1 comments about Short Circuit Live: at the Electric Circus.

1. This was originally a Factory Records compilation, long out of print, then reissued on CD (and it seems to be out of print again). Basically, it's a handful of live recordings from the last shows at the Electric Circus, a Manchester club from the 70's. Some of the bands, such as the Drones, sound dated and boring, but the Buzzcocks' "Time's Up" is fantastic; the Fall contributed two solid performances ("Stepping Out" and "Last Orders"); Steel Pulse ("Ku Klux Klan") show that reggae doesn't have to come from Jamaica to be good; and John Cooper Clarke's wacky beatnik-style poetry still works. It's a shame that the Joy Division track, "At A Later Date," is not one of their more memorable efforts.
   
   If you are a Buzzcocks fan, you really need to hear the version of "Time's Up" on here. It's definitely the highlight of this album.

2 comments about Make-Up After Dark.

1. This is a kick arse live album for people who loved the other stuff they have heard. "Afterdark" is as good or better than "Live! At Cold Rice!" It is very much like the spectacle I witnessed the first time I ever saw them perform in 1996. The live versions of "Make Up is Lies" and "Blue is Beautiful" are worth buying this album for alone. The cover art is so minimal and lo-tech! I love it.
   However, if you kinda like the Make up, and sont know much about them or never saw them live, this one is not for you. Get "Cold Rice" for a live record.



2. This album captures The Make up in a rare live form sharing with the listeners the carressing touch of what the make up call gospel yeah yeah. Deriving a sound somewhere between post punk rock, gospel love and( formerly known as) Prince shrill vocals the band plays an array of raw powered pop songs waiting to divulge the biggest secret to the next new listener. "Can I hear yah say yeah!"

4 comments about Live at KXLU.

1. The Cheetahs are a testament to the history of rock music, and they appear to be one of the last traditional original rock bands left in America that can take on all-comers. This album is an absolute killer. With its vast resource of influences(look at the liner notes) this band blasts ahead with the power that made the MC5 and the Stooges threats in the 70s. If you ever get a chance to see the band live, do it. The antics of this band are unbelievable.



2. After the wave of Swedish rock powers, like the Hellacopters, I had lost faith that there was any US bands with the ability to kick serious patootie. Live At KXLU has restored my rock&roll soul and shows that it can still be done by the Yanks. Big guitars, a singer ripping the songs from his throat and fun songs that you want to rant along with. The only thing better is seein'em live yourself.

   A Must Have.




3. I bought all of the Cheetah's CDs and this one, by far is the best. Like all great bands, their energy and enthusiasm comes through better live than in a studio. The quality of the recording is very high - great weight lifting music.



4. Rolling Stone magazine just reviewed the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs new cd "live on KXLU" and gave the cd a 4 STAR Rating.

4 comments about Live at the Lyceum.

1. I have no idea why I bought this when it came out in 1984 or 85. Reflex, I guess. It is recorded well, but is a completely unnecessary record. There are better versions of all these songs, except maybe "Pipleline". Nothing new.
   
   Not worth it.



2. When I first heard this album back in 77 as an impressionable 15 year old ABBA fan, I ripped up my clothes, tore down my glam posters and stuck a safety pin through my nose.
   
   Johnny Moped featured on this outstanding album. Johnny Thunders of Heartbreakers did not make the cut!



3. This is indeed one of the WORST live Heartbreakers performances documented. This album is basically the full live soundtrack to the 1984 reunion concert movie, "Dead or Alive." While it sucks just as equally in the movie, at least you get a visual idea of a Heartbreakers show with the film (Not a good one, but an exciting "reunion" one nonetheless). If you want these songs, I would recommend the double disc "Street Trash," because at least with that, you get a disc of early Dolls demos to help cleanse the pallette.
   
   Please don't see my criticism as too negative: As a Johnny Thunders/Dolls fan with over 40 solo Johnny bootlegs, I'm just trying to help save you some money. I have this only to fulfill my sick completist thing.
   
   For your money, for quality live Heartbreakers, I suggest "Live at Max's '79" (the full band with Jerry Nolan does the last four or five tracks of the album, including my favorite version of "So Alone." As well, "DTK - Live at the Speakeasy" has some classic live JT and boys.
   
   Also: Food for Thought: A lot of discs are packaged as the special Reunion shows and all that kind of garbage. The band was predominantly junkies, and had these "reunion" shows about as common as rent parties. Cool nonetheless, but don't be dooped. "Heartbreakers" live shows pretty much after 1984 need to be taken with a grain of salt.
   
   L.A.M.F.



4. With the vast number of Johnny Thunders post-mortem releases, it's hard to know which are any good. Having picked up my fair share of them already, I can honestly say that "Live At The Lyceum" is one of the best 'live' Heartbreakers albums on the market.

   One thing that doesn't go wrong (but which could have) is the handling of Johnny's solo material, which sounds just as good as any of the studio releases. The recording mix sounds a bit unbalanced, but it's a lot cleaner than most, and the song selection is above par.

   It might have been '84, but the album sounds as raunchy as it might have been back in '77. Although it takes a few numbers to get into their groove, the reunited band kicks it into high gear throughout the set and never looks back. Particularly the closer "So Alone" which includes a very weird recitation and blazing guitar solo by Johnny.

   My CD cover art is a different photo than this one, but it's all about the music anyway. Definitely worth buying.

5 comments about Evilive.

1. Everyone admits that the sound quality is awful on this recording. What they don't tell you is that the guitars sound out of tune and the vocals sound like crap on most songs. If you don't own any Misfits, don't start here. Start with Static Age...a Great Album...



2. The Misfits are quite simply the coolest band on earth!!! The Misfits live were what shows should be about, fast, fun, and absolutely full of energy. This live cd is great, the sound quality is not very good, but that is not nearly enough to make this a less-than-amazing album. I wish it could've had some more tracks on it, but they put some of the best Misfits material on here. As well as, some less-known songs like Ghouls Night Out, and Horror Hotel. Highlights of the album are: Astro Zombies, Ghouls Night Out, Night of the Living Dead, All Hell Breaks Loose, We Are 138, and the best of all Horror Business. Overall this album is just incredibly fast and fun. This album is a MUST HAVE for any true Misfits fan.



3. I love the Misfits, but this live CD is really not very good. It's not the music of course, and not really the performance either, it's the recording, this is just an awful recording. Now the performance itself isn't exactly top-notch, it's pretty sloppy, but this is punk music after all. But again, this may just go back to the sub par recording. All in all I enjoyed the CD, I just prefer their studio work more.



4. Usually, I'm not a fan of live albums. It seems that in most cases, artists either spend too much time trying to mimic their studio creations note for note on stage or tinker with their recorded cuts so much that the result on stage is unrecognizable from the songs that fans came to hear. On this album (which is one of the only "official" live releases of their relatively brief career), the Misfits have created a live album that bounces with energy, and is really an absolute joy to listen to. The live performances stay true to their original studio-recorded counterparts, but are injected with fierce vitality. The playing is sometimes sloppy, but the band seems genuinely thrilled to be on stage. Clearly, this is when the band was still hungry, still had something to prove to a public that was by and large ignoring them.
   
   A few of the tracks on this album actually improve on studio tracks; for example, the live rendition of "Astro Zombies" completely blows away the relatively subdued studio version. The same can be said for "Horror Business" and "20 Eyes".
   
   If you are a Misfits fan, I can't recommend this album enough. A blazing, energetic recording of a young band captured during some of their finest live performances. I often find myself listening to this album more than "Earth A.D." or "Walk Among Us". If you're looking for a summary of their awesome career as a band, check out Collection Vol. 1 and 2 first, but if you already enjoy what their music has to offer, listen to this live album to hear new takes on the songs you already enjoy.



5. i loved it! and if you think the production is bad on the misfits other cd's wait til you hear this...waaaay worse. and the track list is so-so i would have liked more songs on here. so why 5 stars? because when you listen to this you are stepping back in time to a live misfits show. i can only imagine what seeing them live would be like. the coolest thing about this album to me is in between songs glenn is talking to the audience, cussing and rambling on. at the end of nike a go-go he sais, "we gotta tune up, we pound these f***ing guitars like jackhammers; what do you think we're lightweights?" the aggressiveness he exhibits is unbelievable. another highlight is henry rollins from black flag chimes in on the last track, we are 138. get this if you love the fits.

5 comments about I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings.

1. A compilation of what I believe to be the Kid Amnesiac-era tour, considering that out of these eight songs, three are from Amnesiac and four are from Kid A. And really, that's all I can come up with about this album. It's certainly good, but it's only necessary for the converted. However, if you are converted, you'll find that there's a lot to like, including the huge reworking of "Like Spinning Plates", when it becomes a thoroughly beautiful piano ballad! Yes, that's right, it goes from some crazed, frigged-out avant-techno experiment to that! How did that happen? Well, however it happened, I like it. "Dollars and Cents" is also massively improved upon, removing the freaky noises and as such turning it into a somewhat great song. And the moody "True Love Waits", which never made it on a studio album, is the other fantastic highlight. Thom Yorke's falsetto and his acoustic guitar are a very good combination. On the other hand, "Morning Bell", "Idioteque", and "I Might Be Wrong" are nothing to write home about. If you've heard the originals (and I'm assuming you have), you're heard the remakes. They don't do anything particularly wrong, since "Morning Bell" and "Idioteque" so happen to be two of the best songs from Kid A (same with "I Might Be Wrong" on Amnesiac). It's just that, given what they do to "Like Spinning Plates", there was so much more potential. Come to think of it, the only song I'm really unimpressed by is "The National Anthem". Yorke's vocals just don't do the job for me, and the barely audible vocal scatting taking the place of the crazy horn section ruins the song. Let's face it, two or three people singing scat isn't going to wipe you out the way a horn section blowing whatever they please does. The remake of "Everything in Its Right Place" isn't the best, either. Still, it's interesting to hear Radiohead take some of their most challenging songs and put them in a live format, most of the songs are good, and none of them is bad. So it's a worthwhile addition to any Radiohead collection.



2. I want to know, why, one of my favorite bands would release a live disc like this.U2 did this as well in 1983(Under A Blood Red Sky).8 songs?I was lucky enough to see the band, when they played in Victoria Park, Warrington ,England,10/02/00, the day before the release of Kid A.The show was recorded by BBC Radio 1.My buddy, who resides in London, recorded the show and sent it to me on two cd's.The sound is great and it has 20 songs.20,not 8.This live disc is a total ripoff.How do you get the nerve to charge your fans full price for a cd that is 30 min long?Discs, as everyone knows ,can hold nearly 80 min of music,so whats the deal?Why couldnt they have added a few more songs?The thing is,the live versions of songs from both,Kid A and Amnesiac sound much better live.But,this disc does have its moments.True Love Waits is the jewel here.It is a fantastic ,emotional,slow acoustic song perfomed by Thom Yorke solo.Like Spinning Plates is another song that sounds great live,the studio version from Amnesiac is weak and it has too many loops and other wacky sounds going on, that take away from the song.This version is Thom at the piano,its very moving and strong.The songs from Warrington,sound much more powerful than the tracks presented here.The National Anthem is not as loud or intense as the version from Warrington.Its actually quite dull.That is quite shocking,considering I have heard other live versions of this song, from this tour and they were great.This version is from Paris,France.Enough said.Why would the band release this version??Im sure, some of you, have been lucky enough to have a copy of the Warrington show.If you dont have it,somehow try to get it.You will understand what I mean.The band also allowed 2 shows from 2001(Rock Am Ring Festival,Germany,06/01/01 and Oxford,England,07/07/01)to be broadcast over BBC Radio 1.They both sound great,since they,the band,recorded the shows.The entire Rock Am Ring show was also broadcast live on German tv.4 out of the 8 songs here, are from the Oxford show,the bands hometown.The show was obviously recorded by the band. Why wont they release one, if not all 3 ,of the gigs I have mentiond.Instead,we get 8 tracks.Someone over there at the Radiohead camp dropped the ball on this one.Most hardcore fans,like myself, would,without question,love to pay and own each show ,IF, they were available.How great would it have been if say,the band released the Oxford show in its entirety.They played 24 songs that night.But,no,we,the fans get ripped off with only 8 tracks.Did I mention that enough.Sorry but,that really pisses me off.We could have used a little effort on this one.Thanks guys.Oh and,God forbid,you release a live dvd from this tour.Since,again,at least two, that I know of, were filmed.Maybe in another few years they will,like the Astoria show from 1995 ,released in 2005.That made sense right.Hang in there fellow frustrated fans.



3. Radiohead live... you can't go wrong. Quit reading others analyzing this record... just buy it! You won't regret it. Take care :)



4. In short, the recordings are excellent I think. For the most part, songs don't vary TOO much from the album versions, but the avid Radiohead fan will notice, and appreciate, the differences. The acoustic version of True Love Waits, which I don't believe I've seen on any other album, is another great Radiohead song and lyrically one of the most complex and interesting I've ever heard.
   
   Cheers to Radiohead, and boos to the haters who leave bad reviews for this album.



5. Okay. I love Radiohead to death. But i have one problem. Where in the heck is "Fake Plastic Trees"? That song is supposed to be on here. Live Recordings? I am so glad that the dreadful "Creep" isn't on here, although it wouldn't be too terribley bad. I am happy with everything else, but am saddened that "Trees" didn't make the cut. I wonder why? Is the song not good enough? I have heard the song played live plenty of times, and that's why i'm surprised that it isn't on here. Oh well. I'm not complaining as much as i could be. :)

1 comments about Room to Live.

1. the music of The Fall is both engaging and off-putting...equal parts clever and brilliant mixed with the confounding and annoying. the casual fan of punk or post rock will probably be confused. and that my friends, may be the point. or maybe not. you decide. take a listen.
   Room To Live is not an essential Fall record..but worth a spin or two. it's nice to see it re-issued with some bonus flub. does adding 6 extra songs make a mini album a full grown album?

5 comments about Life Uncommon.

1. Jewel has many gifts, including her voice, writing ability, and passion for life...these are all evident on this single. It is a wonderful version of the song. If you are a Jewel fan, pick up this single. It's worth it.



2. i'm not a fan.i'm beyond that.she can take words and put them together and make u realize that u need to wake up.her cd's r really good and lets keep it that way.



3. This song is timeless. Life uncommon is in the same category as "Blowing in the win" and "Day is done". It is a true example of why Jewel is bound to be regarded as a great artist long after she is gone.



4. I feel that I just should let you all know that this is one of the best tracks made by Jewel ever! It is not the album version, it is a LIVE track which is "absolutely fantastic" So if you haven't got it it's about time you did get it. Trust me you won't regret it!



5. I just want to say jewl is my favorit singer. All her songs has a meaning in life. She rocks! Her music helps me in so many different ways.I went to her concert,she does great on stage.it touched me and made me cry.so get her cd you will love her trust me. I LOVE JEWL

3 comments about Live At The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco.

1. Great album by founder and lead guitarist Nick Salomon, bass guitarist Ade Shaw of Hawkwind fame, and drummer Andy Ward formaly of Camel. I had the chance to see this tour in a small venue in Portland, Oregon. I had never heard of Bevis Frond, but Andy Ward is from my favorite band Camel and I had to see him play. The music was awesome, a mixture of psychodelic, feedback, blues, and folk, with some english humour thrown in and lots of heart. Nick is a master songwriter and introduces many of the songs on this CD. This gives the listener a sense of knowing a lot about Nick and where he is coming from.

   The live album brought back great memories of the show. The opening song Hole Song #2 has a great guitar lick which is unforgetable and my favorite tune, Stone Trained Driver has an original set of lyrics that will make you smile.




2. It is truly a wonder how so much talent can be often overlooked by so many. This man proves that there are geniuses all around us everyday. Buy it and be amazed.



3. The Bevis Frond finally scraped their live sound onto a full CD after many years and many albums that psychedelic music fans cherish. Their sound on the live CD is the same as their sound on the stage. And I think that's the best compliment anyone can give a live record.

5 comments about Live in Los Angeles.

1. Recorded at the Los Angeles House Of Blues on November 26-27, 2004. I saw X play a slightly over a year prior to this particular show. Every bit as fabulous as their 'Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go' disc (see my review). Was also impressed with the difference in the set list between the two CD's - you know how too many bands that haven't put out an all-new CD in awhile they usually perform (pretty much) the same songs on every tour? Some material on here I don't remember right off - like "Your Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not", "In This House I Call Home", "We're Desperate" and "Nausea". Of course, there's the familiar X goods that no one can ever forget such as "White Girl", "The New World", "Johnny Hit And Run Paulene", the slamming "Devil Doll", "The Hungry Wolf" and their stunning Doors cover "Soul Kitchen". A must-have classic punk title + a true keeper. Great sound quality - essential listening.



2. I have been lucky enough to have seen X quite a few times and this is pretty close to the live experience. All that's missing is the sheer volume (which you can adjust to your neighbor's limits!), the swirling mosh pit and a sticky beer soaked floor.
   There are a couple of songs where Exene seems to be phoning in the lyrics, but that's just how she is sometimes. She has this kind bored and detached coolness that you just have to like.
   As usual, Billy Zoom, John Doe and D.J. Bonebrake hit it and hit it hard.
   Also, John's voice sounds great. He is really a fine singer (check out his solo stuff too!!).
   There is also some pretty funny banter between songs. I'm glad they left that in.
   I'll have to buy the DVD to see how many time John knocks over his mike stand as he becomes consumed by the sheer power of it all and thrashes about, and to see Billy's million dollar smile!
   Also, the packaging for this release it quite nice. Sometimes companies these days cheap out, but this is well done without seeming like a tribute. Good photos and liner notes by Flea. All in all, a job well done.
   Cheers!



3. Especially to Exene--find a pitch and try to stay on it.



4. ...and this cd blows me away. I only discovered them fully about a year ago and since then have tracked down everything X, Exene, John, Knitters, Aunti Christ, Original Sinners etc...and am obsessed with this band. Love that there is finally a live recording with Zoom. (although as someone else said, their 1988 live album with Tony Gilkyson is also awesome.) Get the dvd too. Both are incredible.



5. As the first reviewer stated, it is hard to believe this is a reunion show, rather than something from the mid-80's. Actually, I thought that John and Exene's vocals were fantastic- Exene seems to have gotten away from her attempts to "prettify" her voice, and back to her magnificent quirky self. It's so great to have a live recording with Billy Zoom (although the Live at the Whisky a Go Go with Tony Gilkyson is also entirely brilliant, and completely worth having). The version of Devil Doll on here is worth the price of admission alone. Play it at about "12" on the best sound system you can find. Bottom line- this is a fantastic album, whether you are a fan from way back or a new one.