3 comments about It's Now! It's Live!.

1. I had high hopes when I stumbled upon this import, because the track list included some of the Mavericks' best songs. I was particularly encouraged to see that the program featured "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down," a song I'd watched them perform on TV. That performance, which must have run at least 10-15 minutes, was a tour de force, with great solos by several members of the group. I assumed the reason for this CD's short track list was that "Bottle" and the six other songs appeared in extended concert versions. For the most part, that proved to not be the case: The whole disc clocks in at only about 30 minutes and "Bottle" appears in a relatively prosaic three-minute version. Don't get me wrong: There's not a bad track on the album, and Mavericks fans should enjoy every minute. There just aren't enough of those minutes, and "Bottle" in particular will disappoint anyone who has seen what the Mavericks can do with it.



2. I bought this CD about 8 months ago, put it in the 6th disc slot in my car and have never removed it. This is a great CD -- all of their best songs performed live!! The Mavericks are hard to categorize -- they aren't really country and they aren't really alt country. But, if you are ready for something that is a little bit different and haven't yet become a Mavericks fan, get this CD. My favorite song on this CD, Rancho Grande, really showcases the Mavericks talent and unique taste.



3. The Mavericks have done it again, a spectacular display of their fun-loving live style. The highlights include "Tonight the Bottle let me Down", and the new studio cut of "I Don't Care if You Love Me Anymore". No true Mavericks fan can be without it.

No comments about Sid Lives.

No comments about Real Time Stood Still.

5 comments about Live in Japan, February 19th, 21st, and 22nd, 2003.

1. Are you kidding me? This stuff is beautiful. Nothing like I thought it would sound like...If anyone has heard Jeff Mangum from NMH do his live stuff, this live recording from Phil Evrum and The Microphones is along those lines ( however the crowd seems a bit removed). Anyone who appreciates beautiful, personal, haunting music should like this. A lot of the other Microphones albums seemed like experiments...variations on the same theme, all leading up to the opus, Glow Pt. 2 and to some extent the more metaphysical Mt. Eerie. This live recording is a deviation from that theme. These feel like 'straight-up' songs. get it, borrow it, download it, whatever...just listen.



2. So, I loved Mt. Eerie, I thought it was Phil's best work ever, I was excited to see where he would go from there. And, granted, a live album doesn't necessarily represent his vision for future studio works, but I still found this disheartening. Arrogant, self-indulgent, boring,preachy. Those are some adjectives, this album brings them to my mind.
   There are a few tracks that I really like, mostly the ones where it's just Phil and his guitar (though some of those ones conjur up the same adjective-list for me), but overall I hate this album. I never expected a Microphones CD to have horrid groove-jams or long wanky guitar passages; and though the jams and wanks on "Live in Japan" are extremely sloppy and technically naive, that doesn't do much to endear them to me.



3. i wanted a cd that had steel drums on it like when i saw phil perform in the bay area. sadly i got a bunch of songs that aren't that great at all. The guy sings off key in many instances and also has a tendancy to have songs with horrible endings (songs feel incomplete). I appreciate lo-fi, off key, but not when its so overwhelmingly bad and purposeless. Don't buy this, buy the glow pt 2. at least half the songs don't suck.



4. So this is the last title we'll ever get under the name The Microphones (or rather, the only title we'll ever have under the name, "The Microphones"), and it's a great one. Phil Elverum plans on changing the name to Mt. Eerie from this point on, which is unfortunate really. No, Mt. Eerie wasn't a bad album (it was damn good!), but in listening to it we heard Phil Elverum explore concepts far beyond any scope he has ever attempted ("Universe / I see your face / looks just like mine"). It's unfortunate. Of course the voice was as heartfelt and captivating as ever, but the appeal of Phil Elverum the lyricist is that he can present the simplest images that drip with raw human emotion - he can display a character, an action, or a dialogue in such a way that we, the listeners, can assume the back story and can feel all of the emotions used in constructing the song ("The Moon" for example). With Mt. Eerie, he strayed from humanity, producing a great album nonetheless.

   However, with this live album, the fans are in for a treat. Here, Elverum has actually achieved new heights in displaying his personal emotions. He voice searches for the pitches, fails, cries, and even screams at itself ("Thanksgiving"). We have here utterly beautiful songs of self-doubt sung with as much conviction as I've ever heard from Phil. Additionally, the few flaws from Mt. Eerie are not at all present here; there are few moments of certainty, which is by no means a bad thing. In moments in "Universe Conclusion" Phil and company wail, "We know there are/ there are hearts beneath those skins." We take take a thing for granted, and that's what Phil is good at - showing us what we should have been seeing all along. Musically, the CD is very good. We have here some of the great musical elements from The Microphones' past: The clean-tone electric guitar that worked so well in "Solar System" is here in "Climb Over" and "I Love You So Much!," the blending of the Calvin Johnson and Kyle Field on reminds us of Mt. Eerie's finer moments, "The Blow Pt. 2," is taken directly from "It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water," and exploding bit of distortion in "Universe Conclusion" reminiscent of "Don't Wake Me Up" and of course, the fantastic "Great Ghosts" is an acoustic piece as poignant as any we've ever heard. We also have new musical sounds: improvised sections that prove the group's musicianship despite its charming sloppiness. I wish "After N. Young" was a bit longer, and a few other minor things, but overall, a fantastic album. And one more side note - no, this is not "The Glow Pt. 2," and nothing much can touch it (Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over The Sea" being the one album I am currently putting ahead of it), but let's be glad that Phil Elverum is exploring new musical ideas rather than trying to recreate the same album over and over again




5. I can hear the questions now coming from Microphones fans all over the world: "Didn't Phil change the name of the band to Mt. Eerie?" Technically, yes. Following the release of the Mount Eerie album, Phil Elverum announced that he was no longer going to record under the name of the Microphones, preferring instead to adopt the name of that album. However (or so I read) he did not want the first recording under the new name to be a live CD and since, when Live in Japan was recorded, he was still calling the entity by that name, he left it alone for this album. This explains the quotes around "The Microphones" on the cover. Got it? Good.

   Now that we're past all that...If you only know the music of the Microphones from the albums, you're in for a surprise. There is no previously recorded music on this album; unlike most live CDs, this is not simply a rehash of his other work. After recording Mount Eerie, Elverum took some time off and went to Norway, where he apparently became very inspired and wrote dozens of songs. When he subsequently went on tour, he took all this new music on the road with him. One example, the minimalist "Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano" (also the name of a prior incarnation of Khaela Maricich's The Blow), appears exclusively on the Invisible Shield compilation and is not included on Live in Japan. But if you've heard that, it is a shining example of the kind of music that appears on this CD.

   Elverum begins with what is possibly the best song on the album, "Great Ghosts." It's a moody exploration of the northern regions and their great history. Then, showing that he has a sense of humor about himself, the next song is entitled "The Blow, Pt. 2," which not only recalls his breakthrough 2001 album, The Glow, Pt. 2, but also continues his practice of naming songs after Khaela Maricich's various band names. At the end, he also caused me to hearken back to an older song "I Want My Wind to Blow" as he wails those words at the end of the song.

   Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening) and Kyle Field (Little Wings) appear on two songs: "Universe Conclusion"--which, by its title and epic 11-minute length, sounds as if it might have been an outtake from the Mount Eerie album, but contains something very different and moving as Johnson and Field drone a call-and-response "We know there are" to everything Elverum tells them; and "I love you so much!" where their contribution includes asking the musical question "What do you love?" Johnson, Field, and Elverum all have fantastic, distinctive voices and I've never heard them blended before. It's a mind-opening experience. It must have really been something to have been sitting in the audience and seeing three musical geniuses on the same stage.

   Really, the whole album carries that kind of wonder with it. When Phil does seemingly spontaneous riffs on the Christmas classics "My Favorite Things" and "Silent Night," it's easy to imagine that he has found lost verses of these songs, they suit the music so well. (Perhaps we'll get a Christmas album from Elverum one of these days? I'd certainly pick that up.) As fans wait for the upcoming Mount Eerie "debut," this couldn't be a better tideover. All new material, an intimate venue with surprisingly excellent sound quality, and an evening (or three) spent with the final days of the Microphones with special guests. A marvelous experience.

5 comments about Le Bataclan '72.

1. Strong but mixed. Evidence that John Cale had not yet reached his level, the Reed tracks outshine Cale's input here, although Cale's solo output taken as a whole today certainly matches Reed's in quality, and perhaps bests it in consistency. "Waiting for My Man" with the classic deadpan introduction ("This is a song about copping drugs in New York") is played almost at dirge pace, but is an excellent, almost definitive version, a most welcome interpretation. "Berlin," also memorably introduced by Reed as his "Barbara Striesand song" is a stunner here, better than the album version, the stark accompaniment only heightens the decadence and heartache of the lyric. "Wild Child" is highly enjoyable, though seemingly unfinished, song that Reed never released on a studio album and contains the killer line "then she settled down with some wine/ which is what happens most of the time." The version of "Herion" is also excellent. Overall, the Reed set is of the highest possible quality. Cale's songs are interesting, but less essential, although "The Biggest Loudest Hariest Group of All" is a blast, a rare move into humor by Cale, and seems like some kind of precursor to Spinal Tap. Nico is in excellent form on the standards, "I'll Be Your Mirror" and "All Tomorrow's Parties."



2. I am a fan of Lou Reed and the VU but I have to warn you that the recording is terrible! Definitely the worst sounding CD that I have ever listened to and I am not one of those experts. I had to stop listening! Could not stand the way the voice and music of Lou Reed was terribly mistreated. Does Lou know about this? This CD should have a label warning people that it could affect your hearing sensibility! Besides that I think Lou was in a very bed mood, look at the pictures, he seems so depressed to be there, and could not care less singing. It can have a minimum value only for scholars of Lou and VU.



3. Sorry to rain on the parade of everybody who thinks, "Oh, well, that's what you get with an 'official bootleg'"...but this thing is bad, bad, BAD. The old bootleg versions(which were culled from one or the other of two sources, a soundboard recording and an audience recording) actually sound better than the official release of "Le Bataclan '72".
   There were minor problems with the performance itself, of course--such as when the mic fed back on 'The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group of All'--but most of the awful sound on this disc comes from the source tape that was used. Contrary to the liner notes, it's obvious that there was no attempt at remastering; the tape was waaaaaay too slow and they didn't try to correct the speed. 'Berlin' and the new arrangement for 'The Black Angel's Death Song' are interesting, but it sure would be nice to hear them the way they were played that night in Paris.
   Number one gripe: during the second verse of 'Heroin', the tape cuts out for a split second. Listen closely and you'll hear it. Couldn't the people who put this release together have used the other source tape--at least for 'Heroin'--when they realized that there was a glitch? This drives me crazy every time I hear it.
   Sloppy work. As I said, avoid.



4. Bought this album on a whim today, after hearing a few tracks off of it. Sounded decent enough for me to buy.

   It essentially, as one already put it, a "VU Unplugged" style of album. Some of the songs sound kinda neat in a different atmosphere or performance than originally recorded in a studio environment.

   The sound quality is a bit dissapointing. Sure, for those of you well-accustomed to VU recordings, particularly their demo songs or live bootlegs, this isn't that bad. But as has been said, it could have, with modern re-mastering technology, been much improved. The mic feeds back severely during Cale's "The Biggest, Loudest, Hariest Group Of All", and there is some slight distortion on a lot of the tracks. While some of these are inevitable to be seen on the recording, I feel there was much that could have been done to repair the bootleg. The last two tracks, enclosed as a "limited edition bonus", are pretty much crap. I even think the quality of the demos on the first disc of the "Peel Slowly And See" box set sound better than these two.

   All said, it's a decent album, and if you don't have the bootleg version of this recording (sorry to some reviewers; just because you're a VU fan doesn't mean you have access to these expensive, hard to find bootlegs), it's a good way to go. One more note: Amazon says only 10,000 copies of the limited edition packaging will have the last two bonus tracks on them. Huh. My disc's serial number (they are all numbered) is 10,078. Hmmm.




5. I am a die-hard Velvets freak, and have had the Bataclan bootleg in various forms for some time now. I thus consider myself reasonably qualified to assess this release.

   The overall performance is very tastey. This version of "Black Angel's" is spooky and dark, but not blood curdling as it is on the Banana album. It conjurs visions of Gypsies dancing around a trash can fire in some littered Lower East Side back alley under a crimson moon (or at least an orange sky). Likewise, Cale's "Ghost Story" and all of Nico's material are at once creepy and pretty. They represent a certain bittersweet maturity that prevails throughout this set much like the dry wisdom and blushing warmth one might detect in a well-aged cabernet. "I'm Waiting for the Man" is perfectly introduced by Lou ("Hello. Took us a while to get here. This is a song about copping drugs in New York"). The song is given sublime treatment until Lou F***s up the lyrics by substituting the "brownstone" segment with a repeat of the "here he comes" verse. I sadly have to admit that this flub turns what would have been a stellar version into a decent version that gets monotonous toward the end. Oh well...

   The highlight is Heroin. With this version (my favorite), we are treated to one of Lou's best vocal performances of all time. I also find the simple but poignant accompaniment of Lou's acoustic and Cale's droning viola to be much more compelling than the Banana arrangement (and certainly light years better than those wretched Peel Slowly and See demo versions).

   What we get in performance, however, we lose in quality. Now granted, this should be no surprise considering the low-fi nature of most other officially released live VU material (I actually have a pristine copy from the End of Cole Ave master that sounds far better than the sources used for the original Live album). Nevertheless, there really is no excuse for having been so totally asleep at the wheel while remastering this release (In truth, I suspect there really was no remastering whatsoever). At the very least, it is in dire need of pitch correction. There are times when Lou's voice sounds so slowed down that I half expect to hear secretly embedded satanic messages. I actually took it upon myself to fix the speed in Cool Edit Pro, and in 15 minutes I was done.

   Which brings me to my point. This set is worth getting for VU fans, especially if they have access to pitch correction software. But this is probably not for n00bs or casual fans. Nice that it's out there, but shame on those who were supposedly "overseeing" this project. ZzzzZzzzZzzzz....

5 comments about Live.

1. THE TRILOGY OF DEBUT ALBUMS, 1993-1996
   
   Music (1993)
   Debut Trilogy Part 1: An original, energetic, raw, explosive fusion of rock, hip hop, funk, reggae and rap. About two-thirds of the songs are re-worked versions of the band's best songs from the Omaha years. The other third are butt-kicking new songs made just for this release. This album says, "This is what we can do."
   
   Grassroots (1994)
   Debut Trilogy Part 2: An exploration of their roots, a musical journey of growing up from the ground up. This album says, "This is where we came from."
   
   311, "self-titled" or "the blue album" (1995)
   Debut Trilogy Part 3: A crisp, tight, bold, definitive, well-oiled machine. This album says, "This is what we are."
   
   The previous three LPs are all tied for my favorite 311 album, and I admit my hard-hitting rock-rap bias.
   
   Enlarged to Show Detail (1996)
   A "behind the scenes" DVD Epilogue to the Debut Trilogy containing interviews, music videos, concert footage, etc. - with a bonus EP of outtakes from 1995.
   
   
   THE TRANSITION YEARS, 1997-2001
   
   Transistor (1997)
   4th Studio LP: The next phase in the evolution begins with this ambitious and psychedelic exploration of 311's unique style. This is their longest album, and it shows a marked increase in the sing/rap ratio. Transistor is my 4th favorite release (or 2nd fave if you count the first three LPs as one).
   
   311 Live (1998)
   A complilation of live versions of songs from the 1993-97 releases. If you only get into 311's first four studio albums and you enjoy listening to music that was recorded live in concert, then you will probably like this CD. However, I recommend the 311 Day DVD (2004) instead.
   ...
   Enlarged to Show Detail #2 (2001)
   DVD Epilogue to the Transition Years containing interviews, music videos and concert footage - with a bonus EP of outtakes from 99 and 01. I actually like this well-produced DVD better than the original ETSD.
   
   
   THE NEW SCHOOL, 2002-?
   ...
   Live in New Orleans - 311 Day (2004)
   Only four songs are missing from this epic five-hour concert (which I attended). This DVD features the live performance of 64 songs, mostly from 311's 1990-2003 releases. A handful of rare outtakes and covers were also played, including a reggae classic from Led Zeppelin.



2. If you haven't seen 311 live, do it now! Seriously, this album proves that they sound just as great.
   
   Unfortunatly, this is just a souvenir. It does feature three ample changes (applied Science with it's drum solo, ) and 2 songs not featured on the albums (well, one's rare, who's got the Herb makes it's only appearance here). These songs are must here's, but the rest are just a souvenir, with the atmosphere that most people love. I would rather just see them live whenever I can. I reccomend finding a way to pay for the live songs on a service.
   
   This ain't the live expirence. See them live instead, then save the rest for an afterthought. Do the rest.
   
   6.0/10



3. This is a fairly sweet live album from 311, even if it is a little predictable. Actually I'm glad to see that it's not just a live hits collection, however I do love "Transistor" and "All Mixed Up". My biggest beef though is where's "Do You Right"? I mean c'mon. This also, as good as it is, struggles in some spots to re-create their live energy. I'd send the newcomer to the "Greatest Hits" disc, and call this mostly a fanatic must, especially with "Who's Got The Herb" included. As always, listening to anything from 311 "Feels So Good".



4. This album ranks in the top three albums of all time. This band is simply the best...nobody can match their punk, funk, rock sound. A must have.



5. If you're not familiar with 311 or you're new, this album is a must for all fans alike. There are no fillers in this one and it's sure to keep you pleased.

   A fine note: We're tributed to a drum solo by Chad Sexton on Applied Science. Chad is an awesome drummer and you shouldn't look him over. There are also solos from P-Nut and Tim Mahoney. The quality isn't bad, and I prefer some of these songs live rather then the studio versions. Some great examples are Omaha Stylee, Hydroponic, Who's Got the Herb, Beautiful Disaster, and Nix Hex.

   Put it in, press play, and enjoy.

1 comments about Ritualism.

1. You might be able to find a more affordable copy somewhere else. I recently found a used copy and was very pleased. This is Radio Birdman playing live in the studio from the 1996 reunion tour. They're absolutely buring on every song. The version of TV Eye is totally out of control and includes a little bit of MC5's Looking At You. Saw these guys twice on the re-union tour a year or so ago. Inspirational!
   
   Check out Mighty High...In Drug City if you like the high energy Detroit/NYC/Australia sound.

1 comments about 40 Oz. of Hardcore.

1. Absolutely awesome. Solid hardcore about having a good time without some stupid peta hippiecore message. This is the band by which all NYHC should be measured. Yes, I did just say that. So buy this album, and while youre at it grab a beer. You're probably going to want to get trashed and break/hurt things. Don't be ashamed. Its fun. Tracks of note: Olde-E, Skinheads Rule, Microwave, Sanity, and 22 oz of Pain. The entire damn album.

No comments about Instant Live: Emerald Theater - Mt. Clemens, MI, 11/12/05.

5 comments about Sphinctour.

1. Amazingly good production quality for a live CD. Ministry knows their fan base because they deliver what is truly a set of greatest hits here. Of course their are great songs that are not here but if we're reasonable about it, one can't deny that the stuff the majority of fans would want to hear at a Ministry concert are right here. I find this CD on par with Bob Seger Live Bullet, Rare Earth live, AC/DC If You Want Blood You Got it live, Prong 100% live and other eternally great live Albums such as those. One of the best live CD's available.



2. There is not much to know about this album or what to say about this band. For many people they defined the public face of industrial music in the nineties and this album shows you why they're revered as one of the world's best live acts.
   Compiled from songs recorded on their 1996 European and US Filth Pig tour, when Paul Barker was still in the band, it sounds loose and raw as it was on the night and that means being right up the front with the band not standing on the sidelines like In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (ICYDFLSU).
   As you'd expect from the time period the set list draws heavily from the two mid-nineties releases Psalm 69 and Filth Pig. Opening with Psalm 69 followed by stomping versions of Crumbs, Reload and Filth Pig then into the three prong attack of One Fix, NWO and Hero with Thieves thrown in for good measure. Extended versions of Scarecrow and Lava are next and it ends with a startling version of The Fall.
   Every track is faithful to the album versions, but live Ministry allow the song layers to expand and breathe - witness the ethereal quality in Scarecrow, the bludgeoning Crumbs and the goose pimple inducing Psalm 69, its amazing five people can trigger this amount of volume. The tight editing job keeps the crowd noise to a minimum (you wouldn't guess each track was cut from different shows) which means great vocals, great drum sounds and most importantly, great thick, noisy, guitar tone.
   While not as urgent as ICYDFLSU Sphinctour will be of interest to more than just the completist fan. Casual listeners wanting a good introduction to Ministry's middle period could do worse than pick this up because it never outstays its welcome.



3. Simply one of the best live CD's I've ever heard.'Sphinctour' was recorded on the band's 1996 world tour in support of their 'Filth Pig' effort.Superb sound mix,it just doesn't get any better than this.Each of the CD's eleven gut-crutching tracks were recorded from a different city,like Toronto,Hamburg,etc.However,'Sphinctour' SOUNDS as if it were one continuous show.I LOVE that in a live album.Shows class,I think.Tunes I found that were more than worth repeated plays include the in-your-face "Psalm 69","Reload","Just One Fix"(know several fans that say this is their favorite Ministry cut),the slammin' classic "N.W.O.","Hero","Thieves" and "Lava".Top rate industrial metal as you like it.Line-up:Al Jourgensen-vocals,Paul Barker-bass,Louis Svitek&Zlatko Hukic-guitars,Duane Buford-keyboards and Reynolds Washan-drums.Highly recommended.



4. For reasons unknown, years after the actual Sphinctour came to an end in '96, Ministry released this amazing live album, consisting mainly of songs off "Psalm 69" and "Filth Pig", and it couldn't get any better. The only way this album could possibly get any better is if it were either 2-cds, or if the boys would have at least included "So What" or "Stigmata" (featured on the DVD). That or if they would have waited and maybe some song from "Dark Side Of The Spoon" would have been on here. All that aside, this is all the amazing intensity that is Ministry live. Even people who don't like "Filth Pig" won't be able to enjoy the live versions of such great tunes like "Crumbs" and the title track, but for some reason the guys felt the need to make "Lava" 8 minutes long and it gets a little annoying in the middle. Oh well... From the opening track the classic "Psalm 69" all the way down to the slow, somber, rather depressing rendition of "The Fall", this is one live release that is guaranteed to take your breath away, I promise. Nothing tops the version of "Thieves" on here. I can't imagine the f*cking pit, man. If you're new to Ministry and love live albums this is definitely one cd I would highly recommend to you, and for all the hardcore Ministry fans, we'll all love this to death as well.



5. Marking Ministry's first recording on new label Sanctuary Records; "Sphinctour" shows the modern day Ministry still being able to pound out their brutal and unadulturated brand of industrial carnage live. Al Jourgenson's voice sounds great, in fact possibly better than he did on Ministry's last live album "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up". Every single song, from "Psalm 69", "Filth Pig", "Just One Fix", "N.W.O.", "Hero", "Thieves", and "Lava" are some of the best live recordings from any band I have ever heard, and proves wrong all the naysayers that have said this band doesn't have it anymore (even though I wasn't too fond of the albums "Filth Pig" or "Dark Side of the Spoon", I still had my faith in Al, Paul and crew). My only gripe is that "Sphinctour" is too short set wise. I would have loved to have seen "Burning Inside", "Land of Rape & Honey", "Cannibal Song", "Breathe", "Stigmata", "Tonight We Murder", and yes, even "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" included on this set, but oh well. All in all, "Sphinctour" is a fantastic live album that is a definite must have for any and every Ministry fan.