5 comments about 8/29/00 - Boston, Massachusetts.

1. Some of you may have read my review for the Lisbon, Portugal show, and at the time, I felt that show was the best on the tour, but I realize now how foolish that claim was. I now own 16 of the bootlegs, and no its not many, nowhere near bcramer520's all 72, but I love Pearl Jam and know a good show when I hear one (regardless of my Lisbon review).

   I love this show because of the stellar setlist and the fact that Mike is very on and very pronounced tonight. There's no missing his solos like in some shows. Not only that, but Jeff is also very noticeable and Matt is just killing the drums. Breakerfall is a prime example, tonight's version being one of the heaviest and most raw versions on the tour, with a great solo. God's Dice makes a surprise enterance and the timing is actually on, and once again sounds very well. One of my favorite sections of this show is the Greivance, Untitled, MFC, Habit line up which proves very effective. Matt is absolutely amazing tonight. The pace of the whole show is faster than normal, and Matt is smashing those cymbals like there's no tomorrow. The bridge in Greivance is one of my favorites (second only to Tampa, in which you can actually here Stone's octave run) of the tour. Untitled is such a cool little improv, and the best part about it is that it's never the same as another night's. Eddie always changes the lyrics, and tonight a whole extra verse is thrown in making it a very special extended version. This song is really just an intro to MFC and tonight, MFC is in it's true rocking form. Then Habit is played in a pretty cool way. Either Stone or Mike (probably Stone) begins playing, and after playing the intro twice, you can hear another guitar slide and all the sudden Mike joins in. It sounds really cool, and tonight's line is "Speaking as a child who knew who John Havelcheck (sp?) was."

   Betterman is the highlight of the first CD. Regardless of the fact that Eddie messes up and has to mumble here and there, the fans are privy to a real treat tonight. Save it for Later, the Who/Pete Townshend song is tagged on the end, making this one of the best versions of Betterman ever. The song is just absolutely amazing and is worth the price of the CD alone.

   Disc two begins with a scorching version of Insignificance and Porch. While the disc also provides amazing versions of Evolution, Once and RVM, the true gem of the whole show is the Yellow Ledbetter/F*ckin' Up combo at the end. First, its rare enough that YL didn't close the show (I believe this only happened 3 times) but the way the songs combine to one is amazing. Mike's solo just rocks, and then at the end just turns into a loud and high feedback whine and all of the sudden, Matt starts that ominous drum intro. F*ckin' Up is an awesome version too, fast and heavy.

   An absolutely amazing show, with the band all on fire and in a fast paced mood.




2. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This show, which is the first of two nights in Boston, can be considered one of the most enthusiastic and fun-loving gigs in the bootleg series. The band is clearly having a good time, they're having a lot of fun with the crowd, and the crowd returns the favor. Perhaps everybody was psyched by the dancing cow in the audience (acknowledged by Eddie Vedder in the intro to "Crazy Mary"). Eddie's cover of Little Steven Van Zandt's "I Am a Patriot" in the encore really pleases the locals, and he adds some humorous improv to the lyrics. But even with all the fun and good times, this evening is not an especially good musical performance by the band. Eddie is forgetting lyrics all over the place, especially in "Even Flow" and "Betterman," and he doesn't even try to improvise, but just adds some lazy mumbling instead. The band bungles the beginning of "Sleight of Hand" and have to stop and start over again, and the rarely-performed "Mankind" (with a jovial Stone Gossard on vocals) is a train wreck, mostly because Mike McCready forgets most of his lines in the song. So this particular bootleg is a little hard to judge. If you're looking for one in which the band is talkative, energetic, and everyone is having a roaring good time, then this one is for you. But if you're looking for a slamming display of musicianship by one of the world's top rock bands, well this ain't it.



3. I enjoy listening to the concert recorded on this CD by PEARL JAM. Their Boston show of 29 August 2000 must have been an enthralling experience. The connection between Pearl Jam and the crowd is palpable. Pearl Jam blasts through the first seven titles with intense energy and commitment. After this non-stop assault, Mr Vedder addresses the raucous audience. He reflects that they are coming "to terms with the fact we've been together 10 years." The band then picks up to complete a fantastic, heartfelt performance. At the encore, Mr Vedder flatters the fans with the complement that they are "the liveliest crowd played to since Europe." Followed by an unpaid political announcement concerning the upcoming US Presidential Elections which segues nicely into a cover of Mr Steve Van Zandt's "Patriot". Mr Vedder introduces a boyfriend to the song with tongue in cheek. Not to be outdone, Mr McCready admits to a mistake in one of the previous songs (ardent fans will prove their metal by finding it). To repent for his sin, he punishes the crowd with "mankind". The last song is sung with exceptional gusto. If you are interested in great live events, this CD will interest you.



4. I was at both Boston shows. They both were incredible and unique in their own respect. I just so happen to have preferred the 1st show (8/29). The covers were amazing and complemented the rest of their set nicely. The band seems to be in good spirits and they put on one helluva show. Highly recommend picking this one up!



5. Pearl Jam's opening date in Boston contains some excellent cover songs including "Soldier Of Love", a rousing " F@#!#!n' Up" and an interesting and great cover of Little Steven's "I Am A Patriot". The band is tight and Eddie Vedder is in fine vocal form. The show isn't the best from the tour, but the covers elevate it.

5 comments about Turned On.

1. This is very good live recording. This is, however, a horrible live ALBUM. Why? Because Mr. Rollins, in one of his more obnoxious fits of whimsy, decided that the entire show should be written to CD as one track. That means if you want to hear one of the last songs, you will have to fast-forward through 50-60 minutes to get to it.
   
   Thank god we have software like Easy CD Creator, which let us edit audio files, and do things like split up tracks... now I have a nice 15-TRACK CD ... much much more enjoyable.
   
   A couple of the songs here a bit too dirge-like, but overall the track selection is good. The live versions of "What Have I Got" and "Hard" in particular are awesome.
   
   The best live Rollins is found on "Do It." But this is definitely worth purchasing if you find it used for 6 or 7 bucks. Rollins Band were one of the best live bands I ever saw.



2. This is a great live document of a band that is clicking on all cylinders; truly transcendent. In addition, it contains the only "live" version of "Out there" (the Live in Australia CD is a "Live in studio" effort) and a truly awesome version it is. The version of "Down and away" is preceded by the unreleased in any form "Mask" and an amazing "Turned inside out" follows. As a matter of fact, this 15 minutes or so (Mask, Down and away and Turned inside out) is, in my opinion, the most astonishingly honest and brutal self-assessment on record. A great, essential document, you'd be a fool to miss it



3. Make no mistake about it, I've seen it myself and I can tell you that the Rollins Band live (either edition) is a great show.
   Why on Earth then should they take a show when the band was not in top form, in front of a virtually dead Vienna audience, give it a sub par mix courtesy of Theo Van Rock and issue it as the band's live album?
   Even less appealing is that this is basically "The End Of Silence" tour and the long dirge quotient is running very high (playing "Down And Away" and "Turned Inside Out" back to back is never a good idea). Take all of this and add to it the extremely frustrating fact that the CD is recorded as one long track and the results can't be anything other than the disaster it is. Much better live shows from this era can be found on the original releases of "Lifetime" and the "Do It" EP, all later live work leaves this one in the dust as well.
   For die hards and completists only.



4. for the record TURNED ON is not the earliest recordings of the ROLLINS BAND. they released HOT ANIMAL MACHINE, HENRIETTA COLLINS..., LIFETIME, and HARD VOLUME prior to it. the band containing ex-GONE members, sim and andrew put out albums from LIFETIME on. the first two were done with chris haskett and some foreign diplomats of hard rock. the TURNED ON album, tears you up. the emotional outpouring from the band themselves through their instruments and the release of henrys life through his throat can bring a grown man to his knees. for all of those who dont know the album was recorded on one track to be listened to at one time in order for the listener to experience the ROLLINS BAND live without actually being there, well, thats what HENRY told me, anyway. if you are in search of genre defying, deaf defying, heart and soul and fingers and blood music, give this album a spin...its garaunteed to warp your axle.



5. My only complaint is that the whole show is one track. Other than that this is Rollins at his best. The show is tight and has plenty of improvision on Henry's part. I wish there was more material like this avalable.

1 comments about Dreamweapon.

1. This CD presents a different sort of ambience. The first, 44-min. track consists of a continuous pulsating drone, gradually rising & falling in intensity, with accompanying gentle sitar melodies. The rest of the CD offers a steady (as opposed to pulsating) drone with a high, moog-like accompanyment. There are no vocals. The whole CD presents a mystic vibe--and dares your mind to merge with it...with meditative ecstasy the desired result...if you can dig it. Upon repeated listenings, this music works its way into your brain like a gentle bliss-drill---and that's when true enjoyment kicks in.

5 comments about 8/25/00 - Jones Beach, New York.

1. It certainly was from their 2000 tour at least. Pearl Jam were just flat out incredible at this show. They put on many great versions of a wide variety of songs. Every song is played with great energy. There is hardly any mistakes at this wonderful show. They arent really even noticable. One is a FEW missed lyrics in Immortality, but its still better than 99% of the rest of the versions on that tour. The only flub up in the entire show really cant be heard too much on the cd. In the song Smile Eddie Vedders harmonica dies. Ive seen a video of the performance to where I knew that. Other than those 2 very little mistakes the show is completely flawless. Its hard to imagine a show being more tight and solid. The setlist is excellent here too. There are fantastic takes on heavier songs like Do the Evolution, Evacuation, Even Flow, Mankind, and Go. All of which are completely perfect. The versions of slower songs like Black, In Hiding, and Jeremy are very good as well. The takes on those 3 songs are some of the best ever. If you want one of the most flawless shows from the 2000 tour here it is.



2. An excellent show start to finish. Lots of songs from no code(my favorite album) so that makes me happy. Highlights are In Hiding, present tense, and in my tree. The only thing I can say bad about this is the sound quality. The bands instruments come in loud and clear but ed's voice sounds a little distane while mike's guitar is almost too loud.



3. I was working as a stagehand backstage at this show in 2000. It was the third of three nights that they were there. You all should buy this 2-Disc Show for "Baba O'Riley" alone. The scream that Eddie Vedder lets out during that song was worth the price of admission(even though I didn't pay, I GOT paid to be there).
   Interesting note: Towards the end of the second disc you hear Eddie ask if somebody can hit the lights. The band went so far over curfew that they had to play the last few songs with all the house lights on.



4. One of the best things about the 2000 tour was that, over the course of 72 shows, the band gets the chance to flex the muscle of a six-album catalog. This night, No Code is the showcase. Obscure songs Red Mosquito, Sometimes, and Mankind shine in the main set, and the encore features In My Tree and Smile- in this Pearl Jam fanatic's humble opinion, Smile is one of their very best songs. Even more impressive is the lack of lyrical flubs across all these rarely-performed songs. Even when Stone Gossard sings (Mankind is the only PJ song he sings lead for), he NAILS it.
   
   As far as hits go, Betterman, Corduroy and Go are high-energy and memorable. Yellow Ledbetter features a nice Stairway to Heaven riff. Sadly, Immortality suffers the same fate it always does as Ed blows half the first verse. How hard can it possibly be, Ed?
   
   Great set, even better if you're into the obscure stuff.



5. I bought this CD because I most likely will never see Pearl Jam live and wanted to hear what they sound like. It blew my away. This totally rocks, and as a special bonus, there are more songs from No Code (which IMO is their best work) than any other album. Worth the money I payed for it... the only personal favorites missing are "Daughter" and "Hail, Hail"

5 comments about Who's Got the 10½?.

1. Then you know what I'm here after. Any band that quotes Black Oak Arkansas on their own live album is the real deal and it doesn't get any realer than Black Flag.
   
   Lots of people hated the band back around this time. I saw this tour in NYC (Irving Plaza) just a few days after I graduated high school and it blew my mind. Saint Vitus opened. People hated them. Most of the crowd hated Black Flag too. I couldn't figure out why since they were one of the best bands I'd ever seen (still true to this day). I didn't realize until later that their old fans hated them for having long hair and for putting a lot of energy into their music. Oh well. At least you can play this record loud alongside Kick Out The Jams, Raunch N Roll, No Sleep Til Hammersmith, Double Live Gonzo and Grand Funk's Live Album where it belongs.
   
   Check out Mighty High...In Drug City.



2. INCREDIBLE album. Pees all over the other live album both cd and dvd !!! Good sounding, raw, lightning-fast sped-up versions of a lot of their slugde-rock songs on their last 2 records mixed with a healthy dose of revisited oldies with a twist ( and a half !! ) 65' in lenght, yet Hank's banter has been edited out. Anthony Martínez is just as good as Bill Stevenson and GGinn's guitarwork is more structured, tighter, r&roll-oriented than before. The result is a levelling steamroller of a live concert. It really captures the raw, live feel of an actual show. Get this puppy and also their allegedly ¨sludgier¨ material.



3. Just your typical "greatest hits played faster" live album.
   Just kidding.
   
   First, the good:
   
   The band is on fire through most of this, especially the rhythm section. The song selection cherry-picks the best of the often boring middle-period Flag, which can be excellent indeed. Examples include the extended "Slip It In/Gimme Gimme Gimme", "I'm The One", "Wasted" (a very early track), "Modern Man" and "Drinking And Driving" (from their last album}. And the sound quality is killer - all the instruments are well separated; the drums and bass have a LOT of punch, and are spot-on all the time, even when the guitar isn't. More on that below.
   
   Second, the "ehh...":
   
   Rollins' voice is totally SHOT on such tracks as "My War", due to excessive touring (I believe I heard a statistic like 250 days a year). "Sinking" is boring, frankly, but thankfully is one of the only plodding, ponderous tracks on the album. Fast and driving usually means high quality in the Black Flag catalog. Also, Ginn's playing can be a pretty sloppy, despite being extremely creative. And finally, although you can't hear it in her playing, you can imagine Kira suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome as she plays - a byproduct of Greg Ginn's maniacal insistence on practicing as much as eight hours a day, every day, when not touring (and probably when touring too). You can read more about this stuff in Michael Azerrad's excellent book "This Band Could Be Your Life" - I admit I'm cribbing some of this review from said source. Please don't hate me for doing so.
   
   I hope the fact that the con section outweighs the pro wordwise doesn't dissuade you from buying the album. It's def. a worthy purchase, and you'll get a lot out of it if you enjoy the best that eighties punk had to offer. And by the way, go ahead and order the vinyl version direct from SST if you like (which is often the best way to go with SST titles, because of the better sound quality of the pure waveforms of vinyl), but this is a rare case in which the CD is better, due to the extended performances allowed by the CD format's longer length. (It says "extended CD version" on the back of the case.)



4. I bought this one on CD in Minnesota when it came out and was completely blown away by the intensity of the set. While most Black Flag records have a slower feel that is sometiems difficult, this CD packs a lot of punch. As already written it is played with lots of energy and speed which makes it the best place to start if you want to explore Blac Flag. Also Greg Ginn's guitar playing is not really standard for any punk rock group since he solos a lot and also tends not to simply play the usual chaords and does go for a more experimental sound. A favourite is Louie, Louie towards the end of the CD. Also, you can hear the rage in henry Rollins and this was way be fore he became well known.



5. This CD is what it is. It's a well recorded live performance of Black Flag playing mainly their Loose Nut era material. The songs are played at a higher pace than on the albums, which adds a slight degree of intensity to an already intense collection of material. If you've never bought a Black Flag CD before, this is a great place to start. If you already own a Black Flag CD or two, this will be a great compliment. If you already own the entire Black Flag discography and are just reading this page for fun, why not consider just buying another copy of Whose got the 10 1/2? You never know... it could could come in handy.

5 comments about Live: 07-11-03 Mansfield, MA.

1. I'd buy this live disc piece just for the rendition of the opener, Long Road (best song Pearl Jam has to offer live, IMO), and for the amazing setlist it has to offer. This show has gained a reputation for being one of Pearl Jam's top all-time, and surely ranks alongside the "State College" show as one of their best from the '03 tour.
   
   By the way, Carlos Perez stole his review from Allmusic.com...just thought I'd let you all know!



2. The greatest Long Road ever recorded. Brilliant. The acoustic set on the first disc is a must have. Unfortunately the real concert is a little dissapointed. Eddie got some problems with his voice. I suppose the concert is too long. 3 stars will do.
   Despite off the great setlist. Try JB3, PH1, Seattle 2 or St. Louis instead.



3. Even for the first accoustic disc the price is more than worth it. Add in 2 more amazing discs of music and you've got quite a deal.
   A memorable night to say the least.



4. Pearl Jam eases into its epic 48-song Mansfield, MA, show with the poignant "Long Road" from the 1996 film Dead Man Walking. It is the perfect opener for these aging alternative giants who have made a mission out of avoiding the path of least resistance and putting on marathon live shows. This first set of the evening sticks to acoustic versions of fan favorites like "Indifference" and "Sometimes" before breaking for a Sleater-Kinney set (not included). Set two kicks off with an ominous version of "Can't Keep" from Riot Act before exploding into brutal, full-throated renderings of "Breakerfall" and "Brain of J." Eddie Vedder sounds tired yet incrementally possessed as the show continues, delivering the anthemic "Why Go" with its chorus of "Why go home/Why go home" like a schoolyard dare. The audience takes his advice and screams through three encores, including classics like "Jeremy" and classic covers like "Fortunate Son" and "Rockin' in the Free World," before delivering the enduring singalong B-side "Yellow Ledbetter" like the blue-collar road dogs the band has become



5. This terrific cd shows why people still come to Pearl Jam's live shows. They still have not "lost it."(...)
   In this unusual setup, Pearl Jam was their own opening act, so to speak. They came out early to do a (mostly) acoustic set for almost an hour. Following the performance of their real opening act (Sleater-Kinney), they returned for their main set, for about another two-and-a-half hours!
   Disc one includes the acoustic set. Eddie Vedder thanks the crowd for coming early "to the experiment". The set starts with the lesser-known "Long Road." This song is so good,one wonders why it isn't on one of their regular albums. Excellent versions of "All Those Yesterdays", "Thin Air", and the b-side "Footsteps" are included.
   The main set is included in thier entirety on the second and third discs (except for "Arc", which isn't on any of the live cds).
   This tour was in support of the "Riot Act" album, and killer versions of songs from that album appear here. "Can't Keep", "Ghost", and "Cropduster", for examlple, show why "Riot Act" ranks among their best albums. (...)
   PJ include a wide variety of songs from thier entire catalog here, and do them well. Big hits, album cuts, b-sides, songs that only PJ fans know all appear here.
   The "man" trilogy appears here, highlighted by the crowd singing along with "Betterman". Proof positive That PJ still thrills and excites their audience. Even early fan favorites such as "Blood", and "Jeremy" are still played to the hilt. There is no "walking through" these songs,even after having played them a zillion times over the years.
   Sleater-Kinney return to play CCR's "Fortunate Son" and Neil Young's "Rockin'in the Free World" with PJ. The set finishes with "Yellow Leddbetter."
   Filled with outstanding live material, this 3 cd set is a "must own" for any and all Pearl Jam fans.

5 comments about Live in a Dive.

1. This album is guaranteed to get you into an accident, keep it out of the car at all times! Great set list, great sound, great band.



2. I guess if you're a pimply-faced dweeb who likes having some moron sound like he's had his larynx removed, then this would be for you. All the so-called songs sound the same with this jerk screaming unintelligible rage into a microphone, while some no-talent one-chord idiots bang the same noise in the background. You're better off sticking with Justin Timberlake or some other useless boy toy. At least you can understand what he says.
   
   :^D



3. The cd comes with a quicktime movie file on it that looks to be about a half hour long. It's broken. It plays about 1 1/2 minutes before it stops playing. As for the CD? I don't even need to say anything about it, its SOIA!



4. This is an awesome SOIA album. It really shows off their energy, and the songs sound almost exactly like they do on their studio albums. Normally, I avoid live albums because they sound like crap, but the sound quality was excelent, and they play their best songs with Lou's comments to the crowd ("punk wasn't available at the mall, it wasn't cute, it wasn't about fashion, it was an attitude, a way you lived").

   I hope these guys come to Tucson, cause I'll be first in line to get my tickets.




5. great album. furious, nuts etc. all the usual hardcore comments. glad to hear the band with balls live. still in my mind, the greatest sick of it all song ever is call to arms. it is flawless on this album.

1 comments about Live 1977-1978.

1. Now this is a quite unique document. Suicide were a very unique group, situating themselves at the borders of punk and electronica. when it comes to electronic music, they may be only second to Kraftwerk in global influence. This is an astonishing box of live recordings from around the time of thier first album. While their first album is the most intense and most influential it is not in my opinion thier masterpiece: this is their second, Ric Ocasek produced second opus. However the importance of the recordings from the first album can not be disputed. What one gets here is of course a series of live recordings fo Ghost rider, frankie teardop and rocket usa (take or give one or two more). Real fans already have in one form or another the live Brussels recording which is one of the greatest live electronic (or simply live) recordings if all time This may be somewhat tiring since the recordings are of very varied quality, some OK and some not so OK. However the intensty of the songs really comes over in an incredible way and really demonstrates whs Suicide was such a different band. It was able to mix the repetitious nature of electronica with a real violent attitude brought on by Alan Vega. Some of this would be translated into his later solo work. The only other down-side is the rather hefty price for such a lo-fi collection that tends to repeat itself. It does contain a very nice booklet about the group with some historical writings. If you like them, you have to have this, also ebcause it seems to be somewhat of a limited edition item.

5 comments about The Radio One Sessions.

1. This CD is essential for any fan of the group. It has a different version of Car Song, and songs not easily found unless you collect the singles ("Gloria," for example.)
   But I still need more! Bootlegs, out-takes, rarities, the lot! This CD doesn't have all that rabid Elastica fans need. "Cleopatra," "Bitch Don't Work," "The Unheard Music." Surely ONE DAY these will all be available on one great collection so I can maybe rest at night knowing that I have heard all that's available.
   
   Justine------we still love you and your band. Help us out and continue to bask in your Elascticated glory.



2. This collection contains the best version of Human I've heard, overall much better than I expected.



3. This album is a fun ride but won't cause anybody to toss out their copies of the debut album and 6-Track EP...
   
   --These live versions point out the huge role production and mixing played in Elastica's sound, especially on songs from the first album. Justine's guitar and vocals are placed way up front in the mix which changes how everything fits together. Rather than the bassline and lead guitar riff driving the songs forward, the vocals now float over a muddy full-band roar. It doesn't ruin anything, but the songs don't instantly burrow into your brain the way they did on "Elastica."
   
   --Devoted fans get new material for playing that time-honored Elastica game "name the influence." For instance, doesn't 'Spastica' sound like the Clash? And 'I Want You' could easily have been written by the Jesus and Mary Chain. Or maybe it's really ripped from Code Selfish era Fall. 'The Birmingham School of Business School,' anybody? Whoo hoo (apologies to Blur)!
   
   --More for fans: hearing the band gain confidence over the first few sessions. In the earliest set, the band sounds tentative and maybe even a little exhausted on a couple of the songs. On 'Line Up' in particular, Justine's singing sounds forced and her voice doesn't have that cool sexy-but-bored quality. But by the time they hit the late '94 sessions, they're brimming with confidence and energy. Too bad things went downhill from there.
   
   Bottom line: this album shouldn't be the first Elastica disc you pick up. Start with "Elastica" and the EP. If you dig those, "The Radio One Sessions" will give you another perspective on the band and help you to decide if you want spend time searching used-record stores (or paying big import $$$ here) for "The Menace."



4. Elastica were signed by Steve Lamacq to Deceptive Records in 1993, before he joined Radio One as co-presenter of the Evening Session. Elastica managed 7 sessions for Radio One during their career up to 1999, of which four were for John Peel's programme. The first of these was in August 1993, prior to the release of their first single, Stutter (which they never recorded in a BBC session), and is included in full (although a bit of laughter and chat at the end of Annie, when Justine discovers that their bass guitarist, Annie Holland, had been stuck with a cigarette in her mouth throughout the take, has sadly been excised) and captures the spontaneity and sense of fun that the band exuded.
    
   By the time they returned to Maida Vale in March 1994 for Steve Lamacq's show, they had been in the Top Twenty with Line-Up. Two tracks are included, the unreleased but fabulous In The City and the definitive version of Waking Up (2:1 and Connection are omitted). Another unreleased song (except in Japan), Ba Ba Ba, turns up at their next John Peel session in June along with songs that would turn up on their debut album, Four Wheeling (aka Car Song) and Hold Me Now (Never Here is left out of this release), and they came back to do a special Christmas session which included the traditional All For Gloria and I Wanna Be A King Of Orient Aah. As this version of Gloria has appeared on an official release before, I would have preferred to see Father Christmas here, or Donna Matthews' non-Xmas Blue, which was also included in the broadcast session.
   
   Mark Radcliffe got the band in to his House Of Earthly Delights BBC studio in Manchester in March 1995 and they performed 4 songs from the just-released album. Rockunroll and 2:1 are chosen for this CD (Gloria and Car Song are not), both fine versions broadcast live to air.
   
   During their long hiatus, a dark night of the soul for them, the band made their second appearance on the Evening Session in July 1996, previewing material from the second album (still four years away, unbeknownst to all). The session version of A Love Like Yours appeared on Volume 17 so is slightly wasted here. I Want You and The Other Side never saw the light of day on an official release, but Only Human was included on The Menace (as Human). Sadly, The Other Side does not appear on this collection either.
   
   By the time the band, in a somewhat changed line-up, recorded their next and final session, for John Peel in September 1999, a 6-track EP of demos and alternative takes from the still-forthcoming album was in the shops, and from it they played KB and Generator, also previewing their cover of Trio's Da Da Da (the initials of Justine's ex-partner Damon Albarn) and Your Arse My Place, both to appear on the album (Mad Dog from this session is excluded here).
   
   The collection plays well and shows the effectiveness of their tight minimal arrangements, with nothing so vulgar as a guitar or organ solo ever allowed, and leaves one keen for more. Perhaps this is a good thing but with a playing time of under 53 minutes, all the omitted session tracks would have fitted onto the CD, which would have pleased completists and put a line under one aspect of the Elastica story



5. Covering a six-year span of live performances at the BBC, these 21 tracks show Elastica doing songs that go from the beauty of "2:1" to the stamina of "Annie", plus many non-album pieces. For instance, "Brighton Rock" and "In the City" give us a peek at what the group was doing shortly before and while recording their first album; for those of us who longed for more of that early stage, it's a bliss to recover those unequalled high spirits. After all, spontaneity is a basic element in this music. The beauty of "Waking up" (ie "Waking") and "Four Wheeling" (ie "Car Song") remains untainted in spite of the natural lack of polish of a live performance, as opposed to a studio version.

   There's an incredibly finished 1996 song, "I Want You", that could have been a strong album piece. It creates a dense atmosphere with a highly dynamic synth beat that excites the listener. I think it's a masterpiece.

   It's a pity that a single as great as "Stutter" wasn't commited to tape in these recordings, but Justine Frischmann insisted that "you don't do a Peel session to promote a record".

   After the five "debut" sessions of 1993-95, and the middle stage of 1996, the last one, and the only devoted to "The Menace", is from 1999, while that album was painstakingly being constructed. It shows that the group hadn't lost their strength, but that they were attempting new things.

   As the notes accompanying the album say, this is much of an alternative Elastica "Best of" release (except for the mentioned "Stutter"). This album really rocks!!

5 comments about Live at Convocation Hall.

1. I went to see Hayden the night he recorded this concert. He is not only a great artist, musician and songwriter but he thoroughly enjoys being with his audience. He engages with the audience, he tells goofy stories and jokes around (my personal favourite: the story of his cat, Woody and his wild carousing). There were hundreds of people there that night and he talked to the audience as if he were their good friend.
   
   This album is not only a great live recording (two discs) but the best way to experience the best of Hayden. As far as I know, there is no "Greatest Hits of Hayden" (he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do that...) and Live At Convocation Hall highlights the best of his career in 2002. If you're new to Hayden start here and explore the rest. He is the great, unknown musican of our era (probably something he doesn't mind - and he'll probably never sell-out like some Canadian musicians have done in the past).
   
   I love this album. It's one of the ways I can travel back in time to a great night and a great show.



2. I will admit, before I write this reveiw that I am a Hayden fan. Something about his music stirs my soul. It could be the simple, yet complex songs. It could be the beautiful, but sad songs he often writes. Hayden is an artist full of contridictions, his voice is scratchy and raw, and really not even that good, yet it fits his music perfectly.
   
   As usual this album is warm. It reminds me of a flanel shirt you put on on a cold, crisp day as you warm up next to the hearth. The recording is good, and this is a live album, so it is not studio tight, but I think that is the point. It is a raw sound, that is often apparent in his studio releases, but here it shines through in all its striped-down glory. It is intimate and you can almost feel his breath in the microphone.
   
   If you are a Hayden fan, I recomend this album. It has a collection of songs from all his previous albums and some tracks that are not easy to get in the states. It is a two disc album, and it would add alot to any music fans library. I hope this helped, and you find great pleasure in this artist's latest release.



3. Hayden's 2-cd live album is, for the most part, simply breathtaking. As well as showcasing some of his best songs (Middle of July, Between Us to Hold, Stem, etc) it captures some cute and funny moments of singer-audience banter. I was at this concert and loved it, and now I have this album to keep forever. I highly recommend it!



4. this is a great, great album. I'm so happy he put out a live album. I seen him live last year in Detroit and met him, cool guy. I was a fan before that concert so I was excited to see him. If you don't feel like getting his older stuff, which i HIGHLY recommend, get this. bob dylan, leanord cohen, hayden. another musician that has talent,no, a gift. just him, his guitar, piano and harmonica.



5. When I first listened to this album I realized just how many great songs Hayden has written. It plays out like a greatest hits CD of his 7 years+ musical career. He is such a strong performer and the recording is intimate. And his in-between song bantor is hilarious. It's beautifully packaged in a foldout digipack and includes a booklet of lyrics with photos. Recommended for all fans of this remarkable songwriter/performer.