1 comments about Return to Paradise.

1. This is Styx's second best sounding Live CD. CAUGHT IN THE ACT being the first. But if you want to be a sticler about what songs they play this is the best one. 17 of their best hits all the way from "Lady" to "Snowblind". Plus three new songs in "On My Way", "Paradise", and the emotionally gripping song dedicated to their late and great drummer John Panozzo in "Dear John". But if you really want to hear the good stuff this is an import copy of this CD. Get the regular version that was sold in the U.S. because that one is a two-disc set. And is much better than this one plus you can get it on amazon.com because they actually have it this one is currently unavailable. But still it's a great CD to have.

4 comments about Hits You Remember Live.

1. This is just a re-packaging of their excellent King Biscuit Flower Hour Live CD with only 10 tracks instead of the original 14. If you have the King Biscuit CD, pass. If not and the price is right, this is a pretty good CD.



2. Dang it I'm tearing up again, just like 1991 at Ventura County Fair Grounds. How could one band, heartstring me from 1974 to 1991 to 2003? Any surprise the Beatles' producer George Martin made albums with America? Taking me, from 1974 in Wisconsin, parents just had died (my horse had no name?)..to homeless California drifting in 1978..performing their hits myself..to post-college 1991 in Ventura swayin' to the band..to my becoming a 2003 suburban-daddy in Nashville? Get it for "California Dreamin'" worth 6 bucks alone. Q. these tracks from King Biscuit 1982 gig? This has lots punch compared to KB CD.



3. What's not to say about this album? This highlights this band at it's best! Every track shows why they've stood the test of time,and have taken their place in rock and roll 'HISTORY'(A definite pun intended). Any band that can sound this close to the original recordings after 30 years in the biz deserves a top notch salute,and this one is no exception.A keeper for years of listening pleasure. Steven Sage Ann Arbor Michigan



4. What's not to say about this album? This highlights this band at it's best! Every track shows why they've stood the test of time,and have taken their place in rock and roll 'HISTORY'(A definite pun intended). Any band that can sound this close to the original recordings after 30 years in the biz deserves a top notch salute,and this one is no exception.A keeper for years of listening pleasure. Steven Sage Ann Arbor Michigan

5 comments about Live at the Paradiso 1969.

1. In the days when guitar distortion and feedback were all the rage, wot's a trio of Brit lads to do with only an organ, bass & drums?
   
   Answer: turn everything up to 11 and fuzz the hell out it. Hugh says: "We used to wear earplugs, but there must be a lot of Softs fans out there with tinnitus by now." Amen! Maybe it's dedicated to you (or Hugh) and you WERE listening, but you're standing perfectly still in the deaf corner.



2. WARNING SOFT MACHINE FANS. ALMOST ALL OF THIS CD IS ON THE ANTHOLOGY: MAN IN A DEAF CORNER ANTHOLOGY 1963-1970. that 2 cd set contains 1 cd of very early free jazz experiments and a 2nd. cd of live recordings including almost all of "live at the paradiso 1969". the music is of somewhat limited interest over all with the live recordings being much better than the free jazz. "live at the paradiso 1969" in particular reveals the missing saxophone (on this recording) as the key to their later success and drummer vocalist robert wyatt as the band's main talent. 3 and 1/2 stars.



3. Live at the Paradiso is Soft Machine at their best! It captures what they were on stage, live. Keyboards, bass, vocals are all distorted. Keyboards careen out of control, playing at a frenetic pace. This is just an outstanding album from the Progressive Rock years. Live at the Paradiso is loud, raw, and straight out of the amps. This is my top pick from the Soft Machine catalog.



4. This 1969 live recording documents the early, pre-fusion Softs performing their 2nd LP in concert. The performance is quite excellent though occasional technical difficulties like microphones cutting out, leading to some missing vocals, make it less than technically perfect; but that is what it's all about, a bare bones sound board tape re-ceating a real live gig without any touch ups. Recommended for serious Softs fans.



5. I wonder if I will ever stop feeling old and decrepit, but these guys have reason to probably never do that. I have no idea where and when this concert was. I don't know anyone who has any idea of what they were doing that far back, but for some reason these guys ran the tape machine at just the right time, and recorded what now are their very young selves.

   The result is brilliant. I can't put it any better than the other fan from Victoria - it's one continuous song, permuted and multiplied and divided, and never anything other than elegant.

   Trouble is, it makes you rather sad that this just doesn't seem to happen any more. None of these guys were any older than 20 odd when this was done, and just listen to the pyrotechnics and imagination! Will we ever get that good? Will I? I doubt it... But thanks very, very much young fellas. Sure like to see you some day.

No comments about Jumping at Shadows.

5 comments about The Best of Bad Company Live...What You Hear Is What You Get.

1. Excellent cd for those of us from "back in the day." I bought this one for my husband for Christmas and he loves it!



2. This album claims to be the best of Bad Company, but it cannot be the `Best of' without Paul Rodgers, in fact Bad Company is not Bad Company without him. Make sure you read all the details of this album before making the purchase. I had to send it back!



3. A misnomer is what you're getting here. Paul Rodgers put the "Bad" in Bad Co. with his earthbound, grit-rimmed vocals and climactic lyrical ad-libbing, but once replaced (and I use that term VERY loosely) by pedestrian singer Brian Howe, their shooting star fizzled. This concert cash-in on hits old and new is also minus the rock-steady bottom of bassist Boz Burrell, but Rodgers is the key omission. Better to check out the recent live Bad Co. offering MERCHANTS OF FORTUNE, still featuring only half the original members, but at least one is ex-Free wailer Rodgers. On WHAT YOU HEAR IS WHAT YOU GET, early Bad Co. classics FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE and ROCK 'N ROLL FANTASY still rule over latter day fluff HOW ABOUT THAT and NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE, demonstrating how their songwriting also suffered after Paul's exit. As far as classic rock is concerned, this lifeless concert attempt will put you in pretty bad company. RATING: TWO THUDS



4. If you're an original BadCo fan....yeah....then this is probably not for you, but please......Brain Howe made his own mark and if you can't appreciate that.....you're NO rock fan in anyway.....shape or form!! PERIOD! ......while this doesn't feature Paul Rodgers the rest of the lineup IS BadCO......and they do an excellent job of taking fans on the ride that they were on at that particulart time in thier career! Mick Ralphs sounds great and shows that he can change and stay afloat at a time when there really wasn't much by way of Classic Rockers out there! Simon Kirke is steady as well......so if you like live concerts and classic rock......then sip a few gin and tonics and appreciate this for what it is...classic rockers trying to give their fans some music and still make a living enjoying what God let them do the best while they go through life! Spread the music!



5. I bought this CD, listened to it once and threw it away. Brian Howe is no Paul Rodgers. The vocals are awful, only slightly better than the mastering. This CD is a travesty. If I could give it 0 stars I would.

5 comments about Live at King's Island Cincinnati.

1. I never knew this music existed until I heard the live "Bus Stop" at a French bistro in the West Village a few months ago. How wonderful to hear so many of the Hollies favorites again, and live! and with Nash! The "Teach Your Children Well" shows that pop music lost a lot when Nash left for fame and fortune, rather that staying with than the far superior harmonies of The Hollies. The version of "He ain't Heavy" is amazing.



2. This is a sample of a show from The Graham Nash Reunion Tour of Summer 1983 at Kings Island Amusement Park, Cincinatti, Ohio. With Graham back on board for the new Album and Tour, new life was kicked into the band. And after 20 years together this was to be their big chance for sucess in the USA. Well, the Album failed to set the Charts on fire, the Tour got to Cincinatti after the Monkees (and THAT should tell you something about timing!). But, this is still the Hollies and these are Veterans of thousands of Stages so you will get Great Entertainment Value for your buck at one of their Concerts.
   
   On this evening at Kings Island the boys came and played the hits from their entire career. Bus Stop, On A Carousel, The Air That I Breathe, He Ain't Heavy, Teach Your Children (CSN) & Wasted On The Way (CSN) are performed as per Hollies Excellance. Allan Clarke is in fine voice and so is Graham but my complaint with the Arrangements of these Great Pop Songs are the Dominance of the Keyboards of a Certain Paul Bliss (Later of the Moody Blues Touring Band).
   The absence of Guitar from Tony Hicks is BAAD as he is the driving force in Hollies Music (and he plays a mean Banjo as well) But on this CD the keyboards are front and center.
   
   Things are finally on track on the last track "Long Cool Woman" that is a 10 minute tour-de-force of Guitars ( Four of em') that gives you the real Hollies sound & might.
   
   I was lucky enough to see the Hollies show in Scotland in 1987 (without Graham) and I was Dazzled by Tony and his Incredable playing powers. I would guess that tonight somewhere in the UK or Europe the Hollies will be back on Stage doing what they do best.
   
   This disk has fine Vocals & Top-Notch Sound...But I subtract 1 star for the lack of Great Guitar on most of the tracks here. The Hollies 43 years and still going strong, that's something !



3. This would have to be my favourite live album. These guys sound just as good live as they do in their studio recorded albums. This CD is full of hamonies tight as a drum and some soaring guitar work. This album also includes the Classic "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" which is given a harder , edgier guitar sound than the orginal single which works fine by me. After all these years these guys can still deliver the goods!!!



4. Im a Hollies freak. On this album, recorded live with Graham Nash, they sing as good as ever. At times a heck of alot better than CS&N live.
   However, all the cool guitar parts from their hits are replaced here with a lousy cheapo fluff 80's keyboardS and it really sounds awful. Classic signature guitar riffs are omitted and played on a synth like a cheap vegas lounge act. What a big let down and a weird surprise that Nash would be in favor of reuniting with this great vocal guitar band who's trademark riffs are now done on a DX7.
   Shame on the Hollies...They sing great but sound like an bad oldies act smothered in keys. RIP Hollies.
   John Beland
   www.johnbeland.com



5. Back in 1983 I was actually shocked to read that the Hollies were playing just down the road from where I lived. I was even more surprised to learn that Graham Nash was joining them for this brief US tour. I never thought I would get to see The Hollies, let alone Th Hollies with Graham back in the fold as if it were 1966.

   The concert was stunning and the performances were spot on. Graham yelled to us all after the encore that we were all gonna be on a live record. Thrilling. Months went by and there was no live recording. Needless to say it was YEARS later that the record finally was released for the rest fo the world to have a listen. Ahh, but I was THERE!

No comments about Sonny Boy Williamson & the Yardbirds.

5 comments about Raunch 'N' Roll Live.

1. As several have stated, the original lp and this cd contain a condensed program of the original show. BUT, Rhino's Handmade series is a numbered, limited, 2 cd set of two complete shows! Yes, it's 2 nights of Raunch 'n Roll! Some songs are repeated, but there's plenty of additional material exclusive for each night. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though Amazon carries the Rhino release, but I believe it's still available at Rhino Handmade web site.
   The remastering is quite good for what it is (Raunch 'n Roll), though I still prefer the sound of the orginal vinyl--hence the 3 stars. Forgetting the comparison to the lp, the Rhino edition is the best, and the one to buy!



2. Thank you BOA for releasing this on CD! Like an earlier reviewer, I too saw them on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" back in the day and ran out to buy this album. This is everything a live rock & roll record should be. You can almost feel the energy emitting from this this live collection. Tommy A. was simply on fire behind the kit during these shows! The only reason I gave the CD 4 stars instead of 5 is because of it's length. I agree with another reviewer that they really should have added some tracks. Atlantic Records (this was originally released on their Atco label) MUST have some additional live cuts collecting dust in a vault from this tour. I own a lot of well done live albums from the 70's, but this one absolutely smokes from start to finish!



3. I was lucky enough to see these guys live twice in the early '70's and once in the mid 80's. Always raw, always wild and lots of fun! Jim Dandy Mangrum's antics on stage always a blast to watch. This release comes as close as possible to the energy of being there. Every song on here blows the studio versions out of the water! Southern hills party rock at it's best. HOT AND NASTY never sounded so good, WHEN ELECTRICITY CAME TO ARKANSAS, and HOT ROD are true gems. I've heard THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST, hailed many times as the best live album ever made, but for power, energy, and pure kick ass fun, I believe this one leaves the ALLMAN's offering far behind in the dust. And that is not meant as an insult to the ALLMAN BROTHERS, I have the afore mentioned album on c.d., and enjoy it. It just doesn't live up to this one. The only flaw with this c.d. is that it comes in at only a little over 33 minutes. Short by today's c.d. standards. But then again, I'm not sure adding filler and fluff would have really been an improvement to an already great performance.
   Thanks,
   Tom



4. "If you believe..." OK, I'll admit it, there was a time back when I was but a wee kid, that my idea of rock and roll was stuff like "Down By The Lazy River" by the Osmond Brothers. Then, late one night, a miracle happened! I saw Black Oak Arkansas on one of the old Don Kirshner or Midnight Special concert programs and it changed my life. And yes, 30 some odd (!) years later I still say that was for the good.
   
   Raunch and Roll was one of the very first albums I ever bought (along with Machine Head and Band of Gypsies) and it still ranks as one of my all time favorite releases.
   
   This album is everything that rock and roll ought to be - it's loud, rude, crude, and socially unacceptable (to borrow lyrics from a later BOA song). These guys rocked, they may not have been the most accomplished of musicians, and while you can call me a backwoods uneducated mutant hillbilly, I'll take the guitar tandem of Stan Knight and Harvey Jett over those two guys in Aerosmith any day.
   
   BOA was one of the greatest live acts in rock history and this captures them at their peak. Jim Dandy set the standard for front men and, for those who may have only known of him from his days with Ozzy or Whitesnake (or Pat Travers, or Nugent, or Gary Moore, Vinnie Moore, Thin Lizzy, etc...) Tommy Aldridge's blueprint for his incredible drum solos was captured live here, first!
   
   Tom Dowd's production was stellar and, IMHO, is one of the biggest differences between RnR and their later (and lesser) live album, "Live Mutha".
   
   The only thing wrong with RnR is that it screams for a full blown remastering job. Not that there's anything wrong with the sound quality. It's just that RnR went Gold, the fact that it hasn't been re-released with bonus tracks is a cryin' shame.



5. One of the great party bands of the 70's!! I saw them several times live in the early 70's and the energy they dispayed on stage puts many of the acts today to shame. They might not have been the "prettiest" bands around but for good old Southern rock, they couldn`t be beat. Rock on Jim Dandy and the gang!!!

No comments about Mk III -- The Final Concerts.

5 comments about Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert.

1. I picked this disc up on a whim, with a preconceived mind set that it would be a nostalgic, one time listen. Wrong. Very wrong.
   I don't know how this one slipped through the cracks, and was impressed enough to write my first review.
   The original release had only six tracks (vinyl limitations ?), and included all three Winwood led tunes. At the time, this only served to lead listeners to believe that Clapton was not up to form at the time (physical and emotional addictions), and that the concert was only a mercy deal on Townshend's part.
   The entire set, released 22 years later, reveals that this could indeed be Clapton's strongest live release. One only has to listen to the range and accuracy of his vocals on the first two tracks, Layla and Badge, as compared to countless later releases, to realize that he was more than capable of showing a confidence in his lead voice that he always denied having, and sadly to say, affirm that he has been on cruise control ever since. His currently predictable guitar lines and hook riffs are absent, and although most of these tunes were only several years old at the time, he switches them up a notch (Blues Power, Let it Rain and even Bell Bottom Blues)and seems to be taking chances that only someone genuinely into their playing and developement would have. Nothing feels scripted. He had something to prove, maybe to us, maybe to other players, but most likely to himself. It is hard to believe that this set was followed up with "greatest hits" such as "I Shot the Sheriff", "Lay Down Sally", etc., and countless other covers and "re-interpretaions" of the blues masters. Don't even get me started on the unplugged deal. Meanwhile, back to the disc at hand:
   Most "star" line ups of this caliber don't live up to expectations, but this one does for all involved (OK, maybe not ReBop). The late Grech's bass lines and tone are more varied than on any other recordings, Winwood's keys and vocal support are subtle but essential, and it also pains me to say that Wood's slide work is also more out front and impressive than anything he has done in the Stones. Both drummers can be heard locking down a unit that probably wasn't rehearsed too much on changes, making everything flow. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that it's even Townshend himself taking a rock a billy lead on Bottle of Red Wine ! It doesn't have a feel like either of the other guitarists, and I think even die hard Who freaks would be hard pressed to find him doing a comparable break anywhere else to compare it to. Let me know if I'm wrong.
   
   In all, maybe it's time for Clapton to take another break from recording and performing, although this time for healthier reasons, and regroup. Let him rediscover HIS passion, hang up the Armanis, stop the endless "I've got to pay to tribute and remind you of my blues influences" (we know...we know), make a new generation of believers, and remember why we started to pay attention to him in the first place...maybe...just maybe.



2. I know the history of this concert, but just the pairing of this group is so fun and exciting for the listener.the remastered cd from 95 is the one I own. The only other thing I hope for is this entire concert on dvd-hopefully the artists will agree to release it some day



3. I was really surprised by this cd it is a very good recording especially being a live concert I really like the version of Laya. The artists were the best of the time so that is why it is so good, you do not get top artists getting together like that any more.



4. I an a huge Clapton fan, who had this album in the 70's. Needless to say I misplaced it somewhere along the line, I was so happy to purchase this CD it is better than I remember, one of my favorite CD of all time. Everyone needs to own this CD.



5. This is one of the many reasons I continue to invest in CD's after their early 80's
   Inception. Firstly sound-quality has leaped in dynamics, and of course "expanded" and "remastered" certainly IS a benefit to the longer play format.
   
   And this along with titles like "Live at Leads", and Dylan's "Bootleg" series makes these releases even more valuable for everyone not just collectors and
   rarity-philes.
   
   I remember first finding this in the LP Vinyl cutout bin 35 odd years ago (along with the Blind Faith album) and immediately spotting Jesus/God playing a Strat. But the songs seemed a bit scattered and I couldn't't see the "flow" potential. And of course where was "Layla"?
   
   But just like "Live at Leads" we are certainly blessed by the re-representation of the "Big Picture". And see what and hear what didn't make the grade at the time. This is Clapton's saving grace album and cheers for Pete Townsend for piecing Eric's puzzle back together. 461 Ocean Boulevard was yet conceived and we all were still yet to absorb fully Derek's Dominoes.
   
   In retrospect reading the recent reviews of Led Zeppelin '07, this concert started off a bit ragged. "Layla" does turn out to be a tragedy... But the building momentum and surety comes on as the concert develops. Cheers to Townsend for NOT sounding "WHOish" and bless his heart for putting the show on in the first place. But Ronnie Wood, contrary to his entertaining bio, does NOT at all mirror even closely the fluid "slide" of Duane Allman. But still certainly a great document of Eric's resurrection.