No comments about Live at Earls Court.

No comments about Live and Loud!! Bridgehouse Tapes.

5 comments about Rock N Roll Animal.

1. and chances are you'll hear this album. Unless of course your host is a complete idiot and their idea of rock n roll is Hootie and the Blowfish. I laughed when I read the Lou Reed "fans" who said they didn't like this album. They whined that it was unlike his other stuff. Well, put it in perspective. This is a GREAT album - and it doesn't need the extra tracks. It's one of those one-off classics that just came from nowhere. Loved it then, love it now. You can't say that about any VU album.



2. I never had the album "back in the day", but I've heard most of the songs at one time or another. I thought the sound was very good. This is an excellent album and gives a good snapshot of Lou Reed back in his prime.



3. the band is tight and ready to rock.lou is up to task and gives a first rate show.real fans will love it.



4. Easily in the top 5 list of GREAT LIVE albums, not debatable.
   Same class as Live at LEEDS(BEST EVER),HANK-Live, Live RUST!
   This takes you back to the filthy days when men made rock and roll and did'nt wory about how to sell it. LOU has always been on the cutting edge. Needs to be played loud and often.
   Lady Day/Heroin/Sweet Jane. You could try a hundred more times and never get an LP close to the original, just a classic thats all.



5. This is one of my two favorite live rock albums (the other is Stand In the Fire by Warren Zevon). This is probably the best live rock album ever. The guitar work is amazing. The energy is explosive. This is what rock and roll should be. Two guitars, bass and drums and four guys playing their guts out (OK, there are keyboards too.)
   
   This live version of Heroin, all by itself, should get Lou (as a solo artist) inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame. My favorite live rock track of all time. It's a lesson in how to build up a rock song to a screaming crescendo.
   
   Like everyone, my only beef with the record was: not enough, give us more! This release includes two additional tracks from the same concert: How Do You Think It Feels and Caroline Says I, which are also great and fit right in. The remastered sound is excellent. This release, unlike to old release on CD, has some nice liner notes. Enjoy.

1 comments about Ultravox - Greatest Hits Live.

1. This album does not feature John Foxx or Midge Ure (my favorite) on vocals. It is basically Billy Currie and a bunch of hacks. DO NOT WASTE YOU MONEY ON THIS MISLEADING PIECE OF GARBAGE.

   If you want to hear Ultravox live, get the 1981 BBC concert CD recorded in Paris.

5 comments about Live at Maritime Hall: San Francisco.

1. i was at this show
   this is not bad brains
   this is a group of guys who would rather have nothing to do with each other but they don't want to go back to working in the auto shop or whatever other day jobs they have
   yeah, they play well, the chemistry exists
   but hr, just a puppet
   lifeless
   hollow
   and if you don't have anything new to offer us, why record the same songs AGAIN? how many versions of sailin on do we need?
   maybe brains can't move on
   but we should
   someone out there has a spark that deserves your attention
   theory of ruin
   last of the juanitas
   fantomas
   dillinger escape plan
   lightning bolt

   brains lost the spark YEARS ago
   lets not lose it with them




2. For the new Brains fan, you may find it puzzling that there are nearly as many live recordings of Soul/Bad Brains as studio collaborations. The avid fan, however, knows how the Brains are best served: straight with a twist of live.
   If you are just beginning your experience with this D.C. rooted band, this is a good start to your live collection. Grabbing deep into the back catalog, you will find a variety of the early hardcore material, with additional representatives from every Brains studio accomplishment (I do not include 'Rise' because there is no HR). Indeed this is a live journey through a rather bumpy career for the Brains, and what it lacks in production quality, it makes up in soul.
   The avid, long-time listener will find this a reasonable effort with a few gems. Severely lacking the ferocity of Bad Brains 'Live' or the highly polished, uptempo flavor of 'Youth are Getting Restless', it will probably not be in your normal Soul/Bad Brains rotation. Nevertheless, there are highlights. HR's playful (and often funny) musings with the crowd and superb renditions of 'Sailin' On', "I n I Survive' and 'I Against I' make this a worthy buy.
   One things for sure, if you are old school,you will be spinning 'Rock For Light' on the turntable by the time this one is over. And the new fan...no doubt you will be adding to your Brains collection soon.



3. Okay, so this isn't the BEST live Bad Brains album. When judged against, say, "The Youth Are Getting Restless," this should probably only get 3 stars. But when grading a band's albums, it should be done on what the album sounds like as its own entity, not compared to the artists' other work.
   That said, this is a really great live album. The whole band sounds very fresh and energized despite the 20+ years that they've been together. Doc's chops are in full effect; Daryl's bass tone is insanely versatile - from the deep dub-reggae to the punchy hardcore to the "hunna-miles-an-owa" punk jams; and Earl is on point with almost metronomic precision.
   Highlights are "Coptic Times," "I Against I," and "Re-Ignition." The end of "I & I Survive" absolutely shimmers, and it's interesting to hear H.R. eschew the personal pronoun - especially in "Sailing On" (good thing they didn't do the song "I"!). HR's crowd banter is hilarious ("Gettin' all moochy on me!") - he sounds like a little kid.
   The mix is much better than on the SST Live album. The only problems with the Maritime mix is that sometimes the bass overpowers the guitar and sometimes the snare sounds a bit dead. Not enough to detract from a five-star rating.



4. If you are looking for the most bad-[buttocks] blitz-speed core and thumpin reggae... get 'The Youth are Getting Restless'(recorded in 1987)...
   If you wish to hear a more mature, fun-loving live album by still the most bad-[buttocks] roots-rock-reggae band on Earth (on par with Wailers and Word Sound Power) - the Brains - this time with elements of funk, soul, H.R. having all kinds of fun with the lyrics and his highly versatile voice and jokin with the audience - get 'Live at Maritime Hall'. The range of soundz covered in this hour-long concert is extraordinary. H.R. can sing his rap as fast as ever and then slow it down and send chills up my spinal chord... and he actually is singing, whereas in 80s he was often screaming off the richtor scale. Dr. Know is as perfect on lead guitar as ever; goin from 'super-crunch to super-clean' (as he says)and always awe-inspiring. Darryl Jennifer incorporates the funk and is the backbone of this perfect continuum. Earl Hudson is on point and massive, especially on 'Re-Ignition' whence he lifts the energy level mid-way into the concert beyond what might have seemed possible.

   The whole album is uplifiting spiritually and the most enjoyable live album I've heard since Peter Tosh, Live at One Love Peace Concert. The reggae tracks - 'Day Tripper/She's a Rainbow', 'I'n'I Survive', 'Youth Are Getting Restless' are surprisingly mellow and largely improvised by H.R. The heavier tracks are totally rockin and will feed your higher brain stem. However, after evolving throughout the 80s to create the fastest and loudest soundz; the Brains are now evolving as avatars of soul. The album is very danceable; you could mosh to it; yet I feel more like practicing Tai Chi when I hear it.

   It feels very beautiful to hear the original Brains still playin with all their guts and Jah blessings after 20+ years. I very much look forward, however, to the release of new tracks. The only new track on the album - 'On Like Popcorn' is so much fun to hear and sing along to; it is about all the beautiful people on Earth; and the track gives a good preview of the new soundz they are producing in the studio; lots of jive and bounce; always totally limitless and uplifting; great for when you just need something loud and extraordinarily positive and heartfelt to boost you through life.

   Get this album if you know God or are looking for God and spirituality, if you are a die-hard Brains fan, if you appreciate musicians who are still totally out-going after well over 2 decades, if you wish to hear the most authentic fusion-rock-metal-rasta hard core-rootz reggae-fun(k)-gospel-soul band who first conceived of the math and rythms that most every other positively rockin band has been inspired by, or if you never heard of the Brains and simply need something very positive, fast, loud, (sometimes) mellow, fun, inspiring, that will benefit your body chemistry and positive mental attitude in ways beyond description.
   Give thanks and praises; the Brains are doing a beautiful job.
   Lovely,
   SEBAS.




5. I think the reunion concert on this cd started off slow but they got going pretty good after about the 5th tract. I read that people are complaining about HR and the band but can u imagine how much HR can only punch out now at his age,the decibels coming outta his throat all these years,the drugs,the arrests,the fights and everyone expects him to sing like he did on the " Lightning Striking the White House" cd as sum have put it.I thought the album was good despite the fact that these guys have been around for a couple of decades and they also have influenced alotta other bands....Take it easy on the Brains!!

5 comments about Rare on Air, Vol. 1.

1. This is a CD of 15 tracks of artists performing live on air to a two track DAT. One track contains overdubs, the rest features the musicians huddled around a couple of microphones, almost all of this music is acoustic.
   
   The broadcasting station is KCRW, independent public radio for most of Southern California. The show is called: "Morning Becomes Electric", a very proper title. This is great radio, and it transfers to CD as an alternative to just about every other form of art, that you have been forced to undergo...this is a different experience for the ears...this is a pleasure.
   
   With the exception of a couple performances that are a little harsh and disturbed, this is an easy flow, as if one artist finishes and another right by their side begins to play. And the artists? Well, with: Beck, Tori Amos, Lindsey Buckingham, X, Los Lobos, John Cale, Natalie Merchant and a spoken word prelude by Leonard Cohen, many different paths are explored herein over these 64 minutes.
   
   Beck is weird, Los Lobos is cool as a night frog, Lindsey's nylon strings are outta-tune, Tori Amos & John Cale sound a world apart from each other on the exact same piano, Evan & Juliana are hangin' with their Drug Buddy, and Mark Isham sounds like Miles Davis chopped down his family tree!
   
   The sound quality of this disc is as good as it gets, the performances are right in front of you from start to finish. This CD has been produced with great care and is well thought out. No, I don't care for every single song on this but, what I don't find pleasing might be your personal favorite. Some of this music may be of your past, but for me, most of this material is brand spankin' new to my ears.
   
   This is one of the most unique discs that I have listened to in ages. Right here, on this disc...is my kind of radio!
   4.5 Stars!!!



2. I used to listen to this while living in San Fran's Mission District with a houseful of bohemians. Most of us were supported by that city's municipal welfare program (General Assistance, or "G.A."). We did various things to have fun and feel better about ourselves, and this album was one of my favorite things. Someone had brought it home from her used-record store job... I think her name was Holly.
   
   It's only just now, searching for it during this nostalgic evening of clicking-around, that it occurs to me why this compilation is so powerful. It's an album about addiction. This is perhaps most clear from the final track. Search for the lyrics to Wilcox's song. It's a powerful testament to the hope and sadness of recovery. The boat imagery there is wonderful. Take also the Dando & Hatfield track, which chants "I'm too much with myself, I wanna be someone else..."
   
   There's a lot more on here about it beyond that... I mean, just scan the titles. Directly or sideways, this album is all about highs and lows. It's brilliantly compiled -- just wonderful. I could easily sit here for a few minutes and link every single song's title to the topic of substances and addiction. But won't. I have a full life to lead, now.



3. Natalie Merchant sings like an angel and this album is so cool
   every song is a winner!



4. I bought this collection some ten years ago, and it has aged very, very well. The performances are great, and there's a real cohesion in them in terms of production. Whoever produced the CD really loves music, and must have made many mix tapes in his/her life, because it has the ebb and flow of a really excellent mix tape, with shifting moods and styles. I enjoy quite a bit of it, but the highlights for me are Lucinda Williams' cover of a Nick Drake song, the David Wilcox song, and the Peter Himmelman song, which also features an *amazing*, beautiful, lyrical guitar solo coming straight from the heart. In fact, "Always in Disguise" is really my favorite song overall from this collection. BUY IT TODAY!!!



5. This compilation is, at the time of writing, the best part of ten years old. And, in my humble opinion, it has never been bettered. Production quality is first rate, performances are almost flawless and the mix of music is spot on. You and yours can't fail to be sucked in by this one. John Cale's first poem blending seemlessly into Tori Amos doing 'Silent all these years', Beck's 'Mexico' is hilarious and wry even after all this time, The Modern's just don't want to end and you won't want them to, Lindsay Buckingham comes up with a magnificent arrangement for an old Fleetwood Mac tune (since copied badly by The Dixie Chicks) and a just wonderful ode to Chet Baker to finish. This is a CD that makes much of modern chill out laughable and shows what can be acheived by a group of people who really love music. It is a primer for the rest of the Rare on Air series and a great place to begin. Grab this while it is still in print.

No comments about BBC Radio 1 in Concert.

No comments about Punk Legends: The American Roots.

2 comments about Vintage.

1. Two CD's were released from German television programs showing Roxy Music in 1972 and 1974. This CD, contains the 1974 stuff and is not that interesting. Valentine, which contains the 1972 music is much more interesting.
   
   There is a new release, called Reflections which contains both Vintage and Valentine.
   
   The sound quality of both is bad. The only interesting thing is the video, showing these guys in their youth, when they didn't know any better.



2. Roxy Music was at its best in the years 1972-5, when they released 5 great albums. Then, they broke up for the first time and came back together in 1978 for the album "Manifesto", that caused great dissapointment to the band fans. "Manifesto" started a new era of the band, that did'nt look back, and made something else, that in my opinion is nothing but great and clean productions of a weak, boring, and uninspired material. Fans like me, who felt unsatisfied from the new Roxy Music, started to look for bootlegs of live performances during the fruitfull years of 1972-75. One leagal album "Viva!" was released, but it was'nt enough. So it was a pleasent surprise to find the 2 CD's -"Valentine" and "Vintage" - that bring us rare recordings of the band, from the good years, that were taken from the German TV show "Musikladen" (made by Radio Bremen), and not only this - if you put them on your CD ROM you can watch the show! Also, the 2 CD's have nice booklets. This is why the prices are high. This is also why they sound more like a very good bootleg. All i can do is "bravo" NMC, for making such a good work. Suddenly you can see Ferry, Manzanera, McKay, Thompson, Jobson, Eno and even John Wetton almost 30 years ago. Right, "Hard rains gonna fall" is Ferry solo plus a playback, that starts from the middle of the song, but i can live with it. "Psalm" and "If it takes all night" are for the first time on a legal live album, and i enjoy every minute of them. Still i don't understand, why the company did'nt make "Valentine" and "Vintage" one dbl. CD album. After all, the 2 CD's bring us songs from the same shows (for example - "Editions of you" from "Vintage" came originaly after "Do the Strand" from "Valentine), and even the pictures on the covers are 2 parts of the same photograph.

4 comments about Hope Street.

1. This album is the follow up to 'Tinderbox'. How they got a recording contract for that dreadful effort I don't know. So, like many I wasn't over-optimistic about the new effort. However, the album is quite simply superb and ranks up there with their best. On the UK version the track listing is much better- the US version starts with a weak song whereas its British equivalent grabs you by the throat from the beginning. After the feable relationship songs of Tinderbox it was nice to see the band get back to the political stuff which has made their reputation. It even includes one song about Northern Ireland in the wake of the 'Good Friday agreements' (the excellent 'Last Train'). The album offers varied tempos from an up-beat reworking of 'You can get it' to the slow but very powerful 'Half a life'. An excellent collection of songs by any standard- providing that you're open-minded enough to accept that the band have aged and moved on- unfortunately too many SLF fans are stuck in the late 1970's and the band's powerful debut albums. Free your mind.



2. If you didn't already know, the first disc in this set is all new material, the second is a live set that serves as another SLF "Best Of." The live stuff is good, you should know what to expect there. But back when I bought this, I was really impressed about how they had improved. To be sure, this is no Inflammable Material. The rage and anger that fueled that album is from an increasingly disappearing bygone era. The improvement comes relative to the rather unholy trilogy of Flags And Emblems, Get A Life, and Tinderbox. If you have never had the misfortune of hearing those 3 slabs of dreck, count yourself lucky. Which is why I approached this one half-flinchingly.

   But it was okay. It was more than okay, it was GOOD. I mean, SLF are a more smoothed out band now, with acoustic guitars and the occasional brass section, but the songwriting is still there along with some punch and gusto, and on Hope Street it is better than anything since Now Then. Gladly, we can all rejoice that SLF has finally cured whatever malady plagued them in the late 80's/early 90's. Mind you, this is not a classic like Nobody's Heroes, but for where SLF are today, it is eminently likeable and belongs in the average Fingers fan's collection. And getting the live disc is like a bonus.




3. I had read a few positive things about this disc and being an SLF fan for many years, I was upbeat about the prospect of new, decent SLF music. However, I was not terribly impressed with it. It did come closer than other recent attempts by the band, but was lacking something. Perhaps the band should move in a new direction, if for no other reason than to give poor Jake's voice a rest.



4. Jake Burns has once again emerged as a force in the English music scene. Hope Street is by far the best disc SLF has put out in many years (too many). The live disc was a bit of a let down for me, but then I have all of their other live recordings, and this disc didn't have their flow.