
The Psychedelic furs were introduced to me in the late 90's. I know, a bit late. But hey! Better late than never! I love this disk, I am not crazy about the fact that the CD is shorter than the DVD, but how would you sell the DVD if it there wasn't some additional material?

The DVD and this CD are from the same show, but the mix is much better on the CD. Songs like "Heaven" are much easier to listen to. I love Richard Butler's voice, but there are times, when untamed, it can be a bit much.

The new song "Alive," on the album, is absolutely wonderful, and I am looking forward to a new record from this reformed version of the Furs. It is also nice that they included the studio version of the song. They did recently lose guitarist Richard Fortus to, I wish I was kidding, Guns and Roses. Fortus was a member of Butler's 90's band "Love Spit Love," as is much of the band now, even though the original members are back.

The hits are all here. Pretty in Pink, Love My Way, President Gas, Heaven, Heartbreak Beat, and several other good songs are on the record. I am only sorry to see that "Angels Don't Cry" is never played live. But, I can't have everything. This record is a must have for any Psychedelic Furs fan. The DVD is very nice too, but this is the superior sound.

Another very nice thing is the little bit of evolution the songs have made. . . They songs have taken on a little more "rock n roll" and lost a little of the "new wave." They are true to their roots, but also have better sounding gear today. There is no one playing a "wall of sound." Great record, 5 stars. . .

epc

A star short!
The same goes for this disc as I wrote in my review of the Bunnymen live disc. It does not include the full performance from the dvd. First of all, two versions of Alive is a bit redundant and the cd is only about 62 minutes without the studio version, which would be enough time for some of those other live tracks on an 80 minute disc. Or better yet, make it a 2-disc set and include the 3 acoustic songs from the dvd as well as the Pretty in Pink acoustic version on the single of Alive. Well, I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. These bands just don't have as much of a following as Pink Floyd and Oasis, to get a 2-disc set. Oh well. If you are looking for a good live performance of the Furs, this is definitely a good show. I would just suggest you buy the dvd and make your own cd!

Time and tide...
This ranks as one of the finest discs in the entire Furs catalogue. Richard, John and Tim, with help from Earl and Fortus, deliver a live disc that made the 20+-year wait well worth it. For those of us lucky enough to have caught a show or two on this tour, it truly captures the event as it happened. Well mostly. If there is ANYTHING wrong with this disc, it is that it doesn't contain enough of the new material. For some reason, only one of the four strong new tracks made it onto this disc, while all four made the DVD version. As for the one that did make it, both the live and the studio version of "Alive" reaffirm the fact that this band has no reason to only look back. While it is true that they will never outrun their classic songs, this tour proved they have a lot more songs up their sleeves destined to become Furs classics. Yes, I too would look fondly on a live Furs disc from the "classic" period, but to be honest, I would much prefer a disc of all new material to get my ears around. Let's hope! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dwight Live, with its generous helping of 17 songs, provides a useful summary of Yoakam's career thus far. He's recorded all but one of the songs before, but the six numbers from the '80s are deepened by everything Yoakam and his terrific band have learned from their years on the road, and the six numbers from his '93 album, This Time, are liberated from their radio-ready studio arrangements to kick up a little dust. For example, the come-back-home plea of the '87 hit, "Please, Please Baby," takes on a new urgency as Yoakam and the band make the swing beat really jump. And the title tune of the '93 album has a new swagger to it. Dwight Live opens and closes with Elvis Presley songs, "Little Sister" and "Suspicious Minds," a reminder of how Yoakam has infused hillbilly music with boisterous rhythms, much as the King once did. By contrast, Yoakam delivers "Miner's Prayer" from his first album in an unplugged version and follows it with Bill Monroe's "Rocky Road Blues," the one song he hadn't recorded before. The indisputable highlight, however, is a six-minute version of "Long White Cadillac," Dave Alvin's immortal song about Hank Williams's last ride. Yoakam moans and wails like a man pursued by hellhounds, and Anderson's guitar notes sound like those snarling, yapping dogs themselves. --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (13)

If you like Dwight, you have to buy this CD!
I'm a big Dwight Yoakam fan and while living in London, England I saw this CD and had to buy it. Miner's Prayer and Rocky Road Blues are my favorites. Of course the old stand bys are great also (Long White Cadillac, Lonesome Roads, and Wild Ride to name a few). I have never seen Dwight live but if this CD is what his shows are like then count me in!

Good, If You Like Live...
Dwight Yoakam has taken a more contemporary approach in recent years which career wise makes sense. You still get the truck-drivin' edge from the 80's, mixed with the crisp vocal 90's ballads creating a good balance for the 2000's. If your looking for that on this cd, forget it! Stay with his studio albums. "Dwight Live" is a butt-kickin' concert disc with no holds barred. It's the best thing besides being there, which I personally saw first hand last year at the Tennis Masters Stadium,Indian Wells, Calif. What makes this album go is the band, which brings a whole new meaning to the term "Country Rock". Since it's live, they get more leadway to jam a little matching Mr. Yoakam's "Cool Hand Luke" vocals. If you like concert albums as much as studio like myself, check out "Dwight Live". For those who view these projects as artist throw-aways, it won't change your opinion.

Disappointing ...
This live album is a disappointment. Dwight Yoakam's
best studio work has crystal clear sound (vocals and
instruments) and lively energetic arrangements.
Unfortunately, Dwight never seems to get in the
groove during the concert[s] and his performance
is lackluster. Another disappointment is that the
sound quality is poor, even for a live album. The
redeeming qualities are the choice of some of his
best songs and his band is in good shape. Standouts
are "Lonesome Roads" and "A Thousand Miles From
Nowhere."

Straight Soulful
Dwight Yoakam may be the most underappreciated of contemporary artists. He has, from day one, been catergorized as a country artist, but whether he's doing country, western, bluegrass, blues, soul, or just good ole rock and roll, it's just pure Dwight. He has an ability to merge musical styles and make things his own, like that of a Ray Charles or an Otis Redding. And music aside, he may be the best lyric writer in any genre'. Unlike most country artists, whose live outings seem to be packaged, over produced, virtual replicas of their recordings, Yoakam does as great soul artists do. He takes his songs and his great band to inspiring new heights. His version of "Lonesome Roads" oozes soul, far outdoing the original, and has brilliant work by the extremely underrated guitarist, Pete Anderson and fiddle wonder, Scott Joss. The band's tight work on "Long White Cadillac" becomes an orgasmic jam with all the excitement of a Booker T. & the MGs workout. At first listen, a casual Yoakam fan may not appreciate its greatness. But this may be, aside from perhaps either of his two greatest hits collections, the quintessential Dwight Yoakam album.

Just happy good rockin' country by the best in the business.
Swingin' live-versions of some of Yoakams greatest; the whole CD are great and I must have about 7-8 favourites among the 17 GREAT numbers gathered on this CD, very hard to pick anyone particular...Unfortunately, I can't add any constructive critics about anything that should've been different in this concert cuz' of the simple reason: Everything is optimal and could not have been done better. Yoakam are one of the most adverse musician out there at all, and proves it with his differentiated repertoire of this show...This is a must for EVERY Yoakam-fan. ... Read more

Album Description

Recorded live (by the original Blasters) at the House ofBlues, Los Angeles, March/June 2002. Features new (2002)performances of Dave Alvin-penned Blasters favorites suchas 'Marie Marie,' 'Long White Cadillac,' 'So Long BabyGoodbye' and 'Red Rose.' It also contains a version oftheir first hit, Little Willie John's 'I'm Shakin' and aDave Alvin song they recorded but seldom performed live,'Common Man.' Digipak. Hightone Records. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS EVER!!!
Founded by brothers Phil and Dave Alvin, the Blasters tore up the early 80s L.A. punk scene with their electric, punked-out, blend of rockabilly, blues and country. Breaking up shortly after their John Mellencamp-produced "Hard Line" failed to garner the national attention it deserved, and the brothers began fighting all the time, it looked like the Blasters would be nothing more than a vinyl-only footnote to the later, Grammy-winning, career of Dave Alvin. Luckily, however, their catalog is being reissued and, even luckier, Phil and Dave have mended some fences. The result of that fence-mending was an intentionally brief live reunion last year that yields this scorcher of an album.

Joined by fellow Blasters John Bazz, Bill Bateman and Gene Taylor, the Alvin brothers tear through seventeen of their best songs, from originals like "Long White Cadillac" (later a hit for Dwight Yoakam) and Dark Night (featured in the film "From Dusk to Dawn") to blues classics like "Cryin for my Baby" and "One Bad Stud," all done with a fiery style that makes moving your body mandatory.

If there's a flaw to this album, it's that it's probably their last for another twenty years, given the brothers are back to their solo careers. But at least we have this one.

Viva Phil Alvin!
3.5 stars

Don't get me wrong, I'm as happy to see the Blasters back together as I would be if Carl Perkins crawled out of the ground and reached for a Stringbender. For all the crowing about Dave Alvin's maturation as a solo artist, the Blasters were his high-water mark for energy and just plain fun music. And there is plenty of energy here, but perhaps a bit too much bombast. A few of the tracks sound like Jimmy Thackery or some other uber-amplified bar-band drudgery. The Blasters worked because they could mix tasteful playing with driving, nine-pound hammer rock and roll.

Nevertheless, this is a welcome return. Good covers of Guitar Watson and Billy Boy Arnold, great version of "Long White Cadillac." ...

One of the Best Live Recordings Ever
I know I'm going to sound like an oldtimer in writing this review, but back when I was in high school in the early 1980's I had the pleasure of growing up in Southern California when music was so alive. Bands like X, Van Halen, Los Lobos, the Plimsouls and the Minutemen were playing small clubs and creating excitement about new music. Some of it was punk, some of it was hard rock, and then there were the Blasters.

Some folks said the Blasters played rockabilly. Some even thought they sounded Country. Then again, they were playing blues too. The bottom line is that they played the best American music you would ever want to hear, and they were absolutely the best live band around.

Alas, things don't last forever. The band, which features brothers Phil and Dave Alvin couldn't stay intact in their original form and that was a good thing. Dave went on to a great solo career and even won a Grammy and continues to be one of America's great songwriters.

Given the Blaster's heritage, the band re-released a compendium of all of their recorded music titled Testament. The two CD-set enabled the band to offer a more permanent public release of music that had long been out of print.

Last year, the band played five concerts in Southern California and this CD was recorded at one of the shows at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. The band also toured after the release of this CD as well.

I had the pleasure of attending two of those shows and feel honored to have had the opportunity to witness two of the greatest rock and roll shows I've ever seen. This CD is faithful to the quality and energy of those shows and is worth your investment.

Yes, the band members have aged a bit. Phil is a bit heavier and Gene Taylor has plenty of gray hair in that bushy beard. But they will give any band in the world a run for their money. This CD doesn't have a single track on it that won't make you want to sing along or dance. This is what American Rock and Roll is supposed to be.

Top 10 of 2002
Why, oh why has massive acceptance escaped this band? They continue to be one of the vital forces in American music, after more than 20 years. The caliber of live performances contained herein will never be matched by 75% of the CDs on Billboard Magazine's weekly Top 10 in sales in any given week, even with millions of dollars in studio "sweetening." Talent and tunes!!!When I win the mega lottery, this is the band I'm hiring to play at my celebration party.

Quit teasing us
So they got together in L.A. last year to put together a terrific show, which sounds great when played on CD as a live recording. I love this album. What sets it apart from many live albums is that the songs still sound fresh. Maybe it's because they "broke up" and hadn't played in awhile, and needed to prove something. Maybe because they knew it was going to a gig just to record a live album and they wanted to get it right. But boy, I miss them even more after seeing this.

So then why four stars instead of five? Stubborn principle. First, they're redone songs. Second, I didn't see the band tour in my area, so I imagine it was a one time get together. The album itself has all the energy and musicianship I would expect from the band, and I've played it over and over again. It's just not knowing if they're going to get back into the studio or tour again that bugs me. ... Read more

Album Description

Limited edition numbered deluxe digipak features 16 tracksincluding 2 exclusive bonus tracks (both rehearsals - 'Pale Blue Eyes' & 'Candy Says'). This is the legendary showrecorded at the Bataclan Club in Paris, on January 29th,1972. Lou Reed is accompanied by John Cale & Nico, on stage for the first time since the break up of the VelvetUnderground. Only 10,000 copies of the digipak edition with bonus tracks will be pressed after which it will revert tostandard packaging with no bonus. Includes 16-page bookletwith extensive liner notes with photos. Alchemy. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

a treat for Velvet Underground fans
As a fan of The Velvet Underground, I had always heard of the La Bataclan '72 concert and was excited to hear it was being released on CD. When I first heard it, my intial reaction was that it was great but not as great as other Velvet Underground recordings like the live 1969 series. However, one can't judge it as a Velvet Underground recording. It is Lou Reed, John Cale, and Nico playing after The Velvet Underground broke up, and a lot of the material played here is from their solo albums. Each member gets their own set within the concert and play from previous Velvet Underground songs and their own solo material. It is really amazing to see how each of them progressed after The Velvet Underground and The Velvet Underground songs that they do play, are much more mature. I have read other reviews of this album and the main criticism is that the sound quality is poor. Apparently the bootlegs sound better but I, like many don't have access to bootlegs and refuse to pay $30 for a CD-R burned copy in a record store. Also most of the Velvet Underground live recordings released have been of poor quality, so I am kinda use to it. The sound quality is poor and that's why it doesn't get 5 stars BUT it is still listenable and well worth buying if you are a fan of The Velvet Underground and the solo carrers of the members that play in this concert. I am thankful that this concert was released and reccomend it to anyone who loved The Velvet Underground. It is by no means the best to come from The Velvet Underground and its members, but it comes pretty close.

5 star event, 3 star sound
A remarkable record for fans, though the quality may be below what some expect from reissues these days. And it does seem possibly low or slow at first (that was my first reaction even before I read these reviews) but give it a few songs--I'm not sure that's not just the way they sounded that night. It's just a cool, down-low vibe (even at 45 rpm it would be). I'm no sound expert and am much more interested in having an incredible performance, and this is--all the peformances are. Those who say there's only one good vocal per performer are way wrong. (And poor Nico--people do cough! If I were there I wouldn't have minded or been upset. And if they'd edited it out, her smoking joke before the next song wouldn't've made sense; it enhances the moment, doesn't detract. Also, some here over-esteem "the consumer" in my opinion. Look at the Top 40 to see the customer's not always right. On this point, the bonus tracks are rehersals and as such, a wonderful look behind the scenes--a great, thoughtful addition.) I love this record, and my expectations were sky high--thinking, "this may be the best record I've ever heard in my life"--since I'm a huge Lou Reed & VU fan and the thought of a soon-after acoustic trio get-together seemed impossible to top. So, if you want the moment (which is great) you'll probably be pleased and glad you got it (like me). Even a sub-par bootleg of this would be incredible--and this is better than that. But if you're a real stickler for sound, you may be disappointed, so do be cautious. But I can't see slamming the performances like some have. Maybe their expectations were as high as mine but they just have more sensitive ears or something? I'm very glad I bought this amazing music. (Packaging, photos, and liner notes (soulfully written) are very good too.) Now I hate the thought of not having this record, just as it is. If they improve the sound someday, great. Until then I'll love this. Thanks Lou, John, and Nico for being the real deal.

Not Bad, But Could Have Been Better...
Bought this album on a whim today, after hearing a few tracks off of it. Sounded decent enough for me to buy.

It essentially, as one already put it, a "VU Unplugged" style of album. Some of the songs sound kinda neat in a different atmosphere or performance than originally recorded in a studio environment.

The sound quality is a bit dissapointing. Sure, for those of you well-accustomed to VU recordings, particularly their demo songs or live bootlegs, this isn't that bad. But as has been said, it could have, with modern re-mastering technology, been much improved. The mic feeds back severely during Cale's "The Biggest, Loudest, Hariest Group Of All", and there is some slight distortion on a lot of the tracks. While some of these are inevitable to be seen on the recording, I feel there was much that could have been done to repair the bootleg. The last two tracks, enclosed as a "limited edition bonus", are pretty much crap. I even think the quality of the demos on the first disc of the "Peel Slowly And See" box set sound better than these two.

All said, it's a decent album, and if you don't have the bootleg version of this recording (sorry to some reviewers; just because you're a VU fan doesn't mean you have access to these expensive, hard to find bootlegs), it's a good way to go. One more note: Amazon says only 10,000 copies of the limited edition packaging will have the last two bonus tracks on them. Huh. My disc's serial number (they are all numbered) is 10,078. Hmmm.

I guess I just don't know...
I am a die-hard Velvets freak, and have had the Bataclan bootleg in various forms for some time now. I thus consider myself reasonably qualified to assess this release.

The overall performance is very tastey. This version of "Black Angel's" is spooky and dark, but not blood curdling as it is on the Banana album. It conjurs visions of Gypsies dancing around a trash can fire in some littered Lower East Side back alley under a crimson moon (or at least an orange sky). Likewise, Cale's "Ghost Story" and all of Nico's material are at once creepy and pretty. They represent a certain bittersweet maturity that prevails throughout this set much like the dry wisdom and blushing warmth one might detect in a well-aged cabernet. "I'm Waiting for the Man" is perfectly introduced by Lou ("Hello. Took us a while to get here. This is a song about copping drugs in New York"). The song is given sublime treatment until Lou F***s up the lyrics by substituting the "brownstone" segment with a repeat of the "here he comes" verse. I sadly have to admit that this flub turns what would have been a stellar version into a decent version that gets monotonous toward the end. Oh well...

The highlight is Heroin. With this version (my favorite), we are treated to one of Lou's best vocal performances of all time. I also find the simple but poignant accompaniment of Lou's acoustic and Cale's droning viola to be much more compelling than the Banana arrangement (and certainly light years better than those wretched Peel Slowly and See demo versions).

What we get in performance, however, we lose in quality. Now granted, this should be no surprise considering the low-fi nature of most other officially released live VU material (I actually have a pristine copy from the End of Cole Ave master that sounds far better than the sources used for the original Live album). Nevertheless, there really is no excuse for having been so totally asleep at the wheel while remastering this release (In truth, I suspect there really was no remastering whatsoever). At the very least, it is in dire need of pitch correction. There are times when Lou's voice sounds so slowed down that I half expect to hear secretly embedded satanic messages. I actually took it upon myself to fix the speed in Cool Edit Pro, and in 15 minutes I was done.

Which brings me to my point. This set is worth getting for VU fans, especially if they have access to pitch correction software. But this is probably not for n00bs or casual fans. Nice that it's out there, but shame on those who were supposedly "overseeing" this project. ZzzzZzzzZzzzz....

VERY DISAPPOINTING AND POORLY EDITED
If you are a die-hard VU fan, then you probably had this show already in one bootleg format or another. I must admit, that this packaging job is outstanding. The booklet, the photos, the slipcase...everything about it, visually, is extraordinary and immaculate. However, what is it they say about "judging a book...?"

The actual recording is CRAP. When this was originally issued on bootleg vinyl, the mix was recorded quite a bit too slow...which is the problem here. Unfortunately, the sound editors for this potentially stellar CD ignored modern technology completely, which is to say they did not download a sound editor for free off of the internet! Any freeware editing program could speed the mix up enough for Lou, Cale, and Nico to sound normal.

I have a bootleg of this that not only sounds better, but has more songs! My 20 year old VHS tape of the concert sounds better than this.

What a disappointment. Hopefully, this can be reissued after it is properly edited. ... Read more