5 comments about Heavy ConstruKction.

1. This is, in many ways, the ultimate KC live album. ALL of the tracks from ConstruKction of Light sound better with these awesome live versions, especially the mesmerizing title track and the haunting FraKctured. Not to mention the awesome rockers Into the Frying Pan and The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum.
   You also get some awesome THRAK material, and even a live version of Cage from the VROOOM EP.
   The best thing about this album, though, is all the improv, including a WHOLE DISC of improv.
   This lineup of KC really knew how to party, and I regret never seeing them live for myself. This live album is an awesome representation of what they could do. So why the one star rating?
   I've been through a dozen copies of this. ALL of them arrived damaged, with discs flopping around in the package. There was skipping in various points on all three discs every time, and always at a certain point in disc one during The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum.
   I've written a lot of letters, sent a lot of copies back, received a lot of replacements, and all I want is the album I paid for. Why can't I have it?
   
   Get the Eyes Wide Open DVD instead. It's better in some ways (you get to actually watch the magic happen, there's also a disc from The Power to Believe tour, randomized different improvs each time you play it), and it's not as good in some ways (no FraKctured, not as much crazy improv), but at least you know it works.



2. Having seem a few of the shows that formed this tour, I can testify as to the verisimilitude contained here: This is what the band played, this was how they looked (in the movie on Disc two), this was how they sounded. Every few songs, they'd launch an undiscussed improvisation, just as shown here. Having heard the ProjeKcts and THE CONSTRUKCTION OF LIGHT, there were few surprises. So what is there to say about HEAVY CONSTRUKCTION?
   
   First of all, I concur that TCOL's tracks are largely better performed here. Not so for the THRAK-era songs, which suffer the lack of personnel, though they are certainly acceptable. "Heroes" was quite the surprise in concert, but not clearly a triumph on album. More rewarding are the deep explorations into the subconcious titled "Deception of the Thrush", which is thankfully represented by more than one performance.
   
   Most amazing is the wholesale compilation of improvisations that comprises the third disc; this no doubt offers the greatest staying power, as there is so much to digest. Truly, not music for 'everybody', whoever that might mean. But for fans of Crimson in general, this is clearly the late-era document of choice. Here, the band really shines: unencumbered by expectations of past glory, or of a need to relive previous arrangments, they insistently probe where not even they may have gone before. If that isn't King Crimson, then what is?



3. Crimson have always been primarily a live band. The '70s era Crims were known for taking wild chances with wholly improvised material as attested by the incredible Great Deciever box set. The afrobeat '80s band were perhaps more conservative in terms of improvisations but were still better live than on record. The 2000+ era band of Pat Mastelloto, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew and Trey Gunn is featured on Heavy ConstruKction and not since the '70s has Crimson been so willing to make the leap into uncharted waters live. The first two disks in this collection are arranged as a simulacrum of a Crimson live show and are comprised mostly of material from The Construction of Light. One of the highlights is Adrian Belew's acoustic interpretation of "Three Of A Perfect Pair." The last disc is an edited collection of improvisations recorded throughout the tour. While the live versions of material found on The Construction Of Light are for the most part superior to their studio counterparts, it is the improvisations that I find the most interesting. They are stunning in their scope and execution. Fripp, Pat, Trey and Adrian shred, howl, whir and buzz in a style that conflates heavy metal, jazz, and electronica, recombining them into some new kind of aleatoric crimspeak. Because of the downsizing of the six person "double trio" to the four person "double duo", the band's improvs are much more nimble, and less chaotic. I believe it's a simple matter of it being easier for four people to listen to one another and find their place within the music than it is for six.
   
   Heavy ConstruKction is well recorded and edited and filled with fantastic material: as a bonus disc two has a live movie of the band playing in Rome. Just put it in your computer, enter the password (which you have to go to the Crimson site to get, I'll save you the trouble, it's "Rome") and watch the band shred for 45 minutes. Unfortunately it's in the buggy and clunky Windows Media Player format rather than Quicktime, oh well. Heavy Construction is an excellent snapshot of the 2000 tour by the strongest line-up Crimson have had since 1980 and combined with the bonus live video makes this incredible CD one of the best deals for the money available in the Crimson catalog..



4. OK, just to start off with, this gets four stars for music. Not the best thing King Crimson have done, but remarkably capable stuff and has the occasional bit of genius.
   
   However, I'm knocking this down to two stars because, like The Nightwatch (a much better live album, by the way) it has the horrible, record destroying spectacle of Robert Fripp opening his mouth.
   
   "Lights Please" (in either form) is enough to make me turn off the CD and seriously consider throwing it out of the window. I have no idea why they would put this on a live album, let alone twice. OK, so they don't like people taking photos. That's what security is for, however, and if they have a "No cameras" rule it is fair enough to expect your hired goons to go and remove cameras from people. Stopping a show and turning the lights on the audience for several minute while Robert Fripp plays the insufferable prick is a step over the line - the audience here has paid to see you play, Robert, not act like a spoiled public schoolboy. Putting it on a live album - TWICE - is incomprehensible. Especially considering how embarassed Adrian Belew sounds when he attempts to make polite "gig recovery" by asking people not to take photos once the adorable "intellectual" has finished having a strop. This isn't exactly Cirque De Soleil, Robert Fripp isn't going to break his neck if somebody takes a photo of him at the wrong time and breaks his concentration. Worst case? He makes a mistake. Big deal.
   
   The Nighwatch is awful too in this respect, Fripp and his creepy comments about ogling the ladies in the audience. Urgh. Makes you want to go have a shower.
   
   He's a very capable musician, but I can quite understand Bill Bruford's comments along the lines that "Robert prefers playing with happy smiling Americans who don't know what he's talking about". So please, KC, if you're going to take the troll out in public can you at least put a gag on it before letting it near a PA system?
   
   Thank you,
   
   A concerned citizen.



5. I'm going to keep this plain & simple(for once!).As mentioned above...this is, simply put,just about as good as live material gets.Need proof?Aside from the mostly favorable reviews given here in this forum,all I can tell you is,since purchasing this collection,not alot else has been able to lodge itself in my CD-player.I see a divide amongst reviewers concerning the 3rd(improv) disc.Fear not.As good as everything else contained herein is,the improv material is indeed the icing on the cake.If you've ever loved The Crimson King,or just want to know more about them,I cannot recommend this highly enough.I find my posterior firmly booted(pun intended!) every single time I spin this material.This is not even to mention the live concert footage available on the 2nd disc.Highlights:deadly Lark's Tongues In Aspic,Pt.4;toxic Blastic Rhino;seriously severe cccSeizureccc;stunningly lovely Beautiful Rainbow/7 Teas sequence-oh heck!!!It really is ALL just great.To emphasize,again-I cannot urge you enough to check this out for yourself....!....

3 comments about Original Mixed Up Kids: The BBC Recordings.

1. mott the hoople fronted by the great ian hunter the cork-screwed hair genius this is a cracking live session from the BBC vaults a true golden mine of an album with the hoople at their punkiest sleaziest and rockiest best damn they had great songs and a great singer ian hunter one of the best and he was inducted into the classic rock hall as one of the greatest songwriters
   oh yeah baby "we're not bleeding we're feeding you but you're too f******* slow" a classic nasty yet great line from the mouth of the hunter
   and whoever the presenter is they make me laugh at how stupid and dorky the radio used to be.using all the buzz words of the time and sounding idiotic well that was the times and mott the hoople rock the dust with the punks which would soon be sweeping the globe



2. This cd is essential for those who want a glimpse of the early Hoople. This cd contains an alternate version recorded for the BBC of Thunderbuck Ram by Mick Ralphs a song that rocks with a vengeance. Mick shows off his skills as both a vocalist and song writer as well as showing his considerable chops as a guitar slinger. If you like your songs primal and full of bite this song is a must. The other studio trax include another Ralphs essential in Whiskey Women, and Darkness Darkness. Ralphs shines throughout as does Verden Allen on organ and the underrated backbone of the band Overend Watts. Ian Hunter provides the perfect foil for Mick Ralphs on his epic song the Journey, complete with the Hunter mystical imagery and wordsmithing and his take on the Dylan/the Stones street smart rockarama The Original Mixed up Kid as well as Let Death Be your Santa Claus. The CD has an excellent CD booklet which details more of the Hoople history and a detailed account of Hoople's BBC exploits. This is an essential Disc for any true Hoople fanatic as it showcases the talents of all the band members. Pick this up if you are lucky enough to find it, and enjoy!!



3. This CD shows the power of Mott the Hoople live! This CD has most of "Brain Capers", one of the best heavy metal albums of the early 70's, played live. I am an Ian Hunter fan, but Mick Ralphs is terrific on this CD, makes me sorry he left the band when he did! Well worth the money for any Mott fan.

2 comments about Live at the Rainbow 1973: The Complete Concert.

1. Some fans who have this disc may wonder why the disc is in somewhat gritty mono sound,even though some of the songs appeared in full-fidelity stereo on the album "Strung Up".It can be explained.Two recordings were made of this show:a multitrack recording and a mono soundboard tape.Unfortunately,the snare drum never made it onto the multitrack,forcing drummer(the late) Mick Tucker to dub in a newly performed snare drum in the studio...but only for the songs that the group was planning to release.For the other songs,the only tape with the snare drum is the mono soundboard tape.Some previous reissues(such as the one on the DOJO label) combined the available stereo tracks with the rest in mono.This release is entirely from the mono soundboard tape,hence it is totally free of studio overdubbing and doctoring.It is what the audience heard at the show.



2. This album,is "Sweet" at their best,all the way from "Little Willy" to their soon to be released "Teenage rampage".It includes their only number one hit,"Blockbuster" and includes the song that has since become their anthem,the classy chinn-chapman compilation,"The Ballroom Blitz".It is unlike any other live album,because the songs sound almost the same as the studio.Moreso it shows the group at their personal best!!!!

5 comments about Woodstock Diary.

1. I ordered the disc for my boyfriends birthday I recieved an email that it may not get here until weeks later I recieved it the day of THANK YOU.



2. Some hot tracks here! Unlike the mellowed out album "Woodstock 2," this 3rd general Woodstock album brings back some of the fire of the first album. "Love City" is intense soul, with Sly at his rockin' best. "Somebody To Love" is unrecognizable until it hits the chorus, but it totally cooks, with Grace Slick's soaring voice sliding in and out of the rock guitars. "Southbound Train" has a very powerful rock sound, with terrific guitar sustain on the lead solo. Other tracks didn't impress me nearly as much--a lot of cover tunes, ballads, and sleeze. "Blackbird" is sweet with all its vocal harmonies. "If I Were A Carpenter" has Tim Hardin's voice breaking constantly, maybe intended, maybe not, but very distracting nevertheless. However, I definitely recommend this album for its high points.



3. In 1994, for the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, this budget CD was released, as well as the brown-covered boxed set (which I will not review here). WOODSTOCK DIARY came and went with little fanfare, but is worth seeking out, as it contains several tracks that can be found nowhere else. Most of the music is very good, especially the pair of Joe Cocker tunes (Let's Get Stoned and I Shall Be Released), Richie Havens (I Can't Make It Anymore), Janis Joplin (Try and Ball & Chain).

   Sly & The Family Stone's "Love City" is a great track from their celebrated set. The other Amazon.com reviewer on this page is incorrect regarding this track. "Love City" was NOT the set opener but the set closer...BEFORE the famous encore. Sly DID in fact lead the crowd to a "higher" chant to Love City, left the stage, then came back to do Dance To The Music/Music Lover/ Higher/I Want To Take You Higher." Believe it or not, the higher chant was already a well-established routine in the Sly Stone set long before it was done at Woodstock. Most of the people already knew and expected it by August of '69, and was ready to do it whenever Sly asked them to.

   There are many nice rarities here, and the liner notes are informative. Of course, I am another one who wishes that more Woodstock performances were released than what has been offered on this single CD. I wanted to get more music from Richie, Tim Hardin, Mountain, Ten Years After, and especially Canned Heat. Maybe more CDs like this for the 35th and/or 40th anniversaries? Let's hope so!!! By the way, the opening song in Sly & The Family Stone's Woodstock set was "M'Lady."




4. This CD does have a few good qualities. CSN's "Blackbird" was played with great harmony and clarity.The version of the Ban's "The Weight" sounds a little better than the studio version, due to more vocals and a reedy organ. The two cuts from Joe Cocker were superb- not to mention the only other songs played in his set- with gritty and loud vocals, along with a supportive backup band. Janis played her heart out with pure energy as usual in the two songs here.
   
   This is the only good qualities I observe- with the exception of Mountain and Tim Hardin. Various songs were overdubbed with announcements and extras which are not made in the proper time as they were actually made. For example: in this CD, Grace Slick says her opening announcement and then the band takes off playing "Somebody to Love." "Somebody to Love" was the song actually played second to the last one- "White Rabbit."
   
   
   It would also be nice if there would had been more selections fron Sly and the Family Stone besides one track. Though a good song, I wish there was more. Hopefully, in time, more material will surface.
   
   In my opinion, music, especially classic rock and live complications, should be heard as THEY WERE PLAYED- IN THE ENTIRETIES OF THE SONGS. Studio "touch ups" just make good music sound bad and takes away the purpose of enjoying live recordings like music from Woodstock. Furthermore, it would be nice if music from the Incredible String Band, Sweetwater, CSN with Neil young, the Who, and Blood Sweat and Tears would be in a complication or box set of unreleased performances. I hope that rock/classic rock fans will agree.



5. This CD has a few tracks that were not available on Woodstock I, II or the boxed set. This in itself might persuade you to buy it. I still think that it's a missed opportunity though, as they could have released just previously unreleased tracks (there are plenty more in the vaults).

5 comments about Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970.

1. Isle of Wight, 1970, chaos, grumpy hippies, Joni Mitchell in tears on stage, Jim Hendrix's last major gig, and out of this comes a recording of such stunning perfection as to almost leave the listener breathless. Ian Anderson has such a presence in this recording, the band is incredibly tight, the songs are excellent, and excellently played. All I can say is, you haven't heard live Tull until you've heard this, it's amazing. 5 very big stars, and a request to Amazon for a few more. Get this cd!



2. I'm ecstatic about this purchase - and that's a rarety for me. My usual experience with buying music is to read all the reviews, most of which are over-the-top balls-to-the-wall enthusiastic, and to be a little disappointed when I finally hear the product.
   
   I was also reluctant to buy more Jethro Tull, inasmuch as I already own far more JT than any other band. I don't know why (they're not my absolute favourite band, though not far off), and the two DVDs and two live albums I already own hadn't been enough to inspire me to get yet another. I confess to actually being quite disappointed with my previous two JT DVDs (A New Day Yesterday and Living With the Past), but decided to get just one more.
   
   It's rare (very rare) that I purchase new music and play it time after time, day after day. I'm prepared to say that after listening to Nothing to Say, I really didn't know JT at all. I certainly didn't consider them a 'live' band in the same vein as Allman Brothers or Led Zeppelin, but this live rendering was a revelation.
   
   Ian Anderson is in fine voice, the music is rock at its best (every song), the solos and improvs are fantastic and the choice of songs sublime. JT was one of the first bands I ever got into 30 years ago as a 14-year old just discovering music. Three bands struck me at that time - Bob Dylan, Jethro Tull and George Harrison. Of the three, I've been a JT listener ever since, without a break. So for me to say this release makes me think I never really knew them, says something.
   
   Most DVDs disappoint me in some respect - either the music is great but the performance is a bit lifeless, making me think I'd be better off listening to a CD, or the performance is off. This has just the right combination to suit me - electric performance by the entire band, and excellent instrumentation.
   
   My only complaint on the DVD - and its why I primarily dislike the others too - is the interviews and interruptions between songs. Even though one can FF, they still grate.



3. The most surprising thing on this cd is Clive Bunker's drumming; he is consistently excellent throughout and almost Keith Moon-ish in places. The two tracks from "Benefit" sound much better live. The show isn't complete, though--some of Ian Anderson's remarks about the Festival backstage chaos got edited out at the start. Definitely worth buying.



4. 
   Something I discovered around the time I was fifteen was that JETHRO TULL is one of the most eclectic bands of all time. The bands repetoire spans everything from rock to blues to jazz to world music to progressive to ("metal"?).
   There are times when I can really dig on TULL, and there are times that I really can't stand them at all, and truthfully (take it easy on me now) the latter outweighs the former, BUT.. when JETHRO TULL is good, JETHRO TULL is goooooooooood, and this album here is TULL at their BEST! No bull on this peice, just ace kickin bluesy rock jams.
   This is the band with the original line up still in place. The sound was a lot more raw then they would become in the following few years. Ian Anderson plays the flute like it's his own creation, dirty, no remorse for the proper music it was intended to play. The band smokes and crunches its way through a helping of their late sixties progressive blues material.
   If you happen to own some of the early studio discs (THIS WAS, BENEFIT, there are a few others) and have not heard the early live stuff... GET ON IT.
   The bands live recordings are completely fresh. They aren't muddled like the studio recordings of the day, and they aren't sappified like the live albums they would come to release in the eighties. ISLE OF WIGHT represents this band when it was still out for blood, and full of energy. It happens to be some of the greatest blues rock of all time. DONT MISS!



5. More oomphf than you can imagine, or convey. The mixture of originality, musicianship, and a devil may care boldness unfolds a rare expression in music.

2 comments about Live.

1. EXCELENT!!! In response to the review of this CD by "A Music Fan"........Please, give me a break! Anyone who enjoys Blood, Sweat And Tears will enjoy this concert. And if your a musician, you will enjoy it that much more! Turn it up, sit back and ENJOY!!!



2. Evidently, someone turned on a microphone to record the concert tour following up B, S & T's least successful album ever, "Nuclear Blues". The positive aspect of this album is that it contains an upbeat and punchy version of "Gimme That Wine" originally from the "Brand New Day" album. "Trouble in Mind" and "Shake a Hand" are also worthwhile. Unfortunately, the group degrades the more prominent and familiar tracks by compressing them into a medley. The "Nuclear Blues" tracks are regrettably performed in their entirety. I suppose there is nothing we can do about those paronoia nuclear blues. If you are looking for a great B, S & T live album, seek out "Live and Improvised" recorded after the release of their "New City" album. P.S. Does anybody know how many times DCT has recorded a version of "I'll Drown In My Own Tears?" I count four. If at first you don't succeed . . .

5 comments about All by Hisself: Live at the Lonestar.

1. I bought this CD, despite the excellent comments of other reviewers on the sound quality, because I wanted the most recent album I could find. On "Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack," my only other album, Dr. John plays the piano. Here, half the time or more, he is singing. You like that or you don't. To me, it's the equivalent of a talented musician who decides to spend his creative energy taking up juggling.



2. Wasnt aware of this CD - saw it on the J.Booker page...havent rated it either as I havent listened to it yet, (it wont even let me pick no stars -doh! amazon) but regarding others comments - from the samples provided (very handy) it sounds like he is playing on an older electric piano, not acoustic, and agree it sounds badly balanced/recorded..I like to hear what he is playing for transcription purposes. Some of the older Booker recordings are bad but the playing is on an acoustic and comes across clear.
   And for posterity let them be issued - warts and all.

   to conclude - I will get it; Im a fan and I play.




3. Dr. John's solo album at the Lonestar is an example of a piano player standing out there alone on his talent. In this age of studio electronic enhancements this is very refreshing! This is a great way to hear his abilities as a performer. He makes the most of an otherwise terrible piano. After a few minutes the piano quality (or lack of) won't bother you because the level of his abilites shines through anyway. The song selection is OUTSTANDING!!! The performance is more "spirited" than his studio album "Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack".



4. The great Mac Rebennack, aka, Dr. John goes it alone, all by hisself on this one, and the results are pure as the sweet smell of New Orleans' magnolias. If you're a Dr. John fan, this is an absolute must have. All his hits are here, as well as a host of Big Easy standards. But not only that, there's an excellent bonus DVD on which the good Doctor recounts New Orleans music history.



5. It pains me to write this because I love this guy, but if you own 'Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack' I believe you're going to ask yourself why would anyone believe I would want to listen to this master play solo blues piano on anything other the best acoustic piano they could find for him at the time.

   Compared to the other CD mentioned, this one makes one think of DJ putting on a concert in the KMart keyboard section. Thank god the DVD includes DJ on an true acoustic.

5 comments about Just One Night.

1. Eric Clapton's Just One Night is a classic live album. This is not one of those greatest hits live albums. This is just Clapton rocking out and kicking butt on the guitar. The whole album is great! I saw where a couple of people gripped about Wonderful Tonight being on the album, I think it's a great song. All the songs on Just One Night are great. This is a live album that other live albums should be compared too.



2. I have had this album for for 20 years. I continually come back to it and amazed. For the record, I am a huge Clapton fan. What I love about this album is that it is Clapton in his pure state. Guitar, Amp and occasionally a Wah-Wah pedal. It's a good mix of his blues and country tunes. For me, it is a must have, one I would take to the moon with me. The version of Double Trouble is phenomenal, and one of the best representations of Eric's blues virtuosity.



3. This is a great CD. This has Eric Clapton's last great guitar solo.
   After this concert he recorded several good songs but he has NEVER
   been this good again (so far).



4. I've got this album on my mp3 player, and everytime a track comes on I'm back in my vinyl days.
   A mixture of Blues and Rock with Clapton regular Chris Stainton on Keyboards and Albert Lee on Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals.
   From the first track Tulsa Time you know you're in for a good time. This is a proper live album, no overdubs, no backing tapes just 5 guys and great music.
   Recorded in 1979 in Japan, neccessarily the sound quality isn't as polished as some might expect these days. Personally I prefer some rough edges and this double album gives it to you raw.
   Great stuff.



5. well known, Ec, great perfomer. Why do I buy this old record? Like "24 nights", the value added is the mix. I'd like to emphazise on the unique best perfomance of "Cocaine" in addition with S.Ray cover. Obviously the rest is extremely enjoyable.

5 comments about 1962 Live at the Star Club in Hamburg.

1. This is a great CD for a someone that truly likes everything Beatles. The sound quality is low but to get to hear raw live Beatles is worth it.



2. This is a collector's item of the Beatles at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany 1962. However, there are so many recordings that add and omit songs done at this destination. So if you're a die-hard Beatles fan this is worth it because it is rare, but you have to watch out for the songs that are included on this CD and on the other Star Club Hamburg CDs.



3. Though I am certain that there is some material missing from the actual performance on this CD, what is here is fantastic- fairly clear, considering the conditions under which they were recorded, and a vital look at The Beatles in their early years. "Shimmy Shake" is an amazing piece to hear them perform... so different than the material that made them famous. I wish the CD was complete, but what is here is fantastic. If you're serious about The Beatles, you NEED this CD!



4. I HAD the original two-LP set; my favorite song was the one chosen as the opener for the LP: "Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You". With THAT song missing! this CD is pointless to me. When are they gonna release the WHOLE thing??!



5. The Star Club performance has bounced around in some form since the 1970s, initially as a double-album import on the Lingasong Records label. The sound quality was very rough, but the liner notes and photographs were outstanding and the gig featured the lineup with Ringo on drums.
   
   The historical significance was immense and I believe it still remains the earliest released live recording of the Fab Four. If I recall, The Beatles were unaware that the gig was being recorded and plans to release the performance once Beatlemania swept through England was nixed because of the poor sound quality.
   
   The tape was stored for years in a Liverpool office - certainly not helping to retain the already bootleg-like recording - and was recovered from a building that was slated to be torn down by original Beatles manager Allan Williams. He sold the recording to Lingasong.
   
   It then got interesting once the double-album was released in Europe and available as an import in the U.S. The record company ended up in litigation over ownership issues of the tape and I last saw the performance split into two separate albums on another record label.
   
   And the Star Club performance seems to have a lifespan tied to the court system; it pops up in some form, then becomes unavailable due to a tug-of-war, only to resurface again years later.
   
   But through it all it remains a gem, since there are few opportunities to hear the early stages of what became the British Invasion.

5 comments about At Carnegie Hall, Vol. 1-4 (Chicago IV).

1. 5 stars for the band but not on the technical merits of this album..Ok, right off I'm going to admit that at this point I'm considering picking up the remastered-remixed re-everything version Of Chicago at Carnegie hall just to see what total miracle the digital age boys could possibly do to make this album listenable... I bought it when was released in 1971. It was the worst, most awful sounding piece of crap I had in my collection at the time. I'm not one of those nose-in-the-air sterile audiophile types but you have to believe at the original release, it was a bust. Recording in a place like Carnagie must have been a nightmare for the engineers of the day. The mics on some cuts sound like they're placed out in the audience somewhere a mile away. If you ever attended a concert at an NFL domed stadium (one of those concrete things) you know what can happen to the sound. I was (and still am) a huge Chicago fan and couldn't wait to take my saved-up 13 bucks and go buy this 4 LP set. Right, I said 13 bucks. That was a bloody fortune at the time not to mention a waste of money and a major disappointment when I put it on the turntable. It sounded like crap. This could have been a monster live album from the hottest band of the day, but no, sound quality killed it on arrival. This is not a commentary about the band. This album and those before it and a couple after, was Chicago at top form before they went to market with all the later stupid pop garbage and were basically ruined as a major rock group. I'm going to give the CD version a go and drop in a few extra notes of commentary later about what quality changes were made by the remaster people. It had to be a big job.



2. I know there are lot of you who have issues involving the original mix/master of this 1995 Chicago Records re-issue, as well as the 1990 Columbia CD release, such as the "kazoo"-sounding horn section.
   
   I chose this particular issue, along with the Group Portrait box set (sadly not reissued/remastered when Rhino picked up the Columbia/Chicago back catalog), and Chicago IX 1995 CDs, for the purpose of making an expanded version, a true anthology, of this legendary band in their "glory years" (1968-75, I-IX), in which I will include two tracks ("25 or 6 to 4", this live version absolutely smokes the studio cut from II, and "I'm A Man") from this ignored masterpiece as well as tracks from III and XIII (also ignored on Chicago IX) to add onto it.
   
   Note about the mix, especially the brass section, don't forget, this album was recorded in 1971 (yes, 1971!!!), and the legendary Carnegie Hall's acoustics were never conducive to electronic amplification, as one reviewer mentioned, but it is raw, first take, and the way a live album should be, not remixed beyond recognition to the point of it sounding TOO perfect, but instead one done with passion, heart, and something missing, especially in this day and age of "homogenized" live albums, which are mostly loaded with overdubbed tracks, "crowd noise" enhancements, and too-perfect-lip-synced vocals: integrity and respect for their loyal die-hard fans, the music business, and 100% effort in every note played and sung! It's not perfect but it is all real, with none of the enhancements!
   
   Most bands on today's "live" albums are simply going through the motions, and not really pouring out their heart and soul into making one, they just simply do it to make money, rather than do it for the fans, who they now resort to gouging out of $25.00 a ticket to see what winds up as garbage, and in agreement with one reviewer, this is the best of the 3 live sets Chicago has recorded. No matter what issue of this album you choose, original or remastered, if you are old-school as both a music fan as well as a musician like me, get this one! Highly recommended!



3. while im not a big fn of live albums i really do enhoy this one and cant wait till it's re-released on cd in august ill be all over that



4. while im not a big fn of live albums i really do enhoy this one and cant wait till it's re-released on cd in august ill be all over that



5. This was the second Chicago album I ever heard... right after Chicago 17. Talk about culture shock! I first thought "how full of themselves can they be? Four albums?" Then, given the fact they sold out a week at Carnegie Hall and being the first rock band to do so then I understand. The packaging for the album was fantastic: a full booklet complete with all concert listings from '67-'71 and three posters. As far as the music, the venue has more to do with it than anything. Carnegie Hall isn't friendly to electronic amplification. The engineering is not quite up to par. On the first night, Peter Cetera stated the recording crew were still tooling with their amplifiers during the first night's concert. Shouldn't that have been done ahead of time?? "In The Country" sounds great, as does "South California Purples", "Introduction", "I Don't Want Your Money", and "I'm A Man". "25 or 6 to 4" does sound a bit slow. Kath sounds like he's just going through the motions on vocals on "Make Me Smile". His guitar work is great as usual. The stereo mix on the vocals is intriguing. The dialogue between songs is genuine; especially the part where a audience member requests "Make Me Smile" - Lamm says, "Keep sitting there man".
   I believe the vinyl records sound better than the CDs. For an album of this magnitude, they should at least remaster it somehow and improve the sound a bit. There should be lots of master tapes for a week's worth of recording.
   If you can get your hands on it, LIVE IN JAPAN is a better sounding album. Recorded at Osaka in '72, the double disc is not as good as "Carnegie Hall". Sony recorded the shows using 2 eight track machines, giving producer James Williams Guercio 16 tracks to work with. The sound is great but the playing is not as tight as it was in New York.
   If you like live recordings, this is an interesting find. While not the greatest live album of the seventies (I believe that distinction goes to Neil Diamond's HOT AUGUST NIGHT), it is the best of Chicago's three live album releases.