5 comments about The Last Rock 'N' Roll Tour.

1. This is a great live GP disc with the Figgs doing a great job
   backing up. Good mix of songs spanning his career.
   If you're a GP fan it's a must have, track it down if you can. Only GP could make a cheezy prince song rock!!



2. A superb live album from a master. Truth be told, Parker has been slipping down the mudslide toward `adult orientated' material ever since MONA LISA'S SISTER, with little to give fans hope of a return to form until ACID BUBBLE GUM and now his many live releases. This one is particularly excellent, and all the songs sound great, especially the music from ACID BUBBLE GUM. Maybe Parker is on the way back to the top! Who knows? Anyway, buy this little gem; wherever GP is headed it's worth the price, well worth it. I may even have to buy an album by the Figgs.



3. The Figgs ROCK in support of GP. They are the best live band he's had since the Rumour. The guitars simply jump out of the speakers. If you like GP, this is a no-brainer. Buy it and turn it up loud!



4. GRAHAM PARKER

   REVIEW: The Last Rock 'n' Roll Tour

   GRAHAM PARKER AND THE FIGGS

   Recorded live at Bogies, Albany NY, November 26 1996.

   TRACK 1 - The pace is cracking right from the first song -- "Turn it into hate". Mike Gent in the left ear and Guy Lyons in the right build a wall of riffs and Graham, in fine voice, snarls through it -- a window onto his landscape of cynicism. It's a short sharp taste to start a hard rocking set of songs. Graham says "Breakdown!" to bring in the solos, one in the middle, and one to finish the song, as he sings "H.A.T.E."

   "Weeping Statues" is next, an obscure track off "Struck by Lightning," even though it contains the phrase which gave that record its name. This version rocks -- a solid, aggressive number, that gives a bit more penetration to Graham's strange surreal lyrics than the studio recording did -- the guitars have settled and the solos are assured, fast and scathing.

   "Fools Gold" we associate with the Rumour so it's obvious that Graham is happy to be back with a band that can do some of his harder rocking numbers.

   TRACK 6 - A great version of "Local Girls". The best version of this song so far (to my ears). The song suits the band. There is a fine section where Mike plays arpeggiated chords (rapidly sounding the single notes). By this time you get the idea you're not going to hear any of the haunting, acoustic, wry and plaintive songs that Graham has written and performed in recent times. But then you didn't expect that did you, not with an album called "The Last Rock 'n' Roll Tour" slathered with garish pink and cut out letters recalling the Sex pistol's ransom note of the 70s. It's a rock 'n' roll night, no quarter given.

   The band charges into another obscure song, "Daddy's a Postman" (from Human Soul). The song blisters with fast guitars, crazy rhythms and wonderful lyrics

   "Impenetrable", one of the standout songs from "Acid Bubblegum". The bass drives the song, with the kind of wailing guitar from "Hey Lord" weaving through the groove.

   Then "Sharpening Axes", another strong number from "Acid Bubblegum" which is about as slow tempo as we're going to get on this record.

   TRACK 12 - A few shrieks from the audience and then that great intro from "Obsessed with Aretha". Hey ey ey.... This is one of the songs that has aged well for me. The sentiments are caustic and irreverent, just the way I like them and the chord progression insistent, chasing its tail and laying down a resilient bed for the leads to play through.

   The pace goes up a notch with "Take Everything" from "Steady Nerves". This live version really makes this song for me, which I had completely ignored up to now. It has all the hallmarks of the "new wave" when Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, The Clash and The Damned (among countless others) doubled the prevailing time signatures and really pumped.

   To sum up, if you look at it in three parts, the first third is strong, fast and energetic. The second third soars, and the final third closes out the set with a collection of strays, some fine tracks, and a couple of curiosities. If it's true that Graham played "Girl at the end of the Pier" I would have preferred that to either of the two covers, but I guess it just wasn't rock 'n' roll.

   The songs from Acid Bubblegum generally shine, especially "Impenetrable" and "Obsessed with Aretha". Other highlights are "Weeping statues", "Local girls", "Daddy's a postman", "Take everything" and "Saturday night is dead".

   © 1977 Robert Whyte

   This review was sent the Graham Parker mailing list, the members of which helped with some of the information.

   For more information of Graham Parker, visit Squeezing Out Sparks (unofficial Graham Parker Home Page).

    




5. GP does it again! If you've never caught GP live, this cd will have you wishing you did. The Figgs are a fantastic support band, offering great live renditions of some of the best Graham in recent memory. This cd had me backtracking to purchase some of GP's cd's that I had not yet acquired; now that's power!

5 comments about Live at Fireside Bowl.

1. This CD was illegally produced without the band's permission or support and it shows. You are better off buying any of the other albums or waiting until March 21 to buy the new Anti-Flag album "For Blood and Empire". I just heard the new single "press corpse" on KROQ and it is awesome...



2. Anti-Flag is one of the greatest modern punk bands, still holding true to the punk spirit. The only reason this album gets a 4 out of 5 is becuase it is live, and short. I do not reccomend buying this CD only becuase of the way in which it was released and recorded. HOWEVER, the entire CD is posted at the fan site www.thepeopleunited.net. If you feel you must listen to it, then I suggest getting it here.



3. Okay, Anti-Flag is an amazing band and all their CD's are great--except this one. Which actually works out quite fine because it's not even really their CD, it's a rip-offof a live show by a dirtbag record label. If you buy this CD, you are in no way supporting Anti-Flag or A-F Records. Not only that but this CD sucks. Sure, it's live, but the sound quality is terrible if you compare it to other albums. Want a live album? Get Mobilize, half those songs are live and they definitely sound great.



4. Anti-Flag is a really good band and I personally like every one of their cds, but this one? No. They didn't have their permission to make this cd and plus it's 4 songs for 10 bucks in stores. It's a rip, it sucks, it's short, and you should not get it.



5. The previous review said that it was not enhanced, well thats true because its LIVE at the FireSide Bowl. its not recorded in a studio, its LIVE. this is a good cd, two tracks that are not on other cds.

5 comments about 14/6/00 - Paegas Arena, Praha, Czech Republic.

1. This show and the Milan show are very close in terms of having the title of "Best European Bootleg". This show has quite a few little flaws that are throughout the album, but the energy and setlist make up for that a great deal. The band sounds full of energy, and are enjoying themselves to the fullest. Thats one large thing I look for in a true great live show. Even with its few little flubs, it still manages to be an awesome show period. The show contains awesome versions of Grievance, Animal, Red Mosquito(my favorite version of the song), Pilate, Present Tense, Habit, Untitled, Even Flow, Go, Sleight of Hand, State of Love and Trust, and Do the Evolution. Do the Evolution even has verses messed up and still remains one of the better versions of the song out there. Thats one thing thats cool about this boot is that the mistakes arent really bringing the songs done or making them bad in any way. There is also a cover of Timeless Melody thats kinda hard to come by. It alone is worth buying this. Its a great cover by the band, my favorite cover they have done. The sound quality on this album is also very nice. The bass isnt mixed quite as low as the rest of the Euro boots. Everything can be heard very clearly. The crowd is good as well. So, with flaws and all, its a great live album.



2. Great one. Brilliant version of Present Tense. Eddy says: we are taking things to a next level here. He is right. Only Milan beats this one. When you decide to buy a few bootlegs you definitely have to get this one.



3. Most of the press for this show comes from Eddie Vedder comparing the hot weather to the Devil's rear exhaust duct. Too bad, because this is one hell of a show. Only the Hamburg performance edges it out as Best of the European 2000 Tour. Mike McCready is in especially good form, but the rest of the band is right there, turning up the heat that much more. Eddie's satanic anatomy lesson aside, this one is a scorcher.



4. While other PJ fans have rated this show as a so-so performance, I must admit, the first disc alone is worth the purchase. There are some noticeable mess-ups all over this disc, but it's still a great show (especially the crowd interaction). The "Untitled" song on the first disc is fantastic, with the Czech crowd chiming in prior to a raucous version of "MFC." The highlights of this disc are "I Got Sh*t," "Of the Girl," and an extended "RVM." "SOLAT," my favourite PJ song, is somewhat overshadowed by Stone's initial screw up to start the song (so far, #38 in Columbus has the best rendition of the tour). "Red Mosquito" starts out great, but during the verses, someone is playing some really off chords (Cameron has a great drum fill during the solo). "Go" is pretty solid and "Betterman" includes the "Save it for later" tag and is done fairly well. I felt that this show was above average, and very deserving of a four star review. If you are going to buy only a few of these "official bootlegs," I'd strongly suggest Philadelphia the first night (#45), you won't be disappointed.



5. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This gig in the Czech Republic hasn't gotten much attention, and rarely makes fans' lists of the "best" of the bootleg series. But I feel that this show is the best from the European series. The sound quality is crystal clear, unlike many of the European bootlegs, the crowd is loud and enthusiastic, the set list offers many surprises, and the band is energetic and flawless. While Eddie Vedder keeps the stage talk to a relative minimum, he delivers one of his funniest and sickest moments in the tour when he says "...last time we were here it was really cold...but today it's as hot as the devil's asshole." And he wasn't just talking about the weather.

   The key ingredient in this great performance is Mike McCready, who is positively on fire. Get a load of his incredible soloing in "Red Mosquito" (which makes a rare but very welcome appearance here), "I Got Shit," and his regular showcase "Black." Mike adds freaky and feedback-drenched rhythm work to two more of his personal classics, "Present Tense" (the best performance of this song in the tour) plus "State of Love and Trust." This show also offers above-par versions of "MFC," "Even Flow," and "Go." The moody "Sleight of Hand" makes it first appearance in the tour here. I thought the studio version of this song was rather dull, but it works very well in concert as a slow-burning tension builder. The cover of "Timeless Melody" by The La's is a nice addition, and the four final songs ("State of Love..." through "Yellow Ledbetter") make up one of the most effective closing sequences of the tour.

1 comments about Stations of the Cross.

1. The antithesis of his brilliant album, "So Alone." Here Johnny's in a club setting, trying to run through what would essentially be a soundtrack to Lech Kowalski's film featuring Thunders himself as a drug addict (the liner notes admit that Johnny "disappeared" for three days after getting paid). There are two sets here, late and very late, and just when you think Johnny can't get more out of control, he turns the whole mess up to 10. If you're a Thunders fan it's the ultimate document of Johnny's disintegration. Rates a third star for the sheer chutzpah of the entire project.

No comments about Musica del Diablo.

1 comments about Live at CBGB 1982 - The Audio Recordings.

1. the energy is there but this seems like a fan only release...on the hardcore songs the sound quality is what you would expect from recordings from 1982 and who gets the bad brains for teh reggae tracks (theyre good but not great), the DVD is probably a much better release to get so you can get the intensity of the live show but unless youre a fan Id avoid this live disc

5 comments about PIG PILE.

1. I need to get my facts straight on this, but I think this was the final release from Albini's wonderful experiment in sonic violence called Big Black. It was also the first record by them that I discovered in the used bin at my favorite local record store, Trader Vic's in Dayton. Later in Chicago I got hold of the VHS recording of this live concert and it is still holding up as one of my better live show recordings. Either you love this kind of stuff or you hate it, but if you are looking for unique hard rocking greatness, you need to catch up with these guys. My favorite was Roland and however programmed those beats!!



2. BIG BLACK WERE TOO GOOD TO LAST. STEVE ALBINI & SANTIEGO DURANGO GIVE GUITARS A POWER TOOL TREATMENT WHILE TRADING INSULTS WITH THE CROWD. FEATURES SOME OF THEIR BETTER SONGS. SOME OF THE BEST NOISE YOU WILL EVER HEAR.



3. I endorse the comments of the previous reviewer and support his plea for a re-release of Big Black's Pig Pile. When Pig Pile (the CD) was released in Australia you could buy the video for an extra amount. Since my grandmother had died some years earlier, I had nothing to sell to raise the boodle, so I had to make do with just the CD. Since I've never been able to find the video again, I've regretted it ever since. If the company responsible won't re-release the Pig Pile video, is there anyone out there who can find me a copy? For the purposes of a review, the CD at least is frighteningly awesome. I have no doubt the video was anything less.



4. Okay, if you guys don't re-release this live masterpiece, I'm going to have to duplicate my copy a thousand times and rain it upon the nation as a public service! (No Collector Scum, I!) This is the ultimate live Big Black show, performed as a swan song in the UK in 1987 and full of the jarring, driving, hammering guitar torture modern bands try so hard to ape but can never come close to. But not only that: Albini's distinctly creepy stand-up comedy, an unbelievable gymnastic version of "Dead Billy," lots of audience violence (including a constant stream of fake blood aimed at little Stevie), and the finest performance ever of "Jordan, Minnesota."

   Over the ball-crushing vigor of the sound and the confrontational fury of the songs hangs an edgy haze of insecurity--the halo of an age when punk was made by real misfits, and outrage wasn't met with the smug audience comfort of the 90's and 00's. This is a slice of underground rage from the days when this rage was a real and dangerous force. And it still looks and sounds crystal clear.

   So please give this sleeping giant a reawakening, and maybe the puny bands of today will get some spirit scared into them. A pummeling, one-of-a-kind testament.




5. I have a copy of this on vinyl - the way it was truly meant to be heard. Unbelievably excellent stuff. Good for exorcising unwanted neighbours and family members. The songs were all recorded live at a show in London just before the band broke up - hence the title of this review. I was lucky and managed to get one of the few boxed sets which included this record, a t-shirt, poster, extra 5" record (clear vinyl), and a video of the concert. Track down the video if you can. The album is great, the video even better.

4 comments about Black Sessions Live in Paris.

1. This very rare import on Virgin/4AD (1994) exists in TWO versions, one with 18 tracks recorded live in Paris for Radio France (track listing provided in another review), and a second version (even rarer) that adds the Kitchen Tapes and has 21 tracks.
   
   The disc comes in a custom opaque black plastic case with the artwork stenciled on the front and back covers, and as far as I know, never included paper inserts or liner notes inside (just the disc).
   
   Personnel included: Frank, Lyle Workman, Eric Drew Feldman, Nick Vincent. Excellent sound quality, very listenable, and the band is tight. Frank sings in English but speaks to the audience in French!!! Essential for any fan of the big man, and a testimony to his unique genius.



2. From the 1994 French/Dutch import on Virgin/4AD label.
   
   1. Two Spaces
   2. (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain
   3. Headache
   4. Old Black Dawning
   5. Superabound
   6. Calistan
   7. The Vanishing Spies
   8. Sir Rockaby
   9. Big Red
   10. The Jacques Tati
   11. Odd Ball
   12. Men in Black
   13. Czar
   14. Freedom Rock
   15. Pong
   16. White Noise Maker
   17. Los Angeles
   18. Handyman



3. Forget it. I'm a big fan of FB & the Pixies, but this has got 'contractual obligation' written all over it. A pretty ordinary quality recording and the music is pretty lacklustre. I have every Pixies / FB album, including singles, and this is by far the worst. Only get if you have to complete your collection, and even then, don't expect much.



4. The guy's a genius. I know some of the critics think it's a poor effort, but how can you criticize the soul that this live recording puts into the songs? And the final track, an acoustic version of "Abstract Plain", just tops off a great set.

5 comments about Streams of Whiskey: Live in Leysin, Switzerland.

1. I avoided this cd for years now because everything I read about it slammed it. Shane's too drunk, duh! That's all part of the charm. The band and Shane sound great and energized. This is my favorite of the 3 live releases I have heard, the others being Brixton 2001 from the Ultimate Collection and Sane and The Popes Across the Broad Atlantic (but I love 'em all). I had to try them all after seeing the Pogues St. Patty's show in NY this year which was awesome wheelchair and all....



2. Recorded at a gig in Leysin, Switzerland on July 12, 1991, this album originally circulated as a bootleg known as "Live on Rain Street" before it was reissued as an "official" album release in 2002. The band members themselves have protested its release, and request that you instead purchase the live CD from their 2001 reunion performance at the Brixton Academy, available as Disc 2 of the Pogues Ultimate Collection.
   
   Amazon reviewers of the 2001 reunion show have praised that disc, while reviewers on this page have been quite harsh to "Streams of Whiskey." Which is the better disc? Are the harsh reviews of this album justified?
   
   For my money this is by far the better disc. It is an absolute gem of a performance that has been unjustly maligned, while the 2001 reunion show has been a little over-hyped. The fact is, The Pogues were an untouchable live act from their inception in 1984 through to their parting with Shane MacGowan later in 1991. While it's nice to see the older, chubbier Pogues get together again and relive past glories, the reunion show simply doesn't capture the band during its 1984-1991 peak. "Streams of Whiskey," despite its sometimes questionable sound quality, does. That makes it essential listening to any Pogues fan and an important document of what this band sounded like while they were still riding that wave where it seemed they could do no wrong.
   
   As for the sound quality: yes, the recording on the 2001 reunion show is much better, while this one seems unprofessionally recorded and sloppily mixed at times. But the messy quality does not detract from the excellent performance the band puts on, and really, what is more important?. I'd rather have a poorly recorded excellent performance any day than a well-recorded lousy performance. Besides, the sound quality isn't *that* bad; critics make much too big a deal over this.
   
   Ignore the naysayers, and indeed the band themselves, you owe it to yourself to get this disc. I put off getting it for a long time because of the bad reviews, but once I heard it I felt foolish for shying away from such a great disc. It's The Pogues in their prime, and you can't go wrong with that.



3. i guess this falls into the same category as the Clash's "Cut The Crap" album. One person says its bad so others will think the same. this is not a bad quality live recording (trust me, you can do worst), but it's not the best. i must admit it has good stuff on it (especially rain street). but then again shane sounds drunk... its not a bad recording, just keep that in mind, but you will probably want to wait for the re-union album.



4. This is a horrible CD. It was actually released without the permission of The Pogues and they (The Pogues) ask you to please not purchase it.



5. Okay, so its not the best recording ever, kind of like a really good bootleg, but it does capture the live energy of a Pogues show. So what if you can't make out what Shane is saying?? You never can. But you cannot deny his lyrical genius, or the Pogues musicianship. Captured here are some of the Pogues best. Sayonara blares from the speakers, sounding as if there are a lot more musicians than are really in the band. The Pogues sound is full. If you are worried about the sound quality, then you are really left buying a bootleg (Live on Rain Street, etc.), unless you opt for Shane with the Popes and get Across the Broad Atlantic. If you are a devoted fan, get this. If you are trying to get your first feel for the band, get a studio album, preferably If I Should Fall From Grace with God.

5 comments about Anyone in Love With You (Already Knows).

1. This was a real let-down. God help the unknowing person who makes this their first RM purchase. Money would be better spent on a studio album or a live show.



2. Rainer Maria is the best band currently in existence on this planet.
   CD: Like any live album, this is mainly for diehard fans. But we have no reason for disappointment. The opening "Tinfoil" is much more exciting (and faster) than the studio version. I listen to the first few songs of this more than I do to any of their studio albums. The sound quality varies on some songs, but that just gives it a cinema verite feel. I wish the CD were as long as the DVD.
   DVD: A straight-up concert appearance; no fancy camerawork, but varied enough. Kyle especially is a monster of rock! As for the "Ears Ring" video, it's a bit too arty for its own good. But it's an extra and doesn't detract from the whole package.



3. It does not capture how the band can be powerful live. The DVD is something of a joke at my house. While the out of tune singing/screaming is dismissable live and fixed through the magic of production on your CD, its a little annoying while sitting on your couch,..sober...with your roomates laughing at you for liking rainer maria in the first place.
   But i still love them, brilliant song writing and bad singing alike. BUt this is pretty worthless except for the blindest of blind rainer maria collectors. Use your money for a Ranier Maria Rilke poetry collection...youll find more enlightenment. The videos focus on the " look how hip and cool we look, we read camus and have vintage clothing!"



4. If any format surpasses Rainer Maria's brilliant studio albums, it's seeing the band live, which I was fortunate to do twice during their 2003 tour stops in Detroit. Rainer Maria winds up live with enough energy to drown out the pale reverberations of a hundred dull formatted radio stations.

   Led by the manic punk guitar of Kyle Fischer, the poetic bass and vocals of Caithlin De Marrais, and Texas Radio Big Beat of drummer William Kuehn, the band's energy echos back to Paul Weller declamation during the Jam's Modern World: "I don't give a damn about your reviews."

   This is a must-have album for everybody who loves, who still believes in the passion that is rock 'n' roll.

   Mike




5. This is another emo band that have done really well gathering a following. I never understood what emo is. You have to be about sixteen, I guess. Many of these songs have singalongs like that guy in Dashboard Confessional where everyone knows the words. These are songs about how depressed you are. Maybe the time hasn't passed yet for this movement. As long as there are teenagers who have acne, are very fat, and can't get laid, this music is valid. Older depressing music like The Cure or Joy Division is not really emo. Those bands were just depressed because they didn't have any good drugs. I took a lot of LSD while listening to those records. I wasn't depressed, but maybe spooked, and had a hard time articulating what I was feeling. Most of those bands were probably married and having kids. Some people do have real problems. Rainer Maria has four other albums out. It seems like it is premature to have a DVD and a live album out for a band that started in 1995. But maybe the people are out there waiting?