2 comments about BBC Live in Concert, 1977-1991.

1. Allow me to quote from the liner notes:

   "Despite constant jockeying for the domineering musical position by each member of the band, resulting as it did, in mass overplaying of the most heinous, self centered manner, and not withstanding the excoriating cancerous vocal style I employed (reviewers note: THAT'S WHAT HE SOUNDS LIKE-LIKE HE HAS A CHOICE) devoid of subtlety, nuance and all the other qualities of finesse I deem more important today, GP and the Rumour still manage somehow to coalesce into a full blooded whole some nights of the year that defied gravity, overshadowing shortcomings, and at times made us sound like the most vital rock 'n roll band on the planet."

   That about summarizes my opinion of this album - an album as full of bombast as the excerpt above.

   It is a loud rock album if you just sort of let it play, but if you listen closely it is something you warm up to, as if, as stated in the quote above, the band sometimes really gels. On this album they seem really in a groove.

   Sounding a little like a drunk Elvis Costello, GP and friends really rip through a bunch of songs that all sort of sound the same, and they all sort of sound great.

   Oh, and this CD contains, like, the 52nd different version of "Mercury Poisoning." Not a bad thing, really.




2. This album is uniformly excellent, a surprisingly consistent effort, especially since it was cobbled together from live appearances spanning 14 years. Listening to it, you could be convinced it was from a single tour, no small compliment. All the songs sound great, especially the two tracks from his later, more tepid albums. As a fan, it's a treat to get some great live albums since GPs studio efforts have been relatively disappointing since THE MONA LISA'S SISTER, indeed, he may be the only artist who makes live albums that are better than his studio efforts. The fact that his later songs sound better live implies that GPs problem of late has been his devotion to studio perfection. Parker is a basic rock n roller, the kind of straight ahead artist whose sound can be easily be over produced, and this would seem to be what has been going on. Maybe he should hire Nick Lowe to `bash out' his next album.

1 comments about Cowboy Nation.

1. Chris Wall's "Cowboy Nation" is good country music like it should be. No Nashville over-production. If you like to line-dance, you'll hate this album. If you think line-dancing is a travesty and know what dance halls were made for, you'll love this album. This album is loaded with classic Chris Wall. I couldn't pick a best track; there are waltzes, two-steps and good driving music. If you like Chris Wall, also

3 comments about Live '72.

1. I cannot believe my good fortune to get a copy of the vintage Flatlanders and playing LIVE at that! The liner notes indicate this is almost a bootleg of a live performance at a small Texas roadhouse. The Flatlanders are almost a mystical group to begin with. Who else would use a musical saw along with the traditional Tex-Mex mix? Joe, Jimmy and Butch show off their amazing individual talents and really bring it home, as this group effort will attest. It was a long time from this effort in '72 to their most recent releases, but if you are a Flatlanders fan you should give this a listen. It gives you a very nice musical perspective on where they came from and where they are going. If you are reading this you are probably a Flatlanders fan already...I'm preaching to the choir!



2. This is a treaure, no doubt about it. For the fans, that is. If you've never heard the Flatlanders before, I would recomend that you start with their one and only studio recording (released as More A Legend Than A Band). The sound on this recording is closer to a bootleg than a professional live recording. It doesn't sound at all bad, considering the circumstances under which it was recorded. Jimmie Dale Gilmore's voice could cut through anything and he sounds great here, especially on the outstanding take on Townes van Zandt's classic Tecumsah Valley. Only three songs on this record appeared on their studio album, so if you like that one, this is a great follow-up.



3. What an amazing document of this legendary alt-country band, live in action during its faint, glimmering, short-lived first incarnation. These recordings were apparently made in front of an audience of less than a dozen people, the sum total of the patrons of a teensy Texas watering hole known as the Knite... You'd never know it was a near-empty room, though, from the intensity with which the threesome tackled each and every song. They were clearly a powerful, powerfully earnest band, covering oldies and adding new tunes to the hard country canon... These soundcheck recordings are remarkable for a variety of reasons... First off, songwriter Butch Hancock doesn't sing at all, while Jimmie Dale Gilmore was the main vocalist, surprising in itself, but made even more remarkable when you hear Joe Ely's vocals cut through on a couple of tunes -- Ely, the growling, grizzled road-warrior-to-be, singing with a high, youthful, almost nervous voice, singing beautifully, with a sincerity that matched the music. Although the studio album that came out of this group's first year was a bit on the reserved side, these live recordings are passionate and compelling: this is what a real 'billy band sounded like, back in the earliest days of the "outlaw" era. And it was mighty fine. Highly recommended!

5 comments about I Heard They Suck Live!!.

1. no body take the mik out of nofx they r the best band 2 eva enter the earth they rule live i have seen them live 4 times i like em that much everythin is in tune they sing it all rite the talking 2 the crowd and brings it all together they even have mistakes in it nuffin has bin cut out i love the cd its probally there best album apart from war on erroism i love these guys keep goin :P



2. NOFX really do suck live. On CD, at least. Like most "live" albums, this one does not bring out the band's good side. They sound terrible and the cheering and screaming takes away from the music. If you're interested in hearing them live - go see a live show instead!



3. All the goods are on it! waw! what a show it probably was!



4. This is totally the best LIVE record in all the geners in history after LP's LIVE IN TEXAS. I also think it's NOFX's best CD.



5. The quality of this recording incredible, the between song banter is hilarious and the songs they perform are great. I can't think of any other live album by any band that even compares to this. Not only is it a great punk rock disc but it is also going to make you laugh your a** off. BUY THIS CD TODAY!

5 comments about Extended Versions.

1. Live versions not necessarily the best versions, a bit disappointing.



2. Here's the track listing. Really, I'm doing their job for them.

   1. Stand or Fall - 5:31
   2. Red Skies - 4:43
   3. One Thing Leads to Another - 3:22
   4. Saved by Zero - 5:53
   5. Secret Separation - 5:39
   6. Lost Planes - 3:27
   7. Precious Stone - 4:37
   8. Deeper and Deeper - 4:34
   9. Two Different Views - 3:36
   10. Driven Out - 6:13




3. I really expected to hear the original "Saved By Zero" and other great Fixx songs extended or maybe remixed by digital means or whatever...but come to find out these are really pathetic (yes, pathetic) versions of these songs. The vocals are poor, the cool intricate guitar licks are replaced by 90's style leads, some songs are so poorly mixed you can't even hear the keyboard...and I swear some are actually in mono...mono? Like I said in the beginning...if you want extended...listen to the original twice.



4. Having very little exposure to The Fixx other than their hits on various 80's collections, I figured I'd drop the [$] for this one and give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. One of the better acoustic albums I've heard... Worth consideration for those new to The Fixx.



5. I was disappointed to find that the title of this album was misleading (probably not by accident). These are not extended studio-versions, but all live-, or acousic-versions of songs that have already been released on previous albums. If you are looking for a more complete collection of songs by The Fixx (and already have their other albums), "Extended Versions" will give you nothing new.

5 comments about Testify.

1. The two live tracks on this single are from the DVD "The Battle of Mexico City." They are unreleased on CD and not from "Live & Rare" or "Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium." The two remixes of Testify are also unreleased. I give this a five star rating because of the unreleased material which is worth having.



2. This is a great single.
   The first remix of testify is really good, with differant music.
   The rownena project remix is good.
   The two live track's are awsome.
   I have all ther albums but this was still worth getting.



3. RATM knows how to make singles. The great first track from "The Battle Of Los Angeles", "Testify", is the highlight, with two great remixes complementing it. The first mix, the Testifly Mix, has a nice drum beat that is reminiscent of Brad Wilk's drumming in Evil Empire. The second mix, the Rowena Projects Mix, has a heavy techno influence that would violate RATM's commitment to "all sounds produced by guitars, vocals, drums", but nevertheless, I like it. The single also has awesome live versions of "Guerrilla Radio" and "Freedom". It's worth getting even if you already own "The Battle Of Los Angeles".



4. Darn it! Is it me, or does Rage Against the Machine put out the best singles? I have Battle of LA, and I like Testify and Guerillia Radio. I can only imagine how much money Rage rakes in with these awsome singles. I wish they would just make longer, limited Ep's or something. This is awsome, but Rage should take example of Incubus and make a limited, worthy Ep.



5. Testify is one of my personal favorite rage songs. This single has the studio version plus two remixes of the song Testify. It also has two live tracks, also found on the Sleep Now in the Fire singles. The two remixes are prettty good and the two live tracks are really good.

2 comments about Different Directions: The Last Show [CD plus DVD].

1. I love Champion. Dont get me wrong in any of this.
   This DVD/CD is just not listen-able. The quality for audio just cant get me into it. I was hoping for better quality, and its quiet a shame. Its neat to own because it is their last show and it has a few neat clips from the band talking. But the show is just not something I enjoy listening to. The vocals are non existant, and super compressed. The music is lackluster in the recordings. For a band that was so powerful, it makes them look sloppy. Sorry, I guess I was just hoping for more.



2. This band has meant so much to so many people over the years and this DVD was a great way for them to go out. This, their last show ever in Seattle was amazing. Great filmwork and the audio is amazing. Great buy for the price.

1 comments about Friday the Thirteenth: Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

1. I'm not a huge fan of live releases because the studio versions always sound better so whats the point? This is definetly an exception to that rule. I would dare say that this is the 2nd or 3rd best live disc I've heard behind Peter Frampton, and The Beatles. The music hall this was recorded in, Royal Albert Hall, sounds awesome and The Stranglers have a 13 piece string arraingement to back them up, it really works well. I got this as a cutout for less than $5.00(US) with shipping, I'd dare say even if this was your first Stranglers purchase it would be a good one.

No comments about Apollo Revisited.

5 comments about 29/5/00 - Wembley Arena, London, England.

1. This is the fourth show in Pearl Jam's mammoth 2000 world tour. They opened with Lisbon, a solid show, went to Barcelona which was a little rusty, then to San Sebastian which was half brilliant and half disaster.

   This first night at Wembley is fantastic, however, and outranks the first three shows combined. This is Pearl Jam getting down to business, and it shows in the performance. Great versions of old and new songs abound over both discs. The concert begins with five straight songs from Binaural, all of which are fantastic (especially "Of The Girl," a perfect "Grievance," and a blistering "Breakerfall"). "Gods' Dice" features the band making its only real technical mistake of the night, but it's forgivable, since it was the first time the song had been played on the tour. The older songs are just as good: "Animal," "Even Flow," "Daughter," and "MFC" are all really great.

   If the first disc isn't convincing enough, the second puts it over the top. We have here the best performances yet of "Black," "Rearviewmirror," and "Yellow Ledbetter." Also included is a fine "Insignificance," a stellar "Alive," two great covers ("Soldier Of Love" and "Timeless Melody"), a rarity ("I Got S--t"), and a funny take on the song "Soon Forget." The next night would be almost as good, but did not match this, the first truly inspired gig on the tour.




2. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This bootleg shows Pearl Jam still getting their mammoth 2000 world tour rolling, and this evening is one of the more competent performances of the early part of the tour. As compared to the bootleg series in general, this is definitely an above-average performance, but not one of the greats. The band is mostly rocking hard, and the overall performance is pretty solid, but not too mind-blowing. This show also has a rather predictable and slow-moving set list, with only a couple of surprises like the uncommon "Faithful," plus the cover of "Timeless Melody" by The La's. Some of the highlights of the evening include energetic renditions of "Given To Fly," "Black," and "Alive." Unfortunately there are a few too many errors, indicating that it's still early in the tour. This includes a breakdown in the final chorus of "Gods' Dice" and an extremely rickety take on the cover "Soldier of Love." Eddie Vedder screws up "Soon Forget" pretty badly, but this can be attributed to the crowd's off-time clapping, and this is actually a pretty funny moment in the show. Also, there is something wrong with the audio mix during much of the first disc, as the mid-range seems to be missing and Jeff Ament is almost inaudible. These problems were apparently fixed by the middle of the show. If you are only in the market for a few of these official Pearl Jam bootlegs, this one is a mostly solid and rocking performance, but it's not one of the greats in the series. However, one of the greats happens to be the following show, also in London the next evening, which is an incredible performance and one of the best of the European series.



3. I had the honour of being present at this concert, the first time I have ever seen Pearl Jam live, and I can assure you it will not be the last. I will be there whenever they visit these shores in the future.

   The favourites are all here, RVM, Alive, Courdroy and Go, and you will never hear Vedders vocals clearer than when they are recorded straight from the soundboard as they are on this bootleg series. I have since bought 11 of the series with the view to buying the whole collection before this year is out.

   Matt Cameron has superb timing in all of the numbers on show here, and proves that his timing is by far the best of all the Roster of Pearl Jam drummers they preceded him.

   Vedder delivers vocals clearly and with the passion that we have come to expect from one of the great vocalists of out time. His banter with the croud is also very humorous and I must say enlightening as I have been so used to his rants which to be honest go nowhere, and bring negativity to previous gigs.

   In conclusion, not the finest of the bootleg series, that honour goes to the "Live in San Sebastian, Spain" gig, but a worthy addition to any collection.




4. I went to this show, the band's 1st in Europe since 1996. It was on a public holiday in England so the venue was pretty full by late afternoon. There was a genuine air of anticipation and excitement at the prospect of seeing America's finest band - and they showed why they deserve the title.

   Starting with 5 tracks from Binaural the band were at ease with themselves and the crowd, and ran through a well paced set which included 2 of the best non - album tracks, I got ID and the classic Yellow Ledbetter.

   The moment that summed up the evening was Mike playing the solo to Ledbetter while the rest of the guys watched in appreciation.

   I have got 18 of the European shows, this ranks in the top 5.

   All credit to Amazon.com for listing all of the series, and for all the information regarding each release.




5. I was so happy when Pearl Jam announced that they were releasing 25 different bootleg CD's. And as Pearl Jam fan I got so extatic that I was going to buy them all at once. Now that didn't go as planned as I thought. So I started off by buying this one. And I couldn't believe how good the sound quality was. I have some old PJ bootlegs that sound really awful compared to this one. This gig was the first of two nights at the (soon to be) legendary Wembley Arena. And it's difficult to say how the concert was visually. But it sounds like there's thousands of people. How many I don't know but Wembley holds 72.000 people. Anyway the choice of songs on this record is quite weird. They start off with 5 songs of the new record. I guess that they wanted the crowd to hear the new stuff. Because that record was just released. There's the standard PJ tracks from all the five records as well. And after a encore break, Eddie starts to speak a lot about London as a religious place over the clouds and stuff. And he talks about all those famous people that has influenced him. From The Beatles to The Who, but then they play a The La's track "Timeless Melody". Which is really cool because I didn't know Eddie was into that group. Anyway this CD is really good and I recommend every PJ fan to buy it. The best track on this CD is Daughter. That has the now famous "It's Okay" add to it. It gives you shiver down the spine.