2 comments about Christ the Bootleg.

1. A 1984 show that is Crass. A band that has never been very technical. The quality of the recording is fair, but far better than most live Crass shows that I have herd before. Crass was a force to be reconed with back then. And, you can tell how punk bands have sold out when you hear this band.



2. i love crass and all their music they've released and their bandmembers other bands but this album is one of the worst live recordings i've ever heard.it is porly recorded and really hard to listen to.don't get it.get their other albums.christ-the album has better sounding live songs thatn this.

No comments about Electric Folklore: Live.

5 comments about Live in Italy.

1. I bought this mainly because I'm a completist who fell in love with the Cranes a few months ago and had already acquired all the bands studio albums. I'm normally not crazy about live albums, but this is an exception. Whatever it is about the Cranes that makes them so compelling (a combination of sincerity, mystery, tenderness and drive?) is really here in spades. The song selection is weighted toward their more recent stuff, especially Future Songs, but even if you have that album, this is a really beautiful "must have" in my opinion as well. Exceptionally good recording and engineering, and even more of a tug at the heartstrings than their best recent studio work. Get it if you like the Cranes.



2. As said, the reviews already posted do a good job of speaking to this CD's merits. But what the heck, nobody knows who this band is (hardly), and considering that 99% of the music released is pure dreck, it's a shame and a pity for stuff this good to stay under the radar. It's unique music by talented people who have been doing it for a long time. It can't be for love of money, I don't see how they survive as it is, so it must be for the music. It shows.



3. Wow, I had no idea this band was this competent live. Alison's voice is AMAZING on this disc. This girl has the writing and vocal talents in the same league as Bjork. The eq, mixing, and acoustics are extremely pleasant on this recording. They're not the most heavily funded band out there, so what they had to work with as far as gear and sound engineer staff probably wasn't what you'd expect from famous bands on big labels. There's some wobbling and imperfections hear and there, but it's quite endearing in its own way. I'm compelled to recommend this to someone who doesn't have any or many Cranes CD's. This is one to get. The entire range of the band's greatest moments is represented here. I just can't believe so many of those moments from their albums that send a wonderful chill (or whatever you want to call that pleasant tingly sensation) down my spine translated so well in a live setting. I feel an urge to buy a plane ticket to their next concert.



4. Not much to say about this.
   The song selection is near-perfect (not too heavily-reliant on their newest album "Future Songs", a nice mix of older songs), and the sound-quality is near-perfect.
   Highly recommended.



5. great vocals, great sounds, great music. I love this band

4 comments about Drain.

1. Ahh yes, I bought this album on cassette after seeing them live at the Yahweh Coffeehouse in Kansas City, MO. They put on a great show and were awesome guys! I love this album! Actually, I just bought the CD a couple of days ago for no more than three bucks. Can't beat that! If you like raw Grunge Rock with screaming, then you are sure to like these guys.



2. The reviewers above must have been in this band. The only reason i'm even looking at the album page is that my friend and i were just talking about how bad it was. I bought this album when it came out ten years ago and my friends all laughed at me when we heard it, because i totally wasted fifteen good bucks. I tried to listen to it one more time and couldn't get through it. These guys never should have been signed. They bragged about only using single tracking, but it didn't help their complete lack of song writing talent. And the label "christian" has to be stretched way too far to cover this waste of plastic. I mean it. If you see one of these online, click your "back" button, and go somewhere else.



3. sometime sunday is very nice good band, and it's pretty simple as that. if you apreachiate the guys vocals, he went on to a lighter sounding band, but still rock, called Tragadey Ann.
   i really give these dudes five stars, but for you perfection sticklers out there i made it three, they have talent and skill mind you, but it is not exactly flawless and masterfully played. buy both there albums. at 5 bucks for both of them its a great deal, plus if you don't like them, you can always sell them here on amazon for a higher price. have a nice day..



4. Oh man, this is the greatest CD in the history of Christian hard music. These guys defined the market with their first release, "Stone", in 1994, with Tooth & Nail Records. Their first album was good, but this sophomore release is unbelievable. If you have Real Media, listen to the songs on this page. They are great! Too bad they broke up, but hey, bands do. Buy this if you like guitar-driven grunge rock with deep, smooth bass.

5 comments about The Seven Year Itch.

1. I was going to write a review complaining about Sioux's voice and the head scratching decision that they left off my favorite song "Cities In Dust"....ok, well I'll still complain about that! But for the voice, one of the reviewers had written that it wasn't about bland precision of the vocals, but art. And he's right. Early Banshee recordings showcased Siouxs almost tone deaf screeches of an unexperienced punk singer. And it worked! Now, with time and a whole lot of cigarettes, Siouxsie's voice is lower and harsher, but still retains the passion of an up and comer. We were pretty spoiled with her 80s near perfect range, and really that was her best songwriting and singing era. But...it was still different from the melisma "let's sing loud and hold a note for 5 minutes to disguise no talent" like what's been going around now *coughamericanidolcoughcough*. It seems every Disney channel/Nickelodeon pre-teen has magically produced the ability to "sing"(i'll use that term lightly).
   But getting back to the album. It's got more older album tracks to satisfy hardcore fans, plus a few well known ones ("Peek-A-Boo", "Spellbound" and the afore mentioned "Cities in Dust", which isn't on the cd for some reason), plus a cover of The Beatles' "Blue Jay Way", which was never heard before. The cd digs deep into the earlier years, opening with "Pure/Jigsaw Feeling" and "Metal Postcard" from 1978's The Scream. Plus, a big treat for myself, "Icon" from their 1979 album Join Hands. Then it goes into a great, sexy rendition of "Red Light", with amazing atmospheric guitars. "Christine" and the crowd jumper "Happy House" follows, all from 1980's Kaleidoscope. There also is one of their great b-sides "Lullaby" and "I could Be Again", and a heart stopping version of "lands end", from 1986's Tinderbox. But the album that gets the most play is Juju, and rightfully so, since many consider it their best work. A great version of "Nightshift" that goes hauntingly into their hypnotic, frenzy "Voodoo Dolly", and you swear that Siouxsie is possessed by this song. She's up there in age, but you'd never know it by watching that performance.Plus for the encore we get "Spellbound" and the upbeat (but not in subject) "Monitor". Once dissapointment though, was "Peek-A-Boo". They got those frog outfitted Japanese girls from their supporting act X-Girl to performe with them, and it all seemed to schlocky (note:if you seen the DVD, notice the "hand jive" from Mr.Severin. Cringe worthy). But overall, this is a priceless cd to have. They were always great live performers, and they never strayed too far away from their attitude by the barrelful live past.



2. yup, she drops it all an octave and throws in some scratchin'.
   
   gotta love it.



3. i really agree that sioux voice is not the same like in the past
   but that does not means that we have to rated with only one star
   that is ridiculous. the sound of this gig is awesome..
   incredible perdormance by everybody, knox chandler was incredible, also steve but the monster of mosnter of this concert was budgie..mama miaaaa.
   
   please if you dont own the dvd please buy it.
   i had my doubts to buy this cd and the DVD...but after i saw the concert on europa channel on sunday 19 jun at night iwas completely in shock...
   
   please buy this cd..it is awesome, even though the sioux voice is not that bad after 7 years of abscence..please the real fans dont have to be so cruel about siouxsie voice.
   
   please buy this cd...increedible concert ..
   
   you will enjoy it for sure..
   
   regards..Maurice from venezuela



4. You know those concerts where you go and watch an artist, especially one that's been around for a while, long enough to build up a catalogue of classics, and they go through the motions of playing all their hits by the numbers and not much else, maybe they play some songs from the new album if there is one, and while it's kind of cool to see a classic song played live, a part of you is bored because there aren't any surprises, and you feel like you could have stayed at home and played a greatest hits CD and saved yourself a lot of money?
   
   This CD is pretty much the opposite of that kind of show.
   
   One single. Two b-sides. One previously unrecorded cover song. And a lot of digging deep into the back catalogue for songs you probably haven't heard in a while.
   
   If the recent "best of" compilation gave short shrift to their early work, this album makes up for it. The show opens with three tracks from the band's 1978 debut, then jumps ahead a couple years for the sinister "Red Light." The howling guitars in the background are almost frightening. "Lullaby," one of the Banshees' best b-sides is next, followed by "Lands End," another 'Tinderbox'-era cut. Then it's another jump ahead for the only relatively recent track, the "Fear" b-side "I Could Be Again." 'Juju,' arguably the band's best album, is rightfully represented by three cuts, including the disturbing future visions of "Monitor" and the incredibly creepy "Voodoo Dolly"...listen...LISTEN...
   
   George Harrison's "Blue Jay Way" is given the Banshees treatment. The album finishes with the only song you'd have expected them to play, "Peek-a-Boo." Instead of the boys jumping in with vocals, there is a trio of female backing vocalists for the chorus, while some of the normally overlapping vocals are omitted. It still sounds like fun.
   
   Knox Chandler (The Psychedelic Furs, The Golden Palominos) handles guitar here, as he did for their last regular tour. This show (actually a combination of two consecutive nights in London) has a much rawer sound than I heard when I saw them live for their last two albums, which is appropriate since they are playing mostly older material. Siouxsie's voice does indeed sound a bit off at times, but after I listened to the CD a few times I didn't notice it so much. It's all a part of the more primal nature of these particular performances. If you want to hear a concert album that isn't just a singles record set to audience noise, this is the one to pick up.



5. I used to have Siouxsie's name inscribed on my pencil-case. But after seeing her live in 83 in the Wellington Town Hall, with Robert Smith on guitar, I moved the inscription to my heart. (Mainly for the music, but there was also the way she nearly dented some particularly obnoxious audience members, shaven-headed boot-wearers who admired Hitler, with a deft swing of the microphone stand, which in those primitive days had a base made of concrete. All without missing a note: ahhh, Siouxsie...)

   I'm a fan. I still list "Spellbound" somewhere in my top 20 songs, and I still have moods where only the thunder of the Banshees and Siouxsie in full cry will really do. I've even tried to persuade people that the Cure were the second best band that Robert Smith played guitar in. (I usually lose that argument, but win the fall-back position that the Banshees' _Nocturne_ is the best album he ever played on.)

   So I bought the "Seven Year Itch" concert DVD the moment I saw it, expecting a nice dark romantic energy transfusion. And I got a serious disappointment instead.

   The first five or so songs are performed in a sort of monotone muttering, not only by Siouxsie herself, who seems to have spent the last 10 years smoking and coughing, but also by the Banshees. But those first songs were never my favourites anyway, so my expectations lifted again when Siouxsie announced "Happy House". "Happy House" always had a nice line in obsessive incantatory power. But as performed by the new Siouxsie, it doesn't even have a tune any more, let alone any power. After that, "Christine" came and went without even conjuring up a ghost, a faded wisp, of the glorious song that it ought to be. More muttering from Siouxsie, more off-hand rumbling from the Banshees. And then I took the DVD off, since this was too damn depressing for words.

   A few days later I tried "Spellbound", on the theory that the song is damn near indestructible, and surely it would galvanise even this batch of Banshees into some sort of life.
   Tester's report: "Spellbound" not indestructible. Banshees still shambolical. Siouxsie still lost her voice.

   So. As an irrationally passionate Siouxsie and the Banshees fan, I'm here to warn you that this hideous travesty is not only awful in its own right, but it can have a sort of reverse halo effect, seriously tarnishing the memory of some great music. The cure, after hearing as much of this as you can stand, is to play _Nocturne_, the Banshees' 1983 live album, which is all the proof you need that the Banshees were a brilliant live band with an awe-inspiring catalogue of songs.

   Buy _Nocturne_ instead, if you don't already have it; it's virtually a best-of, up to 1983, with versions that often improve on the studio originals. But whatever you do, don't succumb to _the Seven Year Itch_.

No comments about Livid.

4 comments about 09/6/00 - Rock Am Ring, Eifel/Nurburg, Germany.

1. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This is one of the more average or non-descript entries in the Pearl Jam bootleg series. Actually, this gig starts off very strongly, and the first disc presents a pretty powerful performance. Of special note is "Rearviewmirror" which makes an unusually early appearance in the set, and contains a wonderfully dark and dissonant jam session in the middle. "Not For You" is lowdown and creepy, and there are extra strong takes on "MFC" and "Even Flow." Unfortunately, this show takes a turn for the worse in the second disc. The extended jams in "Alive" and "Daughter" are mistimed failures, where it appears that nobody in the band can decide where to go next (however, Eddie Vedder adds a verse of the Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" to "Daughter" for an emotional effect). "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter," "Black," and "Yellow Ledbetter" are all badly out of sync with flagging, sluggish tempos. Indeed, for much of the second disc, someone (maybe the normally flawless Matt Cameron) is playing very slowly, dragging down the rest of the band into a tar pit of sluggishness. This also happens to be one show in which the often stupendous Mike McCready sounds bored and disinterested, much to everyone's detriment, as for most of the show hardly a peep is heard from him unless he gets to do one of showcase solos. Eddie manages to keep the crowd interested by giving them some German salutations, along with some friendly chatter in English. In one interesting moment, after "Last Kiss" Eddie says, "I hate that song." He was probably joking, but that number wasn't performed too well either. All in all, this is one-half of a great concert.



2. I was one of the lucky 70.000 people who had the chance to watch Pearl Jam live that night. It was a grat show because both the crowd and the band itself was very enthusiasted. (I have seen them before in Istanbul). I think some of the solos and Eddie's vocals are a good proof of how the band enjoyed the show as well. This album is a must for every PJ fan because of the raw energy it contains.



3. this is the best of the best. just a great preformance.Only disoppointment i wish they would extend some of the jams on a few songs but other than that this show is amazing, vertually flawless!



4. The music, the crowd, the set list, the solos, are all perfect. This or the Milan show stand out above the rest.

4 comments about Live in a Dive.

1. If you like the Swingin Utters, then you'll love this live cd. It has all the fan favorites: Next in Line, Glad, etc. I listen to this cd just about everyday and it never gets old. If you've never heard the Swingin Utters before, pick this up and you'll become a fan. Regarding sound quality and the like -- it is actually a really good live cd. Much better than other live editions I have heard from other bands -- gives you the same type of energy that comes with live shows, only on a cd! It's great, buy it!



2. its ok.
   not great.
   but pretty good.
   im not the biggest utter's fan.
   but i liked it.



3. I wish this was a ten star rating system, cause I would give this album a nine. I just have to reserve a five for a pinnicle record. Anyways, this is a really good live record. Like all of the "Live in a Dive" series, this record really represents the specific Utters show. I've seen them twice and it is picture perfect. Why are the Utters the Bay Area's favorite band? Listen and find out. After getting home from the enitial drive from buying the cd, I was on song 12, only half the way through. Yes!!! So many good songs! If there is one thing you can say from a Fat Wreck Chords release is that you are guarenteed to get your money's worth and more. PS. I was surprised at how well the backup vocals came out, they can't be easy.



4. This release, the latest in the Fat Live in a Dive series, sees San Franciscan punks Swingin' Utters perform 23 of their fun punk tunes live. As with most punk bands, the Utters are at their best in their live element, proving that they can do their thing on stage just as well as they do in the studio, but with the added bonus of the on-stage banter, screams from the crowd, and of course the energy of a live punk show. All of these elements come together to give Live in a Dive that unique atmosphere that you can only find on a good live release. It's hard to pick highlights because it's all so good and so varied, with songs spanning the better part of their 15 year career having been included. With the acoustic `Fruitless Fortunes', and `All I Can Give', the faster, rawer, punk classics `Five Lessons Learned' and `Here we are Nowhere', and, of course, the fun sing-along favorites `The Dirty Sea' and `Catastrophe', the Swingin' Utters ensure that all bases are covered, making Live in a Dive accessible to all fans, new and old.

5 comments about Toward the Within.

1. I must admit that I had this CD for a long time, and only casually listened to it (being much more absorbed with DCD's studio albums). Recently, I brought it out again and gave it a fresh, concentrated listen.
   
   Dead Can Dance has always seemed to me to be three bands -- the one that was Brendan Perry, the one that was Lisa Gerrard, and the one that was both of them together. That's not a criticism, but an appreciation of how they could capture such a cohesive trinity in their work.
   
   This recording is no different, and in fact adds the extra dimension of live intimacy.
   
   Many of these songs you may have heard on their other albums. But not this way.
   
   (Also equally entrancing, the concert DVD: Dead Can Dance - Toward The Within)



2. One thing to bear in mind when choosing Dead Can Dance albums is that the duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry went through at least four distinct stylistic phases, so you may find that certain albums appeal much more than others. This live album is a wonderful starting point, because it straddles a broad range of their musical styles and abilities. Also, while most artists' live albums simply rehash their existing popular work, of the 15 tracks on this album, only four (Yulunga, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Cantara, and Song of the Sybil), have appeared on previous DCD releases, making this an individual album in its own right. (Studio versions of two of Lisa's tracks, Persian Love Song and Sanvean, later appeared on her solo Mirror Pool release.) Both performers have never sounded better vocally, and are backed by a band of multi-instrumentalists with impeccable musicianship.
   
   The album opens with one of DCD's all time best tracks, Rakim, long a staple of their live shows but making its first official recorded appearance here. Brendan and Lisa work as an integrated team here, melding her shimmering yang ch'in (Chinese hammer dulcimer) and lilting vocals with his rich Sinatra-like baritone over a driving percussion beat. Percussion is also used to great effect on a later track, Oman, which has a somewhat African and middle eastern flavor. Lisa shines on her vocal showpieces of Persian Love Song, Yulunga, Cantara and Sanvean, demonstrating her amazing multi-octave vocal range. Haunting flutes feature prominently on Desert Song, Piece for Solo Flute, and I Am Stretched On Your Grave; the last is a masterpiece of gloomy goth stylings resonantly delivered by Brendan over an ominous drone. Tristan and Song of the Sybil feature the group in its traditional medieval mode.
   
   The most surprising tracks on the album, which have no stylistic counterparts in DCD's studio work, are three original songs by Brendan: I Can See Now, American Dreaming, and Don't Fade Away. These find Brendan in a singer/songwriter mode, primarily accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, conjuring up comparisons to Tim Buckley and some of Bruce Springsteen's more introspective work. The last two tracks mentioned are among the best songs on the album, but if there is any criticism of them it is that they really don't fit stylistically with the rest of the album or the group's overall oeuvre. In fact, these songs foreshadowed the musical directions Brendan would pursue in his later solo album, Eye of the Hunter.
   
   Listeners finding that they like the medieval styled tracks on the album should check out Aion. Those drawn to Cantara, I Am Stretched On Your Grave, Persian Love Song, and Sanvean should check out Within The Realm of a Dying Sun, Spleen and Ideal, and The Serpent's Egg, along with Lisa's solo album Mirror Pool. Those drawn to Yulunga and the more middle eastern tracks may want to check out Into The Labyrinth, which also features some more straightforward pop songs by Brendan, as of course does his solo album Eye of the Hunter.



3. I was without the internet/cable for several days and I don't own a radio, so I popped this cd in to listen to. I expected that I would tire of it after two or so repetitions, but I didn't. There's such a wonderful variety of styles of music on the cd that it never feels redundant. From start to finish you travel a wonderful journey that never gets old. Not even when you're playing it on constant repeat for 24 hours straight.



4. Sometimes they sound like cloistered monks, at other times like Druid nature worshipers, and at others like North African nomadic tribes. Their range is amazing as you hear the sounds of Palestine, Ireland, and Libya combined with a very contemporary existential presentation of dark brooding, mournful loss.
   
   Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard seem like contemporary priests of the earth goddess mourning the end of the harvest and the coming winter. At other times Brendan Perry's dark masculine smooth baritone seems to be romantic and passionate, as if we mourning the loss of a lover.
   
   The instrumentation is excellent with a broad range of world instruments. In this CD, which was made from a live performance in Santa Monica California, the power of a live presentation with its required spontanaeity heightens the work.
   
   There were many strong selections on this CD, but some of the best are: Rakim, Piece for solo flute, The wind that shakes the barley, American dreaming, Oman, and Don't fade away. Some of these works are on other CDs but the live performances have an immediacy that is very nice.



5. About the Band:
   Dead Can Dance is considered the seminal example of the ethereal (in the US) or heavenly voices (in Europe) genre. In fact, the name of the label, 4AD, which carried many of the 1990s DCD releases, is sometimes also used to describe this genre of music, which is a fusion of subtle electronics, vocals, drums, world music, and a near limitless count of instruments. Brendan Perry sometimes has been described as a gothic Frank Sinatra. Lisa Gerrard's enchanting vocals are often sung in a language only known to Lisa. I count myself among the many that hold these two musicians in the highest esteem.
   
   About the Album:
   Toward the Within is a live album from 1994, and though many music fans will often prefer the quality associated with a studio recorded album, I personally feel that heavenly voices music is designed to be emotional and moving ... and this album has a sincerity that will touch any listener. Toward the Within is one of my favorite albums. Fans of Brendan Perry's vocals will likely be more pleased by this album, as he provides the lead on the majority of the tracks.
   
   Recommended Tracks:
   - I Can See Now
   - Don't Fade Away
   - Rakim
   - American Dreaming
   - Desert Song
   - The Wind that Shakes the Barley (I like this live version better)
   - Cantara
   
   In contrast to two very popular DCD offerings that are also worth checking out, Aion (which is very medieval sounding) and Into the Labyrinth (which is a bit remorseful and dark), I found this entire album extremely uplifting and inspirational. I can't stress enough how much I wish I could sing like Perry, and the truth is that I find myself doing so with this album. Fans of folk and romantic music will absolutely love this album.
   
   Similar Artists:
   If you love DCD because of Lisa's and Brendan's vocals, then I am confident you'll enjoy the following heavenly voices artists:
   - Impressions of Winter (hard to find) - considered better than DCD, by many DCD fans lucky enough to hear them!!!
   - Das Zeichen
   - Love is Colder Than Death
   - Deine Lakaien
   - Qntal
   - Helium Vola
   - Corvus Corax
   - Soil & Eclipse

No comments about Love Is a Ghost Live.