5 comments about Caught in the Act.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Still Life.

1. The Rolling Stones-Still Life ****
   
   Wile it isn't as widely popular as the 'great' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!; Still Life is still an exciting live record, and superior to Ya-Ya's in many ways, and for me personally I think I might like it more.
   
   While I can't for the life of me understand why if this was the Tattoo You tour of 1981, in touring support of the album of the same name, why only one out of the ten songs on the album are from that album, those being 'Start Me Up' of course being the choice for the record. The rest is made up mostly of old rock and r&b tunes the band grew up admiring, and early Stones hits.
   
   So with this is superior to Ya-ya's is well, it's a hell of a lot more fun, and isn't that what a concert is supposed to be is fun. While Ya-Ya's is a classic, the energy isn't as in your face as here. That is also why I prefer to listen to this one as well. Ya-ya's had a better selection of songs, and some classic versions of them, and truly is superior over all but for a good fun listen from a time that was other wise lame for The Stones, Still Life is a nice addition to a live Rolling Stones collection.



2. After several years of turmoil which ripped through the band, the 1981 release of Tattoo You and world tour to promote the album was a monster, merging major corporate sponsorship with Rock-n-Roll.
   
   Recorded between November 5 and December 19, 1981, during six U.S. concerts in five venues - and released in June 1, 1982 - it is an excellent snapshot of what became the formula for The Rolling Stones; a small helping of newer material, mixed in with some surprises from the band's vast catalog, with a few covers which give a nod to the roots of the classic rock/R&B sound.
   
   It is the covers - Twenty Flight Rock, Going To A Go-Go, Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - that prove to be interesting, as the concert mainstay, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, is bolstered by the gems, Under My Thumb, Let's Spend The Night Together and Time Is On My Side.
   
   The tour - which had a revolving stage - mostly kept newer material in small helpings, with Shattered, Let Me Go and Start Me Up representing this growing trend.
   
   Always looking to stay ahead of the pack in delivering a concert spectacle, the CD may provide one-half of the picture. But the band could successfully gear it up and kick out the jams.



3. I love Still Life, recorded on the Rolling Stones 1981 American tour. The album has a great summertime vibe, high energy, and takes me right back to the Tattoo You era and 1981-82. My only complaint about Still Life is there aren't enough songs - and with a band like the Stones they can't include everything, but there's nothing from the Sticky Fingers/Let It Bleed period. Still Life focuses on, understandably, Ronnie Wood material and some standard classics. I'd love to have Hang Fire, Waiting on a Friend, or Little T&A on this album though. Still Life for me is a must have, and a Stones album I listen to over and over year after year. Classic. Standout tracks include: Under My Thumb, Going to a Go Go, Just My Imagination.



4. Another Stones live album. This one has some tracks not included on any of the others on that long list, but it's still a mediocre live LP at best. Keith, Charlie, and Ronnie Wood are in good form throughout. Shattered really rocks and has that punk feel to it that was the inspiration for the song to begin with. The one thing that makes this album mediocre is the vocals. Listening to it, you can't get over the fact that Mick Jagger's voice sounds so God awful bad. It reminds me of The Allman Brothers "Second Set", in which an obviously liquored up Greg Allman sounds unrecognizable throughout.



5. From my view, this presents the Stones as the height of their musical power (albeit at the height of tensions between the Glimmer Twins). I know that reformed Stones purists think that the band ended with Tattoo You (orthodox Stone purists believed the band ended with Mick Taylor), and zealot purists still buy the new albums that the band puts out. Without taking any of those positions, this is simply the band when the guys were still young (and Jagger didn't look like Barney Fife yet) and one dude in football pants could hold an entire stadium of people in the palm of his hand. Some wouldn't like the arena music here as much as the early 'raw' stuff (like the Get Your Ya Ya's Out album), but I like this era: Mick is mastering his choppy and almost flippant delivery of lyrics, and Keith is sufficiently backed up and is allowed to just deal out the chords that make every song sound like a Stones song. The gems here are Twenty Flight Rock, Under My Thumb, Let Me Go, Just My Imagination and the frenetic rendition of Satisfaction. Sit back, pretend that Reagan is still in his first term, and enjoy.

5 comments about Dick's Picks, Vol. 8: Harpur College, Binghamton, NY, 5/2/70.

1. 
   There are a handful of Dick's Picks I ration out to myself on a schedule. Volume 8 is so special, so fulfilling, I only let myself listen to it once every two years. Any more frequently than that and it would lose the element of surprise, that amazing feeling of discovery.
   
   The first disc is an acoustic set. The band sounds great, even harmonizing like professionals. Following a nice "Friend of the Devil," the crowd shouts out their requests to the band. Jerry settles the crowd: "Relax, man. We've got you all night." And, just like that, we are all held. We can get into a comfortable space and just enjoy. We can enjoy the Dead hitting on all cylinders at a period of time when they were great at getting intense and spacey, but also starting to reign it in a little bit more and bring in a little more of the roots music sound that would characterize American Beauty and Workingman's Dead, their two best studio albums, which were just on the horizon at the time of these shows.
   
   The first set is worth the price alone, but discs two and three are their electric set for the night, following the New Riders. I would have enjoyed having the New Riders material released with it for a more authentic feel of the night, but you can't have everything. But electric Jerry on the second and third disc is absolutely tremendous. Jerry's solos increase a couple notches in intensity during "The Other One," wrapped in a "St. Stephen," "Cryptical Envelope" (times two) followed by a "Cosmic Charley" that some rank as the best version ever. We also get to hear Pig doing his best James Brown, still with a spirited "Dancing In The Streets," the multiple climaxes of "Morning Dew" and "Viola Lee Blues," topped with the always cozy closer, "We Bid You Goodnight."
   
   It is a feast for the autonomic system. The whole band is playing with a rough, raw intensity, which kicks up the listener's sympathetic tone. But Jerry, searing and soaring all the way, also manages to find those dreamy, cosmic places which, in turn, boosts the parasympathetics. So the whole package together increases your arousal and alertness while at the same time relaxing you. The only other things capable of doing that are yoga and nicotine. Nicotine's bad for you, at least in its more convenient delivery systems. And- yes, I know this goes against conventional wisdom- but I've always suspected yoga is bad for you too. Too gristly or something. I don't know, let me think about that one and get back to you.
   
   I've said it before and I'll say it again: They weren't always good let alone great, but when they were great, nothing could be better. This Dick's Pick is everything that was right about the Dead when they were in their prime and having a solid night. Happy Birthday to me.



2. I was a freshman at Harpur College in the Spring of 1970, and I went to this show. It was my first Dead concert. The first set was all acoustic, and even though Working Man's Dead and American Beauty were out, many in the crowd seemed unprepared for the acoustic set. They kept yelling things like "Get it on, man!" and Jerry and the boys had to ask them to calm down and be patient---the electric stuff would come later. But on this CD you can hear some early first live performances of many songs that have long ago now become Dead standards. It's worth getting the CD for these tracks alone.
   
   They also introduced a new group called "The New Riders of the Purple Sage," whose album would be released later that year, and whose personnel were still sketchy enough that Phil had to play bass, Garcia pedal steel, and Kreutzman drums. It was still magical stuff, and one of my disappointments about this CD is that none of those songs were included. Oh, well, not to worry.
   
   Because still, it was a 6-hour concert of at least 3 sets, and this CD has given us a generous sampling of what went on that night. For years after, Garcia used to say this concert he remembered as at or near the top of his list for best Dead concerts ever. This CD is a must for the Dead collector just for the historical significance of the concert alone. But the music itself is a rare example of early Dead onstage genius in the still-young, still raw and vital days of the band's psychedelic heyday. Highly recommended.



3. I bought this Dick's Picks mainly for the acoustic set on CD1. The sound quality is quite good, and in addition to excellent early renditions of some favorites, I enjoy hearing the band chatter between numbers. I just finished Rock Scully's book on "Living with the Dead," which really made me want to revisit this earlier show. My favorites on CD1 are Don't Ease Me In, Dire Wolf, and Deep Elem Blues.
   
   It took me awhile to get into the electric sets on CDs 2 and 3, as I've always tended to favor electric Dead from the mid-1970s and later. But reading Scully's book re-awakened me, and I thoroughly enjoy these sets. My absolute favorite is Viola Lee Blues, followed by Casey Jones and Cosmic Charlie.
   
   This is a terrific show that features the Dead in transition. I highly recommend it.



4. I want to add my accolades to the already overwhelming
   praise for Dick's Picks #8. It IS truly mind-blowing.
   Even though I can take-or-leave the first (acoustic) CD,
   Cd's 2 & 3 are the pinnacle of ecstatic music. I'm the sort
   of Grateful Dead fan that seeks out Jerry's JAMS above all...
   and Dick's Pick #8 delivers! The jams are SO GOOD, in fact,
   that the little bit of vocals here & there don't hurt at all.
   "The Other One": GREAT JAM
   "Cryptical Envelopment": GREAT JAM, even with a little bit of vocals.
   "VIOLA LEE BLUES": Even with a bit of vocals, the jams on this
   track: at least three grand climactic crescendos...are
   truly mind-blowing in the best sense of the term; and
   THEN: some surprises......At first you might skip songs
   like Good Lovin' & Dancing In the Streets because you think
   there are too many vocals....but wait! In both these tracks,
   Good Lovin' & Dancing In the Streets...once you get through
   a little bit of vocals in the beginning...Jerry treats you to even
   MORE extended mind-blowing JAMS!!!!!! Both GREAT.
   And then you get an A+ Morning Dew...and the St. Stephen is
   definitive...in my opinion, even better BECAUSE it's missing
   the first few minustes of the song...you go right to that spacy
   "Lady Fingers..." part, which I love.
   All in all, Dick's Picks #8 is truly astounding and magical and
   powerful and...well...what else can I say?
   Just this: PHIL LESH: this may be the best PHIL LESH Dead album
   out there...I mean his bass BOOMS! VERY sub-woofer friendly!



5. Despite a major technical glitch and another less-than-awesome first disc, I have to give DP 8 all the stars because of the unparalleled zeitgeist (spirit of the times) that it captures, both the spirit of the Dead's music at that moment, and the spirit of the hippie youth/peace movement. Personally I don't find a great difference in quality between DP 8 and DP 4 (2/13-14/70 see my review) -- they have different strengths and weaknesses, but on balance they're both fantastic.
   
   DISC ONE) This entire disc is an acoustic set. I don't find it nearly as compelling as the one from February that was released long ago as BEAR'S CHOICE (from the same nights as DP 4). I'm not sure why. The crowd is very impatient -- what they want is the psychedelic electric Dead!
   
   DISC TWO) This is fantastic stuff -- too bad that due to a technical glitch it's only in mono sound. Also, the beginning of "St. Stephen" was lost, so there are only about 3 minutes remaining. The "Cryptical Envelopment/Other One" jam is superb, and then following "Cosmic Charlie" and "Casey Jones," the band launches into another astoundingly good jam on "Good Lovin'." There is a riff in the middle of it that sounds really familiar to me -- it sounds like "One Fine Morning" by Lighthouse. That song didn't come out until the following year, so I'm not sure how to explain it, but it makes a great basis for jamming.
   
   DISC THREE) Pigpen leads off with a rarity, the James Brown number "It's a Man's World," and Pig is in fine form. After a high-energy "Dancing in the Streets," (the crowd must have been more than satisfied by now!), the band plays a tremendous "Morning Dew." This leads into another high point of the show, a VERY strong jam on "Viola Lee Blues," which was on the first Warners record. They build to three deafening crescendos of white noise, and then each time drop back into the pocket of the groove, right on a dime.
   
   See my reviews of other Picks -- DP16 (1969), DP4 (1970), DP23 (1972), DP19 (1973), and DP10 (1977). See my complete lists of Dead recordings on this site for 1968/9 (PRANKSTERS & OTHER ONES), 1970-1972 (COSMIC COWBOYS), 1973/4 (EYES OF THE WORLD) AND 1975-1977 (ESTIMATED PROPHETS).

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Dick's Picks, Vol. 21: Richmond, Virginia, 11/1/85.

1. This three disc set is the only official release from `85.It includes songs rarely seen on other live releases from The Grateful dead like 'spoonful','lost sailor','gimmie some lovin','she belongs to me','gloria' and 'keep your day job'.
   
   This show would be 100 percent perfect if not for the fact that Jerry Garcia`s vocals are a bit weak on 'high time' and 'he`s gone' from the second disc.Otherwise this show if filled with top-notch performances and rarely played songs.



2. This show was a delight to the ears. They were on this day. If you still liked the Dead in the 80s you will like this Cd. I think it's got a nice happy vibe to it dispute the bands poor additude and drug use in that decade. Do you all love it, I do!!!!!!!! Peace



3. great couple of sets from '85
   spoonful, comes a time, lost sailor in 2nd set
   one of my favorite shows from this series



4. It's a good show. It seems to me from my limited listening to this point that 1980's shows usually are - Brent Mydland was a solid player and added energy. The fidelity is good. There's no particular extra-special something to place this above the other Dick's Picks or live performances available though. It's pretty much exactly the same band and same approach as on DP 13 from 1981.



5. It is no secret that Grateful Dead shows from the decade of the '80's could be hit or miss affairs, but the band was still more than capable of delivering stunning, if somewhat ragged, performances. 1985 stands out as a pinnacle year for great shows, and this one represented by DP 21 is among the top 5 of that esteemed year. From the "Dancin' in the Streets" > "Cold Rain and Snow" opener to the energetic reading of "Gloria" to close the second set, this show sparkles with a wonderful intensity. Jerry was in the mood for ballads this evening and he delivered : "High Time," "He's Gone," "Comes A Time," and "She Belongs to Me" are all played with some serious soul and heart. The rest of the band is on, too, with Bobby delivering the goods on all of his tunes (especially Gloria) and even Phil joins in with a fun "Gimme Some Lovin.'" In short, if you are new to the Dead, you might want to pass this one in favor of a pick from the seventies. The sound is a little thin (per usual for '80's shows) and there are some missed chords and lyrics...however, if you appreciate the Dead even a little bit or are merely a fan of honest and beautiful music, this collection won't disappoint. Oh yeah, if this amazing '85 show isn't enough, four juicy bonus songs from 1980 will surely satisfy those pleasure centers in your brain.

5 comments about The BBC Sessions.

1. Anybody that would give this CD anything less than 5 stars is a complete idiot. Here is The Who, at the height of their creative genius mostly cuts recorded for the BBC radio in the 1960's. Why wouldn't anyone who loves The Who want to have this historical collection of music to increase or complement their collection from one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever? Maybe it's not their favorite CD of Who music, but it certainly adds to the collection of their repertoire. What I loved about this band from this particular moment in time is that they, along with the Rolling Stones, were the anti-Beatles, not a bunch of adorable identically dressed cute mop-tops that made girls swoon, or their later incarnation of commercially accessible pseudo-psychedelic posers, but a hard-edged British blues-oriented band, in all their sneering and anti-social glory, that rocked the house and brought it down everytime they played in a live venue. Yeah, maybe it's a bit toned-down for BBC radio, but so what? It's still great.



2. I've listened to this straight through about 30 times in my car, so I have a pretty good understanding of this release.
   
   First off, it's not the best BBC live collection by any means, Led Zep and Bowie being two examples of mind-blowing, revelatory live performances recently released in the BBC archive series.
   
   Second, it's an incomplete document of live Who, as they mostly appeared on the BBC early in their career, and then only a few times thereafter, the last performance being 1973.
   
   All that said, it's still the Who, and they still rock. The "orderly disorder" Pete was striving for comes through loud and clear, in early performances in which the boys mash up some old James Brown, Martha and the Vandells, and even the Rascals. Boy those mid-period songs were great -- "Boris the Spider," "The Seeker," "Pictures of Lilly," "Happy Jack," all sound marvelous, with propulsive drumming by Moon and clever harmonies by the band.
   
   I've been listening to this so many times because, despite its limitations, this is a very fun record. I love the BBC announcer doing the intros to the Who songs, the cheeky interviews with the band, the great performances and great songs. I even like Pete's off-key flubbing of "Long Live Rock."
   
   Sure it's incomplete and only documents a limited slice of this band's live, but it's a fun and very enjoyable trip back to merry old England.



3. A great live rock album that catches The Who in their early stride 1965-1973. I like the english bloke talking in between songs. I'm not crazy about live recordings and cover songs, I was hesitant to get The Who BBC Sessions. After listening to it, BBC Sessions really captures a swinging England in the swinging 60s. Owning this Bbc Sessions cd is like a time piece in history. You hear The Who in a whole different way, as they are captured with youth and vibrant brilliance and time on their side. There is tape hiss and fall outs as this cd sounds a little tinny, but that is due to the technology of the 1960s. Despite these minor flaws the remastering on this cd was the best that could be done and beleive me it sounds great and actually the flaws I have discussed adds a little more authentic sound to it. Over remastering would have suffacated the original sound of this recording. Enjoy this "Who BBC Sessions" collection, you hear the Who in a whole different enlighting way. Highly recommended listening to all fans of Rock n Roll.........................



4. I got this album soley because these 25 tracks are one a cool "greatest hits" collection without trying. It was my perfect greatest hits CD for some of the older who tracks from 65-73. This is the who that I grew up with and loved. My alltime favorite track is THE SEEKER, which has a killer version available here. I also managed to pick up a bonus CD with this when it was released that had seven additional tracks that were recorded between 67-1970. If you need a good live album by this band of early stuff, this would be the one.



5. This album is the same as the USA released version, except for track 10 was added (man with money) so that there are 26 tracks. Otherwise, same track listing are in the same order.I got this album soley because these 25 tracks are one a cool "greatest hits" collection without trying. It was my perfect greatest hits CD for some of the older who tracks from 65-73. This is the who that I grew up with and loved. My alltime favorite track is THE SEEKER, which has a killer version available here. I also managed to pick up a bonus CD with this when it was released that had seven additional tracks that were recorded between 67-1970. If you need a good live album by this band of early stuff, this would be the one.

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 Live at the Fillmore 1968.

1. Oye. Okay, here we go. The acid-happy meanderings of Santana before their Woodstock breakthrough. See, what had made Santana good in the early days was their ability to make a jam compact, but there's no sense of that here. None of these songs run at logical lengths, and in fact most are excruciating. The half-hour "Freeway" is particularly bad. It just goes. And goes. And goes. Thirty minutes, one chord, probably because the group was too stoned to play a second. And that's what the rest of the album's like. Plus it features Carlos experimenting with quasi-metal tones ("Jingo"; "Persuasion") that fit him like a Latin tone would fit Toni Iommi. "Chunk a Funk", one of the many otherwise unreleased tunes here, is funky, but also crappy. Too much of it is devoted to Greg Rollie, who plays a very familiar chord sequence. But not even that could be as bad as, say, "Fried Neckbones" - an insignificant vamp with inconsequential lyrics and insipid playing. Even "Soul Sacrifice" sounds bad - the organ is more Steppenwolf than Santana. Carlos sounds timid during his solo as well. Check out the Woodstock version instead. There's also a long, generic blues ("As the Years Go Passing By") that's notable for two reasons: it doesn't really suck, and it more or less is "Since I've Been Loving You". Same introducing solo, same melody (though, in interest of fairness to Jimmy Page, it also has the same melody as "Going Down Slow" and a thousand other blues songs), similar chord progression (though, once again...). All it lacks is the huge emotional release that made "Since I've Been Loving You" good as it is. However, Carlos' playing on it is inspired, with him making the absolute best of the generic blues riffs he's shooting out. I mean, yeah, you've heard them a dozen times before. But Carlos injects them with a certain emotional freshness, as if that progression means everything to him. And that, in my mind, is guitar soloing. It's not an entirely good song, because the vocal passages are interminable, but compared to "Freeway"? We're dealing with divine quality here. With that said, any given Allman Brothers or Jimi Hendrix blues jam smokes it. I mean, you think this can compare to "Hear My Train a-Comin'" or "Stormy Monday"? Ha. So the remaining good song is "Treat", equipped with a fine jazzy piano solo and the kind of high-quality playing Santana was capable of, even during his drugged-out hippie moments. Santana's first five studio albums rule, and so does the (mostly) live Moonflower. That, in my mind, is much better Santana.



2. Recorded well before Santana's classic 1969 debut LP, this hometown concert set is notable for several reasons. It features a stripped-down, five-man version of the band, with conguero Marcus Malone and drummer Doc Livingstone, both of whom would be gone before SANTANA was recorded. The jams here are lengthier and hotter than their studio counterparts, from the blistering opener "Jingo" and the jaw-droppingly prefaced version of "Persuasion" to the inevitable - but still tasty - "Soul Sacrifice." Most of these pieces, however, would never appear on a Santana studio album, and I'm quite confused as to why. Gregg Rolie's evocative piano work on "Treat," the sliding ensemble performance of "Fried Neckbones" and the psychedelic fury of "Conquistadore" make for what seem like sure-fire cuts from a band celebrated for its onstage flights. Carlos Santana has seldom if ever played with more flash, and the entire band's level of musicianship is exceptional throughout - though "Freeway" does get a bit long. Fans of the early, grooving Santana will certainly want this set, and all live album enthusiasts are encouraged to give it a spin. Great stuff from a very young and talented band!



3. Incredible album. My favorite. Santana you rock...............Treat will really have you going. Highly reccomended for all hardcore Santana fans!! Enjoy!



4. This is a great album for fans of Santana's early work, the Latin/blues/rock fusion sound that made them unique among the zillions of hippie bands of the era.
   This album lacks Mike Shrieve's drumming and is shy a couple of Latin percussionists but Carlos's blazing guitar work carries the whole show along anyway.
   Although raw and less polished than the 1st Santana album, this album ROCKS - even the extended 60's jams are fun.
   The accompanying liner notes booklet is informative and the sound quality is first rate.



5. Let's start with the obvious. Michael Shrieve isn't in the band yet, so the concert isn't anything close to future Santana standards. However, this live album shows you how it all got started. This is the bare bones, the raw Santana. Santana had just signed on with Columbia Records when they played this concert. Obviously, the formula hasn't been perfected yet, but this is the starting point, the beginning of what would be a future rock and roll phenomenon.
   The first disc starts off strong with a long version of Jingo. Persuasion follows with a hard rock intro, pretty cool. Treat is beautifully played here, with Gregg Rolie pounding on the piano keys like there's no tomorrow. All the other songs on this disc are great as well.
   Disc two has a 14 minute Soul Sacrifice. It's not anything close to the Woodstock version, but this one is good too, with a great organ solo by Gregg Rolie. As The Years Go By is a great blues song, and finishing things up is Freeway, a 30 minute jam that rocks hard all the way through.
   You might be hesitant to get this album because it's a Santana that is young, barely starting out. But the truth is, there's no such thing as a bad Santana concert. Get Santana Live at the Fillmore 1968, it's a great slice of time, with great music to have you jammin' all night.
   
   **If you want to hear THE Santana concert, pick up Santana III Legacy Edition. It contains the REAL band's whole concert on the closing night of the Fillmore West in 1971. Great music with great musicianship. You can't beat it.

5 comments about Heart Still Beating.

1. Put this on and watch the womens pants melt right off! Also, you will need 2,000,000 amperes heat lamp. Like they use in Abu Gahreb prison.



2. Roxy Music's Heart Still Beating was released in October of 1990.
   The album was recorded Live in Frejus in the South of France in August of 1982 during the tour to support Avalon.
   Originally, four tracks from this concert was released as The High Road EP in 1983. In October of 1990, the rest of the concert was used to create this lasting document of the final 80's version of the band which featured original members guitarist Phil Manzanera, lead singer Bryan Ferry and saxophonist Andy Mackay plus new drummer Andy Newmark, future Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler keyboardist Guy Fletcher and Bryan's guitarist neil Hubbard and bass player Alan Spenner plus three backing singers.
   This EP turned full live album included their superb cover of Neil Young's 1977 classic Like a Hurricane(original yet contained the classic elements of the original), killer versions of Out of the Blue and Can't Let Go(the former had Phil Manzanera play a guitar solo in place of the original track's violin solo).
   Plus great versions of A Song For Europe, Love is the Drug, Avalon and a stirring version of John Lennon's classic Jealous Guy are among the highlight.
   This was a great live album which would be their last until their 2003 reunion live album which saw the return of original drummer Paul Thompson.
   Highly Recommended!
   NO COUNTER REVIEWS PLEASE!



3. Given a choice I will almost always take a good live cd over a good studio cd. This is a good live cd.
   
   The cd starts slowly (the reason for docking it a star). While the songs are not bad, the only one that reaches out and grabs you is "Impossible Guitars" (a taste of what Phil Manzanera is capable of - if you like it, check out his cd "Primitive Guitars").
   
   With "Love Is the Drug" things pick up. One of roxy's few "hits" it would likely be tough to perform this in a way I wouldn't like - but the version here is excellent. Then comes an excellent cover of Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" - better, in my opinion, than the original. Next is "My Only Love", another well done song, then a few hit an miss attempts (the best - "Avalon" - another song that would be tough to ruin). Concluding the cd is a killer cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" - containing an excellent sax solo (with feedback!) and free whistling by Brian Ferry sure to send chills up and down your spine.
   
   Buy this cd - there are no bad songs and several outstanding cuts.



4. A fine live album. Some songs are extremely extended without necessity. But the album has good vibe, smart production, good guitar solos and the always mesmerizing voice of Bryan Ferry.



5. I have NO idea what the one-star reviewer was listening to, but if for nothing else than the brilliant despair of "Can't Let Go" this live album is a stunner. And then . . . and then . . . one gets to "Like a Hurricane" and there isn't a more emotionally charged moment in any live album I have ever heard by any band. Phenomenal. Ferry is the true genius of our time.

5 comments about Fillmore: The Last Days.

1. I enjoy the CD set very much. Santana's performance of "In a Silent Way" by Miles Davis is worth the price of admission right there. This version goes into my all time favorite tracks list - the young Neil Schon is spactacular. Honorable mentions go to Elvin Bishop, the later day Quicksilver, and critically important, Bill himself. My question is, where is the DVD? I saw it on cable televsion several years ago and before that about twenty years ago in a theater. There is likely some legal BS with the estate preventing the release. Please get past it and make this available - that is the real time piece.



2. although flashbacks aplenty are there to enjoy for anyone who once felt the rumble of those stacks of marshal and custom amps all those many long years ago. i once told jerry garcia that all of their (the ded's) songs sound alike to me and he grinned real big&said, "it's all the same song," so i'm not gonna complain about this anthology's scarcity of ded tunes; instead i have to applaud its inclusion of precious rarities like hot tuna and elvin bishop.
   
   Live recordings are something i habitually eschew, and rare are productions for which i make excceptions; the clarity of sound quality throughout all of the recordings here is superlative!
   
   this collection is bill graham's crown of glory, and the brightest gem has got to be the live and extended version of white bird by it's a beautiful day. having awaited the re-release of that group's original recording on ceedee for so many moons, those who remember the summer of love are sure to agree that the virtuoso rendition reverberating through that palacial sanctuary of rock culture surely transccentds the studio version everryone is so familiar with and enraptured by.
   
   buy it - or, better yet, come on over to the olde cult compound and listen to it here!



3. I bought this years ago on vinyl, and I still have it. The LP came with an authentic poster and ticket, an informative booklet which included some great photos and a listing (by date) of every show that ever played the Fillmore, and a bonus 7" 33-1/3 rpm "Words With Bill Graham" disc. The CD reissue, of course, doesn't give you the poster nor ticket, nor the extensive booklet, but the interview is included. Musically, this album is excellent. Some performances may be marginally better than others, but many are brilliant, and all were chosen by the artists themselves. The recording quality is amazingly good, especially when compared to many other live recordings of the period. What's also cool is that the album presents a number of very talented artists who were somewhat obscure at the time and almost unknown today-- but who deserve not to be forgotten. Alongside of those are great performances by bands and artists who went on to become legends. The incredible version of "Baby's Callin' Me Home" by Boz Scaggs is alone worth the cost of the set. The Dead's cover of "Johnny B. Goode" that appears here is the best I've yet heard-- far superior, to my ears, to the already great version that appears on "Skull & Roses". In addition are great performances by Quicksilver, The Sons, Santana, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Cold Blood, Tower of Power-- the list goes on. The "Final Night Jam" that closes out the set (with Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop and a host of others not even credited) is way cool. It all ends with "Greensleeves", often played at the end of the night, amid the sounds of the audience leaving the auditorium for the last time. Very poignant, indeed. Some may pan this album for various reasons, including the very inclusion of some of those more obscure artists. But I think they are missing the point. This is a documentation of a moment in time and history. And I for one would not want to be without it.



4. I would buy the record set if you can find it-its out of print. I was there at the Fillmore during these shows and at numerous other Fillmore West and Fillmore Auditorium shows from 1967 to closing in 1971- $3 a show and you get a poster. 3 bands-two sets each -shows usually ended at 2:30Am The record set has a poster, an actual ticket which you could not keep at the shows, and an outstanding booklet listing many pictures and all the shows at the Fillmore and Fillmore West---But if you cannot find the record set-get this at least!!!! I was there and I have never seen anything like the Fillmore since then-I have been to the Fillmore several times in the past 10 years-but it is not like the original times-good but not the sixties.



5. I was there for two of the last four days of Filmore West and this set carries on the experience that existed. It will bring back memories for anyone attending any of Fillore West shows including the 'apple barrel' and the free posters and poster cards handed out. The record set gives you a cool poster which isn't included with the CD set but it's well worth the cost! I was a Quicksilver, Cold Blood, and Tower of Power fan which certainly was covered on this CD. If you are an old hippie you will enjoy it too!