5 comments about Preston 28 February 1980.

1. This record has been out for several years as a bootleg. I had it on a tape and it was called as "Shadowplay" when it was resaled to the public and its cover was a 2 color draw of a lady dancing.
   
   This cd version has the same sound quiality of the bootleg. Don't expect a remastered sound.
   
   I know the songs are not perfertly played and there are lots of problems with the equipment, but c'omon, this is what makes this record unique. A raw band, a band trying to develop in a low budget stage.
   
   What I like about this record, despite other rewiever, is the song called "The Eternal". This could have been the first steps into a synth oriented music that will make New Order famous for.
   
   If you want a perfectly sound album, get "Les Bains Douches" -only the songs from the Paris show has a soundboard quiality-.



2. The best live Joy Division CD to get is Les Bains Douches. That one is excellent! This one is just average. The sound quality is good (not great), but the band are not very cohesive at this Preston gig. The sound is also much better on Les Bains Douches. But if Joy Division is one of your all-time favorite bands, you will want this as a fairly well-recorded historical document. But don't pay a high price for it! You will feel ripped off. It's worth the price of an average domestic CD on sale or a used CD, not full price or an import price. If you do not have Les Bains Douches yet, find it and buy it now!!



3. I can't figure out the reviewers that give this one 5 stars. I am a huge Joy Division fan and have been since I discovered them in high school in 1985. But that doesn't mean that I think everything they ever did was perfect. I've heard a lot of live recordings of this band and quite frankly, some of them just suck. These guys were not especially talented musicians, and many live recordings are marred by either Peter Hook or Bernard Sumner hitting bum notes or chords (glaring example: the version "New Dawn Fades" on Still), or Ian Curtis' voice, which on the best of days was intense and full of character, but also prone to off-pitch moments.
   
   The best live material available is on the Les Baines Douches collection. That one deserves five stars. This is a nice document of a single show late in the band's career, and as such has some historical value; but the sound is so-so and the equipment problems did not help this fragile band's performance.
   
   Ian mumbles "some slight problems" after the third song; that's an understatement. Later, he barks "I think everything's falling apart!" That's a bit more accurate.
   
   I am one of those guys who loves to make mixes and compilations. I tend to try and get everything available by a band and create the ultimate mix of live and studio material ... there's not one song on this album that I would call a "definitive version." Either the sound quality or the actual performance quality keeps all of this stuff from being truly great.
   
   Again, as my title suggests, a serious Joy Division fan should pick this up. But this would certainly NOT be recommended as an introduction to the band.



4. First: I don't understand these complaints about sound quality...bootlegs have had crappy sound quality ever since they started...and if you have a regular stereo, or receiver, that allows you to change the ambience or treble and bass, I think you can salvage almost any recording (of course, some are just crap, but I've made Iggy Pop and The Stooges releases from Bomp Records sound bearable, which ain't easy)...Now, for this one, Joy Division, probably the last great rock band...to cut this short, since it is absolutely mindless, and counterproductive to write about music, I will say that this album, as a live album, mind you, goes right next to the best live document of a rock performance...Who Live At Leeds....thats how good I feel this is...And I think we can safely say that all that thin whiny whiteboy music of the nineties, all that grunge, and angst, is just D-level rip-offs of Joy Division...I've stopped listening to Radiohead (although I have not abandoned them) and Tool (Compare the vocals, you'll understand) because I realized they were obsolete for about 10, 15 years before they got on TV...Well, I'm not going to tell you what you already know (90's sucked/not getting better) I will tell you to be a consumer and buy this CD...along with Heart And Soul, the boxed set (even though the talk of "everything" J.D. ever recorded is not exactly what this boxed set is)...Great music to appreciate (cause it ain't coming back)...what more to say?



5. Ah, The Preston Gig. What to say about this. It sounds like nothing else. It clocks in at around 50 minutes and it's a total mess. Utterly muddy and shot through with problems. If you dig that kind of thing then pick this up. I would have you buy either The Box Set, 'Les Bains Douches' or 'Still' first to get a proper taste of Joy Division live.
   
   The thing is: there are 3 renditions here that stand up with Joy Division's best energy: Tracks 6, 7, and 8 are soul-crushingly good. Enough to make up for the rest of the set's low points. If you are a fan of the band and don't have this- Dive in. You need to. Blast this. It will take you somewhere.
   
   1.) Opening off with three minutes of the instrumental, "Incubation." Three minutes of charging, churning guitar, bass and pounding drums. Kinda gets old fast. You wonder if Ian was taking a piddle or something... the band played on. Lumps into a decent rendition of 2.) "Wilderness," the sound is a bit off, not mixed so well... bass is a bit low. But still, a keeper song- you can actually make out what Ian is singing. Languidly slips, like an old pair of jeans into 3.) "24 hours," with the vocals buried and kinda ratty sounding. Something feels off, to me. His mic starts humming a bit with feedback.
   
   4.) you get treated to an almost nine minute long "The Eternal," which certainly lives up to its name. It feels f*#king eternal. The vocals don't come in until around the 5.30 mark... The instrumentation is good here but really repetitive.
   
   Ian apologizes for something. bass booms a little. Voices chatter. 5.) "Heart and Soul:" their sound is almost shot by this time- the guitar is way down in the mix somehwere. The vox are echo-ey and querulous. Some bonus feedback and distortion... If you like Ian's droning intensely to a good beat this right up your alley... Small interlude at teh end wherein they apologize and try to cope with their sound problems. They admit they've been playing through the bass amp. Ian asks for requests and then...
   
   They get damn good. UNBELIEVABLY. I STARED AT MY CD PLAYER.
   
   6.) "Shadowplay." Maybe the best live version of this I have heard, and it was a show staple. I don't say that lightly. Starts out a bit rough but Sumner cuts with that guitar as if to make up for earlier- he hits one wrong note at the beginning of the first bridge and it WORKS so well! Wow. It's basically all about Ian and Bernard. I love this tune. Ian's voice is in top form.
   
   7.) "Transmission," doesn't do a lot for me lots of times. This is the exception! Picks up on the momentum from Shadowplay and ups the ante- kicks it up about three thousand notches. Probably the best live version of this excellent tune. They charge through it, fast as blazes. Veers into anarchistic hell-fire towards the end. No one else can sing "dance to the radio!" and sound so scarred and desperate. Ian is howling at the conclusion! The crowd loses their sh&! at the end. With good reason!
   
   8.) "Disorder," More perfection. Maybe my favorite Joy Division song- and the tune that got me into them. Played super-fast, with that knife guitar and the bass begging to be exhumed a bit from under the drums and keening guitar. Another top-notch performance! Ian throws himself into this.
   
   9.) warsaw. Great version of an earlier song from their warsaw (duh.) days. Good and thick. Angry, makes you want to beat your head into something dense, in time to the thumping drums and crunchy guitar. Still, the energy seems to fade a bit from the last 3.
   
   10.) Colony, (good rendering) 11.) interzone, (too muddy- can't hear Ian almost at all- can't hear much except for that robotic beating of the drums) and 12.) SLC (also muddy. thick, sound is just almost gone by now)... The last three are all good in that the anger is still there, but the energy seems diminished and you can't make out a word. The sound gets progressively worse- either you can here the bass or the guitar well at one's expense. Ian sounds possessed until you can't hear him.
   
   Hell, the whole CD sounds like hell, sometimes hell with clarity and spirit. And sometimes buried under an avalanche of fire brimstone and technical difficulties. I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!!!!!!!! Like you expect a riot at any time, which... is what it is... The mood is overtly hostile, save for the mentioned tracks- where it becomes redemptive. Temporarily transcendental.

2 comments about Live and Loud!!.

1. The other reviewer is so wrong.
   This is the best Exploited record in my opinion because it is RAW and REAL. Ok, I got my own memories with this one, but as a real punk fan, you can't live without this one. Who cares about hi-end sound ?? This is ridiculous. The record is unique.



2. Not an actual gig but a compilation of live tracks.This is advertised as an "official bootleg",meaning sh..tty takes released by an official label.The sound is AWFUL,no upper treble,vox on top of it all,etc.On the positive side,most versions of the song are very wild and raw.NOT EVEN FOR THE DIE HARD FANS.

1 comments about Live at City Gardens, NJ.

1. A rather poor recording of an incredibly intense live set during their 84-85 American tour.Sound is compressed as F@ck,which can be compensated by a good dynamic expander-like mine-and the cymbals have apparently not been miked for the take,resulting in an apparent lack of upper treble.Drums are a little weak though nothing to worry about.Usual competent and personal Cals vox and INCREDIBLE,furious,obnoxiously loud guitar delivery by Peter Pooch Pyrthle-Bones replacement and guitar God-make up for the aforementioned flaws.If you like it live and can live with imperfect sound,go ahead get this one,though I personally like THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES better,there are more songs from their first album and sound is much better.

5 comments about Preston 28 February 1980.

1. This record has been out for several years as a bootleg. I had it on a tape and it was called as "Shadowplay" when it was resaled to the public and its cover was a 2 color draw of a lady dancing.
   
   This cd version has the same sound quiality of the bootleg. Don't expect a remastered sound.
   
   I know the songs are not perfertly played and there are lots of problems with the equipment, but c'omon, this is what makes this record unique. A raw band, a band trying to develop in a low budget stage.
   
   What I like about this record, despite other rewiever, is the song called "The Eternal". This could have been the first steps into a synth oriented music that will make New Order famous for.
   
   If you want a perfectly sound album, get "Les Bains Douches" -only the songs from the Paris show has a soundboard quiality-.



2. The best live Joy Division CD to get is Les Bains Douches. That one is excellent! This one is just average. The sound quality is good (not great), but the band are not very cohesive at this Preston gig. The sound is also much better on Les Bains Douches. But if Joy Division is one of your all-time favorite bands, you will want this as a fairly well-recorded historical document. But don't pay a high price for it! You will feel ripped off. It's worth the price of an average domestic CD on sale or a used CD, not full price or an import price. If you do not have Les Bains Douches yet, find it and buy it now!!



3. I can't figure out the reviewers that give this one 5 stars. I am a huge Joy Division fan and have been since I discovered them in high school in 1985. But that doesn't mean that I think everything they ever did was perfect. I've heard a lot of live recordings of this band and quite frankly, some of them just suck. These guys were not especially talented musicians, and many live recordings are marred by either Peter Hook or Bernard Sumner hitting bum notes or chords (glaring example: the version "New Dawn Fades" on Still), or Ian Curtis' voice, which on the best of days was intense and full of character, but also prone to off-pitch moments.
   
   The best live material available is on the Les Baines Douches collection. That one deserves five stars. This is a nice document of a single show late in the band's career, and as such has some historical value; but the sound is so-so and the equipment problems did not help this fragile band's performance.
   
   Ian mumbles "some slight problems" after the third song; that's an understatement. Later, he barks "I think everything's falling apart!" That's a bit more accurate.
   
   I am one of those guys who loves to make mixes and compilations. I tend to try and get everything available by a band and create the ultimate mix of live and studio material ... there's not one song on this album that I would call a "definitive version." Either the sound quality or the actual performance quality keeps all of this stuff from being truly great.
   
   Again, as my title suggests, a serious Joy Division fan should pick this up. But this would certainly NOT be recommended as an introduction to the band.



4. First: I don't understand these complaints about sound quality...bootlegs have had crappy sound quality ever since they started...and if you have a regular stereo, or receiver, that allows you to change the ambience or treble and bass, I think you can salvage almost any recording (of course, some are just crap, but I've made Iggy Pop and The Stooges releases from Bomp Records sound bearable, which ain't easy)...Now, for this one, Joy Division, probably the last great rock band...to cut this short, since it is absolutely mindless, and counterproductive to write about music, I will say that this album, as a live album, mind you, goes right next to the best live document of a rock performance...Who Live At Leeds....thats how good I feel this is...And I think we can safely say that all that thin whiny whiteboy music of the nineties, all that grunge, and angst, is just D-level rip-offs of Joy Division...I've stopped listening to Radiohead (although I have not abandoned them) and Tool (Compare the vocals, you'll understand) because I realized they were obsolete for about 10, 15 years before they got on TV...Well, I'm not going to tell you what you already know (90's sucked/not getting better) I will tell you to be a consumer and buy this CD...along with Heart And Soul, the boxed set (even though the talk of "everything" J.D. ever recorded is not exactly what this boxed set is)...Great music to appreciate (cause it ain't coming back)...what more to say?



5. Ah, The Preston Gig. What to say about this. It sounds like nothing else. It clocks in at around 50 minutes and it's a total mess. Utterly muddy and shot through with problems. If you dig that kind of thing then pick this up. I would have you buy either The Box Set, 'Les Bains Douches' or 'Still' first to get a proper taste of Joy Division live.
   
   The thing is: there are 3 renditions here that stand up with Joy Division's best energy: Tracks 6, 7, and 8 are soul-crushingly good. Enough to make up for the rest of the set's low points. If you are a fan of the band and don't have this- Dive in. You need to. Blast this. It will take you somewhere.
   
   1.) Opening off with three minutes of the instrumental, "Incubation." Three minutes of charging, churning guitar, bass and pounding drums. Kinda gets old fast. You wonder if Ian was taking a piddle or something... the band played on. Lumps into a decent rendition of 2.) "Wilderness," the sound is a bit off, not mixed so well... bass is a bit low. But still, a keeper song- you can actually make out what Ian is singing. Languidly slips, like an old pair of jeans into 3.) "24 hours," with the vocals buried and kinda ratty sounding. Something feels off, to me. His mic starts humming a bit with feedback.
   
   4.) you get treated to an almost nine minute long "The Eternal," which certainly lives up to its name. It feels f*#king eternal. The vocals don't come in until around the 5.30 mark... The instrumentation is good here but really repetitive.
   
   Ian apologizes for something. bass booms a little. Voices chatter. 5.) "Heart and Soul:" their sound is almost shot by this time- the guitar is way down in the mix somehwere. The vox are echo-ey and querulous. Some bonus feedback and distortion... If you like Ian's droning intensely to a good beat this right up your alley... Small interlude at teh end wherein they apologize and try to cope with their sound problems. They admit they've been playing through the bass amp. Ian asks for requests and then...
   
   They get damn good. UNBELIEVABLY. I STARED AT MY CD PLAYER.
   
   6.) "Shadowplay." Maybe the best live version of this I have heard, and it was a show staple. I don't say that lightly. Starts out a bit rough but Sumner cuts with that guitar as if to make up for earlier- he hits one wrong note at the beginning of the first bridge and it WORKS so well! Wow. It's basically all about Ian and Bernard. I love this tune. Ian's voice is in top form.
   
   7.) "Transmission," doesn't do a lot for me lots of times. This is the exception! Picks up on the momentum from Shadowplay and ups the ante- kicks it up about three thousand notches. Probably the best live version of this excellent tune. They charge through it, fast as blazes. Veers into anarchistic hell-fire towards the end. No one else can sing "dance to the radio!" and sound so scarred and desperate. Ian is howling at the conclusion! The crowd loses their sh&! at the end. With good reason!
   
   8.) "Disorder," More perfection. Maybe my favorite Joy Division song- and the tune that got me into them. Played super-fast, with that knife guitar and the bass begging to be exhumed a bit from under the drums and keening guitar. Another top-notch performance! Ian throws himself into this.
   
   9.) warsaw. Great version of an earlier song from their warsaw (duh.) days. Good and thick. Angry, makes you want to beat your head into something dense, in time to the thumping drums and crunchy guitar. Still, the energy seems to fade a bit from the last 3.
   
   10.) Colony, (good rendering) 11.) interzone, (too muddy- can't hear Ian almost at all- can't hear much except for that robotic beating of the drums) and 12.) SLC (also muddy. thick, sound is just almost gone by now)... The last three are all good in that the anger is still there, but the energy seems diminished and you can't make out a word. The sound gets progressively worse- either you can here the bass or the guitar well at one's expense. Ian sounds possessed until you can't hear him.
   
   Hell, the whole CD sounds like hell, sometimes hell with clarity and spirit. And sometimes buried under an avalanche of fire brimstone and technical difficulties. I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!!!!!!!! Like you expect a riot at any time, which... is what it is... The mood is overtly hostile, save for the mentioned tracks- where it becomes redemptive. Temporarily transcendental.

4 comments about Live!.

1. I ended up buying this cd kind of ramdomly one day--I hadnt ever listened to the Cadillac Tramps but I was a Manic Hispanic fan. I was blown away. The Cadillac Tramps are so talented. This album just plain rocks from beginning to end. I probably have this cd playing in my car more often then anything else--it's just so god damn cool! It's crazy that this band never got a huge following. Buy it.



2. I bought this cd because Tombstone Radio is out of print(at least a new copy anyway)and I'm familiar with most of the songs on this disc anyway,so this was a no-brainer in getting it..Let me tell you,this is one killer band!! Great songs...How come they're not opening up for Aerosmith or not at Ozzfest??? These guys need a bigger audience.....songs on the radio and so on...More exposure!!...GET THIS IF YOU LIKE HIGH ENERGY ROCK AND ROLL.....IT SURE BEATS MOST OF THE BANDS ON MTV AND VH1 RIGHT NOW ANYWAY!!!.....



3. I traditionaly steer clear of all Live performance albums... they are usually a great big "haha! you weren't there, but we made a lot of noise..." dud. However, The Cadillac Tramps Live is 100% worht it. They are one of the very few bands that can pull off a live album and have it sound better than anything most bands ever put out. If you have the chance to see them live, by all means, go! But if not... You gotta get this album! They truly capture all of the energy and the heart of a live show without sacrificing the sound quality nessesary for home listening enjoyment. I love this album!



4. Following in the tradition of such Orange County Greats as Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Adolescents and TSOL the Cadillac Tramps ROCK! This is a GREAT CD to have if you've ever seen them live, it really captures them at their best. If you haven't seen them you'll definitely want to after listening to this, that is if their still going to play?

3 comments about Entertaining Friends.

1. This was a unique band in so many ways. But what matters is the MUSIC, and the Buzzcocks were always about aching melodies for lyrics of unrequited love, guitars that ring and clang in gorgeous controlled disarray, and a rock solid rhythm section. Here you get it all plus the bonus of knowing it was just another gig for these lads ... this is one whole show and it ROCKS. The energy they had as a live band comes through LOUD and clear.

   BUY THIS CD!




2. This is an essential purchase for any Buzzcocks fan. The sound quality is great & hearing the 'cocks play in a live environment adds an edge of rawness and energy that's missing from the studio sessions.

   For those who don't know the Buzzcocks, they were one of a handful of great English punk bands (although some might categorize them more as power-pop). In any case, they wrote energetic, punchy, bitchy, and melodic songs that have influenced scads of bands over the past 20-some years.

   The Clash were more political, the Sex Pistols more raw and venemous, but the Buzzcocks hold their own in terms of intelligence and songcraft.

   If you want to know where bands like the Strokes, Blink 182, Green Day, Weezer got their ideas, you must hear the Buzzcocks. They did it first, and they haven't been equalled.




3. Amongst all the live and demo sets out there, it's easy to forget that the Buzzcocks only ever had about 40 fully developed songs to their credit. Entertaining Friends is proof that though the versions proliferate, the songs remain the same. For much of the Buzzcocks oeuvre, live versions are in fact best, since they always got a tinny, bottomless mix out of the studio. This live set is clearly their best - the mix is a bit muddy, but played at high volume, you don't notice, and it approximates their buzzsaw attack quite accurately. The arrangements here are very similar to the studio cuts, though Sixteen and Breakdown are clearly superior and everything else sounds great. If you've only ever heard the studio albums and always wondered why the Buzzcocks were considered punk, listen to this and it will all make sense.

5 comments about Devo Live: The Mongoloid Years.

1. How wonderful to be this free from political correctness! How many times has this album used the term mongoloid?



2. When you thought you were safe from Devo, they fire off this compliation of early live shows. They were a ferocious unsigned live act. This CD shows the development of their songs and concepts. They perform all A list material with an in your face attitude. The tune Beulah was meant to annoy and provoke the audience, which they follow up with a long medly of Jocko Homo/I Need A Chick. They provoke and then follow up with a statement of purpose/Manifesto. These guys had guts!



3. If your looking for something like whip-it, don't look here. This album will either excite or enrage you. The best part is the concert from 1975, it's like a beautiful train wreck. Hearing the band do an angry version of "Jocko Homo" was the best part and having the audience of stoned hippies almost turn on them was another golden moment.



4. Oh, those spudboys. They know how to piss off an audience. It's pefect for this to be in reverse chronological order, as we see the beginnings of chaos in Devo's famous 1977 performance at Max's Kansas City that sent 'em into the big time. Then we time warp to a show where Devo nearly gets into a fist fight after only a few songs. Poor spuds couldn't figure out what they were listening to!

   The last part of the album, however, is the beautiful part. 1974, Devo's first gig. As the audience cowers, Devo verbally rapes them with constant shouts of "Are we not men?" Diving into the wonderfully vulgar "I Need A Chick" they are only stopped when the power is cut. Turning up your volume high-as-it-will-go and you'll hear Mark, Gerry and some of the local spuds almost kill each other.

   Oh, yes, indeed. Devo Live: The Mongoloid years is well deserving of 5 stars, even with its tape hiss and 4 track sound. It's a testament to De-evolution.

   DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE!




5. Ok, I'll say this right away: I hate live music. It's fuzzy, distant, has annoying crowd noise, and just doesn't hook you in like the squeaky-clean studio version. However, the above two sentances are thrown out the window for this album. This ROCKS in every way.
   This was Devo at their earliest, wildest, and most carefree. Long before the "I'm so agitated, I'd cry if you died!" Enigma years and long before "Whip It" forever shot them into the mainstream, the DEVO boys wore panty hose on their heads, pounded out noise on their guitars and synths, pissed off annoyed crowds, and LOVED it.
   The CD gets better as it goes along, as each of the three gigs is more hostile than the next. Listen to Mark taunt the audience in the middle of "Praying Hands". It's a riot.
   The last half of the album (their first ever live gig, 1975 AD) is worth the price alone. Not giving a flying futz about anything, they assault a whole audience of stoned hippies with noise blasts, intentionally-horrible singing, and the grand finale: a seemingly never-ending version of their anthem "Jocko Homo". Listen closely as the audience just can't answer the simple question: Are we not men? Just as things get out of control (a man gets on stage and threatens to beat the french fries out of the band),they end with the gleeful playground song "I Need A Chick".
   Now, listen closer as ever before as a man snaps at Devo to get off the stage. Gerald Casale, always the hothead, snaps right back at him and they almost get into a fistfight, as a female accomplice of Gerry's tries to keep the situation under control. Even a roadie jumps in the fracas, delivering an insanely funny line, which cannot be repeated here.
   No doubt, this is THE live album to have and it's nothing like the very happy laid-back "Now It Can Be Told: Devo Live At The Palace", recorded over 10 years later. Browse around the world wide wiggly web, and if you see this masterpiece, grab it up!! And remember, this is a man's CD....no Booji Boys!

5 comments about Samhain.

1. If you can find this, buy it. Do not hesitate. If you are a fan of Danzig this is a real treasure. A bit heavier than Misfits, a bit lighter than Danzig, Samhain is the crossover band between Misfits and Danzig. There is even a few misfits songs on here, but they are different versions than you are used to. Also you get to hear some of the songs from the later Danzig albums, in the early form. Very nice packaging, comes with a cool comic book and lyric/photo book. The video isnt the best quality, but you get to see danzig in his prime. considering this box set is no longer being made, it is worth the expense.



2. While I am on the subject of all things Danzig lately (ever since hearing Lost Tracks and being reminded of the man's brilliance), I figured I'd do a review for this box set as well.
   
   I had lusted after copies of the Samhain albums ever since losing them in an unfortunate incident, so when this came out, I figured it was worth the price. It was, because it gave me their killer goth/punk/metal all in one place, but its not perfect.
   
   For one, I think that Glenn probably did the best he could with the company's budget (who issued this). The packaging comes in a huge cardboard box with a plastic container reminding me of the interior of old video cassette boxes.
   
   The outside packaging (before you open it), is indeeed handsome, but when opening it, it seems a bit cheaply done.
   
   For one, the cds are all in "promo style" cd cardboard sleeves, and when picked up, the risk is that a disc will fall out and get scratched.
   
   The comic book is pretty much just tasteless fun, but the booklet is lacking in lyrics for the entire Unholy Passion and Final Descent albums.
   
   Considering Glenn's sometimes incomprehensibility at times, I thought this was a disservice to fans. It contains some cool pictures and art, but seems haphazardly put together.
   
   Now I don't remember if in 2000 dvds were as in vogue, but the video leaves a lot to be desired. I am sure there are many more shows in the archives, and also it would be cool to see some tv interviews, footage of the road, etc.
   It just is too short, not that the footage is that great but I am sure in the eighties Samhain did more than two shows (and not even full shows are included at that). I believe it was only around 40 minutes of live footage, if even that.
   
   Now on to the music itself: Great, especially since remastered. Unholy Passion is the one included on the Final Descent album however, and it would be cooler to have both the original and Glenn's rerecorded (in 1987 I believe) version in this set.
   Also, Glenn spoke of a lot of unreleased material that did not see the light of day on this set like spoken of.
   
   Overall, I believe that Glenn did the best job he could given the budget though, and hopefully he'll buy the rights back and release an even better box set with a dvd and more bonus material.
   
   The box set is only worth owning if one wants all the albums without having to pay full cd price.
   
   When Glenn or someone else does the grand job with box sets and compilations (such as Lost Tracks or the Misfits one), the results are spectacular. Despite the completely brilliant music in this box set, the set is dissapointing and less than spectacular.



3. Samhain was much less poppy then the Misfits were, which is bad. The songs (such as I am Misery) have amazing beginings, but turn into crap. The comic is amazing but short, the booklets ok and the video isnt the best. The cds are kinda good (November Coming-Fire and Live are good) but the rest of the stuff is rubbish. Danzigs still the man and so is Damien. Misfits boxset is much better



4. All together this is a great box set the video is great and so is the booklet also it comes with a cool comic. the only complaint i have is the lack of unreleased tracks such as the archangle with chimes an alternate versions of novembers fire, halloween 2 and some other later tracks. also the liner notes are great but i would like to see some notes from eerie von since he was there from start to finish.



5. I bought this when it came out, and I still don't regret buying it. I'm glad that not many people know about this fantastic band.
   The Misfits box set doesn't have a video (which is great by the way) so don't feel bad spending 70 bucks for it. What are you waiting for? BUY IT NOW!!!!

5 comments about Blondie Live.

1. I love this CD, i listen to it all the time.
   really like the drum solos and emotional vocal performances.
   Highlights include: Rapture, Call Me, Rip her to shreds, Hanging on the telephone, Atomic, One way or another, Maria (the best version i've ever heard).



2. Very nice reunion gig of the '70's new wave/pop band while out on their '99 reunion tour.I got to see them play live a few years later and believe me,Blondie is still a fun act to go see.Total of seventeen cuts here to show you the band still means business.Enjoyed hearing again "Hanging On The Telephone","The Tide Is High"(I usually don't care for this tune),"Shayla","Rapture","X Offender",their signature song "Heart Of Glass" and "One Way Or Another".Four original members intact include Debbie Harry-vocals,Chris Stein-guitar,Jimmy Destri-keyboardist and Clem Burke-drums.I remember when I saw them play,there were two others with them,making Blondie a six piece.Couldn't find any info on the disc's cover.Recommended if you're an old school fan.You shouldn't be disappointed.



3. This CD offers a fair show of Blondie live in New York. Debbie sings great and the whole CD is great! All in all Blondie is still a hip and cool band that can still rock out!!!
   
   1. Dreaming
   2. Hanging on the Telephone
   3. Screaming Skin
   4. Atomic
   5. Forgive and Forget
   6. Tide Is High
   7. Shayla
   8. Sunday Girl
   9. Maria
   10. Call Me
   11. Under the Gun
   12. Rapture
   13. Rip Her to Shreds
   14. X Offender
   15. No Exit
   16. Heart of Glass
   17. One Way or Another



4. I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of live albums and rarely listen to them. But I've always liked Blondie, and didn't get to see them live, so I made an exception.
   
   I'll get one thing out of the way: the band hasn't lost anything over their period of collective inactivity. They can still rock even when they don't have studio tech to cover up any rough patches. It's a solid performance, with some ad-libbing here and there (some of it a little embarrassing), but aside from the occasional interlude there's little deviation from the sound of the studio recordings.
   
   What also results in disappointment as far as this release goes is something that plagues most artists who have been around for decades and achieved a kind of legendary status: the pressure to "crowd-please" and play the most popular songs, and not much else. Except for a few deep cuts from the then-current album, it's all hits. There aren't any real surprises; even lesser-known tracks like "Shayla" and "X Offender" are regarded as signature tunes. It's unclear whether this reflects the actual live shows, or it is simply the way they chose to sequence this album, since it features extracts from a number of performances. In any case, the end result is rather predictable.
   
   In the end, there's little actually wrong with the album, but it is completely inessential for virtually everyone. Those who have been to one of the shows may want a souvenir, but anyone else is better off with 'No Exit' and one of the many "best of" collections that have been released over the years.



5. Blondie was, of course, one of the premier bands of the late 70s and early 80s, when they racked up four #1 songs. Impressively, they've continued to record music and play live gigs. I really like Blondie, and I have one of their greatest hits CDs as well as their remix CD from a few years ago. However, I have to admit that I didn't buy "Live" on purpose - it was shipped to me by one of the music clubs to which I belong, and I forgot to send it back in time. So take my comments in that context.
   
   First the pluses --> All in all, "Live" is a decent concert collection. Debbie Harry is generally in good form, although she does get a bit shrieky and off-pitch on some songs. Her interaction with the crowd and "stuttering" vocals on "The Tide Is High" are fun. In addition, a knockout version of "Sunday Girl" cleverly incorporates a section of "Love Is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia. The song selection is also quite good; "Live" includes most of their hits as well as a few somewhat more obscure songs, such as "Shayla" and their recent European #1, "Maria."
   
   Now the drawbacks --> Relatively little crowd interaction with Debbie is included, which is a mistake for a band that is so personality-driven. Part of this situation probably is due to the fact that the songs were recorded during different venues spanning 1998-1999. However, the outcome is a definite lack of cohesion. In addition, very few of the songs are anything other than a live re-creation of the studio version of the song, making for fairly boring listening. If I want to hear these songs, I'll listen to their greatest hits CD.
   
   If you enjoy live CDs and like Blondie, then you will probably add one star to my rating. Unfortunately, as much as I like Blondie, I can't go above 3 stars; and one of those stars is just because I admire a woman who can still rock in her 50s!

5 comments about Malediction & Prayer.

1. You can never tell whatcha might get with Diamanda, but I love that in her.
   This album absolutely blew me away, nothing I thought it would be and I love the fact that I got chills from the softness you can actually hear in her voice on most of the tracks, it's a definate top cd of mine.



2. I wrote a review awhile back in 2001 and my view of this cd hasn't changed. I still very much enjoy this cd. Since then, I have bought her two other subsequent releases: "La Serpenta Canta", and oh I forgot the title of the other cd. Oh well, check this cd out; I'm sure Diamanda would appreciate it.
   
   Julius-Allan



3. ...I first heard of Diamanda Galas more than 15 years ago, and before her music I knew about her outspoken nature. I read in a magazine about how she wanted to f--- a man because she wanted one to know what it was like to be raped. Okay...a few years later at a conference about AIDS she proclaimed one of the big problems about the disease was she couldn't get laid easily anymore (though someone else on the panel said he'd be glad to oblige her).
   
   Anyway...the shocking blue madness of Galas conceals the woman's skills as a vocalist and a musician. This live recording catches her abilities well, with a few subleties and a lot of fire.
   
   Hearing "25 Minutes to Go" done like this was taking a classic blues song and turning it into something like Dante's Inferno. So bizarre, so twisted and yet you understand somehow.
   
   This is surely not for everyone, but the diverse material and Galas' handling of it impressed me.



4. When you've listened to Galas before, and felt chills down your spine from the cries on Vena Cava or Litanies of Satan, this will probably surprise you. Unmistakenly Galas, with her voice somewhat richer, deepened in musical texture, the songs nevertheless are sometimes actually beautiful to listen to, instead of little musical displays of horror. Both the recording and the music are, in want of a better word, clear. Dark sides are, of course, crucial to this clearness.



5. Hopefully You've never listened to Diamanda Galas before.
   
   If that's you, and you've just stumbled upon this album, be prepared for a strange musical experience.
   
   This is a compilation of Diamanda Galas tracks performed LIVE. There is a great difference between this album and her studio releases. A lot of raw emotion is captured here that would've otherwise been tamed down in the studio.
   
   It will SHOCK you!