2 comments about Vintage.

1. Two CD's were released from German television programs showing Roxy Music in 1972 and 1974. This CD, contains the 1974 stuff and is not that interesting. Valentine, which contains the 1972 music is much more interesting.
   
   There is a new release, called Reflections which contains both Vintage and Valentine.
   
   The sound quality of both is bad. The only interesting thing is the video, showing these guys in their youth, when they didn't know any better.



2. Roxy Music was at its best in the years 1972-5, when they released 5 great albums. Then, they broke up for the first time and came back together in 1978 for the album "Manifesto", that caused great dissapointment to the band fans. "Manifesto" started a new era of the band, that did'nt look back, and made something else, that in my opinion is nothing but great and clean productions of a weak, boring, and uninspired material. Fans like me, who felt unsatisfied from the new Roxy Music, started to look for bootlegs of live performances during the fruitfull years of 1972-75. One leagal album "Viva!" was released, but it was'nt enough. So it was a pleasent surprise to find the 2 CD's -"Valentine" and "Vintage" - that bring us rare recordings of the band, from the good years, that were taken from the German TV show "Musikladen" (made by Radio Bremen), and not only this - if you put them on your CD ROM you can watch the show! Also, the 2 CD's have nice booklets. This is why the prices are high. This is also why they sound more like a very good bootleg. All i can do is "bravo" NMC, for making such a good work. Suddenly you can see Ferry, Manzanera, McKay, Thompson, Jobson, Eno and even John Wetton almost 30 years ago. Right, "Hard rains gonna fall" is Ferry solo plus a playback, that starts from the middle of the song, but i can live with it. "Psalm" and "If it takes all night" are for the first time on a legal live album, and i enjoy every minute of them. Still i don't understand, why the company did'nt make "Valentine" and "Vintage" one dbl. CD album. After all, the 2 CD's bring us songs from the same shows (for example - "Editions of you" from "Vintage" came originaly after "Do the Strand" from "Valentine), and even the pictures on the covers are 2 parts of the same photograph.

3 comments about The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down: The Best of the Band Live in Concert.

1. I have this as an album and am now going to buy the cd. Its great music. If you haven't heard "The Band" you missed out.



2. Sometimes half a loaf
   is worse than having none,
   if you need that second half
   when the first is done.

   If you got a Bible
   with only half the pages,
   buddy, you got some real good sand
   but not the Rock of Ages.

   Bob Rixon




3. A number of Internet reviews and Band fanzines (including The Band's official website) have suggested that this CD contains outtakes from the famous "Rock of Ages" sessions at the New York Academy of Music. Considering the sources of these rumours, the folks who've spread this info should know better. In reality, the album is just what the people at Capitol--to their mixed credit--say it is: an edited version of "Rock of Ages," covering what on the LP version was sides two and three, with their rousing versions of "Don't Do It" and "King Harvest" from side one thrown in for good measure.

   There is little doubt that it's the same versions of the songs--solos are note-for-note the same, something neither Robbie Robertson nor Garth Hudson had a reputation for doing, "Stage Fright" has feedback from the vocal mike in the same spot as the "Rock of Ages'" version, and, if you listen carefully, you can hear Levon Helm hit his sticks together during the short drum break on "Don't Do It."

   The sound has been cleaned up since the first version of the CD was put out; there is considerably more separation between the instruments, and little things like the weird bass-drop-out at the top of "Don't Do It" have been fixed.

   I suppose there's inherently wrong with this CD--it does offer buyers a bargain introduction to The Band, and the performances on "Rock of Ages" were extraordinary. Still, it's not much more than typical exploitation on Capitol Records part of the group, which has persisted since they broke up in 1976. In reality, there's little reason for this CD to exist (and the exclusion of Richard Manuel on the cover photo is both offensive and downright creepy).

   Listeners who really want to hear outtakes of The Band's "Rock of Ages" sessions should seek out "Crossing The Great Divide" a terrific (and unfortunately expensive) three-CD bootleg that contains a goldmine of material, including outtakes, b-sides and early singles. Considering that the Band's old boss Bob Dylan has finally officially released the famous "Royal Albert Hall" bootleg, perhaps The Band might consider doing the same with "Crossing the Great Divide."

No comments about There Was a Time: Live at Middle Earth September 23, 1967.

5 comments about Live Bootleg.

1. Aerosmith Live Bootleg is a pretty good album. While some people probably will point at this album as an obvious example of what happens when band members experiment with too many drugs, I don't really think that's a problem. The way the album was recorded is very muddy and old-sounding, but that's the appeal, and some of the songs are faster and more exciting compared to their studio versions. That's enough to recommend a purchase.



2. In the 1970s, Aerosmith was one of top acts to be taped by bootleggers, which paralleled their popularity as a huge draw on the wordwide arena/festival circuits.
   
   In a mock salute of the illegal taping, this October 1978 release gives the appearance of the oftentimes poor production of bootleg albums, including an incorrect track listing. But the way the selections were pulled is that of a typical supergroup during the era when double-live sets were all the rage.
   
   Recorded from nine venues, the majority of the 16 tracks are from the 1977 and 1978 Aerosmith Express Tour, with the two most intriguing pulled from a 1973 simulcast on WBCN-FM.
   
   While the tracks capture the band at their blues-drenched rawness, it also marked a swift decline - after the 1978 Live! Bootleg Tour - due to any number of demons. But this set highlights the group before they spent many nights in the ruts - which lasted nearly a decade - and as five members piloted the private jet of incredible international stardom.



3. Live albums of the 1970's (and even today) usually serve one of three purposes;
   
   A) Preserving a legendary performance or tour (Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, The Rolling Stones Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East, 4 Way Street-CSN&Y, One More From the Road-Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Last Waltz)
   
   B) Unearthing a previously undiscovered gem (How the West was Won-Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series, The Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks sets, Neil Young at Massey Hall)
   
   C) As a stopgap between albums that aren't ready yet
   
   Live Bootleg falls into category C. Aerosmith's follow up to Draw the Line was delayed indefinitely and they were committed to a summer tour that included numerous makeup dates for postponed shows. Rather than do a "Frampton Comes Alive"-esque album, Aerosmith instead released a gritty, no nonsense recording that often sounds like its title. Live Bootleg is a hit and miss affair musically. Compiled from various shows dating back to 1973, it's clearly not intended to be a definitive representation of a single show. Steven Tyler's voice is raggedy and he ad-libs lyrics throughout, and Joe Perry's guitar seems set on perpetual growl. The material is a cross section from their first 5 albums along with a few covers thrown in, plus a live version of the rare "Chip Away the Stone". And just as on the original vinyl, "Draw the Line" is still not listed even though it is there.
   
   It's ironic that the oldest tracks here are the best. The version of the Yardbirds "I Ain't Got You" and James Brown's "Mother Popcorn" comes from a 1973 Boston club date recorded by WBCN radio. Having heard this entire show in bootleg form I can attest this was a smokin', well recorded (for 1973) performance when the band was young and hungry. One warning though, this is not the complete version of the song, a few minutes have been trimmed off, probably due to vinyl time constraints (it would've been nice if for the CD those few minutes were restored).
   
   Aerosmith is one of those band that's never been served well by live recordings from their "prime era" (1975-77). Fans got a small taste of this back when the "Pandora's Box" set was released and it included 2 songs from their legendary Cincinnati radio concert from 1971. And a version of "Write Me" recorded at the old Boston Garden in 1976. If they really wanted to put out a great live album I'd look for the full WBCN show. I suppose the best way to look at this is the way Jimmy Page viewed "Song Remains the Same"; `it's not a great album, but it shows where we were at a certain time and place'. Also remember that just like Zeppelin, there's bound to be a better Aerosmith show somewhere in their archives "How the East Was Won" perhaps?



4. If you are ever asked to explain what rock music is all about, simply hand them this album. There is nothing more to day.



5. The choice of tracks is quite excellent, the music too but the sound is horrible. Just compare to other live recordings of the same era and you'll see by yourself. I would recommand the double live album A little south of Sanity, you'll have all the best of the band with an amazing live sound. One of the best pure rock album containing the essential of the band. The best of Live Bootleg is on A little south of Sanity but you'll have one of the best live sound that I ever listen too, it sound loud and clear.

2 comments about The Way We Walk, Vol. 1: The Shorts.

1. This is an unusual live album, in that all of the 11 songs were singles. All of the songs are from the "Genesis", "Invisible Touch", and "We Can't Dance" albums (recorded on the stadium tour for the latter album), and since these albums included nearly all of Genesis' biggest hits, the album doubles as a Greatest Hits album. This nudges it up half a star. The album works best when combined with "The Longs" album (the long songs from the tour) in your CD programmer or on a tape.

   My favorite cuts are "Throwing It All Away", with an endearing call-and-response between Phil Collins and the audience at the start and end, "Jesus He Knows Me", given a brief guitar solo and Collins' patter at the end, and "In Too Deep", which just comes off sounding better than on the original album. "Mama" loses a verse, and "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" is stopped in mid-song to go into a closer of "Invisible Touch". The pacing gets thrown off a little with a late album sequence of "Hold On My Heart" (by far the weakest song here), "That's All", and "In Too Deep"--"That's All"'s mid-tempo isn't enough to perk things up between these two slow ballads. The closing section of "No Son of Mine" seems to be begging to be sped up a little, but it doesn't happen. This may be a side-effect of most of these songs being written using drum machines; the same MIDI click track was probably being used to run the light show.

   (1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)




2. This is a good live album. The recording quality is excellent and Phil's vocals soar. I would give this album 4.5 stars just because I'm not very partial to 80's Genesis songs. Invisible touch, Jesus he knows me, Mama, and No Son of Mine are excellent however. I would recommend "The Longs" over this if you are more into old Genesis.

5 comments about Live at the Fillmore East.

1. A series of Jimi Hendrix performances from the Band of Gypsys concerts finally gets the deluxe treatment from MCA and Experience Hendrix, as tapes from both first and second shows are brought together, correctly identified (1986's Band of Gypsys 2 actually featured three tracks that weren't by the band at all) in one deluxe two-disc set. This newly expanded edition contains the only live versions of "Earth Blues," "Auld Lang Syne," "Stepping Stone," and "Burning Desire"; Hendrix tunes specifically worked up for the performance that rarely surfaced again like "Izabella," "Power of Soul," and "Who Knows"; newly remastered versions of "Stop" and "Hear My Train a-Comin'" (both originally presented on Band of Gypsys 2 in horrendous sound) and classic performances of "Stone Free," "Changes," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," and "Wild Thing." Equally as revelatory is one of the two alternate versions included of "Machine Gun," every bit as stunning as the better-known version. Though this new edition hardly makes all previous incarnations obsolete, it presents the man at his most challenged and brilliant.



2. The Greatest Guitarist that ever lived in his unaltered, untampered-with purity. There needs to be more recordings released like this as the world can benefit from pure guitar talent unlike the stuff they play on the modern rock stations today.



3. They left off "Message to Love"! It's hard to believe... This song is available on the original release 'Band of Gypsies'. Why not here? Simple! They spect the fans to buy both. What a shame!



4. ONE OF HENDRIX'S BEST LIVE SHOWS. RECORDED NEW YEAR'S EVE 69-70 IN NEW YORK. IT IS A MUST FOR HENDRIX FAN'S COLLECTION. THE VERSION OF MACHINE GUN IS NOTHING SHORT OF A PSYCHEDELIC MIND-BENDING BLUES MELTDOWN AS ONLY JIMI COULD PLAY IT.



5. Hard to believe, but they left off "Message to Love" the best song from the whole concert. It's available on the Band of Gypsies. Why not here? Greed. They want fans to buy both albums. Typical.

5 comments about An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set.

1. I only listen to Elizabeth Reed and Jessica but that is 26 minutes of music, this is a great addition to any music fan's collection, they won a grammy for this I think, I don't see me ever giving this one up



2. Bad news first: "You Don't Love Me" is a disappointment, and a big one at that. I understand you can't expect a bunch of guys who are a combined twenty billion hundred million thousand whatever years old at that point to, in the immortal words of either Franz Kafka or George Clinton (not sure which one), "tear the roof off the sucker" like they used to do back in "the day" (no, not that day, the other day), but it's still kind of stoic and boring. Now, the good news: everything else is far better. Especially when the group just jams - "Back Where It All Begins", for instance, might even be better than the studio version. And you know how they always slightly vary "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" when they play it live? Well, here's it's all acoustic! And it's sweet! Especially when it comes to the soloing. Now, here's a proposal for a bill that should be signed into federal law: all bands must record and release at least one song with an acoustic guitar solo. Hey, I'd vote for it. Oh, and there's a bass solo! I mean, how cool is that? And "The Same Thing" has some fantastic heavy blues licks - it's about the heaviest the group has ever gotten, in fact. Their Bo Diddley tribute "Nobody to Run with" (one of the four songs from Where It All Begins, along with "Back Where It All Begins", "Soulshine" and "Sailin' 'Cross the Devil's Sea" - all three are awesome) is good fun, as it was on the studio version. And they save (arguably) the best for last with "Jessica", with some slight shifts in tempo that give it an epic feel, as well as the usual great guitars that this incarnation of the band has in spades. It won a Grammy, and I understand why. It might even be better than the classic original. But that's a tough call. Oh, and look for the "There Is a Mountain" quote. Think they were feeling nostalgic? This is by far the best of the two "Evening With" sets, though both are fantastic - it easily ranks up there with the classic live albums of yore.



3. An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band 2nd Set (1995) was recorded in 1994 at shows in Raleigh, NC and New Jersey's Garden State Arts Center. This was during the Back Where It All Begins period, and there are four songs from that album included here. The opening song, Sailin' Cross The Devil's Sea sounds great, a lot like the studio version, and features Gregg Allman's legendary blues growl. Gregg and Warren Haynes both shine on this inspired version of Warren's Soulshine. Dickey Betts' Latin-flavored and breezy Back Where It All Begins features a long guitar jam, where he and Warren trade interesting and enthusiastic solos. They also do a great job on No One To Run With. They dip into the At Fillmore East catalog with a very good version of You Don't Love Me, and while not as ambitious as the 20+ minute Fillmore East version, it is very good, and Dickey even flashes back to the earlier version by quoting his guitar solo from it. It's really an amusing and touching moment, and it sounds good, too. They also do a nice cover of another old blues song, The Same Thing. This recording of Jessica won the Allmans their first and only Grammy Award, and what a wonderful version of Jessica this is! With dual guitar harmonies and more bongo drums and percussion than the studio version, the song sounds almost completely different from the original, and stretches out over sixteen minutes. Even with all this, the real highlight on the album is the breathtaking unplugged version of In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! The newbies who think Dickey Betts is no more than a mediocre guitarist should listen to this, and then reconsider. Warren Haynes stays right up there with him. The two guitarist show what they can really do on acoustic guitars, and bassist Allen Woody shines, too. This is priceless, a real gem that no ABB fan would want to miss. Like the First Set, the 2nd Set was produced by music legend (and At Fillmore East producer), Tom Dowd, and the sound is exquisitely crisp and crystal clear. The clever packaging on both sets is almost identical, with the same cover photo, except the First Set is blue, the 2nd Set is red, and the photos inside and liner notes are different (the layout is the same). This was a good place in time for The Allman Brothers Band and their fans, and it really shows on An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band, First Set and 2nd Set. Don't miss out on em'!



4. This album and its companion first set prove that Warren Haynes of Government Mule was the best possible choice to take the Duane spot. Haynes shines all over this album, not in displaying his own style to the detriment of the great spirit of the Allmans but in synergizing with Betts and the rest of the group towards the greater goal of re-capturing the magical Allmans spirit.
   
   He channels the spirit so well, he gets the rest of the band to remember what they were all about and feel it that much better. And though he has chops to spare, not one note is overplayed. Solos sound sweet endlessly without boring the listener just like vintage Allman Bros. Listen and be amazed and hear Dickey Betts rise up to the challenge of Haynes and play like a revitalized man. The best performances? For me it would have to be "Back Where it All Begins" "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (acoustic), "No One to Run With," "Jessica," "Melissa" (acoustic) and a 10 plus minute "Dreams."
   
   Let me tell you, I even gave these two live sets the ultimate test, I played them back-to-back with the "Fillmore East" album and not only does it hold its own but sometimes it's even preferable. It has the spirit of the Allman Brothers in spades and that's all that matters, that's all that ever mattered (the spirit was wandering out in the air before the Allmans somehow latched onto it in 1969 and it became forever known as the Allmans' spirit), it's a seamless flow in terms of spirit, from a song off these live sets to something from 1971 if you had it back to back on a compilation disc.
   
   Tom Dowd took a lot of care in recording these shows and they have great sound quality. Real old time, pure analog sound quality of sweet tones and instruments played well. No digital harshness or thin sounding digital instruments or crappy digital processing, everything you hear is fantastically analog and thick and things are balanced just right. This entire band is about tone and the recording does them justice.
   
   Also amazing is how well Gregg's voice has held up and how deeply he still feels these songs. I could never figure out how a 22 year old white kid could sound as soulful as he did in 1969 until I read in the "Midnight Riders" biography book that Gregg's best friend Floyd Miles was black and through this friendship he and Duane had been playing with black musicians in the black part of Daytona Beach since the early 1960s. They were known as 'those white boys who can play that funky music.'
   
   So make sure you get both these live sets, this and the one with the blue cover since both are excellent and essentially one long concert released as two. If any of you out there reading this are new to the Allman Brothers, you need get the "Laid Back" solo album by Gregg, one he made in 1973 right after Duane & Berry's death, it's a great one, his best. You also need to get the 2 Duane Allman compilations that include some of his work with Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett and others at the Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, right before the forming of the Allman Brothers Band. And if you're also into the more jazzy and world-fusion side of things jam-band related check out "Mondo Garaj" by Garaj Mahal and "Cosmic Hug" by Fareed Haque group.



5. AN EVENING WITH THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND: 2ND SET is another great live album which proves that Warren Haynes truly deserves Duane's slide guitar throne. This time, there are more newer songs from the three studio reunions, especially WHERE IT ALL BEGINS, including the title track from that album, which convinces me that even though I've given up food-related alumni events at my old school in favor of being in shape for a number of pretty actresses, I can never truly deny the role that school activities, as well as the summers I spent at camp and on a teen tour, played in helping me achieve that goal. The fact that past and present members of the Allman Brothers Band believe that the young Australian tourist jailed in Indonesia on drug-smuggling charges was unjustly convicted makes this CD/cassette an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.

1 comments about Put Downs and Send-Ups Tour.

1. The interviewer doesn't seem to know exactly who the band is. There are a lot of awkward pauses, and too much backround noises. The Roger Daltrey interview is too short, and so is Moon's and Entwistle's. I wish this was better.
   
   I've heard of some Quadrophenia interview cd, wich seems really interesting. [...]

4 comments about Stiffs Live.

1. A rare gem I didn't expect to see on CD. I have loved this record since I found it in a used record store in Poughkeepsie in the 80's. Early Elvis the C, Nick Lowe, Dave Edumunds, Wreckless Eric...All recorded live in clubs with real drunk fans out for a good time.



2. This is a wonderfully eccentric, thrilling album. All have unique style except for the boring Larry Wallis, Police Car. Note: Rolling Stone panned it in 1977, except for Larry Wallis. And they always act like they were always so cool..... We must have more Wreckless Eric! Bring his stuff out on CD.

   PS: Clash? since when is there clash on this CD?




3. Okay. I confess I love this album and saw NOTHING about it here on amazon. Protest the lack of info! Every punk worth his or her safety pins should own this classic. It has a heartbreakingly lovely version of the young and angry Elvis Costello singing Burt Bacharach--more honest and also a little meaner than on his other more recent album. Lots of fun punk stuff: Ian Drury and The Blockheads doing Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll, and the Austin Powers of Punk, Wreckless Eric with great big power pop songs. Nick Lowe, too. Much more. Great fun. Happy bouncy punk with a streak of explosive noise and madness. Kind of a classic. A great party album. Looking back (it's almost 20 years old) it seems sweet, insane, and wonderfully optimistic about music in the post-disco era.
   
   You cannot go wrong. Rock on!



4. This is a strange assortment of the artists that were on the Stiff records label in 1977. I saw this tour and the CD brings it all back. There are a number of highlights - I like Wreckless in particular - but the outstanding track is Elvis Costello singing I Don't Know what to do With myself. If you remember the late seventies you must buy this.

5 comments about Caught in the Act.

1. This is a great CD, infact it's a Best of. It contains all Styx great songs, including Suite Madame Blue, Don't Let It End, Snowblind, Crystal Ball, The Best of Times, Mr. Roboto... I strongly recommend to every man who loves good music to buy this CD.



2. Styx released their first live album, the 2-disc Caught in the Act in April of 1984.
   The album (and its off-shoot video) was recorded (and filmed) in April of 1983 on the band's Kilroy Was Here tour in New Orleans, Louisiana. Most Styx fans want to compare this album to 1997's Return to Paradise. Caught in the Act slightly has the edge as the band had more energy, were younger and were still an active touring band at the time.
   The album leads off with the studio track "Music Time", which was a US charting hit peaking at #40 in the Spring of 1984 yet doesn't appear on either Greatest Hits 1 or 2 or the recently released Come Sail Away Anthology, so you will have to get the track here.
   The actual concert kicks off with "Mr. Roboto" which features singer and keyboard player Dennis DeYoung acting out and singing the song live (although the band used the backing track as the band's equipment was hidden thanks to the props on-stage during the track). You can hear his grunts as he struggles to remove the Roboto mask (you can see this on the Caught in the Act video which is due to be released on DVD). Roboto was given new life with the VW commercial in 1999 but when taken out of context outside of the Kilroy Was Here concept it doesn't work. Within Kilroy the song has meaning which many fans don't see.
   The live album has songs that are not on the video ("Babe", a spirited "Suite Madame Blue", "Miss America", "Fooling Yourself" and "Crystal Ball") and vice versa (the Kilroy film, "Heavy Metal Poisoning", "Cold War" (with extra verses and a long Tommy Shaw guitar solo), "Renegade" (complete with band getting arrested and John Panozzo drum solo), "Haven't We Been Here Before" and the "Don't Let it End (Reprise)").
   Other highlights on this album are "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Snowblind", "Rockin the Paradise", "Blue Collar Man", "Don't Let it End" (which is better than the studio version), "The Best of Times" and "Come Sail Away".
   The album reached the US Top 40 in 1984 but quickly fell from sight as people didn't give the live album a chance.
   The Caught in the Act album was the final album the classic lineup of Styx ever released and is a great testament to the classic lineup.
   Highly recommended!



3. This is Styx's only live album with all of the 5 classic members of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James Young, Chuck Panozzo, and John Panozzo. It is a very well done 2-disc album. With 7 songs on each disc this is a must have for every hard-core Styx fan. This is better than Return To Paradise and all the other live albums Styx has made with Lawrence Gowan. This was when Styx was at their peak and on the edge of their hiatus from 84 to 90. So seriously buy this album. My personal favorite on this album has to be Blue Collar Man (Long Nights). That song alone is worth the price of admission I mean the price of this album. This is really good music that you won't be able to find on today's music this style of talent + creativity = great music is most definetly gone. So buy this CD because you'll never hear music like this on an album or live ever again.



4. In 1984 when this effort was released it seemed like the perfect album at the perfect time for the boys, but as years have gone by it's obvious to me that it was about one year too late. The Styx machine really pushed the envelope of credibility with "Kilroy..." especially after the almost perfect "Paradise Theater", a real winner that still is the benchmark for 80's pop/rock. So when "Caught in the Act ..Live" was released it could not build on the momentum the band had built because "Kilroy.." was slowly killing it. However, the live set really is a nice package, a bit more raw sounding today than it was in the 80s, but still a nice representation of the band's live act. The setlist is very good, with a slight nod to the band's pre-Tommy Shaw period (should have been a bigger nod, but...)and plenty of top-notch musicianship to go around 100 garage-rock bands. One point of note is "Cold War" is absent from the CD but it was released on the accompanying video, and really makes the video release shine. Looking back JY's choice of axes at the time included a horrible sounding Ibanez that has the most over-processed sound you'll hear this side of a Mutt Lange produced album, ie: Def Lep's Hysteria LP. In the end the band delivers, as we all know they can (if you've ever seen the tandem of JY and Tommy Shaw duo live) and Dennis DeYoung's keyboards are note-perfect. The LP also contains the studio single "Music Time" which, I belive was recorded after the departure of Tommy Shaw (don't hold me to this however), and the video, if you can ever catch it on the tele, is pretty darn clever and humerous, as is the song itself. It's nice to see this side of the band which at times during their steller run of releases in the 1970s was a bit too serious. But hey, don't forget, this is Styx here, they WERE being serious, their heyday was during a time when rock and roll musicians were beginning to stretch out a bit and show that the genre WAS to be taken seriously and over the top was considered cool. So put on your parachute pants, a horrible-print, brightly colored shirt, and italian loafers and enjoy.



5. Well it is true that this CD features not all the hits that they have. It is true the band were crumbling at this point of their career. And most of all, it is true that one song was guilty for this band to go nowhere after this realese "Mr. Roboto".
   
   Other than this, it's a great damn album that if you bought it years ago you probably enjoy it as much as I. Of course, this is a kind of soundtrack of their tour Kilroy was here and they became actor-musicians, you can here on the album portions of what they are talking about, and if you saw the Caught in the act Video you realize what this is all about.
   
   I got into Styx after this album so probably I'll overratedit but the live versions of Blue collar man, Don't let it end, The best of times, Come sail away and some others make this album a true gem. On the other side, the first time I heard Music time I hated but after a few listens it grows on you and probably in the end you will happily laugh.
   
   In the eighties a lot of bands had the same effect. After a big world hit, the group is about to disband and they had to release a live album so they can breathe and take a break, and maybe, just maybe they survived (of course with a not very good album). I'm talking about Styx, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and some others. Thank God for this phenomenon because most of the albums were damn good.
   
   Well, what else can I say.....................It's the original line up, it has a lot of energy, the ballads are great, the rockers too. If your are a fan, you already have it. If you are a beginner fan, you better give it a shot it's a nice part of Styx Story.
   
   Highlights: Don't let it end, The best of times, Babe
   Lowlights: Miss America ( I would have included another one)