2 comments about Live in Stockholm.

1. This rare live EP was originally released by the official Breeders fan club for members only. Most of the songs come from Last Splash, with the exception of "Hellbound" (from Pod) and a cover of Guided By Voices' "Shocker In Gloomtown"..

   That being said, this is a good live EP. "Shocker In Gloomtown" offers a nice buildup, making it a rather good choice for the opening track. The album tracks are performed fairly similar to the studio versions, albeit less polished and with more raw energy. Highlights include an intense version of "SOS", a noisy and energetic "Roi", and a powerful version of "No Aloha".. There is also a bit of entertaining between song banter, including Kim Deal telling us all how to make a mudslide.

   The only major flaw is the length of this EP. It's only about 20 minutes long, and it seems to end right about the point where it has built up the most intensity. Overall, it's a cool live EP, but it's also likely to be an item that only hardcore fans or collectors would want to pick up.




2. This album truly rocks, and is a must for any breeders fan. It definitely is unfortunate that they are no longer around. All the tracks have the ability to pick me up and put me down in an entirely different place every time.

5 comments about King Biscuit Flower Hour.

1. Recorded live at the Palladium in Hollywood on August 10, 1983. Main reason I bought this CD here recently is because I saw guitarist Rick Medlocke with Lynyrd Skynyrd a few summers ago. Maybe not the best King Biscuit release out there, but still decent. Tunes here I got the most out of were "Rattlesnake Rock 'N Roller", their two hits "Train Train" and "Highway Song", Uriah Heep's "Easy Living", "Fly Away" (great guitar work) as well as "Living In The City". Has an interview where Medlocke discusses subjects like touring with Nugent and the Scorpions, playing large European festivals with AC/DC and Iron Maiden and how well Blackfoot had functioned as a band. Line-up: Rick Medlocke: slide guitar & vocals, Charlie Hargrett-guitar, Ken Hensley (forgot all about how he was with Blackfoot)-hammond organ, Greg T. Walker-bass & vocals and Jackson Spires-drums & backing vocals. Nothing too special, like I said but alright.



2. If your a Blackfoot/Rickey Medlocke fan I'd have to say it's worth owning this CD. The 20 minute interview alone will get you off,especially if you're into Southern rock lore.From a sound & performance standpoint however, you'll be a little let down. Like the other guys have said, get "Highway song live" to hear Blackfoot in their prime.



3. It pains me to give a Blackfoot release a bad review but trust me ,there was no other option on this one.Blackfoot was without a doubt one of the greatest live acts I've ever seen but this recording does them no justice.The fire that Medlocke and Co.always brought to the stage is without a doubt missing here.If it's live Blackfoot at their best you're looking for,then look no further than their first live release 'Highway Song'and you won't be disappointed.



4. Blackfoot is my favorite southern rock band. I had visions of a great live album matching the caliper of the several live cuts on the compliation "Rattlesnake Rock and Roll". Quite frankly, they should have left this one in the vault. The sound quality is terrible and the performance overall is just not their best. I wish they'd have released "Siogo" or "Highway Song" instead, that would be a treasure trove for die-hard fans.



5. If you're thinking of buying this as a substitute for the classic Blackfoot live recording "Highway Song Live" (not yet available on CD, and never released in any format outside Europe), think again. If you're thinking of buying it because you enjoy good, bluesy rock with a definite Southern style, then this may well be for you. Recorded after the 'Foot had peaked and with journeyman ivory-tinkler Ken Hensley grafted into the band, this CD captures some fine tunes from Blackfoot with a good mix and technical quality for the most part. It's spoiled a little by the songs not appearing in their usual running order, and in truth Highway Song Live could never have been bettered for sheer power, feeling and boogie, so this effort was always going to be second best. But collectors and Blackfoot fans will certainly enjoy this CD, if only for the keyboards appearing where they hadn't been previously and the rendition of Easy Livin' fron Hensley's former band, Uriah Heep. A curious recording but worth having all the same.

5 comments about The Singer.

1. Very few female voices in my memory have this kind of power and deep expresion of soul. Chavela Vargas is one of them. Edith Piaf, Billy Holiday, Lucha Reyes are some of these great singes that can you make painfluly cry. In other words, Diamanda have a very distinctive way to sing, with great power and deep feelings. Not for all music lovers. This music can be sound bizarre for some.



2. This cd really shows off galas otherworldly,operatic voice.She sings the blues here like nobody else.Her voice usually starts out low,sultry,and wicked,and then she literally jumps two or three octaves,into a frightening and passoniate piercing vocal performance.One of her most haunting and spooky covers,is her version of gloomy sunday.She masterfully accompanies herself on the piano for every song.And her piano playing sounds both sophisticated and spooky simultaneously.Any of these songs could be used in the soundtrack of a horror movie,and yet they still sound hauntingly beautiful.This woman is an underated immensely talented and classically trained musician and singer,who always challenges the listener.Everyone who hears her can't help be moved by her singing,rather they be moved to admire her artistry or to condeme it passioniately.
   Her gloomy sunday is one of the most original and one of the best ever recorded.If you like blues music with a gothic bent than this cd is a must have in your collection.



3. I enjoy this cd very much. Diamanda is definitely on my top 10 of solo artists. However, I prefer the live version of INSANE ASYLUM featured on "MALEDICTION AND PRAYER" than this studio recording. It's less gothic sounding and on MAP it sounds bluesy and her vocals are spunky and just has that "OOMPH." It's clear that she's influenced by blues but also is well rounded and diverse as she tackles spirituals and classical as witnessed on MAP. The cover photo is attractive and I like the blue-gray tint the used. I seem to enjoy Diamanda when she's at the piano and singing-the shreiks and noises(and ya all know what I mean), doesn't bother me as much. But "PLAGUE MASS", "VENA CAVA" and "SHREI-X" are very disturbing and I can only handle sections of those cd's- no disrespect to Diamanda. I do, really admire her.



4. Galas' performance of these songs is simply awesome. Many have sung them before her, but who will dare to sing them after her? Her performance somehow transfigures these very familiar classic blues and spirituals, bringing out a depth of emotion, an awesome power and force, a wonderful subtlety of feeling that was hitherto unknown. Her voice blends perfectly with the piano, her vocals are perfectly balanced, each "scream" and intonation neither too much nor too little, but just perfect. I don't think I will ever again be able to listen to someone else's interpretation of "I put a spell on you" or "A balm in Gilead" without somehow finding it lacking in comparison with Diamanda Galas' performance. She simply outshines them all.



5. This CD is absolutely brillant!
   When I first bought it...I didn't think
   much about it. But.. then I listened
   carefully to the version of "I put
   a spell on you" which she does here.
   Around the same time, there was
   a version of "I put a spell.." by
   Brian Ferry. Brian sings it without
   any feeling. Its like he is falling asleep
   while singing. Diamanda on the other hand,
   gives a real delivery...punctuated ...and
   more like someone who is actually living
   and talking it: "I put a spell on you"...
   pause...becaaaaause "You're Mine!!".
   Absolutely commanding! And throughout this
   CD she keeps her screaming to where its
   appropriate, which I like. I don't see the
   point to some of her other cd's where she
   only screams.

No comments about Live at Oslo Jazz Festival.

3 comments about 8/15/00 - Memphis, Tennessee.

1. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This is a show that is competent but just can't quite get off the ground. Consequently, this is a below average entry from the Pearl Jam bootleg series. Certainly the band entertained the Memphis crowd, but this performance does not translate well onto disc. There are a few winners tonight, like a powerhouse take on the surprise "In My Tree," while Mike McCready delivers even more intense solos than usual in "Even Flow" and "Black." There's also a surprise cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by a local guy named Elvis. Unfortunately, the rest of this show fails to ignite, and is sluggish and uneven. Another surprise number, "Tremor Christ," is usually dark and creepy but here just sounds dreary, and the inevitable jam session in "Rearviewmirror" falls apart into disjointed noodling. The so-so main set is followed by a horrendous encore set in which the band sounds like they're nearly asleep. The momentum is further broken by very long and lazy gaps between songs. Many of the encore numbers are slow songs - "Thin Air," "Nothingman," "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter..." and "Footsteps." Instead of acting as relaxing tension-breakers like they do elsewhere, these songs combine into a dreary and sluggish mass, which is not helped by the band's tired performance. Like a lighter that has run out of fluid, this Memphis show just can't quite light up.



2. Well, of course anything Pearl Jam producers is great, but this is even better than usual! I only have 10 so far, so I can't really say if it's the best ever, but it has a lot to offer. Eddie's vocal's are very clear, there are tons of songs that they don't play too often (Footsteps, Baba O'Riley, Tremor Christ, Can't Help Falling In Love) and, well, it's just a rocking show!!! By all means, buy it, you won't regret it.



3. This is the coolest idea by an artist in a long time. How many times have you been to a concert and wished you had a recording of it? Well, the guys of PJ have given it to you. Each city's concert is on a separate disc. I hope to get more of the discs from other cities, but the Memphis concert is rockin. Two discs worth of Live Pearl Jam!

2 comments about Early Years Live 1979-1983.

1. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Dig the crazy sounds bustin' out of yo' speakers fillin' the room with the grease and prime raunch of the mighty Lyres!This record blows 90% of what passed for garage rock in the 80's away and threatens to inflict total destruction on lame-o acts like the Hives and Strokes! Mono and his crew can take almost any 60's tune and turn it into pure, souled-out gold! Listen as The Lyres give tunes like "soapy", "love man" and "swing shift" the Mono treatment and come out wailin'! Dig it.



2. This recordings are as vital as Jonathan Richman' Precise Modern Lovers Order, with the essential difference that Jeff Connolly and his band are still doing the same music today, in the quest of the Grail of the perfect garage sound. These "Early years" are great because you can verify there that when the Lyres are inspired as they are some evenings, they are the most fantastic rockin' band one can imagine. THIS RECORD IS A PURE NUGGET and its speeds up a 100 miles per hour. You can nearly feel the sweat beads coming of Jeff's hair to your face. A great collection of classic Lyres songs and covers, they are all there, plus some "dialogues" with famous persons in the audience like Franck Rowe of the Classic Ruins, the Lyres are covering "Geraldine" so cleverly it sounds like a product of their own. Jim Topper is introducing the band and exalting his admiration speaking of its "majesticity". Bob Colby, famous for the "boob" - see the Real Kids first album - asks for "let's get a Party" and of course Jeff Monoman is treating the audience as if he was giving the ultimate party of the sixties.
   What is very interesting in these recordings is the addition of very early gigs parts. Listening to this makes you feel like you cannot believe it, this transition from DMZ to the Lyres was like some evanescent secret which we can discover here.. Just hear "long gone" and its sequel "gone gone" , its incredibly speeding up tempo , the Lyres were really there the knights of the soda fountains.. I am happy they are still existing and that Jeff has never given up.

3 comments about Listening In: Radio Sessions 1978-1982.

1. This about doubles the amount of songs from the Peel Sessions CD released about 15 years ago by the British label Strange Fruit; in addition, this reissue contains informative liner notes. I had the original Peel Sessions CD, but decided to upgrade based on so many more sessions that had been resucitated. It sounds as good as you'd expect--assured as the tracks accumulate and the band learns its chops, but the earliest four songs are, well, punk. The pop, as this CD makes clear, comes on gradually to dominate.
   
   Is it worth it? If you're happy with the four studio albums, then this is the logical purchase. If a casual fan, then this provides a livelier, necessarily more modest and even raw sound for the band live-in-studio than their last two albums, which relied on elaborate production that couldn't be replicated on the BBC. This may sound suited more to a transistor radio than pristine digital duplication, anyway! My favorite tracks are four from the first session, which shows a aggressive, tinny, but endearing sound already. I'd recommend taking the album in a couple of hearings in part, as the album tends to blur if heard non-stop. The band succeeded at the succinct delivery of catchy singles, rather than albums, in my opinion, and many of their best songs are here.
   
   Hard to believe the trajectory travelled so rapidly by the band when you hear the later sessions, for this band grew up quickly in skill and ambition and lyrical content. This compilation charts the band's rise and fall well. Yes, no "Teenage Kicks" ironically, but typical perversity from the band, whose career is documented in entertaining and wry fashion by member Mickey Bradley on the band's site. These radio sessions provide a more vivid portrayal of the band than a best-of collection will, and make by its comparative simplicity some of the band's later more baroque (in studio) attempts more stripped down and probably the better for that spontaneity which hearkens back to their humble origins.



2. There's 12 songs on the Peel Sessions album which would be 3 Peel sessions of 4 songs each and there's 27 songs here from 6 Peel sessions, including those 3 and one from the Richard Skinner show. It was common for known UK and foreign touring bands then and today, to play various radio shows live in the studio. This deserves 5 stars given you get a combo of good recording and a chance to hear them live in the studio. 27 songs on one CD. Who could ask for more? chrisbct@hotmail.com
   
   Peel 10-16-78
   1. Get Over You
   2. Top 20
   3. She Can Only Say No
   4. Male Model
   Peel 2-5-79
   5. Listening In
   6. Family Entertainment
   7. Billy's Third
   8. Here Comes the Summer
   Peel 5-7-79
   9. Nine Times Out of Ten
   10. Way Girls Talk
   11. Whiz Kids
   12. Top Twenty
   Peel 1-23-80
   13. Girls That Don't Talk
   14. Tear Proof
   15. What's With Terry
   16. Rock N Roll
   Peel 12-9-80
   17. Positive Touch
   18. You're Welcome
   19. When Saturday Comes
   Richard Skinner 8-26-81
   20. Like That (Song No One)
   21. Bye Bye Baby Blue
   22. Beautiful Friend
   23. (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet
   Peel 12-7-81
   24. Untouchable
   25. Love Parade
   26. Luxury
   27. Sin of Pride



3. This CD (listed several times here on Amazon, but this one at the cheapest price as its the US pressing) compiles the studio sessions The Undertones did for the BBC from 1978 to 1981. Most studio sessions for the BBC are rough run throughs before a band records in the studio. While the cuts here might not be as heavily produced as their commercial releases (with the exception of the earliest session, which also sufferes from a just-adequate sound quality of the master) the tracks here have none of occassional weaknesses (the occasional odd lyric or off-key singing) found on some other artists BBC sessions. Maybe this is why The Undertones were John Peel's favorite band. The Undertones have some of the same instrumentation as The Stranglers, however Feargal Sharkey's voice is quite a departure from most of the other (soon to be) post punk groups, perhaps more akin to Pete Shelley's. And like Pete Shelley, Feargal would eventually delve into synthpop by the mid 80s.
   
   The first 2 sessions features tracks recorded before their first album was released. The sound quality for these isn't great, but with each session the quality improves. The quality of the songs also improves over time on this release (which isn't true for their albums). Ironically, though John Peel's favorite song of all time is "Teenage Kicks" (the song that brought them to his attention & which he played incessantly on his show, giving them much more publicity than playing the Derry pub scene would) The Undertones never re-recorded it for Peel & hence isn't on this release. Some of the versions here are better than their commerical release, particularly "When Saturday Comes" (my personal fave). You can find the full tracklisting at their website or the 2 other listings for this release here.

5 comments about Starship: Live at Sturgis Armory June 1968.

1. Another worthy archive MC 5 release brought to you from the folks at the Alive/Total Energy label.For some strange reason,it took time for me to land down a copy of this disc after it came out.With twelve cuts and a duration of seventy minutes,this proves to be a relatively long set,for the MC 5.The sound isn't perfect,but it's decent.Well,good enough for any REAL MC 5 fan.Starts off with "Kick Out The Jams" and "Come Together".As the gig progresses,one notices several covers,like James Brown's "Cold Sweat",Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" and Cream's "Born Under A Bad Sign".One of my all-time MC 5 favorites are here,"I Want You".Wanted to mention this appears to be a straight-on through concert.No snippets of the best of a half-a-dozen shows.Don't you hate it when bands do that?At least without noting it on the CD's back cover?A real find for MC 5 fans.



2. This is noisey. The sound quality is not great, but it's good enough. Everything on here is heavy and wild. You get a nice cross-section of the 5's material-James Brown, Straight ahead hard rock, and wild heavyy rock takes on Jazz-this is a one of a kind.



3. This CD is pretty good... the quality isn't excellent, but overall it is a good example of the MC5 live. This CD was recorded before Kick Out the Jams... and it is a bit more raw than the album. I recommend this to a true fan of MC5... or rock and roll and pre-punk rock.



4. Starship is a great loud album. It starts out with the great song Kick Out The Jams. Half way into the song, they loose the beat for a couple of seconds, and then pull it back. Great Punk! Also, Tutti Fruity is an absolute rollercoaster out of control.



5. This recording is yet another low-fi quality live issue from John Sinclair's MC5 vaults. Highly recommended for fans of this high energy, kick *** band. Would have been 5 stars, but, considering that it's probably a crowd recording (note the ambiance), the quality is so lax that it robs the mc5 of their power.

4 comments about One More Reason To Forget (Live) [Limited].

1. If you don't know the band Low, this might be a great introduction to their unique style of slo-core music. The trio who hale from Duluth have a dark and beautiful sound that is probably best heard live. This album was recorded in a church in Louisville, Kentucky. The small venue makes for an interesting ambiance: during the first track, you can hear an ambulance go screaming by. The reverb is constant, and immerses you into this wonderful world of Low's creativity. This is not the best release from Low, but I find it to be one of my favorite live albums I own.



2. This cd presents what is greatest about LOW... the awesome unique sound they create. The recording is very good. This may be a binaural recording? The audience is nice and quiet. LOW played an excellent set. LOW's sound is so big and beautiful and awesome in this cathedral.

   If you like LOW a lot and would like a great recording of them live this cd is a blessing. I am very glad this cd is available. I also suggest this cd as an introduction to LOW because i think an awesome LOW concert is a better intro than a studio album.

   I've seen LOW 8+ times. I've never seen them in a cathedral. I've never heard them in as beautiful sounding space as this recording. I consider LOW live one of the wonders of our world.




3. There is no doubt that in the sleepy land of slowcore Low reign supreme... So the question to ask is not whether you'll like this record or not but whether you like slowcore. If the answer is yes then just buy anything whith this band's name on it, you won't be disappointed!

   As for those who don't know what slowcore really is about I'll say that it's a minimal, skeletal say some, form of music. Don't expect fast-paced rhythms, the tone is "low" and the melodies linger forever. Something you'll actually wonder whether someone is actually playing...

   "One more reason to forget" is a superb live album which was recorded in a church. It might be a good entry point if you aren't familiar with the band!




4. This CD is taken from a DAT recording of Low's 11/6/97 performance at the Church of St. Philip Neri in Louisville, KY, and contains material from Songs for a Dead Pilot and The Curtain Hits the Cast, as well as versions of "Venus" and "If You Were Born Today". The band is in fine form (I've seen them three times), and the quality of the recording is quite good, all things considered.

   The recording appears to have been made by micing the room, but the audience is plenty quiet enough to make it work, and the added tension of hearing a few restless folks really adds to the experience.

   The reason this isn't a five star CD is simple. There is nothing new on this disc! If you're already a Low fan, you already have most of these songs, and the live versions, though excellent, don't stray very far from the studio takes.

   If you are new to Low, this is a great place to start. If you are already familiar with the band's catalog, this would be a fine (but not essential) addition to your collection.

5 comments about Alive Live EP.

1. Ha! I've completely forgotten all about this four track CD single that Pearl Jam had released after their first album came out. Remember, that before Eddie Vedder and gang had started putting out live 2-CD recordings of virtually each and every one of their tour performances, us Pearl Jam fans HAD to rely on pieces like this to hear them play live. How DID we manage? "Alive", "Even Flow" and "Wash" are good to hear. Didn't care for "Dirty Frank" all that much. Aimed toward the completists.



2. i cannot complain about the cd in general, but the ... price seems a bit high just to get the rerecorded even flow, the only track not available elsewhere.



3. As with all CD singles, get this one if you happen to be a Pearl Jam fanatic, looking for more stuff by the band. The first two tracks (ALIVE, ONCE) are taken from TEN. But it's Track 3, WASH, that is worth the purchase here. It's melodic, haunting and reminds one of other great PJ songs of this type like OCEANS, RELEASE and INDIFFERENCE. The lyrics flourish and Vedder's voice carries the mood of the song perfectly.



4. It's my opinion that if you don't already have copies of "Wash" or "Dirty Frank," this CD is well worth the twenty-five bucks. The re-recorded version of "Even Flow," which was used in the music video, is a step above the Ten version as far as intensity goes. Eddie's vocals are so much more energetic, Abruzzese beats out Krusen on the drums, and Stone does this awesome palm-muted guitar riff after the second and third choruses that just drives it home. The "Alive" version is from the music video too and it's good. "Wash" and "Dirty Frank" are cool collectibles.



5. Review edit:
   This review was originally written for the Alive EP, which is an import available right here at Amazon.com for around $25. If you are viewing this review from the page for the U.S. Alive single, I give that 5 stars and suggest that you get the Alive EP insted if you can. Now, on to the review of the Alive EP.

   First of all, you might be wondering what this EP contains. Essentially, you get:

   1) The "video version" of Alive - different from the album version, because the video featured a live performance of the song. 2) The "video version" of Even Flow - different from the album version because it features Dave Abruzzezze on drums instead of Dave Krusen, who played drums on Ten. Also, it starts with a scream by Eddie and finishes with some additional vocals dubbed into the song at the end. (Of course, both Alive and Even Flow are audio tracks; there are no videos included on this CD)
   3) Dirty Frank - Pearl Jam meets the Chili Peppers... a really cool song, and the lyrics are a hoot!
   4) Wash - a great song all around, very slow and reflective. Of all songs on Ten, it's probably closest to Release and Oceans.
   5) A cool insert with handwritten lyrics to Dirty Frank, lyrics to other songs in both English and Japanese, pictures, and some other cool stuff.
   So, should you buy this CD? Well, I was lucky enough to find a copy of it in a used CD store for $4. But I don't think that it's worth $25, hence the 3 star rating. If you really must have Dirty Frank and Wash, studio versions of these songs are available on other singles from Ten... I think Dirty Frank is on Even Flow, and Wash is on the regular Alive. You can also get the live version of Wash on the Pittsburgh official bootleg.
   Anyhow, get this CD if you can afford it and really don't mind spending $25 on 4 songs.