3 comments about Live at the Paris Olympia.

1. I was one of the Petula fans who was much disappointed in her last "live" concert CD ("Sign of the Times") - I was pretty much sure the Petula "magic" that I had loved for decades had peaked & gone... I was actually a little afraid to get this CD - certainly it's the first Petula CD I've ever bought that I let sit for several days before finding the right time to play it... Then, when I DID play it? Well, all I can say is:
   
   SHE'S BACK!!!
   
   Man, if I sound like a school kid gushing, from this point forward, it's for good reason.
   
   This is one recording Petula should be very proud of - one recording all of us fans should rejoice in owning. Her voice is in amazing condition - her pitch is right on - her vocal range still impressive... Her low notes are oh-so-rich & smoldering... Her top belt is still perfectly in tact... On top of it all, she sounds like she's having a blast onstage - that this is where she really wants to be, and loving every minute of it.
   
   True - there are some songs on this CD that I'm not crazy about hearing again ("Don't Sleep in the Subway" for instance - even tho' it's one of her trademark songs), but there are PLENTY of songs that either give me goosebumps - or simply make me smile.
   
   ALL the French songs are terrific. Petula's voice (to me, anyway) has always sounded even more beautiful when singing French, and that holds true to this recording, too. I'd read other reviewers saying that the French "Needles & Pins" was incredibly beautiful, and I found that hard to believe (never having liked the song to begin with) - BUT... THEY'RE RIGHT! "Needles & Pins" is definitive Petula. Fantastic vocals on that track.
   
   Other favorites? The "Prends Mon Coueur" medley, the "Chanson de Gainsbourg" medley, "Look to the Rainbow" - there's plenty here to like.
   
   Interesting to me - as much as Petula loves the dramatic songs, it's when she got back into the "Ya Ya Twist" & "Chariot" era, her voice really sparked. She may not really enjoy singing that stuff anymore, but man - NO ONE does it better than she does when it comes to singing these songs from this era. "Marin" started playing, and my partner (who had been standing, listening to this medley) started swaying to the beat. By the time Petula got into "Chariot"? We were dancing - and smiling.
   
   What a wonderful recording - an amazing documentation of a woman eternally young and vibrant.



2. Petula Clark's first appearance at the Olympia in Paris in the late 1950s resulted in two long-term relationships - marriage to producer Claude Woolf and a love affair with the French record-buying public that eclipsed their admiration for Edith Piaf and, as evidenced by the audience reaction heard during this concert recorded in September 2003, continues to this day.
   
   This collection includes contributions from every phase of Clark's sixty-five year career - the French pop tunes from composer Serge Gainsbourg, the mid- to late-60s international hits ("Downtown," "I Know a Place," "This is My Song," "Kiss Me Goodbye," "Don't Sleep in the Subway," "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love"), selections from her films "Finian's Rainbow" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," and the stage productions in which she starred - "Blood Brothers" and "Sunset Boulevard" - and one in which she didn't - a rousing rendition of "Vivre" from "Notre Dame de Paris."
   
   The CD opens and closes with two compositions by Clark herself - "I'm Not Afraid," in which she explains how singing became a form of self-expression that overcame her shyness, and a bonus track - a studio recording of "Starting All Over Again," inspired by the events of 9/11.
   
   Kenny Clayton, her longtime musical director, deserves special mention for his vibrant arrangements, especially those that infuse the old hits with exciting new life.
   
   Clark's voice is as strong and rich as it was forty years ago, when "Downtown" first hit pop charts worldwide - her enunciation is so perfect you can hear her dot her "i"s and cross her "t"s, and she not only hits all the high notes, but holds them for several measures as well. It's obvious that her dynamic performance here thoroughly captivated the sell-out Olympia crowd, as it will anyone who invests in this recording of that magical night.



3. Silva America presents "Petula Clark:Live at the Paris Olympia", featuring many of her pop, rock and musicals from stage and films...interpretation is the name of the game with Petula...she is right on with all her cues...she is truly amazing at the young age of seventy.
   
   Stand outs, and there are many ~ "LOOK TO THE RAINBOW (from Finian's Rainbow)", "DON'T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY", "THIS IS MY SONG", "TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE" (from Blood Brothers)", "I KNOW A PLACE", the audience is completely engulfed with this one, "SIGN OF THE TIMES", she rocks the place and leaves the crowd wanting more, "DOWNTOWN", the song that started it all, and the audience joins in with the lyrics, "KISS ME GOODBYE", tender loving melody with touching interwoven moments, "STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN" (studio version), beautiful arrangement and Petula's voice is still in great shape...her delivery is on perfect pitch...just the way we like 'em!
   
   Total Time: 69:52 on 17 Tracks ~ Silva America 1169 ~ (11/09/2004)

1 comments about Rock the House Live!.

1. I have quite a few older Heart albums on vinyl and when this live disc came out in 1991 I picked it up to have a bit of an overview of the band up to this point on CD. The album was recorded on the band's "Brigade" tour with the big hair 80's era lineup of The Wilson Sisters, Howard Leese, Mark Andes and Danny Carmassi. Overall this is a good live release. The sound is very good, and the band is in fine form. Ann Wilson's voice is marvelous as she never hits a bum note. Here range is as good live as in the studio and is truly one of the greatest female singers in rock n roll. The music is culled mostly from the band's 80's material, which is decent, but probably not on the same level as their 70's stuff. The highlight of the album is a great version of their almost progish "Love Alive". It is still a great song and done very well here. A new (at the time) song called "You're the Voice" is also included as a bit dated world anthem type of ballad. My main beef with this album is twofold. A lot of the keyboards on the disc have a very dated 80's sound to them. I guess this is to be expected, but not listening to this album in a long time, it really stood out to me. The other thing is the crowd noise. The crowd is mixed really high in the recording and there seems to have been a preponderance of girls screaming at the top of their lungs. One voice clearly stands out in between just about every song. Her shrieking is really really annoying. Other than that this is a good live release, but if you are looking for live Heart I think "The Road Home" is the better of the two.

5 comments about Donovan - Greatest Hits: Acoustic Live.

1. This record was orginally released as "Donovan Rising" and was recorded live from several concerts from 1982 to 1986, but it was put together so beautifully that you'd never know. It's been released under several different names and on several different labels. But no matter what label, no matter what cover, no matter what they call it, this is still one fine recording. Listening to this CD, and I'm calling this a CD and not a record, because this was the first Donovan recording to come out on CD, everything before was put out on black vinyl first, you remember those big discs that played on turntables, whoops, I'm digressing, like I was saying, when you play this CD you can almost imagine Donovan as that eighteen-year-old teenager who burst upon the scene with "Catch the Wind" back in 1965. He sounds as young on these songs as he did then.
   
   And you can tell that whoever put this together really cared, really understood Don's music, really went for quality of not only sound, but performance as well. Boy, what I wouldn't have given to be able to spend the hundreds of hours pouring through all the songs and performances, being there through all of that must have been glorious.
   
   Donovan's recording of "Catch the Wind" here sends chills up your spine. His rendition of "Hurdy Gurdy Man" with George Harrison's missing verse is equally chilling. The acoustic versions of "Sunshine Superman" and "Cosmic Wheels" are stunning. The version of "Young Girl Blues" takes me right back to the "Mellow Yellow" period. It has always been one of my favorite songs. I could go on, keep gushing about this fine live record, but I'll stop now. Oh wait! I forget to tell you that this is a must own Donovan disc for anybody who is even remotely interested in his music. You gotta get this one, you really do!
   
   This particular version of this beautiful live recording is missing four songs, "Young but Growing," "Stealin'," "Love Will Find a Way" and "Sailing Homeward" and lose a star for that, because you should go out and find the complete disc, there are so many versions to choose from, it won't be hard.



2. For this release, Donovan returns to the songs that made him famous. His voice sounds absolutely great here; even better than on some of the original releases in my opinion. All of the studio effects and fills are gone here, and on many songs that works to their advantage. Like Bob Dylan, I think Donovan often gets bogged down in schmaltzy over-production, and so a chance to hear the man by himself, with only an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, is a real treat. (Okay, there is a sax(!) solo at the end of Lalena).

   Highlights:

   Hurdy Gurdy Man - Extended here; Donovan tells a masterful story of him, 4 Beatles, 1 Beach Boy, and Mia Farrow in India. Also, he sings a new verse...written by George Harrison!

   Wear Your Love Like Heaven - Absolutely beautiful. Much better and more delightful than the studio version.

   Universal Soldier
   To Susan On the West Coast Waiting - Donovan performs some very nice renditions of his anti-war material.




3. I was younger, and listening to Donovan in a different way back in the early seventies - so last month I pulled out a few old vinyls and enjoyed re-discovering Donovan. (I forgot how much I liked him.) I wanted to get some kind of "Greatest Hits" CD to re-discover his music without my albums' hisses and pops - and that's when I stumbled upon Donovan's "Acoustic Live" CD. I must tell you - IT IS A GEM of a recording. What a find!! If I liked Donovan before, I really like him now. Most of this CD is Donovan and a guitar - just as the title implies. The listener will appreciate not only the familiar music, but also the quality of his voice in this CD. Wow - I was pleasantly surprised. I thought he was good back in the 60s and 70s - but his acoustic renditions of these 14 classics (recorded live, I believe, in 1997) will have you not wanting to go back to the earlier versions. The psychedelic frills are gone, and we are left with a strong, melodic voice that enchants the listener. This CD has to be the best "accidental find" I've made in years - and you wouldn't have to be from the Woodstock-era to realize the same thing. "Acoustic Live" is easily worth its price. I could have paid double, and still felt I got my money's worth.



4. MTV has released numerous "unplugged" albums from artists which show their more accoustic/personal side. In many cases (ie, Neil Young, Nirvana, 10000 Maniacs, etc..) I prefer the MTV unplugged editions more than the studio releases by the same bands. This Donovan live album runs 47 minutes (I guess it's the same as "Classics Live" minus 4 tracks) and came out well before those MTV unplugged series. Oh but this is of the same quality. No bells and whistles here. Just Donovan sitting down in front of a small crowd (sounds like about 100 people) with his accoustic guitar reliving some old memories (I think this was a live performance in the mid 1980's???) of songs he did 20 years earlier. Alot of Donovan classics here sung with heart and soul and his accoustic guitar. On the beautiful "Lalena" you will hear an etheral flute and on "Young Girl Blues" you will hear a nice soft saxophone accompanying him. On the remaining tracks, just accoustic guitar and vocals!!! This cd is fabulous from start to finish and a must for any accoustic guitar fan and a must for any Donovan fans. You will hear his personal side here and it's as if he is singing in the same room to you and a few of your friends. This is great stuff. Cost is VERY cheap. Truth be known, this is much better than many $20 albums out there. This one is a no-brainer. Just go and buy it!!!



5. This is a collection of live songs, that was previously released as "The Classics Live". It has less songs than the original. The performances are really good, however, so unless you've already got the previous version, I highly recommend it.

No comments about The Wall: 1980-1981 (Live).

1 comments about Live from the Backyard in Austin, TX.

1. First time I ever really listened to them was on UNC TV, our PBS station and they were AWESOME. I simply could not believe I had been missing them for so many years. If you are a Deadhead you will enjoy this group immensely.

1 comments about The Searchers at the Star-Club.

1. This CD is an update of an LP from Mercury released about 1964; there are several more tunes on the CD. The LP was issued with a weak lead guitar volume level; unfortunately this has not been changed on the CD. One would assume it was on the master. But the music is great. Many bands rush through songs when playing live, but the Searchers have great live arrangements played with perfect pace. These are the Tony Jackson (bass) Searchers before their sound was sedated in the studio, so there are no sweet, gentle moments. I like this lineup which produced their first two U.S. studio albums including material like Some Other Guy, Sea of Heartbreak, and Saturday Night Out. Each British invasion group had its own favorite American influences; you will hear the C&W and R&B favored by the Searchers as well as the Buddy Holly favorites plus Stephen Foster's Beautiful Dreamer. Brenda Lee's Sweet Nothings has a clever vocal arrangement. Play it often; it sounds better each time.

3 comments about Live at the Marquee Club.

1. PATHERSON, I always assumed this recording was from sometime in 1980: Three of the songs are from G-Force (which came out in '79/'80, right?), and Gary announces "You" as a single "we had out a while ago". No clue who the bass player is, though.
   
   A pretty good album, with Gary in top form and with a solid band.
   
   As with several of Gary's albums from this period, Live At The Marquee has been released with many different artworks. My copy has a red background, blue lettering, and Gary's shape and guitar in yellow.



2. Gary does not endrose this album very much, because this album, along with DIRTY FINGERS, was released by Jet Records (in Japan, first) without his final approval for the mix. Still to this day (and the booklet inside will NOT inform you that) I don't know in which year and date this show took place!!! Even the band line-up is a mystery. We have Gary, Aldridge and Airey for sure and, supposedly, Kerry Driscoll on vocals. But who was the bass player?!

   Anyway, this a fine live album. The energy is breathtaking, Gary is in top form, the songs flow effortless. Good album.




3. Gary Moore shines in this early live recording from the now closed Marquee Club in London. Features Aldridge on drums, Kenny Driscoll (from Lone Star) on Vocals, and Don Airey on Keyboards. Doesn't sound much different from the version that is not remastered, but it's good to have the remastered version nonetheless. Check out "Run To Your Mama," "Parisienne Walkways," and "Dallas Warhead," as they are the best songs on this CD. All of the songs rock though!

No comments about From the Front Row Live.

1 comments about Best of the Blues Plus Live.

1. What a great way to sum up a decade of Pat Travers on Mike Varney's Blues Bureau label. The first 8 tunes are studio tracks from his first 6 Blues Bureau releases (1992 -1997). The next 5 tunes are live tracks from his Polydor albums (1976 - 1983).
   
   Anybody ever seen Pat live knows there is little or no equal in his field. He rips it up like no one else can.
   
   If your looking to sample his Blues Bureau releases, this is a perfect place to start. You won't be disappointed.
   
   His releases since Best Of Blues Plus Live (1997) are also worth checking out.
   -Blues Tracks 2
   -Don't Feed The Alligators
   -PT Power Trio
   -Travers & Appice "It Takes A Lot Of Balls"
   
   PT ROCKS!!!!!!!!!! :)

3 comments about Live.

1. Maybe it's just my favourite artists, but has anyone else noticed that when acts put out an album they're not particuarly thrilled with - or doesn't sell well - that they follow it up with a tour like none other before them? Queen's dismal performance of "Hot Space" in 1982 was trailed by arguably their best ever tour, one that saw them in simply blistering form. In 1993, after vocally complaining about "Henry's Dream" being his worst work yet, Nick Cave pulled out all the stops and delivered a tour that was - according to some - the pinnacle of his career as a live musician.
   
   In 1986, Meat Loaf's "Blind Before I Stop" was released. It's by no means a bad album - it's a line-up of 11 fairly solid tracks, ranging from heavy rock to more blues-inspired tunes. However, it didn't do much in the way of sales and still today is shunned as the "black sheep" of the Meat Loaf catalogue. A lot of this, however, can be attributed to the fact that the record was produced by disco-genius Frank Farian, rather than any flaw in the songs themselves.
   
   So, despite the poor public reaction to the album, Meat Loaf set off on the Blind Before I Stop tour - a brief, less-than-twenty date flight around the UK, culminating with a pair of concerts at Wembley Stadium on the first and second of March.
   
   The album may have been poorly recieved. But the spectacular, three-hour stage show was by no means a failure. The full-sized setlist for these concerts was huge, no question. So, sadly, a great deal of it has been culled to cram it on to one LP (actually, the original release was an LP + EP dealie, because they couldn't fit it all onto traditional vinyl), leaving us with just the highlights of arguably the greatest tour that Meat Loaf ever delivered.
   
   This edited setlist features only four tracks from "Bat Out Of Hell" - for which it should be applauded. If there's one thing I can't stand about Meat Loaf releases, it's the relative ignorance of the remainder of his albums. This live LP thankfully shares the time around between all his releases to this point (except, sadly, for "Dead Ringer"...maybe "Masculine" could have made way for "I'm Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us"?). The four tracks from "Bat"...well, you get three guesses. "Took The Words" is solid, though drags a bit (I still maintain that this song was at its best on the 1977/78 tour, and they never did it as well afterwards). "Paradise By The Dashboard Light"...well, this is a song that I struggle with a bit, I have to admit. Just once I'd love to see a Meat Loaf compilation or live album without it, but miracles don't happen every day. The version here is perfectly acceptable - this was about as good as the song got on stage, though I'm assuming the theatrics have been edited out for the purposes of an audio-only format. "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" is great, but what the hell is with the guitar solo? Bob Kulick was never my favourite of Meat's guitarists (Damon LaScott, rock on), and when I first heard him play the 2/3 solo (on "Bad Attitude Live" VHS) I was stunned and a bit disappointed. It's entirely inappropriate for the song - if there was meant to be a solo of that length in there, then surely Steinman would have written one. Other than that, this is great, with Paul Jacobs on piano doing a bang up job as ever. "Bat" itself, despite being tragically predictable, is pretty good - heard one version of "Bat" you've heard them all, really, but that's no reason for the band not to play it.
   
   So the tracks from "Bat" are fine. But what takes this CD above and beyond most Meat Loaf live releases is the tracks that Steinman didn't write. There's six of them, and they're all brilliant. "Midnight At The Lost And Found", the title track from the 1983 album, is brilliant. The arrangement is very similar to the 1984/85 "Bad Attitude" tour, though John Golden and Andy Well's brilliant bass/drums combo is sadly missed. Steve Bluslowe is great, but it's just not quite the same. Maybe it's just that the bass is lower in the mix or something. Anyway, the version here - Well/Golden or no Wells/Golden - is brilliant, thunderous. This was always a real standout of the concert - something the band would really get into - and the atmosphere of the track is captured really well here.
   The tour was in aid of the 1986 "Blind Before I Stop" album, so it's unsurprising that the LP contains live renditions of three of the more recent tracks. Of all the tracks from "Blind", most would have picked "Masculine" for best transition to stage. Surprisingly, this isn't the case. "Masculine", found in the encores, isn't incredibly strong. Or at least not as strong as you'd expect. It just seems a bit too close to the studio original for me.
   
   The same can't be said for "Blind" itself. This track has gone from over produced by Mr. Farian in the studio to being the loud, heavy rock track that it always promised to be. Similarily, "Rock and Roll Mercenaries" - already the best track on "Blind" - has only gotten better. Steve Bluslowe's voice is no match for John Parr's...but who cares when the music is this good?
   
   Which leaves just two tracks. The album closer is a medley of rock classics, which really just seems like the band's excuse to let their hair down after three hours of epic effort behind their instruments. It's pretty damn good and thoroughly enjoyable.
   
   The highlight of the album, however, is "Modern Girl". Meat Loaf hates this song (not just reportedly - I asked him when I met him last year), but it's one of my favourites. Paul Jacobs' piano opening lends few hints of what's to come...but when the band kicks in and it turns into the rocker to end all rockers, you can't help but get into it. "Modern Girl" is stunning.
   
   My only real complaint about the whole thing is that it's too damn short. More "Blind" material, track from his previous albums - most notably "I'm Gonna Love Her", "Piece of the Action" (wouldn't THAT be stunning to have on CD, always a live classic) and "Dead Ringer for Love" - this is only a small slice of a spectacular concert. I would love to see a full length release of this concert some day...but until that day comes, I'll be more than happy with this.



2. I've many Meat Loaf CD's, both live and studio recordings, and this is the VERY BEST CD Meat Loaf ever put out.
   
   Meat Loaf usually sings in an operatic fashion, but even more so on this CD. He extends many notes long past the point where most singers would have lost their breath, and repeats other notes, really "getting into" the songs like never before (and that's saying something, as this IS Meat Loaf, a man who always "gets into" his music).
   
   I especially loved the versions of "Took the Word Out Of My Mouth" and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" on this CD.
   
   The band and background singers are excellent too.



3. ''Meat Loaf Live''was recorded live at wembley arena at a soldout show during the ''Blind Before I Stop Tour''.In Front Of a crowd of nearly 18,000 cheering fans.Meatloaf opens with 'Blind Before I Stop'(I think he plays the guitar on that one) and suddenly bursts into a duet 'Rock n Roll Mercenaries'with bass player Steve Buslowe (originally with John Parr),an extended and a passionate 8 minute ''You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth'', An all electric guitar version of ''Midnight At The Lost And Found''far different from the studio version,A booming version of ''Modern Girl'',''Paridise By The Dashboard Light''with the Goff sisters,a ''Two Out Of Three Aint Bad''with a 3 minute super guitar solo by Bob Kulick,and Meat Loaf bursts into a 10 and a half minute epic 'Bat Out Of Hell'.The 2 special encores are : 'Masculine'7 minute's long , and a 1950's 'Rock n Roll Medley' inc. Johnny Be Good (similiar to the version he did on the 1970s tour),Slow Down,Blue Suede Shoes,&Jailhouse Rock. also take a good look at the cover,in the letters that say Meat Loaf there are pictures of Meat Loaf during the wembley concert. being a popular album in the U.K (peaking at u.k 60 # in 1987), I give this album 4 stars. Loaf