5 comments about Live.

1. Yeah,I was at the first and last nights of the Boadway shows and what a wild event it was. The first night was quite strange because I think alot of the people at the show were expecting a play or something and man their heads must have been blown that nite. First there was the new superheroes of rock "Queen" who we loved by their first few albums and they did not disapoint. No special stageshow,just excellent raw rock n roll which I'm sure pleased the masters "Mott The Hoople".Finally being allowed to use special effects like marionettes really put the party atmosphere into Motts performance.If there is such a thing as Rock n Roll heaven ,well we in the audience were there. We went home just dreaming about the last nite and how great that was gonna be! This turned out to be a party totally out of control! Everyone dancing in the aisles as if we were part of some sort of rock n roll church. Magic is the only way I can describe it and only Mott new how to do it! And I think Mott The Hoople are the only band with the talent to pull off a rock show on Broadway because noone has ever done it since. This double CD is perfect and this is the way they should have released it back then. But the record company chopped it up and Mott The Hoople missed another chance at Superstardom. But we all new the truth and felt like we new something noone else new and that's what made it extremely special. Unfortunately, Mott The Hoople must have disliked being just a cult band because they soon broke up. And that broke a whole lot of Rock n Roll hearts indeed!



2. I was a huge Mott fan since their 1st album. Saw them in 73 or 74 at a small University in NJ - an afternoon concert in the gym! They rocked and I spent the whole show standing in my chair shaking my butt. Bought and played to death all their albums after "Escher". Mad Shadows, Wildelife, Dudes - played them all to death. I think Brain Capers is their best, loved Mott, but back when did not think The Hoople was all that great. Then I bought this on LP back when and again, I was lukewarm. Part of it was I could not accept the band without Mick and Verden. At the time Ariel Bender did not blow me away. What was I thinking?!?
   I bought this expanded edition recently because of the extra trax. Again - 1974 - what was I thinking? Or not... These discs show a great great band in full power mode. In terms of the heavy hitters, Mott in the early 70's were at or near the top of the heap. Both shows in this package are exceptional. The two keyboard punch of organ and piano adds a lot of depth (though I miss Verden), and allows Ian more time on guitar. This results in a fuller sound which just adds to the intensity. Overend and Buffin as always lay down a great bottom. And to my ears today - Ariel is a great fit - certainly wilder than Mick, but still perfect for the bands style. His rhythm is properly crunching and his solo's a showcase of technique, speed and control. Ian? One of the great rock frontmen, and he is clearly having a ball at these shows.
   
   NYC had better tapes to mix from. Love how American Pie segues into a steaming Golden Age. Can't say for me there is a standout - every cut is killer and the band is on fire from the get go. Hymn for the Dudes is really good here; and Dudes is electrifying. Great version of Memphis.
   
   The UK show has a few rough mixes (noted on cd) and seems 2 trax did not make it. Still, the opening from The Planets into Drivin Sister is for me maybe the highlight of both sets. I like the rough, less polished mix. It adds to the raw energy of the show. Nice to have Angeline in here; interesting to compare the 2 versions of Sucker in terms of the mix. NYC is clean; UK rough. Both are great. The long medley launches with Jerkin Crocus - one of my all time fave Mott tunes which I wish they had done a full version of. But in context of the medley it still kicks @$$, and I guess they must be hip hop with all the short samples (hehe) (and catch the quick few bars of Jean Genie!) Also contrast the two closing versions of Walkin with Mtn. NYC is a solid effort. But the 2nd might be the best version available. Ariel really gives it a workout, and as the liner notes say, they were fighting management to stay on stage! Curtain coming down. Band keeps playing. Now that's rock and roll!!
   
   I would put Fairfield Hall a little above this as my favorite live Mott - it is more primal and I still prefer Verden to Fisher/Weaver/Bolton. I can see others not agreeing though and would not argue. Sony really did fans a big favor by re-issuing this as they did. Two glorious shows by one of the all time great rock bands. I have always put them ahead of Zeppelin, Purple, Mountain, TRex, Hawkwind, etc though great bands all. Something about Mott - the attitude, the variety of rockers and ballads, change-ups like Wildlife. They had "IT", which can't be defined but you know it when you hear it. And it's all here in these shows. Pounce.



3. The original release of "Mott the Hoople Live" always seemed like a great opportunity squandered; Ian Hunter and company sucking the fumes of desperation but not so punch drunk that they'd pass up a chance at the history books as the first rock and roll band to play on Broadway (the Uris Theatre in 1974), nor host an actual riot masquerading as a Hammersmith Odeon gig six months previous. Their record company, CBS, dug in their heels and refused to release the tapes as a double album, though, dropping the ball again when editing time rolled around, chopping the tapes into pieces, dropping them on the cutting room floor, and then putting them back together in the wrong order.
   
   Shame, really, because this reconfigured, expanded 30th anniversary edition goes miles beyond setting things right, revealing two sets that if released 30 years ago, would have stood chin to chin with anything released during the golden age of the live album, knocking pretenders like "Frampton Comes Alive," the Allman Brothers' "At Filmore East," and Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous" into a cocked hat.
   
   Godhead for most will be tracks from "The Hoople" - "The Golden Age of Rock `n' Roll," "Roll Away the Stone, " "Born Late '58," "Marionette," "Crash Street Kids" - that CBS refused to include at the time for some reason, Ariel Bender playing as if he's either on the brink of some great discovery or a complete mental breakdown, his patented angry-hornets-sprayed-by-Raid sonic quest for world dominance threatening to derail magnificently most of the time before snapping back into place with a resounding twang, squeal, or buzz. Don't believe what you read (and only half of what you see); the guy could play although it's possible he was making it all up as he went along, in which case he's a genius.
   
   Hunter stakes his claim as one of the greatest front men ever - the guv'nor if you will - but when you have drummer Dale "Buffin" Griffin, bassist Pete "Overend" Watts, and pianist and resident odd duck (and that's saying a LOT with Bender on board) Morgan Fisher watching your back, it's difficult not to feel bulletproof.
   
   While there may be a thousand happy stories in the big city, unfortunately this isn't one of them. Mott the Hoople would never fly this high again or really get off the ground much at all save for a few halfway decent farewell singles with Mick Ronson in "Saturday Gigs" and "Foxy Foxy." Before you could say "Once Bitten Twice Shy," Hunter was in the hospital suffering from nervous exhaustion and Griffin, Watts, and Hunter ran off with the band's first name. Me, I'm still sitting on my hands waiting for the reunion gig and obligatory studio album with BOTH Bender and Mick Ralphs, currently scheduled for the twelfth of Never.



4. Although only a straping 12 year old upon it's release, I hold this album in the highest regard. This album shows the diversity of the songwriting of genius Ian Hunter. It also rocks(All The Way To Memphis) inspires(Rest In Peace) and insults (Sucker). In this current form, it is the best live rock recording of the early seventies.
   
   It you want to learn about the band that inspired Queen, Def Leppard, Foreigner and plenty of American bands too, do yourself a favor and check this out.
   
   A better with age Classic!



5. Excellent sound quality, lots of extra music the album did not have, great cd cover and insert. Just a real good package.

5 comments about In the Flesh Live.

1. i saw waters on this tour and i am a huge floyd fan but the sound on this sacd is awful!!!!!!!! it is so bad i actually unplugged all my cables and re-plugged them and it still sounded the same.the rear channels just sound fuzzy and ecoey,the bass is non-existent and the centre channel is not used on every track.i find it difficult to believe that the sound can be this bad having already got the normal cd which is infinitely better,especially when played through the concert/live processor on my amp. the music is great,though a bit clinical at times. could and should have been so much better.



2. This "live" performance almost sounds "too perfect" to be live. A great bunch of musicians and a great sounding cd going through the popular Pink Floyd catelog of hit songs and covering the most popular solo material as well. Almost a bit too "commercialized" similar to the Pink Floyd "Echoes" greatest hits release, but overall a great sounding cd/dvd. I would recommend this but would also recommend buying the Pink Floyd and Roger Water albums individually and listening to them from start to finish to get the concept of each recording. Hard to do when these songs are divided up on "greatest hits" and/or a live "greatest hits" recording.



3. The show is amazing, sound and video quality are great. You've got to see it live on a big screen, I listen to the PCM track on all 5 speakers instead of the DD track.



4. I am a big Pink Floyd fan and I have most of their albums. As far as post Waters Floyd goes, it's ok. I think it's pretty good but it's nothing like Floyd in their Prime, but I still enjoy Pulse.

   I had been waiting a while for a surround sound Pink Floyd CD and I bought an SACD player just so I could listen to the new AMAZING Dark Side Of The Moon. While I was on this kick, I decided to buy Roger Waters' live solo album In The Flesh. I was a little worried at first, because this is Roger Waters and not PINK FLOYD, even though Roger was part of Floyd in a BIG way. But I decided to give it a chance. Also, there are a good amount of Floyd songs on here that I hadn't heard performed live by the original Pink Floyd, so I thought this would be the next best thing.

   And it IS. I thought the old Floyd stuff was done very well. I don't really care for the Waters solo stuff too much but the Floyd stuff is great. The only problem with this SACD is the surround sound mix. About 80% of the audio comes from the left and right speakers, leaving the rear speakers for audience cheering, sound effecs, and once in a while, an instrument or two. As far as I could tell, the center speaker was not used at all, and the sub woofer was used at a minimum. No instruments came from the woofer, just a slight rumble of effects. THIS MIX LACKS BASS! When i listen to it, it's like the audio is coming from 4 transistor radios, and not an 80 watt surround sound system. The strangest thing of all is that this mix was done by James Guthrie, who mixed the Dark Side Of The Moon SACD. DSOTM sounds AMAZING. It is probably the best sounding SACD/DVD-Audio that I have ever heard. In The Flesh sounds like .... I can harldy believe that the same man mixed both albums.

   In my opinion, (and I'm sure there will be many who disagree) an SACD isn't worth your time (to locate, they are not popular yet) or money unless they are multichannel. I paid $$$ for this when I could have gotten the regular CD version for $$$, would be able to play it in ANY cd player, AND would be able to adjust eq. The CD version would cost less money AND sound better.




5. Roger has pointed the finger at the establishment
   in almost every album he's ever done.He cannot stand
   the rudimentary level of consciuousness that
   most of society operates under.He has been
   pointing out the pigs to anyone who will listen
   and waitng for the rest of the world to wake up.
   I praise him for that,but he belongs with Pink-
   Floyd.This CD shines when it covers Rogers solo
   numbers,but I cringed when I heard the classics.
   It becomes clear(as if it werent already)who the
   music was in Pink Floyd and who was the words.If
   you're a true Floyd fan you probably won't care for
   it.SACD,though,is mind blowing.Wow,so much more
   resolution in the recording,I was smoked!! It's like
   being in the studio.Crystal clear sound that is just
   dripping with power.I can't even listen to 44.1khz now!
   This format retains the power and warmth of analog and
   the clean sound of digital.SACD is capable of over100khz
   frequency response and a sensitivity of 120db over the entire
   listening range.You've never heard anything like it and it
   will change you in ways you can't imagine.You will be able to
   feel the music,perceive it as you do in a live show,mind blowing! you will need a SACD player,the one I got is the
   SONY DVP-NS755V.It can play any CD(SACD,CD,CDR/RW,Data,Video)
   as well as DVD's.Amazon.com didn't have it yet so I ordered from [a local store].It was at my door 4 days after ordering.....Hooked up to my Yamaha HTR5540 and
   my stereo is no longer being used.ABT is an awesome company if
   you're wondering.In fact there arent very many companies like
   them left anymore.

5 comments about 1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2.

1. Originally the second record in a 2-LP set, this is now the companion volume to Live 1969, Volume 1, and it's every bit as good as (perhaps even better than) its predecessor. Lou Reed's songs (and the entire band's playing) sounds absolutely stunning in a live context. The music shimmers with life and humor and emotion, bursting with creativity and grace. It's beautiful and rollicking and harrowing all it once- listen to the lush, epic, and utterly beautiful "Ocean," that goes on for about ten minutes without wasting a note. Listen to the smirking high-speed rockabilly of "Sweet Bonnie Brown/ It's Just Too Much," and the raw, pained beauty of "Pale Blue Eyes." "Some Kind Of Love" is jazzy and playful, and "White Light/White Heat" is a a killer extended noise-driven jam. The true hidden gem of this record is "Over You," which is the epitome of short, sweet, and utterly wistful pop. Everything about the song, from the melancholy riff and hypnotic guitar solo to the resigned, self-deprecating vocal, is simply ideal. The whole album is nothing short of a rock 'n' roll masterpiece.



2. This LP in it's original Double-album form was one my favorites of the era (the early seventies being a little sparse and sometimes unoriginal), but when the CD's came out, they split the thing into 2 separate discs. So this one has lots of dreamy, drug induced pop ("pale blue eyes', "I'll be your Mirror') , and some atmospherics ('Ocean')as well as the classics ("Heroin, White Light/White Heat').
   Good for fans, good for people who liked their studio stuff, also.



3. Basically, if you're into the vu, you'll be into them live. There's almost no other way of looking at it. Their live performances are the most innate I've ever heard. So, if you're having some sort of dilemma regarding which live albums to spend your hard earned currency on, here's a suggestion: 1969: The Velvet Underground Live Vol.'s 1 & 2, Live at MKC, and the Quine Tapes. Those are the best live performances I've heard from the band. My personal favorite is the 1969: The VU Live Volume 1, but it's all personal preference.
   I suppose I've gone off on a bit of a tangent - forgetting this was a review for 1969 Vol. 2. Well, the album is amazing. You're really doing yourself an injustice by not buying it. Trust me, the technicalities don't need to be described: just buy it, listen to it, and be inspired by it.



4. The version of "Ocean" on this album is mind-blowing. You have to buy the CDs just for that. The rest of the Vol. 2 CD is excellent, as is Vol. 1, but that recording of "Ocean"...oh, it's impossible to do any justice to it here.



5. This is one of the rare cases when volume 2 is better than the first. Of course, it would be best to buy both but if you have to pick one, pick this volume.

   This is the album that made me really appreciate the Velvets. I love live music and this album really captures the band as they were meant to be heard -- Jamming, Moody, Rock and Roll. The first 3 songs especially (Ocean, Pale Blue Eyes, and Heroin) have reverberated in my musical memory for a very long time.

   A GREAT FIRST VU ALBUM! If you know the Velvets or even just think you might like them, you can't go wrong with these live concerts.

5 comments about In the Flesh Live.

1. Definitivamente, Roger Waters en su concierto "in the flesh" le da un nuevo brillo a las clásicas canciones de los 70's que interpreto con Pink Floyd, como ejemplo "Mother" en que una de sus estrofas repetitivas la canta una de sus coristas.
   
   In the flesh, es un concierto digno de ser comprado el cual contiene los temas indispensables de Pink Floyd y Roger Waters en un solo CD, el cual se complementa "Echoes: the best of Pink Floyd" la cual tiene todos los grandes éxitos remasterizados.



2. This might be a great album, but because it's one of Sony's "Super Audio" CDs, I couldn't play it on my CD player or on my late model computers. Luckily, Amazon was happy to let me return it. "Super Audio," however superior the sound quality might be, seems to me to be yet another one of Sony's ways of preventing buyers from copying music onto their computers or portable audio devices. These play-restricted types of CDs should be identified as such by Amazon and their third-party sellers.



3. This didn't play in 5 different CD players. Discs are marked "designed for use in Super Audio CD players only" but the outside case doesn't say that. I think Sony mispackaged this. We'll try to exchange for the correct format.



4. Roger Waters' sixth solo release In The Flesh Live was released in December of 2000.
   In 1999, former Pink Floyd bass player/singer/lyricist Roger Waters went on his first US tour in 12 years and didn't know how well he would be received. Surprisingly, Roger did very well on that tour as his ex-bandmates were not touring that year. At the time, Roger was going to record his first proper live album but there was a clause in Roger's deal with EMI in Pink Floyd that he couldn't re-record his OWN songs after he switched to Sony worldwide.
   After Roger got the rights reversed, he set off on a second US tour based on the success of the 1999 leg and recorded and filmed the In the Flesh album/DVD, released in December, 2000 and December, 2001 respectively.
   Personally, I think he performed better on the second North American leg than the 1999 leg but in retrospect, the final show in Providence should have been recorded but you can wish in one hand and pour out the other.
   However, the performances from Oregon and Las Vegas on the album is good as it was that July night in 2000 I saw Roger.
   Roger has a competent band of musicians like drummer Graham Broad and guitarist Andy Fairweather Low but also guitarists Snowy White (whom worked with Floyd in 1977 and 1980) and Texan Doyle Brahmall II (sounds like Stevie Ray Vaughan IMHO) and keyboardist Jon Carin whom ironically played with the post-Waters Floyd in 1987 to 1990 and 1994 and has toured with Waters again in 2006 and 2007 and in David Gilmour's solo tour in 2006.
   The renditions of the numbers on In the Flesh don't sound too different than their studio versions (In the Flesh, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall(pt. 2), Mother, Welcome to the Machine, Wish You Were Here, Breathe, Time, Money, Brain Damage, Eclipse and Comfortably Numb) but some of the songs are slightly different than the way Waters' ex-colleagues played them (Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun).
   Floyd fans are pleased to know that Roger included material from Animals (Pigs on the Wing(pt. 1) and a spirited Dogs) and The Final Cut (Get Your Filthy Hands/Southampton medley) which Roger's ex-bandmates don't play live (Animals is too venomous while The Final Cut is despised by Floyd members David Gilmour and Rick Wright).
   The bass player's solo efforts are represented as well, with spirited versions of Every Strangers Eyes, Perfect Sense (pts. 1 and 2), The Bravery of Being Out of Range, It's a Miracle and Amused to Death. He did The Powers That Be on the 1999 tour but dropped it in 2000.
   The album closes with the new track Each Small Candle which is a worthy song and sounds like an outtake from The Final Cut or Animals.
   Despite charting at a lowly #164, this is a great live album and breath of fresh air in a climate that was infested with teen pop trash like Britney, N'Sync and Eminem and lame nu-metal!
   This CD and its off-shoot DVD is highly recommended.



5. I enjoyed this DVD very much. Roger Waters puts on one hell of concert. The quality is excellent. My favorite songs on this track are:
   "Perfect Sense"
   "Mother"
   "Miracle"
   This is a must for anyones library, especially if you collect "Pink Floyd".

5 comments about Paul Is Live.

1. I am a lover of live recordings, and this one exceeds expectations. The only drawback is Paul singing some of his own 90's songs, which I tend to skip over (such as Biker Like an Icon). In general, very satisfied with the CD



2. It seems to be the same rehash of songs with a few new ones, his other live cds are better, But this live cd is still good but not His best,



3. Anyone who honestly thought that Paul McCartney's 1993 live album "Paul Is Live" would be on par with his previous live endeavour, 1990's 2 disc "Tripping The Live Fantastic", most have had their heads lodged pretty far up in the clouds (among other places). There was a series of emotional nuances present on "Tripping The Live Fantastic" that made that album so perfect that couldn't be duplicated here. "Tripping The Live Fantastic" was the first time Paul had been in front of an audience for a considerable period of time, so there was a deep personal connection that would natuarally be captured only once.
   
   That being said, "Paul Is Live" does make a solid companion to "Tripping The Live Fantastic". With the exception of "Live And Let Die", not a single song from either disc of "Tripping The Live Fantastic", so you're already in for a completely different album. Which is great, since little heard gems like "Drive My Car" (which makes for a great concert opener), "Let Me Roll It", All My Loving", "We Can Work It Out", "Michelle", "Here, There And Everywhere", "My Love", "Lady Madonna", "Penny Lane" and "Paperback Writer". All of these performances along with others are expertly performed.
   
   There are some flaws. The songs from "Off The Ground", the album this tour was done in support for, are nowhere near as good in concert as the songs from "Flowers In The Dirt" were on "Tripping The Live Fantastic". Also, the soundcheck songs on the end are ultimately useless (although I do enjoy "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "A Fine Day") and could've done away with. What could've replaced them. Well, as one reviewer pointed out, "Another Day" would've been a great addition. Also, while they were already included on "Tripping The Live Fantastic", "Yesterday", "Hey Jude", "Get Back" and "Band On The Run" (among others) are also concert powerhouses, and the album does feel somewhat incomplete without them.
   
   That being said, this is still a solid collection of Paul in concert. The sound quality is excellent, you get tour dates on the track listings as well as where they were recorded, and the photos in the liner notes are really nicely put together. Overall, a great live album.



4. I gave this CD five stars because it's a CD by Paul McCartney and it has most of my favorite songs in it. But for the contents, it's a four. Because in Drive my Car, you can't hear that same energy in Paul as you hear in the DVD "Live in Red Square". The guitarists (with the exception of Paul) also seem like old geezers who are losing their buzz. I think many of the songs have too much keyboard effects in it and not enough homemade guitar sound. My favorite song of all "Here, There, and Everywhere was only sub-par. In the Back in the US version, it had oooing harmonies throughout the whole song, making it seem more deep and soulful, but in Paul is Live, only a few parts are sung harmoniously. I big good thing about Paul is Live is that it has the song "Michelle" included, which is a big thing. I still recommend all Beatles and Paul McCartney fans to get this CD, but I'm just saying, don't expect TOO much.



5. Paul McCartney possesses an almost singular talent to create and sing good music. Period. I always enjoy picking up a live CD of Paul in concert to just get the feeling of what it was like to be there. People have said that these tracks, recorded at different times in different locations, have been put together so coherently that the overall effect is that this was all recorded at one time. They're right!
   
   Quite a few of these songs are NOT repeats from Paul's 1990 live CD set entitled Tripping The Live Fantastic; and that's another plus for this album.
   
   The CD has some very strong performances by Paul and his band. I particularly liked the way "Drive My Car" starts off the CD. It's a whopper of a song with an awesome positive beat to it and this sets the listener up for wanting more. "Let Me Roll It" follows and is very well done also. I really liked "Live And Let Die;" but "We Can Work It Out," "All My Loving," "Penny Lane" and "Peace In The Neighbourhood" are also very well done. There's hardly a bad spot on the album until the track "Welcome To Soundcheck," which was filler in my opinion. However, this one track is not intended to be the focal point of the album.
   
   There are also two previously unreleased songs recorded during soundchecks and placed at the end of this CD: " Hotel In Benidorm" and "I Wanna Be Your Man." The sound isn't quite as good here but the reverse of the album does point out that these are soundcheck recordings and not finalized versions.
   
   Look for Paul's late wife Linda, Hamish Stuart, Robbie McIntosh and Wix Wickens on vocals, too. The group harmonizes very well.
   
   The sound quality is excellent for a live recording especially when you consider that these songs were recorded in different places on different dates. I was very impressed. Paul and his band send out a certain type of electricity that is unmistakable. Awesome!
   
   The liner notes boast a great collage of photos from the 1993 tour put together by Paul himself. The locations and dates for each recorded song are also provided on the reverse of the album liner notes. A nice plus!
   
   People often say that this is not the best live CD Paul put out; and maybe that's true. Nevertheless, I myself enjoyed it immensely with the exception of the soundcheck tracks. They just didn't quite "do it" for me.
   
   I recommend this for Paul's fans, Beatles' fans (since there are eleven Beatles songs on this CD), fans of classic rock and pop vocals. Thank you, Paul--and please--ROCK ON !!!!

5 comments about The Concert.

1. This is the CCR live album to get, if you want to hear them really playing live and doing their songs just like their records, but faster. In this way, they were a very 60's type band. It was kind of cute this swamp rock thing. Sound quality is good enough, so enjoy an hour of CCR.
   
   Essential live albums from the 70's:
   Deep Purple - Made In Japan
   The Who - Live At Leeds



2. This album sounds terrible. It blars. Can't distinguish individual sounds. The perforomance itself is also lousy.
   It's a waste o0f money. Sorry that I bought it!!



3. If you like your bands to play live a faithful note for note reproduction of their albums then you'll love this album. If you're the type who likes a band to open up, change things around a bit and show some spontaneity in their live shows then this album is not for you.

   Although, written over 3 years ago I have to take issue with previous reviewer kireviewer. A few things he/she said are simply untrue.

   The reason Creedence didn't allow their appearance at Woodstock to appear on the album or movie had nothing to do with money. Creedence came on late at night after the Grateful Dead had put everyone to sleep. Their set was filled with numerous technical difficulties. Fogerty, already sensing the future importance of the event, didn't want Creedence's legacy to be such a poor performance.

   It has never been documentated in any way that there were issues within the band about the style of music they played. If Fogerty wanted the band to be a showcase for his songs, so what? The guy wrote about 13 top ten singles in a 3 year period. The album Mardi Gras proved that the songs from the other members of Creedence were not up to snuff.

   John WAS an autocrat. You had to do things his way or take the highway. To say that he couldn't get along with anybody is a bit unfair though.

   Oh, by the way, as a reward for sticking with the band for ten years before Proud Mary hit John gave all the members a percentage of songwriting royalties for the first few albums even though they had absolutely nothing to do with writing any of the songs. Never heard Lennon or McCartney doing anything like that for Ringo.




4. This is a great live album from Creedence Clearwater Revival!!!Contains live versions of:Proud Mary,Green River,Bad Moon Rising,Commotion,Travellin' Band,Born On the Bayou,Fortunate Son,Who'll Stop The Rain,Down On The Corner,Keep On Chooglin' and more!!! This CD rocks!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+



5. "The Concert" has taken some hits through the years, but it is actually a really fine live album, featuring several of the group's best songs in tough, muscular renditions.

   The sound is good, the songs are great, and there are virtually no weak moments here.
   Some of the band's lesser-known album tracks, like "The Midnight Special", "Tombstone Shadow" and the spiritual-slash-rockabilly tune "Don't Look Now", are particularly enjoyable in this live setting, but the single hits work very well also, including "Proud Mary" and "Green River".

   4 1/2 stars. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Warszawa.

1. Porcupine Tree is one of the finest bands around and this cd, recorded during the Lightbulb Sun tour, delivers in a big way. First off the material for the recording was culled from a Polish radio broadcast with a specially invited studio audience and features the bulk of the "Lightbulb Sun" cd (recently re-released in a gorgeous remastered form/5.1 surround) as well as tracks from "Stupid Dream" and "Signify", for me three of their better recordings (although serious kudos have to go to "In Absentia", "Deadwing" and "Fear Of A Blank Planet" all fine recordings of their own especially thanks to Gavin Harrison's absolutely phenomenal drum work). The recording itself is crystalline and a big improvement on the sound rendered on "Coma Devine".
   If you're seeking a fine example of what Porcupine Tree can do live, look no further. this is the recording to have. Trust me on this one.



2. Being an avid fan of Porcupine Tree, I try to see them live every time they tour in my area. I saw them this spring on their recent tour, and the live CD Warszawa captures much of the material from that tour, and has an excellent group of older and newer material which is great "ear candy" I would highly recomment this CD for any fans of Porcupine Tree who would like to add a recent live recording of this awesome band to their collection.



3. This new Digipak version is a re-release of an earlier Madfish Records UK release from 2005. As a Porcupine Tree fan and music listener for the majority of my life, I can tell you, this is one excellant concert recording.
   
   The performance is from a Polish radio show broadcast that included a small in studio audience. The performance was right on the heels of the Lightbulb Sun tour, so most of the songs performed are from that album. A couple more from Stupid Dream, Voyage 34 (Phase One), and the title track off the Signify album. This is a real treat, since the Lightbulb Sun album has been out-of-print for a long time now. This was my first chance to hear the songs (I'm still waiting for the rumoured re-release this fall).
   
   I'm not going to try and give you a full description of the music on this album, if you need that, please see the Amazon Review by "fats al" of the 2005 version dated February 22, 2006. He does an excellant job. I just didn't think it would be right to cut and paste it here!
   
   This cd is also a great bargain: it's packed to the brim with music. 79 minutes and 19 seconds worth of beautiful live PTree music for only $12. I will say track 8, Hatesong, is absolutely the Best! 5-stars!



4. So these guys can deliver that same wonderful sound live is good to know. So many bands' sound is "created" in the studio and you never know where the band's talent stops and the technical wizardry begins. This is a solid live album which shines the light on a talented group of Brits who could very well become the next Beatles. If you like good live music, buy this album. I would even recommend this as an introduction to this band as the songlist goes deep enough into their library to get to know Porcupine Tree as the treasure they surely are. These guys play progressive rock and roll and do it oh so well.



5. Being recently addicted to Porcupine Tree, I found this live album great right from the awesome guitar intro to the first track "Even Less" through to the final song "Signify". "Voyage 34" is perhaps not all that good live but everything else is fresh and solid. Of particular interest is that the album contains 6 songs from the hard-to-get album Lightbulb Sun including the superb "Russia On Ice". I highly recommend this album to all rock music fans!

4 comments about Live in Boston 2 (Dig).

1. This 3CD session is an absolute must for a real taste of the Mac adventure!!



2. To say that Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac is an understated jewel in the blues/rock world is too dismissive. They have a raw energy that could only be matched by only a few, and I can't really even think of who they are. I got Then Play On when I was 15 in 79. I have replaced the album 3 or 4 times, and still listen to it at least once a month. It is a staple in my home, car, and ipod.
   
   I have heard, but not owned Albatross, and somewhere have two Peter Green cassette tapes. I never heard them live. What a shallow existance I have lived. I just got Live in Boston 1 and 2 today (from Amazon) and can not beleive what I am hearing. Truely some of the greatest music I have ever heard.
   
   If you know the early works of Fleetwood Mac or Peter Green, then this is the creme de la creme. Words can not describe how absorbing the music is. I am addicted to Jam Bands (the Dead, Garcia, moe., the cheese...) and see many similarities, but mellower and bluesier.
   
   Buy it, listen to it, fall in love with the lost art of Fleetwood Mac / Peter green et al.



3. The Live in Boston 3 volulme set is a reissue that has been remastered from the original 8 track master tapes. I almost bought the original releases some years ago but passed up on it after reading about the poor sound quality. I'm glad I waited for this reissue because the sound quality is awesome. Volume II rattles and shakes! The version of Rattlesnake Shake on Volume II is better than on Volume I and that is saying a heck of a lot. Buy all 3 volumes and you'll be happy you did.
   The guitar jamming is so fine .... the interplay between Kirwin and Green and the underated slide work of Jeremy Spencer on these live perfomamces makes it clear why Fleetwood Mac in the late 60s and early 70s were the best live performing band of this genre ... better than the Stones, the Who or anyone else playing electric blues based music. Buy them, take em home or put them on your car stereo, crank it up and boogie.



4. This Album, together with LIVE IN BOSTON VOL.1 and VOL.3, contains most of the tracks originally intended for release as a live album by Fleetwood Mac. This was one of a number of projects curtailed by the sudden departure from the band of Peter Green in April 1970. The recording was done at the Tea Party Club in Boston whilst the band was on it's second American tour in 1969.
   Of particular interest in this set are the rock'n roll cuts ("Keep A Knocking" and "Jenny Jenny" on VOL.2, "Great Balls Of Fire" and "Tutti Frutti" on VOL.3) performed by 'Earl Vince & the Valiants' - a pseudonym for a gold lamé suited Mac fronted by Jeremy Spencer - and a tongue-in-cheek tribute to their rock forebears. Contrasted with this are the straight Chicago style blues that were the band's hallmark ("Madison Blues" and "Got To Move" on VOL.3, "Red Hot Mama" and "The Sun Is Shining" on VOL.2) highlighted by some of Peter Green's last and greatest songs ("Oh Well" and "Rattlesnake Shake" on VOL.2, "Green Manalishi" on VOL.1) with Fleetwood Mac. Highly recommended!

2 comments about Frampton Comes Alive (DVD-Audio Surround Sound).

1. The DVD-Audio two disc set of this classic recording was manufactured during the earlier years of the DVD-Audio format. That being said, this production has a few mastering/production flaws. Most noticable is the audio glitch/dropout shortly into the track (I'll Give You) Money. Also noticable are the audio gaps as the tracks change during the bonus video content, the video does not cut as the tracks change but the audio does. This is only on the bonus video content.
   
   The DVD-Audio format has undergone many improvements over the last few years since it's emergence into the consumer market, and while this release is nice (but flawed), I would suggest waiting for an upgraded DVD-A release or picking this up as a remastered audio set.
   
   If you dont mind the flaws on the DVD-A release of this classic album, then by all means this is a worthwhile purchase as the channel separation is fantastic.



2. Frampton's classic album (now on one disc) contains the same fantastic collection of songs from his double album, including, "Baby, I Love Your Way," "Show Me the Way," and "Do You Feel Like We Do?". This is the way this album was meant to be heard.

5 comments about Band Of Gypsys.

1. "...Happy New Year, first of all. I hope we have a million or two million more of them."
   
   Recorded live at the Fillmore East on December 31, 1969, Band Of Gypsys (1970) was the last album that Jimi Hendrix personally authorized to be released before he died on September 18, 1970. The Band Of Gypsys was a new group put together by Jimi after he dissolved The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It consisted of Hendrix, Electric Flag drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox (Jimi's old Army buddy).
   
   "...I'd like to dedicate this one to, uh, to the draggin' scene that's going on. All the soldiers that are fighting in Chicago and Milwaukee and New York. Oh, yes...and all the soldiers that are fighting in Vietnam. I'd like to do a thing called Machine Gun."
   
   If for no other reason at all, get Band Of Gypsys for Machine Gun, an awesome twelve minute guitar screaming electric storm that protests the violence in America and Vietnam in the 1960s. The song is really the main reason this album is getting a five-star rating from me. It features rapid-fire drumming and siren-wailing guitar feedback sound effects, and is quite possibly the greatest rock guitar recording ever made. The perspective is from the soldier being hit with machine gun fire.
   
   Machine gun
   Tearing my body all apart
   Machine gun
   Tearing my family apart
   
   The rest of the album features new Hendrix material and two Buddy Miles songs (Changes, We Gotta Live Together). The atmosphere is 1969/70 in-the-streets-hip, socially aware and informally intimate. The opener, the laid-back/funky Who Knows, sounds a lot like a loose jam session with Jimi and Buddy trading lead vocals, and Jimi adding some nice pedal-effects guitar work. The soulful Power To Love and Message To Love highlight the fact that Hendrix was moving into a more thoughtful, and less flamboyant, direction with his music.
   
   I said find yourself first
   And then your talent
   Work hard in your mind
   So you can come alive
   
   Jimi's guitar playing here is fantastic as always, and especially because most of the songs were new material at the time, Band Of Gypsys is essential to any Jimi Hendrix collection. I wouldn't start my Hendrix collection with this one, but don't leave it out, either. There are some classic Hendrix moments here.



2. Hello!
   
   Machine Gun alone is a reason for buying this CD. It is well worth the price of admission!



3. Band of Gypsys was released in the US in 2 CD versions - the first was released in 1995 as the 25th anniversary CD (Capitol 96414 jewel case or the mini-vinyl card version Capitol DPRO 79534). Both contain the same CD as issued under the Alan Douglas control of the Hendrix Estate. In 1997, after the Hendrix family took control of the estate, Experience Hendrix released the Experience Hendrix/Capitol CD release (72434 -93446). The mixes used are the same but they appear to have been remastered from different stereo tapes.
   
   The 25th Anniversary CD issue was sourced from a copy of the master tape, not the original Eddie Kramer-mixed stereo master tape. The original master tape had been marked "Do Not Use" by EMI-Capitol Records (possibly because it was deteriorating while the copy was in good condition), so the copy-master was used for any versions on vinyl after the initial green label Capitol version and the 25th Anniversary edition CD. They sound like it - obvious bass and vocal distortion abounds (especially in Who Knows), along with very slight treble phase shift.
   
   The new version by EH/Eddie Kramer uses the "Do Not Use" tape (the original stereo master) and sounds much better than the Douglas version. The bass is excellent now and the treble and vocals are much clearer. The uneven fade up of the original Bill Graham introduction has been changed to a drop-in, and Eddie Kramer mentioned in an interview with Michael Fremer in Stereophile that some tape splices were retrimmed. A minor caveat is the appearance of occasional soft crackling noises on the new release (e.g. at about 5 and 11 secs into Machine Gun in the left channel). I seem to remember these on the original 1970 Capitol (green label) vinyl (STAO 472 - released in April 1970), and bought several copies thinking - wrongly as it turns out - that they were pressing faults. These noises weren't present on the Australian Polydor vinyl release (2406-002), nor later Capitol (purple or red label) pressings. The copy-master, therefore, appears to have been used for most versions of Band of Gypsys beyond the original US issue, despite its inferior sound. I guess the crackling noises on the original Capitol vinyl release and the EH/Capitol release are sounds caused by the original master tape deteriorating.



4. This is one of the most important rock/soulful CD's you can have in your collection. It's like a beautiful and intense painting that you have to engage with. A rock mantra. For all guitar players to enjoy.



5. Growing up, I loved Jimi Hendrix's Experience. I had never tried his Band of Gypsies vinyl back in the day. I bought this on sale to add to the Hendrix collection and I'm not sure if it will stay. This album is the first after his breakup with them and it's a live recording from 1969.
   
   Some say it's the beginning of the end, I cannot say that. It's good, solid blues, but I prefer hearing Hendrix rocking.
   
   This is a six song collection, that is almost 46 minutes long. You get a lot of live jamming on this CD, which is mostly worth hearing. Vocals on "Who Knows" just annoy me; however, "Machine Gun" is excellent--good strong playing and one of my favorites of all his work.
   
   I don't regret hearing this CD, but I think I'd rather remember Jimi rocking with the Experience than bluesing with the Gypsies.
   
   Rebecca Kyle, May 2008