5 comments about History of the Grateful Dead, Vol. 1 (Bear's Choice).

1. Love Pig-Pen? Love the old-school roadhouse blues influence he brought to the band? This album captures nicely that sound for sure.



2. If you really want to buy this, get the remastered version instead. It has nicer packaging, better sound quality and 30 minutes of bonus material. To find it, search on History of Grateful Dead (it won't show up if look for Bear's Choice).



3. The Bear's Choice Expanded Edition focuses on the Grateful Dead live in concert. Four additional tracks are added to the original seven and the late Ron McKernan(Pig Pen) sings on six of them.

   The opening five acoustic tracks are warm and intimate if not overly spectacular. The Pig Pen sung Katie Mae stands out a bit from the rest. The Smokestack Lightning jams are a bit excessive even though they can be a bit mesmerizing if you merely have them on in the background. However, the highlights of this disc are Pig Pen's stylish singing on Big Boss Man and Hard To Handle. Old Piggie sure knew how to sing the blues.

   Anyway, definitely like Jerry Garcia's interpretation of Sitting On Top Of The World. Again, Good Lovin' is another bonus track on this CD as it was on Europe 72. The jam is somewhat excessive although the drum solo is pretty captivating.

   Again like Europe 72, several good moments and I like the idea of both acoustic and electric sides of the Grateful Dead. However some of the jamming certainly goes off the deep end. My only advise is know how much endless instrumental noodling that you can take.




4. This is a Grateful Dead album that you can't live without. The honest, down to earth feel on this live recording is beyond description. And Pigpen is here too! What more could you ask for? Buy this!



5. This is one of my favorite Grateful Dead Live discs. There's only 7 songs but its 45 minutes plus of Pigpen, Jerry, Weir, Lesh, and Bill the Drummer. This show is from February 13th and 14th 1970, at the Fillmore East. 1970 is a great year for the Dead. (my favorite Dead era lies/lays within 1967-1972). Bear's Choice starts off with a bluesy Pigpen lead, Katie Mae. Katie Mae alone is an awesome blues song. Give Pigpen a guitar and the spotlight, you got one of the best blues performances ever. He starts the song off with a good humored argument from someone in the crowd or on stage....Katie Mae then goes to Dark Hollow. Dark Hollow is an awesome bluesy song with a hint of Country (kinda puts me in mind of Ripple in a Dead way)with Weir on lead vocal...so far, Katie Mae and Dark Hollow are among my favorite Dead songs. The next song is Jerry's turn with: I've Been All Around This World, a great slow ballad with great rythm. A Deadsized Wake Up Little Suzie follows All Around this World, a great jam and a great rocker, yet it's the shortest song on this disc. Track five is a Workingman's Dead hit, Black Peter, yet another slow bluesy jam. At 18:00 minutes long, Pigpen and the Dead jam through Smokestack Lightning. Smokestack's sound kinda resembles CCR's Susie Q, great tune with different jams throughout. The last song is Hard To Handle...sung by Pigpen. Hard To Handle, much like its' name and with Pigpen's vocals is a hard rocker, a great closer for this particular set.

   1. Katie Mae-4:46 2. Dark Hollow-3:30 3. I've Been All Around This World-4:40 4. Wake Up Little Susie-2:40 5. Black Peter-7:20 6. Smokestack Lightning-18:00 7. Hard To Handle-6:14

   Overall, this set does include a reaction from the audience during each jam, however, you can tell that it's not just one big medley jam/set. At the end of certain songs (ie-Katie Mae>Dark Hollow) you can hear the difference in audience reaction levels; just a note for fans of Dead-Sets-With-Audience-Interaction (thats all) but the crowd can be heard... This particular set is one of my faves (along with Dicks Picks 8 and Ladies and Gentlemen...) to play on Wine Nights (which are quite frequent) This album came out the year Pigpen died :(

   The album cover is 'perhaps' the origin of the infamous Beanie Bears that are collected today-for Dancing Beanie Bear collectors-Dark Hollow is one of the newest in the latest series, and it's from this particular show/set.......

5 comments about King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents America in Concert.

1. America is in rare form at there very best this is there best cd yet they just keep getting bette at each passing year awesome musicianship awesome. a must buy cd so hurry out & buy it today you,ll be glad ya did. george Bretzlaff Im 46 yrs old.



2. I never thought I'd be one of those whiners who complains that one of the original band members ain't still there. BUT, after hearing this live selection, I think that Dan Peek WAS America.
   
   Know that two members of the band sing on this live cd. One is great (e.g. check out Sandman! awesome live version). Also, be warned that one of the band members says "yippee" after several of the songs. Spare me! And Horse With No Name, should be called Song With No Singer! He trails off so many times, and seems intimidated by the role of singing it. Sorry to those who like this version. I did not.
   
   Nevertheless, several songs are great. The addition of the Mommas & Pappas' song "California Dreamin' " is worth the price of the cd.



3. I've always dug this AM pop/soft rock artist because even though they play what many would consider 'soft rock',America was ALWAYS cool to hear,whatever the mood or setting.Another memorable archive release from the King Biscuit Flower Hour's sacred vaults.This fourteen track disc's shindig was recorded somewhere in the summer of 1982.Most of the prime cuts are here,like "Tin Man","Ventura Highway",the timeless ballad "I Need You",their Mama&Papa's cover "California Dreamin'","Sister Golden Hair" and "Horse With No Name".I've seen these guys play live twice now and I even remember getting ahold of an audio bootleg cassette of one of their shows.Hard to believe,but there was VERY little difference between the bootleg and this release.Except the boot ran a bit bit longer in duration.A nice find.



4. The rock group America formed in 1969, when a group of teenage "Army brats" got together to make great music. Throughout the 1970s, they produced some of the finest musical numbers of the era - Ventura Highway, Tin Man, Sister Golden Hair, etc. After their 1978/9 reorganization, you probably thought that the best was over, right? Well, in this fantastic 1982 live concert, they showed that they still had it.

   They played some oldies, like Tin Man, and some new ones like You Can Do Magic. My personal favorite was Inspector Mills. This is a great album, with lots of great tunes. Yes, it's live, but it sounds great, with those America tunes coming through loud and clear. I love this album, and highly recommend it to you!




5. I am part of a generation of fans of AMERICA who discovered their music in the early 80's with songs like "You Can Do Magic" and "Right Before Your Eyes". But after hearing some of their earlier songs, I became a big fan from then on. Needless to say, this album is one of the best live recordings I have ever heard!
   This album, recorded in September 1982, covers most of AMERICA's biggest hits and includes songs from the album "A View From The Ground", another great collection from AMERICA. My favorite tracks include; "Tin Man", "Daisy Jane", "Love On The Vine", "Ventura Highway", "I Need You", "You Can Do Magic", "Sister Golden Hair", and "A Horse With No Name".
   There are two songs that I wish they had included on this album, and that would be "Lonely People" and "Right Before Your Eyes".
   If you only ever buy one AMERICA live album, make sure it is this one. IT IS AS CLOSE TO PERFECT AS YOU CAN GET!

1 comments about '73-Live at the Reading Festival.

1. If you like Rory Gallagher and Greenslade, you'll be drawn to this CD, but beware. The CD is basically transferred from the LP, so one only gets 47 minutes of music from eight artists - no one gets much coverage. Rory's is "Hands Off," clocking in at 8 minutes, and is quite good. Greenslade's track is "Feathered Friends" and is really interesting, but seems to have something clipped off at the end, running to 5 minutes. The other find on the album is two tracks by Tim Hardin, whom I know nothing about. Otherwise, the rest is throwaway, with the possible exception of the last Faces concert, represented here by a 7 minute version of "Losing You" - a great tune, though Rod's voice seems strained. Caveat emptor overall - with all the remastered Rory coming out, this disc is an expensive addition for the completist fan. Does anyone know if the full performances from Reading '73 are available? PS: the liner notes are extensive and quite interesting.

5 comments about Live at Myrtle Beach.

1. WIDESPREAD PANIC HAS CHANGED AND THIS ALBUM IS DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS LIVE RELEASES.
   
   The is a 2 CD album that contains the second and third set plus encore from a concert in 2005. (The first set, which is acoustic is on Uber Cobra). The first CD is 52 minutes long and the second CD is 62 minutes. The sound quality is very good. An added plus is that most of the between song chat as been edited out and the audience noise is kept to a minimum.
   
   Widespread Panic has changed since Mike Howser died in 2002. This album is different than previous live releases in style and song selection.
   
   Mike Howser had a unique guitar style that drove the sound of the band. He has been replaced by George McConnell who has a more traditional southern jam style of playing. He isn't as good as Howser, but in some respects, the band has gotten better due to the change.
   
   Previously, Widespread Panic had a very muddled sound, featuring Howser's screaming guitar. With McConnell, the sound is brighter and clearer and the individual members of the band are easier to hear.
   
   Previously, Widespread Panic would play up to 20 songs in a concert. They would blend one song into the next so sometimes the individual songs were indistinguishable. Although they were constantly jamming, song length would typically be 5 to 10 minutes. The jamming mainly ocurred during the segues between songs. But, solos were usually shorter and between songs.
   
   Now, Widespread Panic is not combining songs and each song is distinct. Songs can now be much longer, with long, drawn out jams in the middle.
   
   The band has also begun to experiment a little more and branch out from the original sound. For instance, there is a little space jam in Dirty Business and some vocalizing during Chilly Water. It isn't a lot of innovation, but it is a start.
   
   What is good about this CD is that most of the material has not been available on other live CD's. Half the songs are covers of other groups or traditional blues numbers.
   
   The group still suffers from some horrible piano solos. John Herrman makes some interesting rhythm contributions, but is really not a great soloist. The band should take a clue from groups like the Grateful Dead, who kept the keyboards in the background and the solos simple when they had Keith Godcheax.
   
   While this is not a great album, it is a good addition to Widespread Panic's library of live CD's. It is certainly different than the previous releases.
   
   My favorite Panic live CD is Classic City.



2. DO not be put off by any of the luke warm reviews of this cd... This is a very solid effort and even though it was recorded in late 2003 just before their year off in 2004 the guys are in fine form. Some highlights are Don't Wanna Lose You which features great guitar work by long time producer John Keane, great Henry Parson's Died and Postcard on disk 2... Also having just seen Panic in concert this summer I'm here to tell you this cd is great to pick up if you've seen them this year as it captures their sound just as they are in concert these days and if you're like me you'll enjoy listening and remembering your concert as you look forward to the next show..



3. I have a tendency to compare all live WSP releases to "Light Fuse, Get Away", which I think is clearly their best live release to date. Even though this release is from the same set of shows as "Uber Cobra" and "Night of Joy", there is a tightness and comfort to these songs which seems oddly absent from the others. Maybe because Uber Cobra is an acoustic set, and the flaws are easier to pick out, I'm not sure. George seems to be coming into his own with the band and I hear it more here. If you don't own any live Panic, start with "L.F.G.A." and then pick this or "Live in the Classic City" next. Either way you can't go wrong with a great live set of music.



4. This latest installmenet from the Myrtle Beach show is typical Panic. Easily proving it worth. I might give Light Fuse and Get Away the edge as my favorite live release. But Live at Myrtle Beach certainly gets the job done, as a fresh new batch to jam on, while we all start getting juiced for the tour. No Phish, Dead, ...and over a year off. Prepare for the hottest, hungryest tour on the jam scene in yrs. And definately take this disc with you to the shows!



5. This is pretty good. One thing of note is that if you couple this with the Uber Cobra CD, you get Panic's full 11/8/03 show
   in its entirety. Cobra being the first set. Disc 1 here being the second set. Disc 2 being the 3rd set plus encore.
   
   Enjoy.

5 comments about Santa Monica '72.

1. This is one of my all time favorite recordings. I have this CD version, and a vinyl 2 disc set I got in the 70s. The variable audio quality and audience chatter are part of its charm. I love the ebullient intimacy and irreverance of "Space Oddity", the exhausted Bowie flubbing the lines to "Suffragette City" while the band roars on. Mike Garson's piano sounds unfortunately awful, but Trevor Bolder's bass parts are nimble and the magnificent Mick Ronson's wrecking ball guitar may damage your speakers. Consider yourself warned.



2. The greatest strength of this recording is the fact that it is LIVE. One night. One continuous take. It's a testament to just how good this artist was (and is)and how his talent takes over the stage without resorting to recording tricks or artifice. It's easy to think of Bowie as an image maker, and easy to forget that he's a music maker. The Spiders prove themselves to be a white-hot, smokin' band too. This recording gives me pleasure every time I listen, and I always find something new.



3. I have this on vinyl bootleg I acquired in the 1980's. If youngsters question why their elders claim Bowie is so influential they only have to listen to this. Apart from the duff take-off special effects noise bowie tries to conjure up in Space Oddity and the flat chorus on Five Years, this album blows away any other Bowie concert CD. The sound is incredible on the vinyl - I can't say for the CD edition as I have never heard it. I had the privelege of seeing Bowie on his STAGE tour in Sydney and was very disappointed by the concert album they released of that tour. I'm happy this 1972 performance has finally officially been released - but inexplicably it seems to have failed to make much of an impact- even with Bowie fans. Being there in 1972 must have been an incredible experience . As far as I'm concerned its the only Bowie album anyone needs to own!



4. An absolute must-have for every true Bowie fan.I finally got to see David play live nearly a year ago and one thing I'll say about a David Bowie concert,the man simply takes you into his own world for over two hours.A must-be there event!The shindig on this disc took place on October 20,1972.Total of eighteen cuts and a duration of 76:39.Thank goodness for the invention of compact discs,no doubt.I remember years ago when the only source of an early '70's Bowie concert was some pricey lousy sounding bootleg put on 2-lp vinyl.Now,the fan gets the entire show one shiny disc.Great matching art work to go with it.Tunes I couldn't get enough of were "Ziggy Stardust","The Superman","Space Oddity","John,I'm Only Dancing","Jene Genie","Suffragette City" and "Rock&Roll Suicide".One of the better archive concerts EVER to be released,period!



5. OK folks-- remember this is 1972-- this is a live radio broadcast-- they are mixing on the fly
   A stunning representation of the Bowie experience
   Sure the levels are off from time to time i.e. Jean Genie, but look at it as a whole entity, warts and all. He flubs lyrics in Suffragette City (which he did again just recently in Cleveland 2004), the mix can be questionable from time to time BUT IT'S 1972!! A stunning collection of songs and better than the original version of the Ziggy Sardust movie S/T. Mick Ronson proved he was the next guitar god. Crank it up!

1 comments about Live.

1. Was wondering if there were any good live discs from the great one.
   Found this and although I think it is repackaged it is excellent.

No comments about Pat Benatar - Greatest Hits Live.

5 comments about Santa Monica '72.

1. This is one of my all time favorite recordings. I have this CD version, and a vinyl 2 disc set I got in the 70s. The variable audio quality and audience chatter are part of its charm. I love the ebullient intimacy and irreverance of "Space Oddity", the exhausted Bowie flubbing the lines to "Suffragette City" while the band roars on. Mike Garson's piano sounds unfortunately awful, but Trevor Bolder's bass parts are nimble and the magnificent Mick Ronson's wrecking ball guitar may damage your speakers. Consider yourself warned.



2. The greatest strength of this recording is the fact that it is LIVE. One night. One continuous take. It's a testament to just how good this artist was (and is)and how his talent takes over the stage without resorting to recording tricks or artifice. It's easy to think of Bowie as an image maker, and easy to forget that he's a music maker. The Spiders prove themselves to be a white-hot, smokin' band too. This recording gives me pleasure every time I listen, and I always find something new.



3. I have this on vinyl bootleg I acquired in the 1980's. If youngsters question why their elders claim Bowie is so influential they only have to listen to this. Apart from the duff take-off special effects noise bowie tries to conjure up in Space Oddity and the flat chorus on Five Years, this album blows away any other Bowie concert CD. The sound is incredible on the vinyl - I can't say for the CD edition as I have never heard it. I had the privelege of seeing Bowie on his STAGE tour in Sydney and was very disappointed by the concert album they released of that tour. I'm happy this 1972 performance has finally officially been released - but inexplicably it seems to have failed to make much of an impact- even with Bowie fans. Being there in 1972 must have been an incredible experience . As far as I'm concerned its the only Bowie album anyone needs to own!



4. An absolute must-have for every true Bowie fan.I finally got to see David play live nearly a year ago and one thing I'll say about a David Bowie concert,the man simply takes you into his own world for over two hours.A must-be there event!The shindig on this disc took place on October 20,1972.Total of eighteen cuts and a duration of 76:39.Thank goodness for the invention of compact discs,no doubt.I remember years ago when the only source of an early '70's Bowie concert was some pricey lousy sounding bootleg put on 2-lp vinyl.Now,the fan gets the entire show one shiny disc.Great matching art work to go with it.Tunes I couldn't get enough of were "Ziggy Stardust","The Superman","Space Oddity","John,I'm Only Dancing","Jene Genie","Suffragette City" and "Rock&Roll Suicide".One of the better archive concerts EVER to be released,period!



5. OK folks-- remember this is 1972-- this is a live radio broadcast-- they are mixing on the fly
   A stunning representation of the Bowie experience
   Sure the levels are off from time to time i.e. Jean Genie, but look at it as a whole entity, warts and all. He flubs lyrics in Suffragette City (which he did again just recently in Cleveland 2004), the mix can be questionable from time to time BUT IT'S 1972!! A stunning collection of songs and better than the original version of the Ziggy Sardust movie S/T. Mick Ronson proved he was the next guitar god. Crank it up!

5 comments about Classics Live!.

1. read the title.
   1 train kept a rollin=woo!!!great!!!
   2 kings and qweens=pretty kool
   3 sweet emotion=one of the best aerosmith songs ever
   4 dream on=best flippin song ever written!!!!!!!
   5 mama kin=great!
   6 3mile/reefer head=sweeeet....
   7 lord thighs=ok,not great
   8 major barbra=sucks.no good.pooy.



2. This CD features Aerosmith at their most slick-sounding and consistently rhythmic; the opening "Train Kept A Rollin'" is their most moving version of this song (it's also featured on Get Your Wings and Live Bootleg among others) and the next song "Kings and Queens" - along with #4 "Dream On" - is melodic and melancholly. "Sweet Emotion" is superbly performed, perhaps not any more so than any of their other versions (from Toys In The Attic or Live Bootleg or a half dozen other albums...) but, as said before, it's the most slick sounding version in their career back catalogue. The "side 2" (as is on the cassette version - which was the 1st type I bought...) isn't quite as good, and if you've listened to this CD a few times already, you might find tracks 5-8 pretty boring actually. But it's good kickin' noise to have in the background if you can't stand the oh so terrible silence (whatever!)...; in my opinion "Major Barbara" falls short of the expectations prompted from the lyrics...unless you have a photographic memory, you might go back to that song thinking it's gonna be a tragic-weepytype song, but you'll be disappointed (if you have any taste, that is...). I agree with one or more reviewer(s), that CL#2 is quite better...I'll review that another time.



3. Well the first time I bought classics live was on cassette in 1979. It was the first year I drove a car and put in my first car stereo with a cassette deck. I first saw Aerosmith at Day on the Green in the summer of 1978. I remember how Steven Tyler and Joe Perry seemed to dominate the stage and reach out to the Audience. The closing was Dream On and I don't think Steven Tyler was all together in his mind, I think the reefer smoke from the audience had gone to his head. I really enjoyed the other bands who opened the show, but by the time Aerosmith got through their first set, fans were ready to go home after being in the sun all day.



4. Yes this album does only have 8 tracks (7 of them live), the quality of the performance and the production is pretty poor, but it does include some interesting tunes, namely "Three Mile Smile" and "Train Kept a Rollin'" that fans wouldn't expect them to put on the record. That still isn't enough to make a potential listener want to buy, much less create a new Aerosmith fan. In essence, your money is much better spent on "Bootleg" which is a more complete performance and collection of songs (but still only rates 5 out of 10). They need to go through old master tapes of performances and make a killer two disc live set from the 70's a la Zeppelin's "How the West Was Won."

   The real attraction is the definitive recording of "Major Barbara." It's better than the recording used on the "Pandora Box Set." That still doesn't make it worth your 10 dollars. "Classics Live 2" is better, but not by much.

   Overall: 4 out of 10.




5. Though it may not sound the best and though the band may not be as tight as they could and should be Classics Live! is still a pretty good live album. It has all the elements it takes to make a good live album, its live and not fixed up in the studio, its got all classic songs by Americas greatest rock and roll band and not to mention greatest riff machine! Steven doesnt sound his best by any means. Trust me he can sound a 1000% better! Its not that he sounds bad but you can tell this was recorded when the drugs were taking their toll on him and the whole band really. In some places the band sounds off time, like they just are not clicking with each other at all. I dont like classics Live! as much as I like part 2 because Joe Perry and Brad Whitford dont play on all the songs here, Jimmy Craspo and Rick Dufay do most the guitar playing, because Joe and Brad hadnt come back to Aerosmith yet when this was recorded. And I am a firm beliver that no one should ever play Joe and Brads licks unlesss its the boys themselvs. One cool thing is 'Major Barbra' which is not a live track but a studio track that was ment for Get Your Wings but never made it onto the album. Its really a great song though. If Joe and Brad were on all the songs and Steven sounded better and the band was tighter then this would be a five star live album but thats what holds it down I mean the two other guitar players dont even play the right guitar solo on 'Kings And Queens!' But if you wanna hear classic live Aerosmith then get one of their other live albums because this is for die hards like myself only!

5 comments about Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!.

1. Fantastic live album - all the tracks show the Stones at their rocky/bluesy best. Total value for money.



2. I am astounded by those so called "experts" reviewing this masterpiece who claim to have some sort of preternatural insight into its recording. OK, maybe a vocal or two was/were overdubbed. Big deal. The inportant thing to remember is that THE GREATEST LIVE GUITAR SOLO(s) existant, the alchemy of Keef and Mick T on "Sympathy For The Devil" is just as it was heard by those at MSG. Somewhere down the list here, several "reviewers" comment that the Oakland boot, "Liver Than You'll Ever Be" is superior to "Ya Yas." It ain't (I OWN "Liver"), and mayber "liver" is the operative term there. You know how this album/CD stands up next to "Still Borne" or "Stripped," and I'm not going to make a pun about that last one typifying R Woods' ineptitude. This CD is all you'll ever really need, to know how the Stones once were...



3. I was fortunate enough to have seen The Stones on the 69 tour. Saw them @ The Inglewood Forum in LA. They were two hours late for the show but did they ever make up for it. Get Your Ya Ya's Out is a perfect history of the tour and of the era. The boys were definitely in great form and were playing like there was no tomorrow. The guitar solo in Sympathy For The Devil is one of the all time great solo's by anyone. Every time I get a new car, the first song I play is Sympathy from Get Your Ya Ya's out. I also have Liver Than You'll Ever Be and it is good. Especially Gimme Shelter (Waitin on you) and I'm Free. I only wish it was availabe on CD and cleaned up a little. The movie is great but not enough music. This is the album to have and to hold till death us do part.



4. Oh Lord, I would have loved to have been in Madison Square Garden when this record was recorded. To see the way the guitars of Keith Richards and Mick Taylor danced together, that really would have been something. However, I missed the tour, probably because I hadn't been born yet, but still I can dream, can't I? And that's just what I try to do when I put this record on. I sit back, close my eyes and let the blistering "Jumpin' Jack Flash" wash over me. I always intend to listen to it this way, straight through, but by the second chorus of the song, I'm up and jumping around, just like Jack Flash. Is this record inferior to the bootleg? No, I don't think so. "LiveR Than You'll Ever Be" was recorded at the beginning of the tour. The record is great, the band is great, but by the time they got to New York, they were really, really on. I enjoy listening to the difference. And that difference is really pronounced in Chuck Berry's "Carol." You can hear how raw they are in Oakland and how polished in New York. The records are different, to be sure, but one is not better than the other, they are both five star live records and both belong in any serious record collection. The Stones Live, nobody ever has been or is now as great as they were and are. Did you see them at the Super Bowl, just frightening how good this band is, even still.



5. Like my friends, I have to agree, the bootleg "LiveR than You'll Ever Be," is a diamond, while "Get Yer Ya-Yas Out" is a lump of coal. That said, "Ya-Yas" is still a pretty good live record, it's just not great. If I were the Stones, I'd pull this record and do what my friend Tiffany Ann from Black Diamond Bay suggested and put out the Bootleg for real. Come on boys, why don't you do that?