5 comments about New Live & Rare: The Bootleg Series 1984-2000.

1. What it comes down to is this - if you are used to buying bootlegs, this set is an absolute steal for $70 and the sound quality ranges from average to well above average for audience recorded material. Generally, to buy a 2 disc bootleg set, you have to pay at least $30 to $40, so here you are getting 6 two disc sets (12 cds total) for the price of two. If you are not used to bootlegs, buy the previously released offical live recordings from the tours represented in this box set (Knebworth '85, Nobody's Perfect, Come Hell or High Water, Live at the Olympia 96, and Total Abandon).



2. OK: 6x2 CD's digitally mastered.

   The sound is great, it's hard to tell it's a bootleg. Working as a DJ and in a record store I get to listen to A LOT of bootlegs. 99% of these are completly useless. HOWEVER, this compilation is an exception to the rule. It is truly Deep Purple at their best - as always :)




3. Having read the previous reviews that stated the sound quality on some of the CD's was bad, I still ordered it, expecting the worse. What a surprise, the sound quality on all the CD's is at least Very Good!! If you are a collector of Deep Purple, this collection ia a "must have". All of the CD's with Ritchie are better than the official release, "Nobody's Perfect" recorded in 1987. The best surprise is the 6th CD, Live in Japan. Gillan sings great, and the rest of the band are fantastic!!



4. As a collector of Deep Purple music since 1971, I find this "bootleg" set just that, a bootleg set. Just because it is a management release does not mean it is good. I purchased it because of the set lists and songs not done live on previous live recordings. This has no better sound quality because it as been mastered. Live in Japan 2000 has about the best sound quality but you can't hear Ian Gillian singing. Buyer beware!!!



5. Made in AUT in 2000, Serial# 697593-00074-8, Playing Time 712:07

   This "box set" features 6 double-CDs recorded between 1984 and 2000. As the full title of this item reads "Collectors Edition - The Bootleg Series", it is targeted at the DP collectors. If you're not one of those, I suggest you forget about this item, and continue shopping: you can stop reading this review HERE.

   If you're not a DP collector (and you're still reading this), why else would you want a box set that contains 6 versions of EACH of the following: "Black Night", "Highway Star", "Lazy", "Smoke On The Water" and "Perfect Strangers"; 5 versions EACH of "Child In Time" and "Knocking At Your Back Door"? Carry on with your shopping; there's NO POINT for you to keep reading on!

   OK, I think I got rid of the casual DP listener, and we can get started on the meat of this review, which I'll try to make as brief as possible: you're a DP collector, so you'll probably buy this no matter what I say, and that's fine; I just want to prepare you for what this "box" is all about...

   I don't like bootlegs: not because they're released without the artist's approval (that's a philosophical topic for another day), but because they're often poorly recorded; in this case, it's released by their booking agency. On the other hand, they also allow fans to listen to a performance without the aid of "final studio touch-ups" which often "tamper" official releases. When I saw the price of this item, I thought "I'm gonna get an envelope with 12 CDs held together by a rubber band"; not so: each 2-disc set is in a slim double-jewelcase, in a little cardboard box. Unlike typical box sets, this one has no booklet, no photos, no liner notes. Still, DP is one of those bands that aren't afraid to expand their music when performing live: these records clearly and interestingly prove this, so I won't bother talking about musicianship or the quality of the music: that's a given.

   I want to thank Ian (the previous reviewer) for describing the venues for each of these sets, and I'll focus a bit more on content, by making comparisons with "regular" live releases of DP, set-by-set. As a reference for sonic quality, I would give "Last Concert In Japan" a 7 out of 10, and DP's "Made in Japan" an 8 out of 10.

   Set 1: 108 min. Atrocious recording quality (3 out of 10). Sounds like I'm listening to the album because my neighbour from across the street is playing it, and my windows are open. The set list (not the versions) on this set is the same as on the "Knebworth 85" album, but adds "Under The Gun" and "Child In Time". Knebworth sounds much better.

   Set 2: 112 min. Improved sound quality (4 out of 10). Sounds like that same neighbour has opened THEIR windows. Set list is the same as set 1, but "Woman From Tokyo" replaces "Speed King".

   Set 3: 139 min. Improved sound quality (5 out of 10). Sounds like my next-door neighbour also bought this and is now playing it. Same set list as "Nobody's Perfect", plus 5 songs: "Unwritten Law", "Dead Or Alive", "Difficult To Cure", Speed King" and "Call Of The Wild". This set contains some disappointing fade-outs!

   Set 4: 115 min. Better sound quality (7 out of 10). I'm in my kitchen, and my wife must be playing the CD downstairs. Same set list as on "Come Hell Or High Water", plus 8 tracks, but misses "Speed King". This one's worth it!

   Set 5: 114 min. Uneven but average sound quality (6 out of 10). Sounds like I'm in my car stopped at a red light, and the car next to me is playing this disc; our windows are up. Recorded during a break from the studio sessions of "Purpendicular". First set that features the "crunchy" guitar sounds of Steve Morse.

   Set 6: 123 min. Very good sound quality (8 out of 10). Set list is quite different from the "Total Abandon Australia '99" set. This is how DP was meant to be heard, and is worthy of a "commercial" release.

   This box will probably be out of print faster than you can sing the words to "Difficult To Cure" (if you're a DP collector, you'll know what that means! If you're not, why are you still here?). There's 647 minutes of actual music (about 1 hour's worth of playing time is "lost" for applause, intros, etc.) For people like us (DP collectors), this set is precious. There's a disclaimer at the bottom of the box that reads: "These recordings are taken from good quality audience tapes, and in no way represent high quality live concert audio". To which I say: "Who Cares! I'm a DP collector!!!"

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. [...]

5 comments about One of These Nights.

1. The copy of this CD I have heard is a better than average remake
   of a bootleg of the outdoor concert that Henley did for the
   Walden woods. The songs picked for the concert were excellent tunes and I am sure Henley did as well performing them as he did on The Eagles "Live", "Hell Freezes Over", and the Millenium concert from Their "Selected Works" Box Set. In time I learned the concert was an "open air" concert and who-ever recorded it did not capture the Henley voice we all know and love. The voice audio and over all audio quality is just not up to par but not a total waste of money for a true Henley fan.



2. First off, I am a big Henley fan and, for a live CD, the audio is pretty decent on this release (although there are a few sound drop-outs throughout the CD). However, this is basically a re-release of a bootleg CD of the '93 benefit concert in Boston. I'm sure Mr. Henley isn't making a cent off this release (not that he really needs the money at this point in his life). Anyway, the reason I only give this one star is that the tracks were shuffled from the original order they were played. Normally not a huge deal, but when they keep the song intros on the end of the preceding track and then shuffle the songs, you get intros for each song that are just plain wrong. For example, did you know that Bob Dylan and Danny O'Keefe wrote "Desperado" or that "Sunset Grill" was released in 1975?
   ***BZZZZT*** I think not...
   How hard would have been to leave a bootleg CD in its original running order!?!?!
   ...



3. i attented this concert labor day weekend around 1993.benefit concert for walden woods.this concert was also broadcast
   live.tracks include classic eagles tracks as well as his solo
   hits.jimmy buffet also guests on a couple selections who was performing in the area the same weekend.i don't think this a interview disc.



4. walden woods benefit for tree hugger henley.faithful versions of

   eagles and solo henley hits as well magaritaville by jimmy buffet

   recorded labor day weekend 1993.this has been available as a

   bootleg for years.i'm curious what label has put this out.




5. According to one of the unofficial Eagle's fan sites, this is a quality bootleg of the Labor Day / Walden Woods benefit concert from the early 90's.

   If that's true, this is from the third summer of the "End of the Innocence" tour. I think this is the same show that was broadcast on King Biscuit Flower Hour or one of those radio shows (it's been quite a while since I've heard it). Again, if this is the same show, Jimmy Buffet makes a cameo appearance with Don. Of course, since there is no song listing here we don't know if Volcano and Marguritaville (sp?) made the disc. This might also include new songs that made their debut during this leg of the tour like "Well, well, well" - which have yet to surface on any official Henley release. Key word here is "might".

   However, until I can determine if any of this is true, I won't risk my money on this. And if I'm wrong, remember all the disclaimor's (if, might, etc.) above.

3 comments about Volunteer Jam VII.

1. Buy this for great fiddle (Charlie, of course) and Great Gonzo (Ted Nugent). Sho' nuff!!!



2. I had the pleasure of being at this Jam and hearing this music live. I've had the album for years and count it as one of my prize possessions. Charlie's Jams were beyond belief during a time when southern music ruled. His tribute to Skynard was the best I have ever heard. You never knew who would show up and play (Billy Joel, Tanya Tucker, Jerry Lee Lewis, James Brown, Linc Ray, etc.) Own a piece of Southern Rock history. The best! How about a live concert DVD? Charlie's live shows are smokin.



3. WOW! -- If you like Charlie Daniels you are going to love this! I had the pleasure of hearing CDB in concert at the most recent Oregon Jamboree and this album is as close to a live concert as you can get without being there!

2 comments about Live & Rare: Onward Flies the Bird.

1. hawkwind the phscydelic band from the seventies who had a hit sung by the growling man lemmy this is "live and rare"
   a cd i found with the other album for a "£5.00 a bargain if i ever did see one HMV have no idea at all, what's rare
   this album i've never seen in the shops again and it's really bad because it's a class live album yeah the sound quality may be a bit dodgy, but the quality of the songs are there
   features "born to go" off there first slbum
   "silver machine" the classic first single"
   "angels of death"heavy song dude
   "who's gonna win the war" polictics
   and the classic trippy song of fifteen minutes
   "you shouldn't do that" s mega epic yeah it's repetitive
   a class album from the pioneers of space rock and the backbone of the heavy metal band lemmy would leader "motorhead"



2. A decent quality budget priced CD aimed probably at Hawkwind die-hards,for the most part.However,if you happen to be a new fan,'Live&Rare...' isn't bad to have first,before you have a chance to check out all their actual album reissues.Total of fifteen cuts,several of which came off their 'Acid Daze 1' and 'Acid Daze 2' compilation discs.It's always nice to hear the "Motorhead" edit where Dave Brock sings instead of Lemmy,as well as these live versions of "Born To Go","Earth Calling","Space Is Deep" and "You Shouldn't Do That".Those last two came from 'Best&The Rest Of...'(see my review).Also dug the rehearsal cut of "Magma" and their experimental tune "Douglas In The Jungle" that SEEMS like it's a different mix than the one that showed up on one of the 'Weird Tape' releases.Funny thing,this CD has been out for awhile now and until recently,I've never seen a copy of it anywhere.Go figure.

4 comments about Concert Classics.

1. Do not buy this. Get Concerto instead. It is the same music, but it has better sound quality, more tracks and is cheaper.
   
   This is a budget product with a high price. It has very cheap packaging, with no liner notes. The sound quality is poor. It is flat, and there is a background buzz. It has been remastered and re-issued as Concerto, which is a far superior product. Concert Classics is a one star CD. Concerto rates three to four stars.



2. Call this mature Roxy, with all the positive and negative connotations it implies. The band had a total, confident command of the fairly complex material in Manifesto. The recording is good, clear, and not "bootleg quality." Anyone who loved live Roxy really ought to have this, since there is not enough good live Roxy material available.

   Having said that, by this point in the story Roxy was not the incredible live-wire road show of a few years earlier (circa Country Life or Siren). Great songs, great musicianship, but not the fire they had before. I'm glad this CD is available, but can't we get better representation of early-to-mid-period Roxy? Right now, all we have is Viva, which does not remotely measure up to any of the Roxy shows I ever saw.




3. Wow, this is the first time that I've heard some of these tunes from Manifesto played live. They smoke! While I will admit this Roxy line-up does not generate the excitement that the older recordings on Viva Roxy Music do, it is still an interesting live document. Not a bad job on some of the older favorites as well. It sounds like a pretty bare bones soundboard recording, and occassionally the mixing is a little uneven, but I like a raw recording that sounds like a real gig rather than a studio doctored tape. Overall a good value for Roxy fans.



4. Despite some claims to the contrary, Manifesto showed Roxy in very good form. The strongest material there is easily as good as anything on Siren. The Manifesto tour, on the otherhand, initially displayed a band that had yet to find its feet.

   By the time they appeared in Denver (where this was recorded), they had a better grip on the material. The playing is uniformly excellent and although it doesn't match the power of the band during their 73-74 and 75 tours, Ferry, Manzanera, MacKay and Thompson display a confidence missing earlier in the tour. Roxy never sounded this good again. By the time of Avalon the band was going through the motions.

   This remake/remodel edition of Roxy still had a fire in its belly and could command the stage with the best of them. A pity the Los Angeles and San Francisco shows aren't offically documented as well.

No comments about A Little South of Sanity.

No comments about Boys Are Back in Town: Live in Australia.

No comments about The Masters: Chicago Live.

1 comments about Live, Fuck 'Em If They Can't Take a Joke.

1. One of my favorites. It sounds totally effortless, all the riffs,untill you try to play them. Then you realize just how talented they are. Of course the sound isn't that of the studio, but whaddya want!!! The New York New York CD is the same thing with bonus tracks. Cool Daddy!!!!! Love the slow tunes Loyola, What goes on. Yep definite top 10!!!!!