No comments about Pure Fingers Live: St. Patrix 1993.

5 comments about 10/11/00 - St. Louis, Missouri.

1. This bootleg is unbelievable. Go-Hail,Hail-Brain of J-Insignificance-Whipping. Eddie screams his longs out!
   This music must be played very, very loud. Enjoy!
   
   The best bootleg? Yeah!!
   
   ****** stars



2. After putting on one of the top performances of the tour in Chicago, you would think the band would be primed for a letdown in St. Louis the next night. Instead, though the Chicago show was practically errorless aside from Corduroy, the St. Louis show has no obvious lyrical or technical flubs whatsoever. Some lyrics are changed in the opener 'Of the Girl', but it seems intentional, and there's a small amount of typical Vedder mumbles, but less than the usual. The performance of 'Go' is one of the best of the tour, and the same can be said for 'Given to Fly' and 'Footsteps'. The encore includes two nice surprises: the first ever performance of the B-Side 'U', and the Dead Boys' 'Sonic Reducer', which has become a live favorite of theirs.
   
   Based on the 13 2000 shows I own, St. Louis ranks fifth. A great energy level, technical proficiency, and a very unique setlist makes this one a good buy for any Pearl Jam fan.



3. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. In the third leg of the 2000 world tour, Pearl Jam had been on a real roll this particular week, with four especially punishing shows in a row, extending from Detroit on 10/7 to this one in St. Louis on 10/11. This show is a great example of the saying "Better Than the Sum of Its Parts." There aren't any especially incredible songs, none of the band members is noticeably better than usual, and the set list is dependable but not too flashy. So what's the big deal? The fact that everybody involved was almost at the top of his game adds up to a killer performance by the entire band, and this show is consistently stellar and powerful. Highlights include "Given To Fly" during which Eddie Vedder invites to the stage a woman who had been doing sign language for a friend in the crowd (this is a visual highlight of the "Touring Band" DVD). "Footsteps" makes an unusual and creepy appearance in the middle of the set, and we get intricate and powerful performances of the relative rarities "In My Tree," "Brain of J," "Whipping," and the dramatic "Parting Ways." The cool B-side "U" makes its first appearance in the tour here (it's not a Prince song, despite Eddie's introduction), and we also get one of only two performances of the cover "Sonic Reducer" by punk band the Dead Boys.

   Of special note is one curious omission. In the entire series of 72 PJ bootlegs, "Corduroy" is the most common song, being performed 71 times. This show in St. Louis happens to be the one show that does not contain this old warhorse. After the show, I wonder if the guys in the band said, "Dude, can you believe we forgot to do Corduroy tonight?" "Nah, get outta here, really?" But I'm sure they meant for us to notice this.




4. Great setlist, and an outstanding mix (each instrument is crisp and well defined--unlike the much more popular Seattle II, where the vocals are lost half the time), make this is a great choice if you're only looking at buying a few (or only one!) of these boots. It has some fantastic songs that don't apear too often: Brain of J, Whipping, In My Tree, Parting ways, U, and the cover, Sonic Reducer come to mind.

   One note/correction on a previous reviewers comments: U is not a Prince cover--Eddie's comment is a joke--it is a b-side from the Wishlist single.




5. I was fortunate enough to attend this St. Louis concert in October 2000, and let me say, these guys are one of the best bands to ever strap on guitars and play. Eddie Vedder is the definition of integrity and musical spirit. His low-key joking banter with the crowd is severely at odds with his dour media portrayal; he and the rest of PJ put on a blistering set. That Vedder can muster up such passion and feeling within his songs every night is pretty amazing. It's almost getting hard to keep up with Pearl Jam's growing catalog of songs in concert, as the band belts them out at such a frenetic pace. To me, it sounds like these guys enjoy what they do. You don't play eight songs for an encore performance and not enjoy yourself.
   
   On this night in St. Louis, Pearl Jam were unbelievable, raring to go and rocking hard nearly the whole way through. After the paced opener, "Of the Girl," they played rockers like "Go," "Hail, Hail," "Brain of J," "Insignificance" and "Whipping," all of which whipped up the excited and sold out St. Louis crowd in a frenzy unmatched since the Stone Temple Pilots played there. Before the dreamy rocker "Given to Fly," Vedder touchingly pulled up a woman from the audience, someone who was using sign language throughout the show for a deaf person (or persons) in attendance. As Vedder sang near her on stage, the woman repeated his words through hand gestures, dancing slightly and making it an unforgettable moment. The two of them danced together before she left the stage at song's end, and it was one of those moments of live spontaneousness that everybody in attendance was quite blessed to see. Even Vedder admitted that he and his band had never seen such a thing -- a person performing sign language for deaf members of the audience.
   
   Also of note at this St. Louis concert was the fact that the city's beloved Cardinals were involved in a playoff game that night, played in St. Louis, which the team lost. Yet Vedder jokingly claimed the squad had won toward the end of the show, touching off another wave of cheers that were more massive than the response Pearl Jam's songs received. Vedder quickly retracted his statement, telling the crowd the Cardinals had actually lost (a true statement), but asking all of us if we were glad we'd spent our time at a great show instead of staying at home watching "some stupid game."
   
   Also of note on this disc is Vedder's political message. He confidently displayed his support for Ralph Nader, while roughing up the two by-the-numbers politicians who were running in the 2000 presidential race. The night of this concert, George W. Bush and Al Gore were engaged in another nationally televised debate, of which Vedder informed the crowd they both had heart attacks and died. Again, however, he retracted, saying neither one of the men had any blood in them, and therefore, something as human as a heart condition could not afflict them. It was a great moment, no matter what way you lean politically.
   
   Musically, I can't say enough about these two soaring discs from St. Louis. Check out the extended version of "Daughter," plus the drawn-out version of "Rear View Mirror," where the lights all dimmed into a bluish haze, the band dreamily plucked away at will and Vedder left the stage for a break. I heard the girl behind me say "weird" during this moment of the song, but I liked its psychadelic look and feel, plus the warm atmosphere it conveyed on that chilly October night. "U" is a great Vedder-penned tune, and the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer" was a scorching and astute cover song to do, a punk tune that fits PJ like a well-worn glove. The band followed that song with "Last Kiss," followed by its own classic-sounding "Yellow Ledbetter" staple. It seems these guys can play whatever they feel like onstage, and often they do. PJ is notorious for changing up its set lists on a regular basis, attempting unknown covers and keeping things interesting with Vedder's dry humor, introspection and interesting observations.
   
   A casual listener might be taken aback by Pearl Jam's loud twin guitar attack and angst-ridden singing. Underneath that wall-of-sound, however, is a melodic band that's fan friendly and free spirited. I own a live European double disc by PJ, which is also great, but it doesn't compare to this unforgettable St. Louis performance. I suspect Pearl Jam crank things up a notch when performing in the U.S. Overall, this is an outstanding live performance by one of the best bands ever, on a night when the Cardinals lost and two presidential candidates "died" at the same time.

No comments about At the BBC.

1 comments about Live: Anthology.

1. Basically a compilation of three live albums: Ballroom Blitz - Live at the Lyceum (CD1), Live at Newcastle (CD2. 1-10), & School Bullies (CD2, 11-18). Punk music is all about the attitude and energy, and a live album is therefore the only real way to listen to these tracks. This album doesn't disappoint in that regard: CD 2 includes the concert staple "Sensible's a wanker" chant from the audience along with some other gems. Some sections aren't a continuous recording (the 10 track Live at Newcastle CD was trimmed from a longer version of the same album) but fades are used to make this not too noticeable. Great CD, you're getting 3 albums so you can't go wrong.

4 comments about Terror in America.

1. I don't have the greatest stereo in my car to begin with, but I can't listen to this album at all in my car. The audio is terrible. For GG fans and collectors that would like to just sit down and listen to it, go ahead and buy it. There's some really cool stuff on this one... especially on the live audio and some freestyle stuff he does at the end.

   To sum it up: Collectors go ahead and buy it. Just don't plan on jamming to it because the audio sucks.




2. Okay, this recording has some of the greatest songs GG Allin has EVER recorded. The trouble is, the music sounds like its been put through a meat grinder. No real GG Allin fan expects good sound quality ripping through the speakers along with GG's toothless growl, but its nice when you can actually HEAR the music. It's just intolerable. Or maybe I just got spoiled listening to Hated in the Nation 700 times in a row first.By the way, Hated in the Nation is probably the best GG Album you can get, next to... Drunks and Junkies, followed closely by Brutality and Bloodshed for all. Hated in the Nation, FFD and J, and B and B for all are MUST HAVE'S for ANY GG fan, or anyone who can laugh at the sick, depraved, disgusting and violent.Also recommended to parents of Goth children. At least you're kids haven't found GG yet!!!



3. to me, this, along with "antisocial personality disorder-live" and "brutality and bloodshed for all", is essential gg allin...i am not a big fan of his ealier stuff..there is something missing from that. it may just be the fact that he sounds like he should be singing for bad religion on a lot of that stuff, or it may be the music itself...i don't know...but here and on the ones that i mentioned earlier, you get the animal...

   never before, and possibly, never again will a person be able to put all of his anger and frustration into the form of a voice...there are times when he hardly seems human(which may be because he was too trashed to remember the words and simply growls along, who knows with gg)...

   if you are on this page then you are either a fan or, at least, have heard the stories and legends...if you fall into the latter category, grab this album and find out what all of the fuss is about...if it is too raw for you, that is ok, it will be for most...but,on the off chance,that it strikes a chord with you....look into more of his stuff...




4. The first twelve cuts on this CD comprise the '93 Fastlane show from Asbury Park, NJ, and is, without a doubt, one of G.G.'s best efforts. Certainly it is his most emotional. Here, he not only thanks his band for sticking with him while he was incarcerated up in Michigan, he even tells the audience that they were "cool" for coming out to see him! That's a first and only.

   Obviously the Murder Junkies, G.G.'s last and best band, spent a lot of time practicing, for I've never heard them play better. This recording also contains one of G.G.'s great speeches, touching on the Lolapalooza Tour and related matters.

   As for the music, well, if you've never heard G.G. Allin, this is the CD to start with. Extreme versions of "Bite It You Scum" and eleven other tunes that put everybody to shame, from Metallica and those lame poser metalheads, all the way through soft rock, punk rock, folk rock, and any other kind of music you can think of.

   This CD proves the obvious once again: two and two is four, water is wet, and G.G. is the only true rock 'n' roller.

No comments about Live @ the Granada Theater.

No comments about Alive-Alive-O!.

No comments about Left for Dead: Alive in Holland '86.

No comments about Live at the House of Blues.

No comments about Live at CBGB.