No comments about Live at the House of Blues.

3 comments about 10/4/00: Montreal, Canada.

1. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. Pearl Jam was in a pretty fun mood for this show, which was the first in the third leg of the 2000 tour. They were surely happy to be on the road again after taking a few weeks off. The problem was they were so happy that they almost forgot to put on a good show. This bootleg is not a dud by any means, but the band is really goofing off, which does does not make this one a good representative of the series. Eddie Vedder is really slacking off on the lyrics, as if he doesn't want to take the effort to remember some of them. In several places he just mumbles or giggles instead. Mike McCready is really in a wild mood, turning up the jams and obscure riffage references. Dig Mike's noodling on some Rush riffs in between tracks (a bonus for the Canadian fans, but Rush is from Toronto anyway). Unfortunately, Mike's extra jamming doesn't really improve the songs as usual, and it just sounds like he's goofing around like everyone else. This show is saved from oblivion by an intriguing set list, with some relative tour rarities like "Gods' Dice," "Pilate," "I Got (...)," and "Off He Goes" thrown in to keep things interesting.



2. This is the first Pearl Jam CD that I ever bought, but as soon as I listened to it all the way through, I fell in love with the band. The band hasn't played in a while, and Eddie says, "Its wierd to be surrounded by so many people, but if feels good." And Pearl Jam sure gave one hell of a performance. You don't have to get this one, but get at least one of the live cds, you won't regret it!



3. This show was awesome, but you really have to love Pearl Jam to appreciate it, because they don't play the big hits like Jeremy, Alive, Black or Daughter. However, they play great songs like Wishlist, Light years or Last kiss wonderfully. I also saw this show and I loved it. It was one of the greatest shows I've seen. They were awesome on stage, maybe because it was the first show of the second part of the tour. They hadn't played in three weeks and it showed. They were on fire! If you are a real Pearl Jam fan, you will love this cd.

5 comments about Heart Still Beating.

1. Put this on and watch the womens pants melt right off! Also, you will need 2,000,000 amperes heat lamp. Like they use in Abu Gahreb prison.



2. 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 during the tour to support Avalon.
   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 bass player Alan Spenner plus three backing singers.
   This EP turned full live album included their superb cover of Neil Young's 1977 classic Like a Hurricane(original yet contained the classic elements of the original), killer versions of Out of the Blue and Can't Let Go(the former had Phil Manzanera play a guitar solo in place of the original track's violin solo).
   Plus great versions of A Song For Europe, Love is the Drug, Avalon and a stirring version of John Lennon's classic Jealous Guy are among the highlight.
   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!
   NO COUNTER REVIEWS PLEASE!



3. Given a choice I will almost always take a good live cd over a good studio cd. This is a good live cd.
   
   The cd starts slowly (the reason for docking it a star). While the songs are not bad, the only one that reaches out and grabs you is "Impossible Guitars" (a taste of what Phil Manzanera is capable of - if you like it, check out his cd "Primitive Guitars").
   
   With "Love Is the Drug" things pick up. One of roxy's few "hits" it would likely be tough to perform this in a way I wouldn't like - but the version here is excellent. Then comes an excellent cover of Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" - better, in my opinion, than the original. Next is "My Only Love", another well done song, then a few hit an miss attempts (the best - "Avalon" - another song that would be tough to ruin). Concluding the cd is a killer cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" - containing an excellent sax solo (with feedback!) and free whistling by Brian Ferry sure to send chills up and down your spine.
   
   Buy this cd - there are no bad songs and several outstanding cuts.



4. A fine live album. Some songs are extremely extended without necessity. But the album has good vibe, smart production, good guitar solos and the always mesmerizing voice of Bryan Ferry.



5. 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.

1 comments about Live in Fear City - Chicago.

1. Good songs --fast and loud-- but a poor live recording. Muddy vocals. 'Tis a shame it wasn't recorded better because it probably was a dynamite show.

No comments about The Peel Sessions.

No comments about Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell.

5 comments about United States Live.

1. A vast and sweeping recording, more cohesive than her other albums. The music is challenging and beautifully done and the stories are poinient and at times hilarious. My favorites include "Language Is A Virus" and "Mach 20". Contains versions of her big hits, "O Superman" and "Big Science". Strongly recommended for fans of alternative music.



2. Would have loved to see this live, Can't start it without devoting hours to it , in order to finish it. A truly unique and special recording from one of modern music's finest



3. On this beautifull live recording Mrs Anderson shows her brilliant understanding of storytelling and musical basics in her own invented mix of sci-fi, absurdism, folk, modern technology nightmares, andsoforth. You have to hear it, to understand it.



4. I attended the performances of this at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, in 1983, over two nights, in excellent seats, well placed to see the visuals. (If you were up in the nosebleed seats at BAM it would not have been ideal.) This was quite a riveting series of performances, and I bought the recordings on 4 cassettes when they appeared. (Note that the original performances were around eight hours, so this is just more than half of the total.)
   
   Laurie Anderson was part avant-garde, part carnival huckster, and you could watch and listen to her and never know exactly which side she was leaning toward. It's easy to dismiss her clichés and simplifications, some of which would almost be stand-up comedy; on the other hand, some of her comments and ideas are much deeper and more complex than they seem.
   
   United States was more of a compilation than a thematic performance. She had been riffing about these ideas for several years, and after the success of O, Superman, managed to tie everything together in this longish performance that took place over two nights. Looking back more than twenty years, some of it still stands up, but much of her music and ideas seems sophmoric. Nevertheless, they are a good reflection of an era: when the Cold War was still alive, when music had just shifted from rock to disco to new wave, when a variety of currents had started becoming mainstream (the music of Philip Glass and Steve Reich made it big in those years, notably with a huge Reich retrospective at BAM and a revival of Einstein on the Beach). So there was, even then, a tinge of nostalgia in United States.
   
   I'll agree with what one reviewer says: the visuals were an integral part of this performance. I seem to recall cameras, but I guess there was never enough demand for a video back then. (If it were performed today, there would be a DVD immediately.)
   
   In spite of any negatives, Laurie Andersond had stage presence, had the courage to present some pretty quirky ideas (her style, however, has become mainstream, as can be seen in many movies these days), and was, for a brief period, unique. Unfortunately, after United States, she started repeating the same stuff over and over.
   
   If you lived through the period, and, especially, if you were fortunate enough to see the performances, this would be a good bit of nostalgia. If not, you'll probably be perplexed. It would be interesting, though, to listen to this closely and see just how much the world has changed since then.



5. ALL THE BEST SONGS ARE ON OTHER ALBUMS.
   
   This is an audio recording from multi-media presentations. Much of the material is geared around visuals and Anderson's stage personnae. This is like listening to a television broadcast of a football game without the picture. You get the general idea what is going on, but you miss a lot. It is not like listening to a football game over the radio, where the broadcasters explain what you aren't seeing.
   
   Without the visuals to go with this CD, many of the stories and jokes come up flat.
   
   This CD set is about 4 and a half hours long. It was taken from several years of Anderson's live shows that eventually became the United States. Each CD more or less covers a specific "tour". Her back up band changes from CD to CD. You can tell that as time goes on, she gets more famous (and maybe has more money) she is able to add more to the shows (and her backup band gets bigger).
   
   The sound quality is amazingly good. It is sharp and crystal clear. There is almost no audience noise, which does help create a good atmosphere for her stories.
   
   About 80% of the material is spoken word. There is some music. It is probably less than 45 minutes of the total 4 and a half hour production.
   
   The recordings come from early in her career. She later redid most of the best material and put in on other albums.
   
   I would suggest getting her other CD's. Or if you want to see her performance art work, I would suggest searching out the Home Of the Brave VHS tape (I don't think it has been released on DVD). Don't get the Home of the Brave CD.

No comments about Live in London.

5 comments about Viva!.

1. The biggest flaw with this album is that it isn't longer. I'd love to hear more music from this great live unit. The song selection leans heavily on the first two Roxy albums, when Eno was part of the band.
   
   Those numbers, here played live by the Eddie Jobson version of Roxy (Jobson was Eno's replacement), are effectively reworked versions and are great. Not necessarily better, though Do The Strand and Pyjamarama are way more energetic then the originals, just different and very well done. For me, a highlight is the expanded If There Is Something, with its beautiful instrumental passages and powerful drumming. Great music and a great complement to the studio albums.



2. When I was 12 or 13 I saw pictures of Roxy Music in Creem. They seemed like a gimmick band, a circus troupe, a costume party, a joke band. Then I took a risk and bought Viva. I've been a fan ever since. Out of the Blue combines everything great about The Doors, VU & King Crimson, and yet is totally original to Roxy. Pyjamerama is more funky yet relaxed than studio version & rocks harder. Both Ends Burning is THE version of the song. I give this 4 stars because it's a single record/CD (you know there is more stuff in the can). I recommend any fan seek out 1975 bootleg from NYC with a jaw-dropping version of Mother Of Pearl & other material from Country Life through Siren. Also, the 1976 show bootlegs from Stockholm, Sweden are excellent. Some of those songs can be seen in recent DVD collection The Thrill of It All. Force this CD on Avalon fans, or people who think of Roxy as a mellow 80's euro-pop band.



3. "Viva" could be called Roxy Music's "Get Yer Ya Yas Out," were it not for the fact that it is the final offering from the original Ferry-Manzanera-Mackey-Thompson-Jobson era. The music is tight, crisp, (and some reviewers here have noted that renditions of songs on the album are superior to their original "album" manifestation. I agree...) After this, Roxy, sadly, would become but a dreaded "AOR" vehicle for Bryan Ferry.



4. Not bad at all - but the studio versions are perfection. I don't think I will be listening to this much.



5. I agree with many others that this is Roxy Music at their prime. I thought I'd share a couple thoughts about why. Aside from the band itself being in top form, the energy of that time came into play. Phil Manzanera was also in a band called 801 Live with Brian Eno, which kept his guitar on fire, and the bass player for the tour was John Wetton, recently of King Crimson! So that powerful bass/guitar jam in "Red" by King Crimson seems to be flowing through this tour as well. Fascinating dynamic!

No comments about I Wanna Be a Burn Victim.