5 comments about Night of the Living Dead Boys.

1. At the end, the Dead Boys were imploding due to any number of issues and the vicious feuding was more reminiscent of arena rock acts.
   
   Sadly, this "live" album is also like the dreck issued during this era by many of the rock icons making the rounds in large venues; Stiv Bators overdubbed the vocals while sitting in a studio, with some of the musical performances sliced and diced after-the-fact.
   
   While the creation of the album is explained in the enclosed material, it does not excuse the shoddy practice. Turning tricks in the studio is deception, no matter who is working that street corner.



2. I've HEARD that this was the band's third actual album.That info might be wrong,but it doesn't matter.'Night Of...' was recorded in March,1979 at New York City's famed CBGB Club and it was the final performance by the original line-up.How many of you remember the Dead Boys vocalist Stiv Bators?Yes,it has been awhile.All thirteen of the gig's tunes totally shred,but the tracks that I liked the most are "Third Generation Nation","Catholic Boy","What Love Is" and the ass-kicking "I Need Lunch".Good sound mix.Should appeal to fans of the Sex Pistols,Generation X and The Damned.



3. When it came out everyone thought it was great---and then all the sudden we find out years later that Stiv overdubbed the vocals....Quite a sin I suppose but really who cares anyway. In fact if you look at it it's almost anti-punk(not a chic thing to be I would guess) but you never can please the purists and really punk is suppose to be a chaotic mess anyhow. With that said this is still a great live document of the hoodlums in all their glory..so get it and forget the over analytical hype and just jump in...lifes too short....and kudos to Stiv Bators for having the guts to overdub the vocals in the first place....he was probably too tanked that night to sing straight anyhow.



4. Couple of quick things, having Lived through the dead boys playin at gildersleeves and the CB theatre, Son of Sam was RELEASED AFTER berkowitz was caught!! FACT not fiction!! Stiv ALWAYS said stuff like the best quote, doesn't make it true! What they got paid wouldn't get ME to get out there! Remember, at the time, the Dead Boys were NOT the most loved band!! Band members getting stabbed, od'ing, playing drunk etc, was all part of the schtick! To the guy who BELIEVES what Bomp says deserves to be ignorant!! Stiv never was that great at mic placement, nor enunciation(or in fact being coherent!)! They were NEVER a band that played live where you could get a live album outta it!! But, if you were UNABLE to tape the Meg Griffin broadcast Dead Boys Concert outta Hillys CBGB Theatre, and you ARE a Dead Boys fan, then LIVE DEAD BOYS is a disc you should OWN! Period!! after all, there aint nothin to do!



5. In the booklet that accompanies this accompanies this CD Bomp! records explains how this Cd came about. After reading about Stiv Bators not singing in the mic on purpose(only later to go back and over dub the vocals - in which he did a horrible job) and the spliced guitar parts this album is a chaotic mess. Bomp! wrote a whole lot about Stiv's performance in the booklet trying to make it sound better than it was... I'm sorry but when you're introducing Sonic Reducer as your newest song (in an unsarcastic manner mind you) in a Los Angeles studio overdub booth 3 years after the fact it comes off as pure crud. And one more thing where's "High Tension Wire" at?

2 comments about Death Party.

1. 2004 has seen some great re- & newly issued 80's classics. I am ecstatic to finally get this EP on CD, in fact I was just considering recording my LP & transferring it over to digital last week, when I stumbled across it in the store, complete with the original cover & a live performance on Swiss radio (complete with the announcer's introductions) as a bonus.
   
   This always was my favorite Gun Club record, even though it only had 5 tracks. First the 2 best Gun Club tracks (Death Party & Come Back Jim) are on it. Secondly, no one else I knew who also had Gun Club records owned this & so I was always able to play it for them & get flattered by the requests for a taped copy. Third, it has my favorite cover of all Gun Club LPs (I was a big fan of German Expressionism & Die Blaue Reiter school in the 80s & the cover looked as if it would fit right in). The live performance is of much better quality than those found elsewhere (especially the one that I think is entitled "birth life death" or something like it). The band does seem a bit off a few times, but the 10 minute extended version of Death Party from this session rivals the best performances of The Doors, Birthday Party or X.



2. Presented for the first time ever on CD, the DEATH PARTY EP has long been the holy grail for fans of The Gun Club. Although a poorly recorded semi-bootleg live album was issued years ago deceivingly sporting the same title, this Sympathy For The Record Industry release is (finally!) the real thing.
   
   Quickly recorded and released following MIAMI, The Gun Club's second album, the five songs on DEATH PARTY are remarkably consistent with that underrated work, despite the fact that Jeffrey Lee Pierce utilized a completely different and short-lived band lineup for the EP. All the tracks here are powerful, grim tales of despair, drug addiction, deviant sex, and death. Fans seem to agree that the band this time around consisted of strictly routine musicians but if that's truly the case than the superb songwriting balances everything out. "The Lie" and "The House On Highland Ave" are two of Pierce's most searing rockers, and the title track is white-hot, scruffy and hypnotically repetitious.
   
   The CD is augmented by seven live tracks taken from France's RADIO GENEVA program, including versions of three DEATH PARTY songs (most notably "Death Party" itself) and a totally raucous "Fire of Love". The band was always plagued by sloppy live performances and the show on hand is no different, but Pierce's bizarre on-stage comments and the sheer quality of the songs compensates.
   
   Here is the full tracklisting for the 2004 CD reissue of the DEATH PARTY EP:
   
   1. The House On Highland Ave
   2. The Lie
   3. The Light of the World
   4. Death Party
   5. Come Back Jim
   6. Strange Fruit (live)
   7. Fire Of Love (live)
   8. The House On Highland Ave (live)
   9. Death Party (live)
   10. Heebie Jeebies (live)
   11. The Lie (live)
   12. Run Through The Jungle (live)

4 comments about Walk On, Pt. 1.

1. "Walk On" is my favorite song off "All That You Can't Leave Behind," and I think it shows that despite having been a band for over 20 years, U2 is still capable of writing great songs. I think the song is neat in how it goes thru three different musical phases in the same song, and lyrically it's pretty good. Also included in the single is "Big Girls Are Best," a simple, but catchy song. Overall, it's a great single.



2. "Walk On" is one of the highlights of 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', and this is merely a shortened version of that song. That said, there is no excuse for cutting off a song that was only 4:55 to begin with. So if you REALLY like the song, get 'All That You Can't Leave Behind'.

   The b-sides are live performances from the relatively small FarmClub venue (you can hear individual whistles and claps). "Beautiful Day" is nicely done and even more anthemic with its extended ending (e.g., Bono singing "Go with soul!"). "New York" has a more dramatic guitar sound at the end than on the studio version, and Bono sings the refrain a bit more straightforward. (A MOMENT OF BITCHING: They really should have put a live version of "Elevation" on here, which is quite different from the studio version - especially their Saturday Night Live performance in December 2000.)




3. Keep in mind that if you already own the "Stuck in a Moment" singles, you won't be getting anything new off of this single as it features the same B-sides... but it's still a great CD to have, especially if you're a U2 collector.

   1. Walk On - A very uplifting song. It starts off with Bono talking over Edge's piano and Larry's drumming. Then in come Edge's signature chiming guitar notes. This is indeed the "pure U2 sound" - whatever that means. ;) The song is pretty much the same as the version on "All That You Can't Leave Behind", except it's about 20 seconds shorter.

   2. Beautiful Day (Live from Farmclub.com): I'd imagine this was U2's first attempt at performing Beautiful Day live infront of an eager audience... and they passed with flying colours! Edge starts off the song giving you a taste of his signature chiming guitar notes. Bono sings the lyrics with ease and confidence... almost like he's completely aware that the song will be recorded for future listening. The live version isn't much different than the original recording, other than a few ad lib vocals at the end. All in all, this is a great version of Beautiful Day and it gives me that nice, warm, fuzzy feeling. ;)

   3. New York (Live from Farmclub.com) - This is the highlight of the single. The intro beats are speckled with Edge's distinct chiming guitar, and Bono sings the lyrics like he's reading poetry. The song sounds very repetitive for the first 2 minutes, but then it cuts into some energetic guitar and vocals. I swear, Bono is singing like he did back in 1982 with his random "a-hoooo"'s. Even if you listen carefully to Edge's guitar, you'll notice how similar it sounds to his guitar on Under A Blood Red Sky. At certain points (especially during Edge's solo), I got chills down my spine. It totally brought U2 back to their early era style-wise. I never thought I'd hear this style of rawness again from U2. It's a pleasant surprise!




4. This CD single doesn't contain songs you can't get anywhere else, but it does contain 'versions' of songs you can't get anywhere else. The tracks are: Walk On, Beautiful Day, and New York. The last two tracks are from U2's live performace for Farmclub.com and are worth the price of this CD single. Bono's vocals are passionate and electrifying on Beautiful Day, while New York is much more enjoyable here than on the album.

No comments about Scenic/Lanterna Live.

No comments about Normal Service Resumed: Live in Croatia.

2 comments about Live From the Masque, Vol. 1: Forming.

1. Great record! It's true a lot of people think the original punk bands were Black Flag & Circle Jerks which are great, but hear you see The Weirdos which is the FIRST California punk band and The Bags which, was probably the FIRST hardcore band with a female singer. The Germs is probably the best live show they've done that's been released. If you want to know about early LA punk rock (we all know how expensive those Dangerhouse singles can get), or just the first wave of punkers this is a great place to start!



2. Lost but not forgotten, these recordings capture a moment in LA music history that the establishment(maan) preferred to ignore. Thanks. We didnt need you anyway. This where it started, not wBlackflag not vanhalen, real RnR NOTPLASTIC!

No comments about From The Front Row...Live!.

2 comments about Live in Concert.

1. Here is what Lou's phenomenal guitarist, Robert Quine, had to say about this album:
   
   "There were no great shows on the "Live in Italy" tour. But the performances of "Heroin," "Martial Law," and "Some Kinda Love/Sister Ray" from the album are examples of that group at its best."
   
   By 1983, Lou had become a tyrant to his bandmates. He refused to allow anyone in the band to wear sunglasses for cryin' out loud! (Quine refused to obey that order, by the way)
   
   The band was not allowed ANY freedom which allows for some very boring music. To think, you have a legendary guitarist like Quine on your stage and you keep him as far in the background as you can! To be honest, I am completely underwhelmed by the music here. It doesn't help matters any that during the mastering process for the LP, Lou put himself way in the front of the mix and to a large extent hid Quine's and bassist Fernando Saunders' (another virtuoso) contributions.
   
   There are so many other Live Lou recordings, both commercially released and bootleg, that are widely available and more worthwhile than this. I have read several professional reviews calling this album a must-have, but I just don't see it. It isn't BAD, but it really isn't all that good, either. However, I guess it is a good example of Lou's early 80's sound.
   
   Overall, I'd say it is a good introduction to "live" Lou in the 80's (it gets MUCH worse by the 1984 tour). It certainly doesn't send lightning down your spine like "Rock 'N' Roll Animal" does.



2. Solo concert of Lou Reed in Italy (Caution: is identical with the CD „Live In Italy"!) with the musicians of his long approved band. They play old songs from the time of the Velvet Underground, of course with new arrangement, as well as newer material. I especially like „Sweet Jane", „I'm Waiting For The Man", „Betrayed", „Walk On The Wild Side" and „Rock And Roll". Likewise very recommendable is the video „A Night With Lou Reed" from a concert 1983 in New York with the same musicians.

5 comments about Are You Ready to Testify?: The Live Bootleg Anthology.

1. FIRST OF ALL I SAW MC5 LIVE SEVERAL TIMES LIVE AND "YES" THEY WERE AHEAD OF THEIR TIME AND ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS HEAVY-PUNK BASED ROCKERS...."HOWEVER" THIS RELEASE DOES NOT DO THE BAND JUSTICE AS THE SOUND QUALITY IS SIMPLY AWFUL.SOMEONE SORTING THROUGH SOME THROW AWAY TAPES DECIDED TO RELEASE THEM ON CD AND HOPE THE TIN-CAN SOUND WOULD ATTRACT DIE-HARD FANS.ITS A SHAME.....SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS FOR A RELEASE MORE DESERVING$$$$



2. I think any diehard MC5 fans would enjoy this set. The packaging is nice, and it includes the notorious full page ad that the band and/or John Sinclair put out when their 1st LP was banned from Hudsons. Of the 3 MC5 LP's, I'd say the sound quality on this set is closest to the 1st LP. There are disclaimers on the CD liner notes concerning the quality, since the recordings may well be soundboard or audience recordings. Knowing that in advance, I was prepared for the worst, but I've enjoyed listening to the 3 CD's many times. It seems like everyone involved did a good job with what they had to work with. I'm not sure, but this may be the only source to hear some of these songs live-at the least, some aren't on the 3 LP's. On disc #2, a nice surprise was the clarity of Dennis's drums. It's also neat to hear their shows unedited, and the conversation with the audience in between. I hate to even allude to anything negative, since this seems to be a labor of love, and I may be wrong, so take this with a grain of salt, but: I'm not sure that all of the music was transfered to the correct speed. I did several cross referencing checks with the LP's, and most everything seems to be fairly relative to the keys the band played in. But, (and again I may be wrong), it seemed to me that some may be 1/4 or 1/2 step off. Which means, the music may be a bit slower than the actual performance. There's several factors to consider, though. One, bands didn't generally use tuners back then. Two, it sounds as though the band may have tuned down a half step in those days. To the average fan this may not be important, but to a musician it might be. Still, I think it's great stuff. It appeared to me to be somewhat authorized, but, I'm certainly not the one who could answer that question.



3. This collection is a great buy. Not only is the packaging superb, but there are extensive liner notes and the official bullet-points of The White Panther party so you can understand the rights, people, and beliefs this band stood up for.
   
   Included in this box set are two complete concerts and one EP (half concert?)that will kick your head straight into the next election year.
   
   Side note: There have been complaints about these concerts being of poor sound quality...nothing a decent equalizer can't solve. In fact, let that be a musical life lesson to you.



4. The MC5 are one of the most influential and underrated bands of the late 1960's. They only released three albums before they imploded in the early 1970's. This is a great re-release of some previously released bootlegs. The sound quality isn't the greatest, but these are bootleg recording from over 30 years ago. That does not take away from the passion that the band plays with, nor there skills as musicians. This is an excellent release for anyone interested in a band that has been an influence hard rock, heavy metal, and punk rock.



5. the sound quality of this box set is lousy. it varies somewhat from cd to cd (separate performances) but it's never good. vocals are muffled and distorted throughout and even some spoken song intros are hard to understand. at times the bass is nonexistent. in short, real bootleg recordings from 1968 & 70. so although the band seems to be in very good form here, only ardent MC5 fans need consider buying this because the sound quality's a real problem. 2 and 1/2 stars.

2 comments about Live At The Long Branch And More.

1. These recordings have been remastered from tapes belonging to Ernie Brooks and it is a shame they were not released before. This is pure rock in progress and the unique chance to catch the young and angry Jonathan with his perfect "highway" band, the Modern Lovers.
   Had the world been submitted to those songs when they actually were performed, the story of rock would certainly have taken a different path. None of any marketing undercoverstrategy is present here, this was done before punk era and it is pure fun and passion.
   The version of "I'm straight" which is here is my all time favourite, it is raunchy and Jonathan is playing it like a genuine episode of his life. "Wake up sleepy head" with the intro with John Felice, still 16 and a Real Kid to be, is one of those great lost Jonathan anthems. These recordings are essential, and are the perfect match to "Precise Modern Lovers", but for die hard fans it is different and better. "Foggy notion" is the obvious tribute to the Velvets which Jonathan still worships nowadays. In many other songs, the Modern lovers sound like the true followers of the NYC band.



2. This cd is worth it just for "96 Tears" & "Wake Up Sleepyheads", which you can only find here. Throw in the only live versions of "Old World" & "Modern World" out there, & an "I'm Straight" that's different from the one on "Precise M. L.s Order", & it's essential. All in all "Precise" is better for rarities, but until they come up with a "Complete Live Lovers", you must have both. The most interesting songs to me are the cover songs "96 Tears" & "Foggy Notion", which sound like they could've been written by Jonathan & point out the influence that 60's garage rock & the Velvet Underground had on them. What was completely new was Jonathan's lyrics & delivery, which were very influential (the guy from the Violent Femmes is the only one that really came close).