No comments about Live in Canada.

5 comments about Santa Monica '72.

1. This is one of my all time favorite recordings. I have this CD version, and a vinyl 2 disc set I got in the 70s. The variable audio quality and audience chatter are part of its charm. I love the ebullient intimacy and irreverance of "Space Oddity", the exhausted Bowie flubbing the lines to "Suffragette City" while the band roars on. Mike Garson's piano sounds unfortunately awful, but Trevor Bolder's bass parts are nimble and the magnificent Mick Ronson's wrecking ball guitar may damage your speakers. Consider yourself warned.



2. The greatest strength of this recording is the fact that it is LIVE. One night. One continuous take. It's a testament to just how good this artist was (and is)and how his talent takes over the stage without resorting to recording tricks or artifice. It's easy to think of Bowie as an image maker, and easy to forget that he's a music maker. The Spiders prove themselves to be a white-hot, smokin' band too. This recording gives me pleasure every time I listen, and I always find something new.



3. I have this on vinyl bootleg I acquired in the 1980's. If youngsters question why their elders claim Bowie is so influential they only have to listen to this. Apart from the duff take-off special effects noise bowie tries to conjure up in Space Oddity and the flat chorus on Five Years, this album blows away any other Bowie concert CD. The sound is incredible on the vinyl - I can't say for the CD edition as I have never heard it. I had the privelege of seeing Bowie on his STAGE tour in Sydney and was very disappointed by the concert album they released of that tour. I'm happy this 1972 performance has finally officially been released - but inexplicably it seems to have failed to make much of an impact- even with Bowie fans. Being there in 1972 must have been an incredible experience . As far as I'm concerned its the only Bowie album anyone needs to own!



4. An absolute must-have for every true Bowie fan.I finally got to see David play live nearly a year ago and one thing I'll say about a David Bowie concert,the man simply takes you into his own world for over two hours.A must-be there event!The shindig on this disc took place on October 20,1972.Total of eighteen cuts and a duration of 76:39.Thank goodness for the invention of compact discs,no doubt.I remember years ago when the only source of an early '70's Bowie concert was some pricey lousy sounding bootleg put on 2-lp vinyl.Now,the fan gets the entire show one shiny disc.Great matching art work to go with it.Tunes I couldn't get enough of were "Ziggy Stardust","The Superman","Space Oddity","John,I'm Only Dancing","Jene Genie","Suffragette City" and "Rock&Roll Suicide".One of the better archive concerts EVER to be released,period!



5. OK folks-- remember this is 1972-- this is a live radio broadcast-- they are mixing on the fly
   A stunning representation of the Bowie experience
   Sure the levels are off from time to time i.e. Jean Genie, but look at it as a whole entity, warts and all. He flubs lyrics in Suffragette City (which he did again just recently in Cleveland 2004), the mix can be questionable from time to time BUT IT'S 1972!! A stunning collection of songs and better than the original version of the Ziggy Sardust movie S/T. Mick Ronson proved he was the next guitar god. Crank it up!

1 comments about Help Save the Youth of America EP: Live and Dubious.

1. This record isn't really that bad, it's just not all that great, either. Billy Bragg is a great songwriter, and these are all great songs, but there are so few of them, that the purchase isn't really justified. The performances are competant, but a longer track listing would have made a far more interesting release.

1 comments about Rhythm and Booze.

1. Authority Zero had a hit on MTV a few years back entitled "One More Minute", but other than that, they pretty much dropped off of the collective radar of the music world. Sure, they released a record in 2004 (Andiamo), but it went predominantly unnoticed by almost everyone. Oddly, instead of fading out into obscurity, the boys in Authority Zero have decided to come back around with an acoustic live album.
   
   Considering that both live albums and acoustic albums are usually reserved for bands that have a large back catalog or have sold well, it was very surprising to see a combination of the two used to showcase the first recorded material from Authority Zero in more than 2 years. Oddly, though, it works. The band's music, which was a refreshing blend of Sublime and NOFX back in the day, translates very well to the laid back, acoustic performance caught on tape here.
   
   With most live releases, the biggest complaint from fans is that the recording or mixing comes off badly. Not so here, as the mix seems to be just perfect with the sing-a-long vocals at the top of the mix, but not too high up so that all of the instruments are drowned out. On the other side of things, some fans complain about the overproduction that makes a live show sound like nothing more than a studio recording with some cheering added in. No worries about that here either as this show comes complete with flubbed lyrics, small mistimings, and other small tidbits that make a live performance different than what a band puts out in the studio. This isn't to say that the band sucks live because they most certainly don't. It's good to see some of the small imperfections make it into the recording.
   
   This release is undeniably and simultaneously laid back and fun. The acoustic renditions of their reggae flavored songs come off best, as the transition from electric to unplugged wasn't much of a stretch, but the faster paced punk numbers also made a mostly seamless changeover.
   
   Listening to fan favorites such as "One More Minute", "Super Bitch", and "A Passage in Time" in an acoustic setting is actually a hell of a lot of fun. On top of the classics, you have the amazing "Paddy on the Railway" which is a song very similar to the last track on A Passage in Time in that it manages to combine a soulful melodic verse with a fast paced, almost impossibly quick, chorus, much to the crowd's delight.
   
   Seldom are there many good live reggae flavored discs hitting the new releases shelves, especially of the acoustic variety. Heck, this is probably the only disc of its kind, at least to see the light of day within last few years. For that aspect alone it at least warrants a little attention. Thankfully it's also pretty good.
   
   Rick
   www.rickgebhardt.net

No comments about We Aren't the World!.

5 comments about 101.

1. What a challenge it must have been to the recording engineers when they were asked to capture a defining moment in the rise of Depeche Mode stateside.The culmination of a gruelling tour of the United States at the 60,000 seat Pasadena Rose Bowl.Even those of us with just a cursory knowledge of audio technology would do well to avoid making a recording in an open air stadium.Your environment is against you from the word go.Not only do you have the problem of sound bouncing off the seating stands,you also lose a large amount of audio signal to the very air around you.Also add to that the problem of recording a band that at this point in their career were very technology/electronic reliant.A format that does not lend its self to ambiance or atmosphere!
   
   So it was no mean feat that this document of what must have been a fantastic nights entertainment exists and what a treat to our ears to have it remastered and released in 5.1 SACD surround sound.If you close your eyes,turn the volume up nice and loud,you almost feel like you're there.
   
   Which leads me to what this recording sounds like.Unlike other SACD 5.1 mixes that are out there,this one is purely been mixed to give you the concert experience rather that bury you in the instrumentation.So the band is front and centre,and the crowd is left and right surround.
   
   As far as quality goes you could not ask for a better mix and the stereo mixes also benefit from the remaster.So if you want to feel what it was like to see Depeche Mode live in the 80's.Then "101" is what you need.I can also recommend the DVD version of this release which contains a great doco and part of the show as well as the other more recent DVD releases(eg."Touring The Angel") by the Mode.
   
   "Good Evening Pasadena!"



2. I'm not a big Depeche Mode fan, electronica fan, and I never buy the "live"CD. That said this is an amazing collection and showcase of there best! I have never owned any of the music except a 45 of People are People and thought I should fill the gap in my library. I reviewed all of their albums to see what I wanted and this CD set has more than the singles and best of CD's combined! paired w/ Violator only Walking in My Shoes is missing. Since it arrived I have not been disappointed. If not for the fan noise they are as "on" as any studio session. BUY IT!!!!



3. This was an awesome concert and a great live cd. It brings back great memories! If you didn't attend the concert it will still be a great CD to listen to. You can feel the energy of the audience, and if you were at the concert like I was it takes you back in an instant to one of the best concerts I've ever been to.



4. I can still remember when I first heard this album. I had it on cassette tape. I had an immediate positive reaction to the music. I was very glad when the cd version was released. this is a wonderfully documented account of a truly original band.As I listen to it, this many years later, the magic still remains. Some live albums fail in the attempt to keep the music fresh. This album succeeds in not only keeping the material fresh it also keeps it exciting!



5. Originally I had 101 on tape, years ago. I had to get it on CD, and I still love it. Nothing has changed, I just remember being in high school and loving Depeche Mode, they helped me through my angst,and the music has really stood up to the test of time!!

5 comments about Gotham.

1. This album does a great job of capturing the feel of the concert. I was able to attend both shows in San Francisco, once from the floor, and once from the balcony. What a fantastic spectacle! If you have not seen the DVD, you must also get it. Right from the start, everything about this album is stark, gripping, and pure Bauhaus. Time did nothing to damage the power of the greatest goth band to walk the planet - they played brilliantly, and it really comes out in this CD. Sure, there were some minor screw ups, as with all live albums, but all in all it is fantastic. My only comment is that I wish they had included 'Burning From the Inside' on this recording. They played it at one of the SF shows, and I'm not sure if they tried it again after that. It appeared to be a fluke...Daniel started playing it while Peter was over talking to David. At first it sounded as if they were just messing around, not really intending to play it, but then the crowd went wild, and so they played out the entire song. Masterful. Anyway, maybe a bootleg will turn up one of these days...



2. This was my first forray into the world of bauhaus, and I must say that I've come out extremely impressed. I like to think that I know a fair bit about the goth scene, and bauhaus has become one of my favorite bands..



3. This serves both as a great "Best of.." Collection and a great Live performance from one of the most influential bands of the days of yore. I wouldn't recommend picking this up as an introduction to Bauhaus, but if you're like me, unfortunately too young to have seen them in their hay-day or most likely ever see them again, then this is a great way for you to get the idea of a live Bauhaus show without being able to be there in person. My only complaint is that this Two Disc set, which cost me the same as a FULL two disc set, only has about 19 tracks all together and is basically just a live version of collection 1 and 2. I was hoping for two discs with 15 songs a piece that would serve as a career spanning live document, featuring four or five select songs from each of their albums (See: Death To The Pixies). All I'm asking for is a live version of "Exquisite Corpse", is that really too much to ask? Oh well, such is life. Anyway, this album is definitely worth checking out if you're interested in hearing Bauhaus live...And you have the 23+ bucks to throw away on 19 songs....God that burns me.



4. Goes through all the favourites and gives a few bonuses as well but I have to say that the version of Bela Lugosi Is Dead is not half as good as the one on Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape. That one has a more claustrophobic nature to it. As for the cover version of the Dead Can Dance song - it's good but I would prefer to hear the original



5. Not many bands can pull off the solid-black thing without eliciting giggles, but this one does. I thought the Bauhaus were great 10-15 years ago, and was leery of getting this disc for fear it would be one of those sad reunion albums that always seem to come out a decade after the "final" tour. But not so! These guys still wallow in existential angst with the best of 'em. If anything, Peter Murphy's delivery is more substantial after a decade of great albums and vocal growth. And the band proves that they can still play rough, even after the pop and polish of Love and Rockets.

2 comments about Fret Buzz.

1. This is such a cool low-key but rockin' band that had it's 15 minutes of fame in the first year or two of MTV but has kept on rockin' very stylishly ever since. This live disc is truly a gem from one of America's most sadly underrated bands. I put this in my CD player every once in a while and it always stays there for several weeks.



2. I enjoyed these songs. I think they're great to dance to. I own two other Shoes CD's and I think the band is great!

5 comments about Live, 1981-1982.

1. I know 5 stars are thrown around very very loosely in here. I've seen some 5 star Katy Perry reviews, so that's all you need to know. Nuff said on that. But this live album is truly deserving of the 5 star review in every aspect. The Birthday Party was a band that was active for a brief period of time (mostly the case with many great bands) from 1977-1983. Their music is waaay ahead of their time in that I don't think people can listen to it and still be somewhat comfortable with content of music. In an era where we've been de-sensitized to almost everything this is still a very difficult and challenging listen. Which is what we need in a time of very watered down and "safe" pop music.
   
   You could even make a good debate for the quality of their live music over their studio recordings. Their studio material is excellent, but you truly hear the chaos and madness in a live setting. The band is all around madness led by the great, but unpredictable Nick Cave and the crazy, swirling guitar sounds of the awesome Rowland S. Howard. But the ace in the hole is the late great bassist Tracy Pew. He somehow keeps the band together with this deep, crushing, catchy, (almost sexual-like) throbbing basslines. Tracy keeps the chaos surrounding him in order and from complete meltdown in my opinion. The true backbone and the glue to The Birthday Party sound. Just listen to his basslines on Six Inch Gold Blade, King Ink, Nick The Stripper and Junkyard. He's the foundation of a seemingly crumbling structure. The lyrics and the content of Cave's screaming is quite disturbing. Dealing topics such as insects, bugs, incest and murder. Very insteresting stuff indeed. This is practically a best of live album and the quality is great. The mastering was done perfectly and great for a live album. In some ways this is the definitive BP release. It captures the soul and fire of this band the best. A true classic and a must get. Really.



2. This is it. This is quite possibly the best band that ever existed doing what they did best- killing us bluntly with their songs (and fists.) The madness of this record makes all the punk-jive, past and present, seem moot. For those uninitiated into the genius of The Birthday Party, this would be a great place to start. And oh yeah- be sure to turn up the last track, a cover of The Stooges "Funhouse", nice and loud. Your speakers will hate you, as will your neighbors/friends, but there you'll be in distorted, deafened bliss.



3. Nick Cave has always been one of these artists who is more than just a singer: he is a performer. He belongs on stage, in recent years with his Bad Seeds ensemble, and in the early years with The Birthday Party.
   More punk rock orientated and with lyrics that seemd to be written more to be of a musical "guiding" function than to have any real literary pretentions, TBP is a live act al the way.
   
   "The Birthday Party Live 81-82" offers two gigs, the first one in "The Venue" in London, the second one in Bremen, Germany. A nice but not all to memerable bonus track is included here, called "Funhouse", performed in Athens, Greece.
   
   The first concerts gives you all the classic stuff: from the mind bending opener "Junkyard" which sets the tone for a "slambang-in-your-face evening", to "A dead song", and from the self-mockery of "Nick the Stripper", all the way to the blasting "Blast off!" and the biting "Release the bats".
   
   The German gig has "Big-Jesus-trash-can", the hymn-for-a-car-wreck "Dead Joe", the theatrical spoof "Hamlet (Pow pow pow)" and a good performance of the hypnotic "She's hit".
   
   So over fifty percent of the songs come from the quintessential "Junkyard", and, unfortunately, no songs from the last TBP output "Mutiny / The Bad Seeds", which is really a shame.
   
   The live dvd "Pleasure heads must burn" however does contain live footages of songs from the last two E.P's like "Sonny's Burning", "The Six strings that drew blood", "Wild world" and "Pleasure avalanche".
   Both CD and DVD are a must-have for everyone who still cherishes some nostalghia for the years with the maniacle and insane Caveman-with-the-blood-shed-eyes.



4. If you are brave enough to buy this CD, be prepared for this CD to scour your brain inside and out. It's fiendishly noisy. There was an old review I read on the internet with the band and Nick Cave had said that he was unimpressed with some of the recordings of that time because they did not capture the intensity of their live performances. After listening to this, I can see what he means. This is obnoxiously ferocious. The sort of take-no-prisoners live album that shreds it's instruments for an all-out aural assault. Some of the songs are virtually unrecognizable from their studio counterparts. While I've never gone to a Birthday Party concert, this CD would pretty much give me a clear indication about how it would be like. You could probably end up empty headed, sore and in desperate need of paraceteamol to cure that thumping headache. If you are brave enough to listen to this, make sure you have aspirin at the ready....because your headache could get nasty!



5. Every track here is a classic. Better than the studio versions. The bass and drums are set to pulverize, every note sounds like a punch in the stomach. The guitars are chaotic and Nick Cave is brilliant. I first heard the Birthday Party when I picked up the hits album when I was 16. I had never heard anything like it and was hooked immediately and spent the next few years tracking down all the studio releases. I was completed saturated and sated with the Birthday Party albums I had and eventually moved on to other bands. This album again has just blown me away. I'm hooked again. Great stuff.

No comments about Les Bains Douches, Vol. 1.