5 comments about Ummagumma.

1. The studio album of Ummagumma is VERY underappreciated.
   
   The "Sysyphus" suite is quite ununual the way it begins with a rather dark and intimidating riff that leads into an Emerson, Lake and Palmer piano melody. It's a peaceful and beautiful melody, that stays consistently good for the most part, until it reaches a point where two notes keep rambling back and forth, then the piano playing gets all messy for a minute or so. Not as good as the stuff ELP would do a few years later, but decent enough.
   
   The third part features WEIRD monkey sound effects with jungle-like sounds, and the fourth and final part is absolutely AWESOME because it has an eerie mellotron melody with soft sprinkles of keyboards building slowly, and cautiously, into a loud and intense theme until eventually going back to the intimidating riff that started the whole thing. The fourth part of this suite is really really good though, especially the eerie few minutes that begins the thing, which would work extremely well in a horror film.
   
   "Grantchester Meadows" features nice acoustic guitar (I think?) and closely resembles "Wish You Were Here" in the vocals. I wasn't expecting to hear such a mature song on this album going by all the other reviews. "Several Small Species" is a MAJOR head trip, that's for sure! It's totally unique and needs to be appreciated on that level to fully understand.
   
   "The Narrow Way" is the highlight of the album for me. Part One has EXCELLENT acoustic guitar, melodic and emotionally touching, and the second part features a Black Sabbath-like guitar riff for a few minutes, before the final part comes in, which sounds like something that would fit in PERFECTLY with the Dark Side of the Moon album. I don't understand people who say Meddle shows signs of what Pink Floyd would sound like later, when this song obviously shows what the band would become just a few years later.
   
   "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" is the only weak point- radical drumming that doesn't go anywhere, and goes on too long. The rest of the album though, is quite fantastic. I don't get the negative reviews for this one I'm afraid.
   
   The live album of Ummagumma (which by the way, sounds like a tasty kind of Halloween snack!) isn't NEARLY as good as people have been telling me. What IS really great however, is the opening song "Astronomy Domine", which has an AWESOME space rock jam in the middle that sounds like it probably influenced several bands such as Hawkwind. The jam just feels so natural, like the vocals needed that jam all along in order to complete a perfect song.
   
   "Careful with that Axe Eugene" is another great song. The slow keyboard melody in the beginning that builds into these soothing vocals that sail and soar to new heights... Pink Floyd was really good at this. The song gets noisy after a while, but in an appealing kind of way, where you don't want it to stop. Great song.
   
   Then the album loses steam super fast. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" was better on Saucerful of Secrets, because it had a Moody Blues-like vibe flowing through it. Here, the song tries to be something more, and just ends up being a boring song. This version of "Saucerful of Secrets" is overrated BIG time. Everyone says it's better than the version from the studio album of the same name, but it's not. The studio version had these rather unique sound effects, muddy production, and a spooky atmosphere to help make it one of the creepiest songs ever. This version is just loud, and repeats the same notes for several minutes. Not good to me. Yes, I know the studio version repeats a lot too, but that version had sound effects that seemed to add more atmosphere to the song, so it was easy to avoid the parts that repeated a lot.
   
   Still, the album gets 5 stars for the studio stuff, which rules.



2. This album, along with Meddle, are the two best Pink Floyd albums ever, as far as I'm concerned (discounting the Syd Barrett albums, which were in a different category and great in their own right). I don't need to describe the two discs in this set as it's been done over and over again.
   
   What I'll say is I think this is when the band was the most creative, and Roger Waters had the least amount of influence on the outcome. I love it for the true experimentation, the originality, and the sheer psychedelic mood of it all. As I listened to it again after 30 years, it still rings true with me and despite what the band itself has said about it (and not all of it complimentary), I think this showed the band as a truly creative force.
   
   They never did anything after this that comes close, except for Meddle.
   
   If you want to hear what the Floyd sounded like before they went commercial, I highly recommend this album.



3. Am adding my 2cents on word of Wright's death...his keyboards and effects are a highlight of the "live" sides and these are the versions of these 4 pieces that blow away the studio versions: louder, more intense and spookier by far, they epitomize late '60s psychedelic rock. For me, these are timeless and I'll be listening to them (usually on 'phones) 'til I can't hear anymore. R.I.P., Rick (BTW, skip the "studio" sides; they're self-indulgent, boring and a bad harbinger of excess to come). One of the great album covers of all time too (loses a lot on a small CD case, tho).



4. Probably the biggest avant-garde album in history. That might not be a good thing though. By 1969, Pink Floyd had somewhat of a fanbase going. Their live shows were getting some good word, and due to their music being used in documentaries and films, they were able to make a decent living off of touring and recording. So, they decided to celebrate a bit and make their first double album. First things first, the live side is great. Containing four tracks, mostly from the Syd and the Syd-influenced days, this showcases early Floyd at their best. The live Astronomy Domine blows away the original. Vocal harmonies, wahed guitar, creepy keyboard solos, it's all there. Amazing how the band would work on these songs over the years and make drastic improvements. Careful With That Axe, Eugene is brilliant. There's not one note wasted, and the climax 3 mintes in is spellbinding. Set The Controls and Saucerful are both excellent live too, with Set being drastically changed to a much more spacier and intense performance. I really dig the trippy 'outer-space' keyboard section in the middle. Kewl. However, I have to say...WHAT IS WITH THE STUDIO SIDE?! Did they seriously want to alienate all their fans? This sucks! The band returns to some of the failed experimental atonal noises that they hashed out unsuccessfully on Saucerful and Piper, only this time they are "solo pieces." Whatever, no one should listen to this garbage. Sysphus starts out interesting, almost like an ELP song, before going into harsh noise territory. Several Species is just pure garbage, I guess it would be cool if I was tripping. The Narrow Way is just amazingly dull, though there is a cool Sabbathesque riff in one section that would've been awesome had they worked on it. And the Grand Vizier thing is just a long drum solo with some weird flute noises. Bleh, this sucks! The only song worth noticing is Grantchester Meadows, and that's if you enjoy the folky stuff from More. Just download the live side. You'll be glad ya did instead of wasting money.



5. Couldn't explain it for the life of me but I really enjoy this album, front, back and middle. One who leans to Prog rock, experimental, stream of consious elements in their music would be more likely to Ummagumma.

5 comments about Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore.

1. Humble Pie Performance Rockin' The Fillmore is the first best-ever live album to come out of the double lp live albums of the seventies. This album is pure rock and roll ecstacy and is without peer. Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band album sounds like a bunch of pansys next to this masterpiece. Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive would never have happened had it not been for Rockin' the Fillmore, on which he played a vital role. This is rock and roll at its best. Powerful guitar, powerful singing, and a rock solid and powerful band.



2. Buy this cd. Great live Rock & Roll from a great band. Another great live album from the 70's. Steve Marriott was the man.



3. ...get this CD. It'll be like the coolest water on the hottest day. The Godfather of Blues Rock, the late Steve Marriott, with his fine band of merry men (Peter Frampton among them, as well as the late Greg Ridley on bass and Jerry Shirley on drums) take the stage to shred, mince, dice, julienne your mind, and then savagely rip your liver out through your nose and make some sort of weird Japanese entrée out of it. This album is sorely underrated in the annals of rock history and deserves a spot among the best; It establishes the band as a good studio act and an even better live act (As is in the case of Frampton in his solo years). There's only one flaw: the censor's bleep during "Rolling Stone", which is easily overlooked due to the great quality of the music. A must for ANY rocker's CD library, I recommend it without reservation. ROCK ON!



4. Intense, lurid, boogiefied, and at time even borderline psychedelic.
   Humble Pie took 1 original, 5 covers, and 1 song which they credited to Ida Cox but has nothing in common with the credited song, and through ripped through them with all the power, intensity and emotion they had for some of the best 73 minutes of rock and heavy blues I have ever heard!
   The thing I love the most is that they had the ability to make the cover song completly their own. I have heard allot of versions of Willie Dixon's I'm Ready, none was energeic as this one. Steve Marriot is awsome on vocals. There's no frills and thrills here, just solid, pure rock with all the sleazy attitude expected from a hard rock show.



5. One of the best live performances ever recorded. Humble Pie sounds great, with that seventies feeling and mood.

5 comments about Machine Head.

1. I can remember being a freshman in high-school and going to school dances in Bakersfield Ca, and occasionally going home to the OC and going to church dances with friends, and the pretty girls lining the walls or hiding in the Ladies room, but when "Smoke on the Water" would be played, they would all be desperately looking for someone to dance with as soon as the first bar of the song was played.
   
   Adolescent boy's prayers were answered.
   
   This is still the favorite Deep Purple album for most of my friends 36 years gone by now!



2. One of the greatest rock albums ever made 'Machine Head' combines rock, blues with progressive complexity and the result is nothing less than amazing! Blackmore and Co. rip through each song with dexterity and unrelenting drive! 'Smoke On The Water' has one of the most memorable and best guitar solos in the history of Rock N Roll. Stand out cuts like Lazy, Highway Star and Space Truckin' are pure bliss, but the entire album rocks like there's no tomorrow! The version I have of this is an anniversary edition with the original album remastered on one disc and a remixed version on the other disc, plus some quadraphonic mixes of some choice cuts! It's a smokin' release....if you can find it!



3. A classic album? Yeah, but again, the songwriting is weak in more areas than any Deep Purple album released before this one.
   
   "Highway Star" is the ultimate speed metal song, as many people are aware by now. "Smoke on the Water" with its amazingly catchy riff is pure genius as well. "Pictures of Home" has the best vocal melody on the album.
   
   "Space Truckin" is NOT very good though, because the vocals are poor. "Lazy" is good, but the live version on Made in Japan destroys it. "Never Before" has an alright guitar riff, but it's just filler anyway. In fact, this is not an album I recommend because Made in Japan drastically improves many of the songs from this album. Just buy Made in Japan instead.



4. Many consider this to be Deep Purple's greatest effort.
   
   They're right.
   
   But it isn't because of "Smoke on the Water" that Machine Head is such an amazing album, despite the fact that the general public incessantly refuses to acknowledge that this band wrote any other songs. Rather, the entire album is fantastic, from the droning "Highway Star," to the groovy "Maybe I'm a Leo," all the way through closer "Space Truckin'." There really isn't a weak point on this album.



5. You like rock music ? You don't have this cd, well, there is an important part of history missing in your collection. A true classic, a must have.
   "Highway star, Smoke on the Water, Lazy, Never Before and Space Trucking"
   Amazing, all these classic are on the same album. You must own this cd.
   Maybe one of the top ten cd on the history of rock music !
   PS I also have the DVD audio, the sound is just unbelievable, do yourself a favor, find a good sound system (a surround one of course) and listen to Machine Head in DVD audio, you won't believe it. It is loud, clear and you'll have the impression that it is a recent recording, you then must remember that it a 25 years old recording. Unbelievable.

5 comments about Before The Flood [Live With The Band, 1974].

1. bob dylan's before the fllod.
   had very good sound except for one glitch.
   Possibly happened while being edited.
   returned for refund. not seller's fault. thank you,jayne



2. Like most of his other live work "Before the Flood" lacks the light and shade of the studio albums - everything is at one volume (loud) and flatly sung. The performances of The Band, however, are excellent and give this album the lift it needs. If you want to hear a better Dylan live album then you might want consider "Hard Rain", which came out a few years later.



3. I caught the show in Charlotte NC in January 1974, purely by luck as someone offered a ticket on the UNC student radio station at face value, something like $8-9. (Yes, young people, major concerts used to be reasonably priced.) It turned out to be on the center aisle, row W. Bill Graham walked by a couple of times during the show. It was unbelievable, so great, I had no idea walking in how staggering it would be.
   
   But on to Before the Flood. A huge disappointment to me at the time, it sounds somewhat better in hindsight. Dylan oversings, especially on what would be the first side on vinyl. He didn't overdo every vocal when I saw him (and I have a boot of the concert to remind me) but he pretty much does here. On the other hand, the Band is great particularly Garth Hudson. The versions of Stage Fright and the Weight are particularly strong and Garth makes a mighty effort to save Ballad of a Thin Man with his organ/synth work.
   
   The fourth side, from Watchtower on, is really good. Dylan, Robbie, the Band are really rocking and tear it down.
   
   Don't start here for either Dylan or the Band, but it's worthwhile with the exception of the opening numbers.



4. I ordered the CD for my husbands birthday and I am pleased to say, the product arrived in plenty of time and well in tact. I will certainly do business with this company again. Thank you...



5. The very first time I listened to this was back when it was first release in 1974. My brother had purchased the cassette tape and I use to borrow it from him. It was my first experience listening to either Dylan or The Band live and was blown away. I thought "How can anyone top this for a live album?" Over the years I had pretty much forgotten about it until I had the opportunity to purchase the double CD last year. With great anticipation I started listening and came away a little underwhelmed. Not that it is a bad set, it isn't. In fact it's quite good. But there are a couple of things that can make this a little disappointing.
   
   1. Regarding The Band's two sets: I also own both Rock of Ages & The Last Waltz. Both are better sets for The Band, with Rock of Ages being the best. On "Before the Flood" some of the songs really sound like the group just weren't on the same page. When you compare both "The Weight" & "The Shape I'm In", two of my favorites, they just do not compare with the versions from Rock of Ages.
   
   2. Dylan also seemed out of place with The Band at first. The first three songs, "Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)", "Lay, Lady, Lay", and "Rainy Day Woman" have a below-average sound to them.
   
   But as we hit song #4, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" the music does start to blend. As we move through CD #1 we're treated to some classic music by both, with a great version of Robbie Robertson's "Stage Fright" to finish off the CD.
   
   CD #2 starts of with Classic acoustic Dylan, as we hear "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Just Like a Woman", and "It's All Right, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)." It's here we get a little bogged down by the second Band set. As mentioned previously, "The Shape I'm In" & "The Weight" are not up to other live versions of the songs. But hold on to your hat, Dylan comes back on and we get the best song of the night, "All Along The Watchtower" and it JUST rocks. If I have only one complaint about it, it's too short. I would have loved an extended guitar solo at the end but we get only about 32 bars. Great, just not enough. It's followed by solid versions of "Highway 61 Revisited" & "Like a Rolling Stone." And as an encore we hear "Blowin In The Wind" and it does not disappoint.
   
   One other issue I have here, and it's been mentioned in previous reviews, is the fact that they made this a double CD. There really isn't any reason that it could not have fit on one CD, except to be able to price it higher. I mean we're only talking 21 songs and most are only a few minutes long. When it was first released it was a double-album but was able to be out on one cassette tape. I guess greed still is alive in the music business.
   
   But overall, I am happy with this purchase. I still pull it out and listen to it now and then. I would recommend it to any Dylan & Band fans, at least to round out your collections.

5 comments about Pulse.

1. Of the various Floyd albums that have been released, I believe this is the definitive! Even though Waters is not present for this album, the performances are stunning. Coupled with both the sound of new Floyd and old Floyd, Pulse adds many new songs to their list of recorded performances (including a full live version of DSOTM). If you are a fan of Floyd, I strongly recommend this album!
   
   p.s. try to get the original release, the LED just blinks on and on and on...



2. Pulse: Pink Floyd has produced The Best Show Ever. Anyone that gives this show less than 5 stars is oblivious to what a great show consists of. Check-this-out, it has been reproduced in a stunniing HIGH QUALITY picture, AWESOME SOUND from the 90's,
   Pink Floyds operating cost was $750,000 per day. They used almost 200 hundred people to set up the stage. Had to get FAA approval prior to each outdoor show to use laser lights Their laser shows were particularly famous, such as their use of extremely powerful, isotope-splitting copper-vapor lasers in the 1994 Division Bell tour. These gold-colored lasers were worth over $120,000 apiece and previously used only in nuclear research and high speed photography..
   
   Again this show is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. No one will ever touch this show, at least not in the near future. IF you have a big screen and haven't seen this Masterpiece, then I urge you to go out and buy this Double DVD ASAP.
   You will not regret it!
   Then give this 5 star review as only it should deserve ;)
   SOMEONE TELL me what DVD in concert deserves a higher rating than this?



3. So why should you buy this? Pretty much because it's the best live album out there from the band (Mach 2 of course). I am not sure why the sound is just so much better than 1988's Delicate Sound of Thunder but it just does! Delicate Sound sounds so "flat", where as this just surrounds you from all sides and you get a feeling that you're front row center (minus the lasers and flying pigs of course).
   
   A trip through the hits plus a full Dark Side of the Moon? Just get it Bruno, you won't regret it.
   
   H777



4. ¡excelente como producto y toda una experiencia para los fanáticos de Floyd!
   
   100% recomendable!!!



5. The performance of the entire Dark Side of the Moon album alone makes this worth it. Many songs from the Division Bell make a showing here with a few from The Wall and "Learning to Fly" from A Momentary Lapse of Reason.
   
   All in all, an excellent concert.

5 comments about How the West Was Won.

1. Possibly better than The Song Ramains the Same. If you like Led Zeppelin (considered one of the best rock bands and revalued generation after generation) I think this triple is a good choice. The singer is O.K (now his "Raising Sand" is astonishing), the guitarist is wonderful, the bassist sounds fine and the drummer was one of the best in his genre.



2. These are a set of live recordings that were rediscovered in 2003 and re-mastered.
   They sound fantastic and are a must-have for any zeppelin fan. I've recently had
   to start driving to work one day a week and these cds have made me look forward
   to the ride (which is otherwise miserable).



3. Legendary performances by legendary rock icons. Thought not known as one, LZ certainly qualifies as a "jam band" as evidenced here. A must have for any and every fan of classic rock. Masters at the top of their game.



4. Not that you needed another five-star review to think about getting this, but I have to chime in. This is one of the finest live albums I've ever heard. Zep were in their prime here (the material for this album was taken from two concerts in June of 1972, one in Los Angeles and one in Long Beach) and boy, does it show. My favorite song on the album is "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" which the fellas play with a great deal of energy and the appreciative crowd enthusiastically claps along. Their big hits from that era are here, like "Black Dog", "Rock And Roll", "Immigrant Song", and of course "Stairway To Heaven." If you're even kind of a Zep fan, this album is absolutely essential.



5. 1. the dvd-audio sounds a bit compressed and bright. needs to sound fatter.
   
   2. the subwoofer needs to be turned up a tad.
   
   3. where are robert plant talking through the whole concert?? thats a big part of zeppelin live.
   
   other than this its cool :)

5 comments about BBC Sessions.

1. I like this album for the most part, I own every recording by LZ (except some rare imports), including DVD versions and DVD-A (5.1). The second disc is recorded with reasonably good sound for that period. The first disc is MONO not stereo, which ruins it for me. Still a good purchase for any true Zepp fan.



2. I first heard this album while hanging with a buddy of mine. I didn't get it right away but with I would have. Since purchasing it I bet I have listened to it dozens of times. I think it is their best live album.



3. This is another must-have for anyone who can't hear enough live Led Zeppelin.
   This album seems a little less polished than the other live recordings; the tracks
   are older and there are multiple versions of some of the classics. There is nothing
   on this I don't enjoy listening to.



4. One should never question an album with Led Zeppelin on it. This one proves that they did it. They rocked the 60s into the 70s. These sessions are raw proof of their live abilities, stay away from the knobs, Satan! If you believe in real music, without overdone overdubs, but just real musicians getting it on at blues and rock, you cannot be wrong buying this one. For everybody else: buy this one and start getting a life!



5. I absolutely love early Led Zeppelin, especially with regards to their live material when it still reflected their blues influence. This recording makes very good use of space while documenting an important transitional time in their career, ie You Shook Me through Stairway to Heaven. My most favorite part of the album is John Paul Jone's contributions. His organ and bass work really carry the band. He was extremely underrated for his ability. My biggest gripe about this disc is something that stands out sooo much, but isn't discussed, which is overdubbing. While Traveling Riverside Blues is excellent and many here agree, it has many overdubs over the open slide part, ie. solo at the end. Other tracks have them as well, but not as overbearing as "On Stage" by Chuck Berry, "Got Live if you Want it" by The Stones or "Skull and Roses" by the Grateful Dead. Overall, its a great album, but just be aware that even the best have to add a little extra to spice it up.

5 comments about Wheels of Fire.

1. The studio material veers from the inspired ("White Room," never mind that Jack Bruce and Pete Brown seemed to play a kind of see-and-raise on Eric Clapton's earlier "Tales of Brave Ulysses," though Clapton unfurls one of the finest rounds of controlled wah-wah fills and solos of its time; "Sitting on Top of the World," which sounds first too reverent until Clapton spins a spellbinding solo and Bruce supports him with a neatly climbing bass line; "Born Under a Bad Sign," in which Ginger Baker's Latinesque polyrhythm competes neatly with Clapton's stinging Albert King-like lines; "Those Were The Days," maybe the second-best song Baker wrote for the trio) to the modest ("Deserted Cities of the Heart," "Politician"), to the mundane. ("As You Said," which sounds still as though it were composed and executed on some particularly skittery controlled substances, though the cello lines save it from total disaster.)
   
   The live recordings veer from the transcendent ("Crossroads") to the well-intentioned ("Spoonful," which tends to lag in a few places, in spite of several bursts of what made Cream so formidable as a freewheeling, improvisational concert unit), to the dubious (it's still hard to know whether "Traintime"---a superior take has since emerged on the BBC sessions---is inspired or exhausted, though the idea of chugging Bruce's harmonica to Baker's snare and hi-hat was a welcome relief, and the vocal is probably his most impassioned on the set), and to a combination of the three. ("Toad" was always more impressive for Baker's drumming---as colouristic as you'll find in rock of any era, never mind how many caterwauling inferiors it inadvertently inspired, than for its basic music bookends, the last of which you can barely hear through the mix under the crowd sound, anyway.)
   
   As a whole, "Wheels of Fire" isn't quite the master blend of eclectic blues and pop adventurism "Disraeli Gears" was, and you wouldn't lose a thing if you skipped "Passing the Time" or "As You Said" (both way better as ideas than as executed songs). But in the best moments Cream lives up to the better sides of its reputation. Maybe the sense that they were about to decide on packing it in pervades too greatly, but for the better moments it's still worth the price.
   
   (As an historical note: "Wheels of Fire" was the first double-LP set to be awarded a gold record, an award presented to Cream before they kicked off the Madison Square Garden appearance that concluded their 1968 farewell tour.)



2. Cream's best album combines studio and live material so you get the best of both. There are lots of reviews here and at allmusic and other places, I'm sure, that will go into detail about just what makes this album great. When I review something here, I am usually inclined to discuss the sound quality of particular classic rock releases in their various incarnations.
   
   This is another case of the label's remaster actually sounding worse than the original release. It's got too much boost in the mid-frequency spectrum which causes a distinct lack of clarity on vocals and other details. In terms of loudness and compression, this one actually does a good job not brick walling everything to make it distorted like so many remasters tend to do. So, you have the good and the bad...but you can always choose to have only the good....
   
   How, you say? First, if you can afford it, go for a used copy of the DCC gold disc version of this mastered by Steve Hoffman. It is the best version of this album on CD, period. The gold disc part really has nothing to do with that...it's the excellent and meticulous mastering by Mr. Hoffman that makes this shine. However, you'll pay well over $50 for one of these.
   
   Your second choice would be a used copy of the original release on Polydor (amazon lists this as the 1990 version). This was done by Dennis Drake and sounds really good, too, and you can find it here in the marketplace for under $15 (just make sure to ask the seller if it's the original release in the wide or fatboy case with the silver discs). If you don't believe me, buy one of each and have your own shootout and find out for yourself.



3. Track for track, dollar for dollar, "Wheels of Fire" is one of the best, most influential and most representative albums of 60's pop rock. Served up under one cover, you get the best recorded output of guitar god Eric Clapton, the most entertaining and memorable songs of the quirky songwriting team Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, the best singing committed to vinyl by Mr. Bruce, whose blues-tinged alto voice mixed with occasional leaps into falsetto was an extremely sharp instrument for mining a lyric, whether a surrealistic twee poem like "As You Said," a double-entrendre-laden satire like "Politician," a rock anthem like "White Room," or a straight-ahead classic blues number like "Born Under a Bad Sign," the unique and overlooked jazz-into-rock drumming of Ginger Baker along with a few of his own forays into surreal poetry; all of that adding up to a 60s album par excellence, a crossroads where the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and Nick Drake all meet.
   
   I hadn't listened to this CD all the way through in a long time, but it gave me chills to hear it again. All three of its members, separately and together, put their career-best work on this album. For Clapton, there's room to argue that Derek and the Dominos is on the same level, but this was clearly a high point for Bruce and Baker, who were just as brilliant individual musicians, and the live tracks bring back the high level of improvisational brilliance the trio was capable of, for those of us who couldn't hear it in person. Listen to these live tracks, then listen to the comparable live recordings of the Stones, Led Zeppelin or the Who. Or even the Grateful Dead, said to be the pinnacle of live noodling. As great as those bands were, they didn't come close to Clapton-Bruce-Baker. Their studio career wasn't quite as brilliant, but this album is the best of the original collections (best-ofs are the way to go to get the best of the rest). One thing I notice. With all the diverse styles Cream tried, they never sounded ponderous. They were never "rock dinosaurs." Baker and Bruce kept them light on their feet, imbuing every track with the graceful drive of jazz no matter what else was going on. That and a sense of humor.



4. Had this on LP long ago, and I am really glad I got it on CD from Amazon. Never heard it sound so good! Check out the live Spoonful on disc 2, incredible jamming by three very talented musicians in 1968 in San Francisco, need I say more! Plus disc 1 has some jewels on it also! You should add it to your collection soon if you haven't already!



5. cream's wheels of fire is their 2nd best album after disreali gears - only because it has more material to contend with being a double album.
   
   the first side is studio output. everybody knows "white room" - its classic opening chords and wah-wah solo. next follows a reworking of howlin wolf's 'sitting on top of the world' gives clapton an excuse to cut loose some fiery blues soloing. 'passing the time' thought a substandard track has some nice soloing at the end. 'as you said' sounds like a nursery rhyme. ginger baker has his turn at the vocals with 'pressed rat ...'. then there's 'politician' with its catchy riff and overdubbed/overlayed solos. jack bruce is in fine vocal form here. cream sizzles on a slightly faster version of albert king's 'born under a bad sign'. 'deserted cities' has energetic acoustic rhythm and stinging soloing from clapton.
   
   the live side opens with a fiery version of robert johnson's 'crossroads' with the immortal twin solos by clapton. but the highlight of this double album is without doubt the 20 odd minute version of willie dixon/howlin wolf's spoonful. this is imo the penultimate cream jam track. superlative soloing by clapton with fantastic bass play by the lord of the low frequencies - jack bruce. i've never heard anything like it ever. traintime is bruce showing his harmonica skills and toad has baker pounding the hides in a bit too long solo.
   
   though it shines in parts, those parts do overwhelm. nobody else, even they themselves today, can repeat such a feat.

5 comments about Delaney & Bonnie On Tour With Eric Clapton.

1. I HAD THIS ALBUM ON VINYL WAY BACK WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT. THIS IS A GREAT ALBLUM BY DELANEY AND BONNIE, WITH AN ALL-STAR CAST BACKING THEM UP (INCLUDING DAVE MASON, JESSIE ED DAVIS, A FAT HORN SECTION, AND RITA COOLIDGE SINGING BACKUP), AND SOME BLISTERING GUITAR LICKS FROM OLD SLOW HAND, E.C. GREAT SOULFUL LYRICS, GREAT ARRANGEMENTS MADE ON THE FLY, AND WONDERFUL ALBUM FROM BACK IN THE DAY.



2. This was one of my favorite albums when I was in college. A great live performance with amazing talent. The combination of Jim Gordon and Carl Radle is almost perfect, however tragic.



3. This is the BEST live album ever recorded - not just one of the 50 in your Top Ten, not one of the 300 in your Top 100, but the absolute #1 live album ever! Delaney & Bonnie had a wonderful ability to gather talent around them. No wonder Joe Cocker stole this band and Lowell George took the heart of their next band.
   
   However, when this album came out in 1970, Eric Clapton was the only name in the band most folks recognized. Eric is at his best here as "just one of the boys." Don't expect flashy solos, just 3 guitars (or is it 4 - George Harrison was on this tour too?) picking you up and whisking you away.
   
   When "Things Get Better" starts, you'll say, "This is the hottest song I ever heard." Then it gets even better! By the time "Coming Home" has run over your brain, you'll just give in and hang on to the train barreling to rock 'n' roll nirvana. No rhythm section ever drove harder. I dare you to restrain yourself.



4. Unable to purchase this cd which seems so important to all Clapton-fans even in the best equipped music stores in Amsterdam I ordered it through Amazon received it swiftly by mail. Since then I have played it over and over. It captures the energetic performances of a band that knows how to combine musical drive and soulful bliss. As for Clapton: just listen to that solo in 'I don't want to discuss it': without any redundancy this stripped down minimalistic approach epitomizes power and tension in a superbly timed monochordic drone. This is truly stepping down to reach higher.



5. Have been wanting to buy this for sometime now.
   My question is, with new "complete concert" series.
   Will this ever be expanded to the complete show? Or is this the complete show?

5 comments about Live at the Greek.

1. A friend of mine asked me to sell some used CD's for her on Ebay, and this was one of them. I decided (for some reason) to give it a listen as I was headed out the door one Sunday afternoon. My attitude was "Let me hear how much this sucks". After all, Jimmy Page, Black Crowes...yeah OK this is gonna suck like a vacuum cleaner.
   
   I came home, called my friend and asked if I could keep this one for myself. Yes, it's that good. Simply put the energy of this performance via the Black Crowes is amazing, and then you add Page to the mix and you have one hot band. I would have bet that no way could this band measure up to Led Zeppelin, but they come mighty close for my money.
   
   Another point is the sound...it literally jumps out of the speakers. Not sure how they recorded it but damn it hits you square in the chest, just like a well recorded concert should. Yes it's a trip down memory lane for Page but for me it's well worth a listen and a must have if you're a Crowes for Zep fan. Just go and buy it already!
   
   H777



2. Given it is the Black Crowes and Page I expected good things, however I was blown away. If you like bluesy, sexy, powerful driven music - then this is for you. This combination makes In My Time of Dying, Custard Pie, Celebration Day and Out on the Tiles rock. They slide through Ten Years Gone, Your Time is Gonna Come and The Lemon Song in ways that will give you new appreciation for the music. Page hits a few sour notes in his solos, but beyond that this is certainly worthy of purchase.



3. Folks - come on, great rock is just that, no matter who's playing it. The Black Crows kick some serious behind all by themselves - and put Jimmy in there with them and what do you have??? WHEW, this CD really gets it on. I'm an old guy (old enough to have seen Zepplen on their FIRST US tour in 1969) and have loved them ever since, but there's no point in talking about being a purist, this is quality work by a bunch of quality musicians and for a live recording, I think the mix is quite good. So, enough said, if you want super hot classic rock tunes to shake things up with, this is the single coolest CD you need, absolutely mate



4. I'm a huge Led Zeppelin fan and Black Crowes fan and thought that this CD was going to Rock. I'd say if your are more of a Crowes fan this would be a 5 star, but if you are a true Robert Plant fan...I'd give it a 2. A let down on most songs except the few that were not Zeppelin. Just not the same, maybe if the songs were changed to be more their own. Just didn't live up to what I thought it could be.



5. This CD will knock you out of your seat!
   
   I don't know who had the great sense to record and market this fantastic live performance but they should be awarded both a Nobel and a Pulitzer. Just listen to the first track ("Celebration Day") and you'll have a sense of the entire brilliant work.
   
   Here we see combined a lot of cuts from both Led Zeppelin II and III, two of my three favorite classic rock albums of all time, by these masters of rock and, WOW, what a ride! There are also cuts from other great Led Zeppelin albums.
   
   The beauty of the songs found herein is that the band/singers stayed VERY close to the original sounds and guitar riff techniques. You'll swear that you're listening to Led Zeppelin in their early days when you hear the guttral, raw essence of these songs. I've been a guitar player for 40 years and this is some very fine work.
   
   I don't buy a lot of live performance albums, especially recent releases, but this one is a big exception to that rule. You can't listen to this one soon enough, folks!
   
   See my "listmania lists" for more great Classic Rock choices.