5 comments about Document and Eyewitness.

1. Aside from Wire's John Peel sessions, this is Wire's only release that includes a large amount of unique content. The latest live albums (On The Box, etc.) are really more what you would expect from such a release: more aggressive performance to accommodate the missing use of live electronic instrumentation, poorer sound quality, and so on. Well, the live performances on D&E are no exception to poor sound quality, but this time Wire keep a fair amount of electronic influence in their work; not just guitars and percussion here, which makes this all the more valuable in my opinion. This release, to me, is more suited to be considered the 4th Wire album over Newman's A-Z (for one Newman wrote nearly all the tracks on that album on his own, so why would they be referred to as Wire songs?)
   
   I also don't understand what some people consider to be issues with this release. You do hear a lot of experimental work, which I love, and if you're a Wire fan so should you, but there are also a great deal of more conventional songs, like 'Go Ahead' and 'Relationship'. Basically, you get to hear at least a dozen tracks that haven't been recorded in the studio (some of these tracks were re-recorded by Newman for solo work, and I know that 'Underwater Experiences' was an earlier demo). One thing I don't get is why 'Heartbeat' is just thrown in with the mix, as it was from a different performance altogether; just doesn't fit well, despite its being a good track.
   
   I don't want to spoil the atmosphere of the album by explaining much of the music, but I will comment that it crosses between more aggressive Chairs Missing-era and something not quite Wire (mainly because without having come from the studio it's hard to picture what the final production qualities would be like).
   
   And yes the final two tracks are from their Our Swimmer EP (can't really call it a single because it wasn't promoting anything, it just was). These two tracks are quite different from what you hear on E&D, and for that matter, Wire's other albums. I would've really enjoyed getting to hear more than just these two songs from this new style that they developed.
   
   But this album is still valuable even for people who aren't fans of live recordings (a lot of time the audience is just too noisy and compromises the music, but in this case the audience was so baffled by what they heard you really don't hear much of them.) I did take one star off because it isn't perfect, but still great.



2. Live albums are usually nothing more than cheap giveaways that you already have heard in their studio life and are usually much better. Everybody knows that you'll get the same tracks with the crowds cheering the performer on for more more MORE. So why should you buy this? Well the fact of the matter is that it's everything a usual live album is NOT. Yes that's right - this is NOT your usual live album. First of all many of the tracks here are new. Secondly the band are practically hated mainly because there isn't 12XU which eventually comes up in fractured form ( not a bad thing ). Their MC is the one that helps the fans get what they want because it's his " request spot " despite being called a fat.....well you know - can't say it here for obvious reasons. And in the mix there's a few snippets of conversations from an interview. And at the end there's two studio tracks which are OK but dilute the whole experience of the concert(s) completely

   I guess it's one for the diehards but everyone should try this live album for the chaos within because if not you'll be missing out. Oh and you can't resist the bottle being thrown in the middle of a song with the reply " Who's a clever boy then! "




3. The single best line ever written about Wire's DOCUMENT AND EYEWITNESS comes from an article A.D. Amorosi wrote for MAGNET magazine (August/September 2000 issue): "...a violent live album that makes the Stooges' METALLIC KO seem like a Phish jam." And while one can hear the bottles being thrown on this album as well (literally: on "Instrumental (Thrown Bottle)"), unfortunately Flipper tactics had not yet come into their own so Wire chose to throw dada instead at their dense and impatient audience. Amid screams for PINK FLAG material, the audience never once allow Wire to demonstrate their amazing chameleon-like capability to never do exactly the same thing twice (like Coil and Madonna after them). Read: they never got it. This CD is split into four parts: part one is a relatively calm excerpt recorded live in London in July 1979 performing tracks from what ultimately would have been the follow-up to 154 but which never happened. The opening sonic slaughter of "Go Ahead" (which absolutely destroys the studio version) has to be heard to be believed, drumming mistakes and all. Part two is an excellent version of "Heartbeat" performed in Montreux when Wire opened for Roxy Music (sort of like when Prince opened for The Rolling Stones), much to the chagrin of Roxy's audience. Listen for the whistling. Part three is an excerpt of Wire's last concert for five years: The Electric Ballroom in London on 29/2/80, opened by D.A.F. (and documented by them on DIE KLEINEN UND DIE BOSEN, also on Mute) who were at a starvation-amphetamine meltdown peak. Wire perform an avante-garde/dada performance perfectique, goading the audience with their music and sarcasm, not really indicating if they mean any of it or not. An examination of this document by headphones reveals the absolute apall of the audience, who came to hear "12XU" (which Wire gratefully disembowel) and not the outre art-attack of such pieces as "ZEGK HOQP". By the end, the concert boils down to merely being one big pissing contest. Brilliant and exceptional. Part four is the band's last, posthumous single ("Our Swimmer" b/w the exceptional "Midnight Bahnhof Cafe") added as a bonus and near pre-cursor to what was to come in 1986 with SNAKEDRILL (see "A Serious of Snakes" for the link, "Drill" for the mood). A worthwhile purchase for the casual fan and an absolute must for the die-hard.



4. Though I appreciate all of Wire's studio-albums from the late 70's to the early 90's, I never liked their live-performances. This is because they often turned their great pop-songs into a dissonant, chaotic goulash of sound. This CD-compilation, recorded at three various locations, Notre Dome Hall, Montreux and Electric Ballroom, is completely unlistenable for "normal" people. If any unknown band had served this, nobody would have noticed, but here the critics said:"Oh Wire, this is fabulous art-school-punk!" You may call the performances on this album "experimental", but I really don't know why this gig made such waves. I only give two points, because there are two good studio-recordings thrown in at the end, they're called "Our swimmer" and "Midnight Bahnhof Cafe". But they're not worth buying this album.



5. I'd read so much about the "Electric Ballroom" gig before I ever heard it that I was very excited when I finally got this CD and popped it in my stereo. I wanted to hear what was it that made this gig really famous. I couldn't really hear anything at all, as it turns out. Seriously, I've heard 4th generation bootlegs that sound better than this, and I can't help asking myself "Why did they bother?". Not to rip on Wire or the individual members, mind you, as they are, quite simply, one the best bands that ever existed. This particular album, however, is for completists and/or masochists only.

4 comments about Darkness Forever! Between the Lines in Hamburg and Oslo!.

1. This is by far one of my favorite live albums. Great set of songs. The only real problem I have with it is that the copy I bought in on of the local stores around my house, only has the first 15 tracks. I don't know if I got jipped, or if Amazon has just simply made a type o.
   
   This is a great album to introduce yourself to Turbonegro. If you enjoy it, I reccomend getting Apacolypse Dudes and Ass Cobra. And if you really like it, maybe Scandinavian Leather.



2. You couldn't be there, so hear it like you were. This is a warts and all document of two shows before Hank's breakdown. For a band so close to the edge, they were sharp as a knife. Fantastic recording of a fantastic band. My only complaint would be that Euroboy is not loud enough in some parts, so the solos don't slice like they should. If you've already got all the other albums, there's no reason you shouldn't have this one.



3. Having all their other albums up till the point this one came out, with Ass Cobra as a clear fav, I had some expectations. Ah, but no. The sound is so incredibly bad, that it makes Ass Cobra sound polished, which I'm sorry to say is not a good thing, their version of "I got Erection" lame beyond belief and quite frankly, if you're there and @##%ed up on various stimuli, then it is rather cool to listen to the moronic stage patter, but dead sober it is just right down embarrising listening to Hertis (the lead singer) shouting the Norwegian word for, you know the pleasure center of women, for 5 minutes. Ah well they can't all be as good as Ramones' Its Alive, but this bad??? Come on!!!!



4. If you're reading this, you probably already know how great this band is. Live album from last few dates of European tour before they broke up (again). Amazingly, they sound better (and rougher) live than in the studio. Most of the songs are from "Apocalypse Dudes" but there are a few from "Ass Cobra". Unfortunately, nothing from their early days. Nonetheless, a great live album. Vinyl version comes with extra songs, limited edition poster and artwork.

1 comments about Toured (A Live Album).

1. Big Drill Car (BDC), is one of the bands many have not heard of. Perhaps this isn't the best starting album for someone as it's live, and instead they should buy Batch. However, this album is still so very very good. Wow, they are so clean and crisp and have so much energy (positive mind you) that I just don't see how they didn't get much more popular. Nevertheless, this is an all time favorite album from one of my all time favorite bands. Buy this is you want your world to grow bigger and you want edgy music in your heart and pulsing fire in your veins ha hahaha ahah ahaha h ahaha ha ahah aha ha ha ha

5 comments about 8/12/00 - Tampa, Florida.

1. Take it from a person who was there! This was the best concert I've ever been to, whenever I listen to it I have flash backs, great memories, and this is a great CD



2. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. In this show Pearl Jam rebounded from a couple of way-below average performances in West Palm Beach, and delivered what has to be the one of most intriguing and energetic shows of the entire 2000 tour. The performance is extra gritty and aggressive, and the sound quality is bright, crisp, and clean (except for a recording error during "Last Exit" which causes this song to be placed at the end of the bootleg where it doesn't belong). The set list is full of surprises, with many songs that appear very rarely elsewhere in the series. This show contains the tour's first attempt at the opening combo of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" which then segues directly into "Corduroy." The combo works well here, and they used it to open several subsequent shows. On the quiet and grandiose side, we get the rarities "Indifference" and "Immortality" which are performed especially well on this night, although both of these songs were unfortunately quite rare on the tour. "Garden'" which appeared a few times in Europe, makes its one and only American appearance here, and the band gives the best rendition of this track yet - far better than most of the European versions in which they didn't bother to play the song's powerful finale. One of my personal favorites, "Tremor Christ," appears for the first time in the tour. In the final verse, a mistake by the band actually makes the song even better, as Eddie Vedder forgets to sing for one measure, allowing Stone Gossard to extend his dark feedback noodling into extra-creepy territory. Other standouts this night include a piledriving "Gods' Dice" and especially good takes on "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter..." and "Jeremy."



3. And again thank you PJ for taking on this project to record and release every concert(except, understandably, the tragic one). I admit a great bias as I'm a huge Pearl Jam fan and attended this concert but I still listen to it frequently and cherish the memories of that night spent with friends. The audience participation is wonderful and the interaction still brings chills to me to this day. I would recommend this CD certainly to any fan. I hope to have them all very soon and appreciate reading the reviews especially from the actual concert goer's. It adds an extra perspective to the mood of the night when it happened.



4. I now own five different dates on the tour. This is one by far my least favorite and gets mostly ignored when I decide to listen to some Pearl Jam (which is about twice a day).

   There are a couple things I do not like about this tour date. First, I find it very hard to sit down and listen to either cd from beginning to end without skipping certain portions. For some reason the songs that follow one another never seem to fit. Second, Eddie sounds timid on some songs. Maybe it was the sound, maybe his voice was giving out. Whatever the case his voice is far better on other tour dates.

   My personal favorite so far: San Diego




5. A lot of people are touting Pittsburg as the best show from the first leg, but Eddie makes a few lyrical mistakes and I don't think the setlist is nearly as strong as the Tampa show.

   The highlight of this show, for me, is Eddie leading the audience in Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 during the end of Daughter.

   Overall, this is just a great album.

4 comments about Class War.

1. Saw these guys at a sparsely attended gig in Monterey CA while I was in high school: Kinman brothers looking extremely tall and cool in jeans and denim jackets. They gave the set their all (and played Hendrix in the encore) even though there couldn't have been more than a hundred people watching. The same energy is conveyed on this CD - definitely worth getting! Why this band never became a household name is beyond me.



2. i am listening to the cd right now. it is wonderful! the sound is that great punk sound, so sloppy, crude, and fun - much like the pistols or ny dolls. if you like punk, this is a great obscure find - the kind of group that shows a 'sophisticated' punk taste. the two studio singles are wonderful, the live stuff is ok but the version of 'Class War' is pretty bad. but so what? If you like the overall sound of early punk and appreciate the place of the dils in punk history you won't care really.



3. Who woulda thought a punk band would have a guy named "Chip" in it? Here ya go. The Dils, who never got to record a real album, just a couple singles over their 4 year career as CA rock giants (hell, they opened the last Pistols gig at Candlestick) were a step above the rest of the crop in the genius of their hooky, pop-song formula. This CD is basically side 1 of the now impossible to find (trust me, I've tried) 1987 XXX posthumous "Live" album, and the "I Hate The Rich" single. But that's more then enough. I mean, it's got 2 versions of "You're Not Blank", the ultimate anti-hippie anthem. How can you go wrong?



4. I was excited to find this record cause I'd never heard The Dils, though I'm familiar with the Kinmann bros. other, later projects. This is loud raved up guitar punk pop from the late 70's and is quite reminiscent of early Who singles, but much more raw. The Dils seem to way ahead of the game compared to other punk bands at the time. These folks definitely knew what they were doing. Now if only someone would release the debut of the Kinmann bros. next project, Rank and File, called Sundown, from '82, as well as their 3rd group, Blackbird. Their newest incarnation is Cowboy Nation. They've got a quiet acoustic album of cowboy songs with lots of wit. It's in print so get it now!

2 comments about Universal Madness.

1. Madness are the masters of ska. Infusing a healthy dose into their songs they provide great music to skank to. Their only hit in the US, the fun "Our House", isn't the best representation of their sound. Songs like "My Girl", "The Prince", "One Step Beyond" and especially "Baggy Trousers" show off their ska rhythms. The album is full of hyper energy and in a word, fun.



2. since i last saw madness at finsbury park london, this can't beat it!

1 comments about Streams of Whiskey: Live in Leysin, Switzerland.

1. Having first purchased the CD in 2002 and then the DVD-AUDIO in 2008 I feel that the DVD-Audio is excellent. This recording has been reviewed poorly in the past but I don't share that opinion. Upon first listen one might be put off by Shane's slurred words but any Pogues fan knows what to expect from Shane during this period. If your a Pogues fan then you will certainly enjoy this DVD-AUDIO because you won't find a higher resolution recording of the Pogues (24bit/96kHz) nor will you find them in 5.1 surround. Shane's voice is positioned in the center channel and is very prominent in the mix. All the instruments are nicely spread out and clear sounding. The subwoofer has plenty of bass and the overall mix is very full sounding. This live recording has the energy that I look for in a concert and is a vast improvement on the CD version. Now go get that case of beer or bottle of whiskey and enjoy.

1 comments about Evil Rumours: Live at the Basement.

1. X are the greatest band you never heard of. Their brand of rock n' roll is of the most brutal and primitive, yet humorous and cool, nature.
   
   Even in their native Australia, they are unknown outside the inner sanctum of 30 and 40-something inner city hipsters in Sydney and Melbourne.
   
   There is no US or British equivalent. They are that rare and special. A live X experience is absolutely unforgettable.
   
   This live album is a departure from their norm - recorded at Sydney's premier jazz club rather than the usual sticky carpet pub. As a 25th birthday commemoration they added strings and violins etc. to their original four piece sound. Still they couldn't help themselves -the raw punk energy still howls through. Testament to the power of their songwriting is how outstandingly well they stand up to these re-workings.
   
   Three members dead since their 1977 inception, this album is a triumphal testament to their brilliance. They're still unknown, yet the most legendary and seminal of Australian bands amongst those who know. There's no other way to say it.

1 comments about August 29 & 30 1995.

1. another amazing gravity records release. this band in my opinion was one of the best to come out of the whole fast/dischordant san diego scene. this record is a live recording from two shows on august 29 & 30 @ the fireside bowl in chicago, il. luckly i was at the actual shows. the record contains songs from "orcastrated and conducted by" and songs from the ep "river of souls" its fast, powerful and emotionally charged. this record is for fans of antioch arrow, swing kids, the locust, etc

1 comments about Greatest Hits Live.

1. When I listened the alarm, the first time was with the Strength album, Spirit of '76, Knife Edge, One Step Closer to Home and Absolute Reality it was like U2 I thought on that time, I like the acoustic sounds, and energy they gave with their songs. I became a big fan since then. When I saw The Alarm Greatest Hits Live online, I couldn't resist it to get it. I didn't saw any review. Just saw the list of songs, and with my closed eyes ordered at amazon.
   
   I was right, this album gave me pure energy when I listened. Playing all their greatest hits live, I can't resist it. The alarm make me feel that I was in this performance. It came a lot of memories when I was younger, The Alarm still have a lot to give, strong songs that it will prevail forever. I like to compare The Alarm with U2 I think they have similiar sounds, energy and vital songs. Hopping some day they visit Monterrey just like U2 did last year.