2 comments about Wisconsin Avenue Tour.

1. I have no idea if this is really a "Live" recording being offered here, but the Wisconsin Avenue Tour cd is available on Revelation Records online store for only $10. It contains 15 songs from demos, the single, the ep, and a couple unreleased songs from their final recording session. Definetly, a great cd, and somewhat hard to find... but why pay this absurd price for it? Go to RevHQ.com for the fair price!



2. I remember when I first heard this band when I was in highschool. The song 'Angel' changed how I viewed things. Illustrates beauty in the struggle, enlightenment in pain. This is a deeply moving CD, one of the only CD's that I own that I've never gotten tired of. The blending of her crystalline voice, almost choir like, with the emotional wailing of the male members in the band, make a epic of contrast. Truly worth investigating, if you like emotional music something to make you feel again, this is it

1 comments about Live at the Palladium 1979.

1. A real trip down Memory Sewer, these guys were the first punk band in Austin and achieved their notoriety by getting busted by the Austin PD in the middle of their first show in Raul's, a dive on the drag that turned into the greatest punk bar there ever was. I didn't see that show, but I saw most of their other ones (me and six other weirdo/losers). I was the tall guy in glasses that always stood in the back. The Huns were always fun because they were so over the top, and this recording of a Dallas show catches them in all their ragged glory... they won a battle of the bands in Austin ( I still lay awake wondering how) and got to play in Dallas for this show. It's loud, it's cheezy, and I love it because it puts me right back there in Raul's, where I heard the best music of my life. My only complaint about this CD is that they could have included the immortal "Glad He's Dead/Busy Kids" single... it's not like I'm gonna get it elsewhere on CD... but the Huns were a great band/force/whatever, and I'm glad I've got this to remind me of when I was a young drunken college bozo with no friends and money to burn... all hail the Huns!

5 comments about Stage.

1. This is Bowie's best live album. Though David Live and Ziggy Stardust Soundtrack have some great moments , Stage is where he experimented most with the old songs. This is his Berlin period , which Disc 2 draws exclusively from.
   Disc 1 begins with five songs from the Ziggy Stardust album all presented in an almost orchestrated form. Relying heavily on the analogue synths , providing nice textures , these arrangements work. Although not as energized as the guitar muscle of Mick Ronson's original versions these take on a new vitality. Like the bounce that exudes Soul Love. Sounding more like the Philly soul of the mid-seventies. Adrian Belew's "elephant/seagull" guitar noises , which he would later use to full effect as part of King Crimson , sound great on the intro to Station To Station.
   Beauty And The Beast sounds better here than the studio version with the band gelling nicely. Alabama Song has a very paranoid feeling to the verses , which lifts in the chorus to the caberet sound. All great stuff !



2. This live album of Bowie's 1978 tour draws heavily on the Ziggy Stardust songs. Other albums that feature are Station To Station, Young Americans, Low and Heroes plus there's the obscure Alabama Song. It is a pity that great songs like Young Americans, Golden Years, Sound And Vision and Word On A Wing are not included here, since I would have loved to hear them live. These versions are more uptempo than the studio originals and less polished, but there's enough electricity in the air. My favourite performances are Five Years, Station To Station, Fame. Breaking Glass and Heroes. The live performances throw an entirely different perspective on these well loved songs. However I recommend this album only to devoted Bowie fans. The live versions are best appreciated when the listener is already familiar with the originals.



3. When I heard David Bowie's: David Live at the Tower Philadelphia, I was disappointed by the quality of the music and the album set in general. Most of the time the band was off and it reflected poorly.
   After that experience I almost didn't buy David Bowie's Stage album but now I am glad I did.
   Since it was a differenct band I decided to give it a try and I was very happy with the results.
   The band is in great form, especially with rhythm guitarist Carlos Alomar as musicial director.
   [Alomar co-wrote Bowie's first #1 U.S. hit...you remember the one: 'Fame'].
   So, it is of little surprise to this music conessieur, that he would put together such a great live performance.
   Alomar's great attention to detail, his funky rock riffs and the addition of Adrian Belew gives this album a unique and stylish sound.
   Belew's lead on "Heroes" is a classic and his presence is felt throughout the entire album.
   The blending of the guitars with the violin [played by Simon House of Hawkwind fame]and the thunderous piano of Sean Mayes, adds an almost chaotic feeling to such songs as "Blackout" and "Beauty And The Beast".
   Add what is referred to by many as Bowie's best rhythm section, Dennis Davis, George Murray [and Carlos Alomar] and you have all of the ingredients for an amazing live performance.
   Being backed by a band of all-stars, David Bowie delivers his vocals with power and authority and with the exception of a missed line or two, the songs come off without a hitch.



4. This was recorded in Philadelphia, PA in April 1978. I was very, very lucky to attend these shows! I was just a kid then, but I still clearly remember that Bowie was just so incredibly AWESOME! His voice was so dynamic and so strong! Heroes was #1, the whole band was so tight, the entire audience was totally into it all the way, and the whole show was just so totally excellent in so many ways! By far, THE very best concert I have ever seen period - no doubt about it. And I have seen so many. So very many.

   In addition to Bowie's incredible vocals, dancing, mime, keyboards (he also played a small harp!) on those nights, I'll never forget Adrian Belew's awesome lead guitar performances. He kept racing around the stage behind Bowie, doing Chuck Berry style duckwalks, wild spins, running back and forth while playing these absolutely amazing lead riffs which just tore the house down! I remember how no one knew who he was at that time, but we soon found out after that as he went on to work with The Talking Heads, Robert Fripp, King Crimson, Bill Buford, Stanley Clark, Stewart Copeland, Jean-Michel Jarre, Laurie Anderson and the list goes on and on. For sure, Mr. Adrian Belew is, indeed, one of the very, very best guitarists this world has ever seen.

   Also, IMHO, 'Stage' marks a very significant turning point in time when Bowie went from a freaked-out, cult-like lead singer and moved on to become a world-wide major legend in the history of rock music. It also marks a time when rock music went from straight up, in your face 'hard rock' to a more mainstream type of music which many, many grew to accept and still enjoy today.

   I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this CD as soon as possible. It is getting harder to find and really is one of the very best live recordings ever made! Five stars is not enough to rate this - should be more like ten or twenty! Get it NOW!




5. I used to disregard this album in my Bowie collection, because i really was never a big fan of the "trilogy" but what a fool i was! this is Bowie at his best, PERIOD! buy this now.

5 comments about Scream in Blue Live.

1. I have seen my fair share of Oil' gigs and this is a great representation.
   
   If anyone doubts how good Oils were as a Live band, get a copy of Sydney Radio 2JJJ's Filmed Concert of Midnight Oil Live at Goat Island,Sydney Harbour in 1985. Astonishing,with incredible and muscular musical interplay between the band and the audience.
   
   They kicked proverbial A**E, I do not think there was another rock band with the political will and alternative hard rock power of this band during the 1980's.They virtually invented Alternative Hard rock.These guys have a perpetual place in Australian and world musical history and I think the future will treat them with great respect.So many of the things they sang about and warned us all against have come to reality, and most Australians love 'em all and regard them with great personal respect here in Australia.They all have moved on with their own personal musical stories, except for singer Peter Garrett who is now in Government as the Australian Minister for the Environment.



2. For those who thought Midnight Oil was just about a freakishly tall bald headed guy wailing about burning beds, take a listen or two to this record, and you will realize that this band was as good as any heavyweight rock band of its time.
   
   This is arguably the best live record made to capture the music of the 1980's. I have a number of U2 live recordings and bootlegs and DVDs, and I've long thought they are the best band I've ever seen live, but these guys give U2 a real run for their money. [I also saw Midnight Oil live in Philadelphia in 1988-89 and it was one of most memorable concerts I've attended].
   
   From Stars of Warburton to Read About It to Hercules to Brave Faces to Beds are Burning, this CD presents the Oils at their blistering best from each phase of their tremendous career from the late 1970's through the 1980's. Their music had tremendous passion, energy, and featured great musicianship, improvisation and vocal harmonies which make each of these tracks memorable.
   
   Don't miss this record. It's a steal.



3. Scream In Blue takes its title from a mostly instrumental track atypical among the Oils canon, but the album as a whole is vintage in every sense. Dominated by tracks from 10,9,8... (their top early 80's album) and Diesel and Dust (their best from the latter part of the decade), SIB features improved versions of great songs, delivered with more verve than their comparatively sedate studio siblings. "Star of Warburton" achieves a new vigor; "Sometime"s emerges as an all-out anthem; "Only The Strong" rocks as hard as anything in the band's catalogue. Even better, songs that originally targeted Australian issues convincingly resonate among other audiences. Peter Garrett slyly directs "Progress" at Americanism when delivered in New York, while a classic like "Beds Are Burning" remains quintessentially Australian.
   
   Midnight Oil doesn't play significantly with arrangements, but the interplay of guitars and the wonderful contrast of the band's two bassists make the album musically engaging. Lots of great songs are not included (and no songs from Head Injuries seems surprising), but its hard to argue with the song inclusion here as every cut is enjoyable. A curious music fan wishing to check out Midnight Oil would not go wrong checking this album out first; if you don't like the songs here, the studio selections are unlucky to impress you.



4. Scream In Blue is worth any price. Anyone who has seen Midnight Oil in concert will tell you that the experience can be very itense. And while most live albums out there do not even come close to replicating a live setting, Scream In Blue remains very true to a Midnight Oil show.

   The great thing about Midnight Oil's performance quality is that they do not slack on stage. Some bands drive all of their energy into physical antics to the point where their music sounds sloppy and unorganized. Other bands aim for a precise performance and remain stoic on stage. Midnight Oil somehow combines the best of both worlds: they are absolutely crazy on stage but they are incredibly tight and focused.

   When it comes to the band's back catalog, the live recordings of early tunes such as Powderworks, Only The Strong, Read About It, and Brave Faces absolutely pound the living daylights out of the studio versions. The more recent songs (at the time) from Diesel & Dust and Blue Sky Mining are a bit more close to their origin, but not without the boost. Even with a song like Sell My Soul, you can't deny that the version found here is stronger.

   The uncredited track is splendid. A non-descript album track from 1981's Place Without A Postcard called Burnie gets an acoustic treatment in the studio. And like everything else on the CD, it is a vast improvement from the original recording.

   There are no bad songs or weak performances. The energy never lets up. And for the price I see this CD going for nowadays, it is an absolute steal. Buy it.




5. I pretty much said it all in the title of this post. This is THE BEST live album I have ever heard. I first purchased it back in... well... my last year of elementary school. The cassette was purple! As if that couldn't be any cooler! Anyway... to this day, I can put that album (now a CD) on and still feel as excited as I did as a kid. There's more raw energy on that one CD than most bands could even dream of creating over an entire career. Honestly... it makes me want to move like Peter Garret himself... thrashing around more madly than I ever have at a punk or metal show. It's like an early greatest hits all captured live, so there's never a letdown! I know alot of people don't even like live recordings, but I'm sure this one could change anyones mind. And to think... before the end of this year (2004) we'll even have a live DVD with 2 complete Oils shows on it plus a bonus CD of one of those shows. The Oils might be done now, but this album will continue to destroy anyone elses attempt at a live album! Forever! Hopefully it'll teach a few people along the way as well...

2 comments about Sid Dead Live.

1. Of course we know how the story ended so it's not funny, but Sid's mumbled "I've forgotten the rest" at the end of his cover of My Way is priceless.



2. This album is a collection of live tracks performed by Sid Vicious live at Max's Kansas City. There are two shows represented here with little in the way of difference between the two. Between tracks there is some heckling and a few snide remarks from Sid. The songs are performed poorly, both musically and vocally, but hey... you would buy this because your a Sex Pistols/Sid Vicious fanatic anyway right? A must have for Sex Pistols/Sid Vicious fans, but generally a very poor recording.

2 comments about Glory of the 80's, Pt. 2.

1. With the exception of the title track, the second part of the "glory of the 80's" singles is the same release as the U.S. release of "1000 oceans." Regardless, these were the the first and only U.K. singles off of Amos's fifth solo album, "to venus and back." Just as the second disc of the album is a live collection of mostly band songs, the "1000 oceans" single offers a further look into Amos's live solo performances, played during "secretime" of her 1998 concert tour. The offerings here are the beautiful "Winter" and the heart-breaking "Baker Baker" (performed here in Pennsylvania).



2. tori's live music to me means empowerment. it gives me the tools and inspiration i need to reach down into myself and discover what is there and make life more meaningful

3 comments about Live in London.

1. Its has studio recording of ORIGINAL SINNER and live version of DEUCE "that`s an old kiss song " it`s worth it just for those two.long live the TOILET BOYS check out LIVE LIKE A MILLIONAIRE THE VIDEO!!!!



2. Being a somewhat fan of the Toilet Boys, I decided to purchase this live cd.
   I can't say it's the best but it ain't the worst either.
   The live sound quality isn't very "professional" but in the spirit of punk, it doesn't necessarily have to be.
   In my own opinion, their studio albums fare off better.
   This is really more for the hardcore Toilet Boys fans.



3. Seems like not a lot of material yet for a live CD for these guys, but in London --where the infamous balloon netting fire of a few years back took place, it's all good. Soundboard recordings sprinkled with crowd noise and fire extinguishers hiss I guess is the way it's described in the liner notes. A few songs from each of their 3 CD's, plus a previously unreleased studio track, a Ramones medley tribute (which is slowed to a Toilet Boys trot), and Duece by Kiss also thrown in. Nice banter with the crowd by Ms. Guy, sounds like a great party, can't wait for the next studio effort from the TB's!

2 comments about Must Be Live.

1. Mark Stuart called me last year to ask if he & Stacey could play at the Coffee House Concerts Series in Memphis, which I run. I knew their name, but wasn't overly familiar with their music. I asked for a sample and this is what they sent. All it took was one listen - I called Mark back and said, "Where do I sign?" They put on one of the best shows the Coffee House Concerts Series has ever seen, and this album is very much what it was like. If you ever get the chance to see them live, take advantage of it, you'll remember it for a long time. If you can't see them live, buy this CD - it's the next best thing.



2. I have seen Stacey and Mark in Concert at the Down Home, at Merlefest and own all their albums. Stacey is not only a voice but a personality. She can make you cry and laugh at the same time. Mark plays a great guitar and adds some great vocals. This live album gives the listener a great idea of what being there is like. Wish more DJ's would play her music...Jack

No comments about BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert.

No comments about Handheld and Rigidly Digital.