1 comments about Extended Versions: The Encore Collection.

1. This release, part of BMG's Extended Versions series, is a repackaging of Alan Parsons' 1995 live CD. That CD contained 15 tracks whereas this 2004 release contains 10 tracks, as follows:
   
   1. Sirius
   2. Eye In The Sky
   3. The Raven
   4. Time
   5. Luciferama
   6. You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned
   7. Prime Time
   8. Limelight
   9. Don't Answer Me
   10. Standing On Higher Ground
   
   Unfortunately, as is the case with other releases from BMG's Extended Versions series, there is no information about the concert from which these tracks are taken, nor is there any information about the band members who contributed to this album. Serious fans of The Alan Parsons Project probably already own the 1995 live album but casual fans, for whom this CD was most likely created, will probably enjoy it as I did.
   
   My rating is closer to *** & 1/2.

5 comments about Concerto For Group & Orchestra.

1. It's actually very simple. Ever since I was a little boy, I've always contemplated the music I want to be played at my burial (or cremation for that matter). No speeches, to save any audience well-meant crap, but music, only music! To me music symbolizes the sheer genius of mankind and is able to voice every possible emotion I can have at any given moment. It lifts me up and beats me down (what is a mountain without a valley?), caresses and comforts me. I simply can't imagine life without music. Over the years I've come to appreciate so many forms of music, fell in love with so many songs, symphonies, bits and pieces, that it seems virtually impossible to make a selection, representing in less than an hour my musical "meaning of life". But, not too long ago, all of a sudden it struck me. Back in my teens came, on hindsight, the epitomy of my musical life: Deep Purple's Concerto For Group And Orchestra; Jon Lord's masterpiece. The ultimate fusion of classical music and rock music (ie classic rock). This concerto, and nothing else, is the music to be played at my funeral (you're all invited).
   I just can't think of a greater salute to this truly masterpiece. I rest my case!



2. In talking with some amazon friends of mine, I realised that this is the only Deep Purple album I listen to frequently. I have the original import version (one CD) with Wring that Neck and Child in Time, in addition to the Concerto. Deep Purple was a prog rock band when they started out, and here is one of the most grandiose examples of progressive rock. The piece is composed by Jon Lord, with lyrics in the 2nd movement by Ian Gillian. The piece is conducted by Malcolm Arnold, who was a very well known composer and conductor during his life. I love Deep Purple's ambition here, and this is really a great album. It's rather a shame that Deep Purple got somewhat simplistic in their later career, as I really don't like anything else they've ever done. I also feel that Ian Paice is one of rock's most underrated drummers. His solo on the 3rd movement is fantastic, much better than more well known solos that were made at the same time (specifically Ginger Baker's solo in the live version of Toad). The 2 live tracks are very good too. Wring that Neck was never before available until this album, and that's a good thing. I like to see Deep Purple/Jon Lord have a 2nd concerto someday.



3. I once owned the vinyl in 1973 while I was stationed in Minot N.D. but it was stolen. I never thought of it again until I rediscovered the group in recent years. I found and bought the DVD but it was edited not to my satisfaction. I have finally found a CD of this brilliant performance. I like everything about the composition,and I just wish I could've been there in person.I have found that I enjoy it more as I've gotten older. Yes, Deep Purple was much more than "Smoke on the Water"



4. This Concerto looks like an unfinished work and jumps from one theme to other, much like Claude Debussy's "Images". Among classical music, the closest relatives to this kinda music are movie's soundtracks. In fact, First movement would fit a superhero film, second movement a medieval-ambiance one, and third movement a movie about gladiator competitions in the Roman empire. However, the mixture is not perfect.
   
   If you like this, you will certainly like the more developed song "April", buried in Deep Purple's third album, "Deep Purple". I think April would have fit in the Concerto as a fourth movement, and would have been the best movement.
   
   Also, you might also like the similar symphonic/rock mixture present in "Hey Joe", from the album "Shades of Deep Purple". Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" (1970) seems to have been inspired by this Concerto, but in Atom Heart Mother a third element is added: weird noises. The result is not as good as that which Deep Purple attained one year before. It's quite a pity Deep Purple changed their trends and went plain heavy metal from then on.



5. I bought this vinyl record back in the early 70's. It is one heck of a performance, and the guitar work is unbelievable. I wouldn't part with this record, unless you would want to trade a vintage Stratocaster for it. Then I might consider it.

5 comments about Last Blast of the Century.

1. Last Blast is a great album, and a must have for Earring fans. Sadly, it's only available in the Netherlands (as is almost all of their stuff). Highlights include rocking versions of She Flies On Strange Wings, The Devil Made Me Do It, Whisper In A Crowd, Paradise In Distress, Legalize Telepathy, Burning Stuntman, and The Fighter. A slight complaint: Barry Hay's voice shows it's age on this album but it's understanable. After all, a 51 year old man giving it everything he had on stage for about two hours is pretty amirable. Overall a great album with only a couple of stinkers. They gave it their all, and if you're a fan, it deserves a listen no matter what the price. Check out that guitar playing at the end of Twilight Zone and during Radar Love, will you? Holy crap!



2. Wish i could have been there.But i guess this will have to do.Too bad they did not accept an invitation to tour with Deep Purple on their tour in North America.This could have been it.Im still a fan though.Obviously.



3. It's me again, here to tell all of you out there That this is one (great) live album. The songs they play is more from the recent era. The band plays with very high energy and enthusiasm. Pretty darn good from a bunch of guys getting up there in age. A MUST for Earring fans, and suggested for all who love good classic hard rock n roll.



4. I have been a Golden Earring fan for many years now. I first got into them when my father decided to crank up the ol' radio in the car when 'Twilight Zone' came on. Ever since then I've been hooked. However I live in the states, and am too young to have ever seen them in concert. THis album however is the next best thing. I now have as many live GE albums as I do studio, and thier live material never ceases to amaze me, and this one is no exception. It includes all the old classics like 'Radar Love', Twilight Zone', 'Long Blond Animal', and 'When the Lady Smiles'. It also then includes many more tracks just as good, if not better. THere is too much good to say about this album and this band. You've got two great vocalists and guitar players, a genius bass player, and quite possibly one of the greates rock drummers of all time. The album starts off on fire and doesn't quit. The end leaves you waiting for more. This double is defenetly worth the price point, and then some!



5. This is the latest live album, recorded in Leiden. It truly is an astonishing live album. having a nice metallic rawk in it. The songs are astonishingly well performed, especially in the 9 minute version of Radar Love, where lead guitar players George Kooymans lets his fingers roll all over his guitar. I must warn you that the songs have changed a little over the years, Radar love especially has a stepped up pace and is now more metallic. So is it for all the other songs, in a more or less manner ( Twilight zone is half as 'raw' as Radar Love is. don't think that the raw thing I'm talking about is bad. It gives most of the songs extra power and the pace that makes you wanna throw your foot down the gas pedal and live life the fast lane. and ofcourse there aren't only fast paced songs on this album, there are also beautiful ballads like 'going to the run' and 'whisper in a crowd.' That are performed really good with George Kooymans reaching musical notes that no man (male) ever thought of reaching. My conclusion and personal opinion is that this album is great, offering 150 minutes of listening pleasure, with an excellent play list ( at the end of the second cd you can feel Golden earring building up to an explosive finale ). The cd is explosive and indeed a blast to listen to.

5 comments about Archive Alive!.

1. And just after I thought I had seen all them cool oldie bands within the past umpteen years,it's a top notch reunion of The Hollies.All the original members are here,Graham Nash,Tony Hicks,Allan Clarke on guitar/harmonica and Bobby Elliott on drums.The production on this fifteen track CD couldn't be better.All the favorites are included,like "Bus Stop",the always beautiful "On A Carousel","Look Thru Any Window","Stop,Stop,Stop" and "Carrie Anne".There are even a couple of Crosby,Stills,Nash&Young cuts on here,"Teach Your Children" and "Soldier's Song".I totally forgot about "He Ain't Heavy,He's My Brother".The REAL show-stopper is the amazing ten-minute extended version of "Long Cool Woman",I mean thing tune ROCKS!Cannot prise this disc enough.



2. I own the original first edition of this CD which bore all marks of a bootleg (i.e. illegal recording). This probably also explains the poor mix of this release.

   As to the concert itself, I wholeheartedly agree with the earlier reviewer: Graham Nash's high harmonies do more damage than good, and veteran member Terry Sylvester (who replaced Nash in The Hollies in 1969 and was with the band until 1981) is sadly missed. This 1983 recording dates back to a time when Graham Nash had a short-lived reunion with the band and a dreadful, synthesized album ("What Goes Around") saw the light of day. Some of the tracks are quite OK and show what a wonderful band The Hollies used to be - emotional ballads, unsurpassed harmonies, and some rock'n'roll fun, other tracks disappoint due to uneven mixing or by being basically sub-standard.

   The full energy of a HOLLIES performance comes across a lot better on the (official) "Live Hits" release, recorded during one show in January 1976. It sounds a lot better, and is pure handmade HOLLIES magic, just two guitars, bass, drums and the acoustic piano... plus, of course, Allan Clarke's superb lead vocal. And - thankfully - no Graham Nash in sight to spoil the listening pleasure.




3. This disc memorializes the quixotic U.S.A. tour of the briefly reunited original Hollies after the exit of longtime members Bernie Calvert & Terry Sylvester. Unfortunately, too many sidemen are used, leaving little of the recognizable Hollies instrumental sound. Clarke, Hicks & Nash sound wonderful together, particularly on the group of songs in the middle of the disc performed with sparse backing. How unnecessary Nash's exit seems now, when you hear the sparkling blend of his voice and Allan Clarke's on the C,S & N numbers! Every Nash-written C,S & N classic would have been much better by the Hollies. However, this disc is really only for serious Hollies fans, as the live versions of the hits are too slick (again, too many sidemen) and the three harmony voices could not possibly meld together as well as in earlier years due to insufficient time spent together. If you've heard the 1968 recording of the band playing "The Times They Are a-Changing" on stage, you will find nothing here to compare.



4. This was first issued in Luxemburg as "Hello Graham Nash", and the first issue was far superior. they've cut the tracks down, the songs from "What Goes Around" are missing. It's a pity as "Someone Else's Eyes" was beautiful. The singing of Graham Nash is a revalation, it makes you realise just how good Terry Sylvester was! Yes, Graham's voice is past its best, and the Big Hits didnt come untill after Graham left. Also he is too loud in the mix which is a little annoying. Allan Clarke is superb, and much missed on the music circuit now (The Hollies isn't the same without him), he does miss a note though during the last song. But who doesn't, and it was a very high note! The only thing about this disk is watch out for the print, which has a tendency to come off on one's fingers!



5. The Hollies were an up-and-down band who nevertheless penned and sang a lot of great songs. In 1983, the original lineup featuring Graham Nash did a one-time-only album and tour throughout the U.S.. The reunion album was nothing special, but this disc captures the band at a concert in Ohio, and they're in truly great form. Naturally, the emphasis is on the "hits," so "Bus Stop," "I Can't Let Go, "Carrie-Ann," "Look Through Any Window" and other tunes from the Nash era are brought out. When Nash and lead singer Allan Clarke go into their close harmonies, the years seem to vanish and it's like you've heard them on your AM pocket radio all your life. The real treats, though, are the surprises. A version of "King Midas In Reverse" with just three voices and an acoustic guitar is a poignant recasting that works really well. Two of Nash's CSN-era tunes are done here; "Teach Your Children" is good, if unremarkable," but The Hollies give "Wasted On The Way" a vibrancy that Crosby, Stills and Nash never managed. Finally, there's Nash joining the others singing Hollies songs that he wasn't there for the first time around. His presence on "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" helps to give Clarke's lead voice extra power in a manner that is thrilling to hear; ditto with "The Air That I Breathe." If you ever liked the original band, consider this to be a valentine from an old forgotten friend. Good job!

5 comments about Paris.

1. Hard enough for myself to accept, but I've never even heard this double live CD reissue of Supertramp's memorable November, 1979 concert in Paris before. Most I've ever heard is like two tracks played late nights on an album rock radio station when it first came out. At least as good as their 1976's 'Is Everybody Listening?' {see my review}. Tunes that were truly compelling to hear the live versions of were "Ain't Nobody But Me", "Breakfast In America", "You Started Laughing", "A Soap Opera", "Asylum" and the priceless "Take The Long Way Home". Plus of course, there are the Supertramp staples - like "Bloody Well Right", "Dreamer", "Rudy" and "Crime Of The Century". Sound quality is great. My only regret is I didn't get to catch the band on this particular tour when it came through my town. I did, however catch them six years later on their 'Brother Where You Bound' tour after Roger Hodgson had already exited the band. Guess you REALLY can't have your cake and eat it, too. Recommended.



2. Supertramp was/is one of the only bands that i like outside the hard rock/Metal genre. This cd is why. The distinct differences of the Hodgson/Davies come accross great here. The atmosphere is nice and the keyborads sound more crisp here than the studio versions. Was nice to get this and remember the late '70's with these gems. From "School" to the closing "Crime of the Century" this cd shows Supertramp in their peek. Great stuff.



3. a good cd. worth the $20. But get the 20th century one for $6.99



4. Altough I really dislike compilations (and live albuns, are ultimately, compilations - where you never know how much was "added" or "Taken" in the studios....), I must admit PARIS has unique feeling surrounding it, makin it one of the best live albuns ever.



5. This is one of the all-time great concert recordings. It is very easy to lose yourself in your imagination, transporting yourself into attendance on a Paris night that could just as easily have been yesterday as some twenty years ago or so. Listening to this recording gives you the feeling of sitting outside a parisienne sidewalk cafe on a warm night surrounded by friends. The music is tight, as good a any studio production from the band. I have to admit that the sound of the crowd can sometimes get a little annoying, given the perfection of the music, but this minor flaw is easily dismissed. I read where a professional reviewer said this recording was "unnecessary". I strongly disagree. This recording was not only necessary, but well worth the price. Like a cup of fine Parisenne French Roast coffee, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

No comments about Volunteer Jam VII.

5 comments about Live.

1. Yeah, it's not a real 'live' album but at least it was recorded live in a studio..it's great to here loose versions of these songs with different lead guitar..also you get 'Corina Corina' which they did when they were The Sparrow. The between song talk adds some Vietnam era vibe too. It'd be great if it was remastered..sound is a little muddy, wish i could hear the keyboards better. I wonder if the guys in the band ever listened to this record with the canned applause and all..must've made them cringe!



2. Heavy sound, heavy improvisations, heavy everything...No new "musician" knows how to play like this. Listen and learn from the best.



3. We all know it's not a real live album. Heck, you can tell that in the first few seconds of the repeating audience "whistling" of "Sookie Sookie" which you hear that same whistling in various parts of the album...just has a manufactured sound to it. I'm sure Kaye & Co. cringed at hearing it after it was completed...but you know how deadlines are.
   
   But all of the songs versions are very well done. The standards have additional parts giving them more color and dimension while the fillers get beefed up a bit. Heck, I'd say the versions on these beat their studio counterparts in many instances such as the guitar work on the tail ends of both "Born" and "Carpet", just to name a couple examples.
   
   The Wolf's in your face Centrist attitude, much like CCR practiced, was a great way to flip off the Establishment as well. They seem like the kind of group if they were big today would have told both Toby Keith and Dixie Chicks to "sit and spin" on John Kaye's middle finger. They weren't followers by any means nor were they radicals like Airplane or the overrated sterile noodling castor oil sounds of The Dead.
   
   This particular CD, Steppenwolf Live, is a great introduction to the group. Forget all the countless greatest hits compilations...we've heard all those before time and time again.
   
   The only gripe I have about this one, which takes away one star, is how buried in the mix Goldy's keyboards are. His trademark buzzy grinding organ sound is what let you know immediately it was The Wolf.
   
   Other than that, I rank this one up there with 4 Way Street, Wheels Of Fire and Live At Leeds. It's not perfect, but it lets you know that, live or not, The Wolf in just doing their songs as they did them live showed that they were no slouches by any means when it came to giving it 100%.



4. ..the production isn't too happening on this. In fact, one cut is straight out of the studio, and put to an audience background track. But, on the other hand, this sparkles with spontaneity. I especially enjoyed the extended plays of a couple of the songs. This cd clearly tears down the illusion of Steppenwolf being just another biker band..



5. I led a nice, sheltered life before I entered college in 1968. I was a classical music and classic rock fan who had not discovered the pleasures of groups like Steppenwolf. Infact, I turned my nose up at such such "degenerate" music. A boy I dated, who later became a baptist preacher, introduced me to this music. my first and most favorite purchase was "Steppenwolf Live!". I still love this music, even though I am now a 56-year-old grandmother and highschool social studies teacher. Infact, I am planning a unit on protest music using "Monster" and "Draft Resister" as examples, along with more modern examples. My students will write thier own protest songs as an assessment project at the end of the unit.

1 comments about Live in Nottingham 1990.

1. Live at Nottingham presents a good review of music from the period which produced some of their best musical sounds. Nottingham would be a 5 star rating 1) if sound quality were a bit stronger (it's not bad - and better than Glastonberry) and 2) if it weren't for the apparent absence of Simon House on the first CD (as best I can tell). Of course, they can survive without him (I prefer him in the line-up), but they did not seem to even re-orchestrate to fill in the missing overtones that his electric violin provides. The keyboards do not go the extra step, nor do the guitars. Still it is a powerful set. He returns on the second CD filling the wall of sound, though it is a somewhat less consistent patch of songs. In all, the two CDs give upwards of 2.5 hours of strong Hawkwind music with good rhythm and resolves, worthy of endless loop play. If you want the top production in this period get the Live Legends DVD.

5 comments about Decades Live.

1. decades live was in my opinion the best live albums from the great foghat which i rate as being even better than foghat live or even king biscuit flower hour.this live album was culled from performances during their tours in bakersfield california(1996),new york city(1977),denver colorado(1999) and portland oregon(1996) by the original lineup featuring the great rod price and lonesome dave peverett.this double album has a fantastic collection of songs like SLOW RIDE,FOOL FOR THE CITY,STONE BLUE,SWEET HOME CHICAGO AND two superb 16 minute renditions of I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU AND CHATEAU LAFFITE 59 BOOGIE.worth the price for the slow ride and fool for the city renditions.a few tracks that i thought should have been included in this compilation are TERRAPLANE BLUES,HOME IN MY HAND,MY BABE and RIDE,RIDE,RIDE.very highly recommended.R.I.P LONESOME DAVE,you are missed by your fans.[...].definately five stars.



2. This double cd is another example of the sheer power this band had when playing live. All the cuts are excellent and sound great, so crank it up! You just get that feeling of being there at the concert. On disc 1 my favorite is Honey Hush, and I also like that they included the intro. (evolution of Chicago Suite as Rod now calls it on his new cd West Four)for Sweet Home Chicago. Disc 2 has two of my all time favorites Chateau Lafitte '59 Boogie, and Eight Days on the Road. Chateau Lafitte '59 Boogie (an encore version and almost 15 minutes long) will have you up an dancing. Eight Days on the Road just rocks! Showing here (standard guitar) as with Honey Hush and a few other songs on these cd's, that Rod Price is more than just a great slide guitarist, but can play with anyone on standard guitar. This (double cd) shows he is definitely one of the most versatile lead guitarist in Rock history.

   Also the energy is felt with the band and in particular it's leader the late Lonesome Dave (a pretty good guitarist in his own right). I met this man many times, though he seemed to be quiet and in someways shy off stage. On stage the man was a raging tiger. He always gave it all he had to his fans 100%. That also is felt here.
   .
   One reviewer mentioned about a dvd like Zep. I have also thought the same. I hope that someday soon it will happen. Another reviewer didn't seem to care much for some cuts or are poor performances. To me they all sound dynamite on my system. And I really don't agree about they should have used material from this pseudo (new line up) Foghat. The "FOG", without Lonesome Dave and Rod Price is like the Stones without Mick and Keith, or The Who without Roger and Pete. Sometimes legends need to be left alone and remembered what it was like when they played together. This I believe is what Decades Live is about.




3. DECADES LIVE combines great live music from several Foghat tours. The music is all top-rate, even though 1977's FOGHAT LIVE remains the definitive live document of this great band. If you love FOOL FOR THE CITY, FOGHAT LIVE, NIGHT SHIFT, ENERGIZED, ROCK AND ROLL OUTLAWS, AKA ROCK AND ROLL, and ROAD CASES, you'll love DECADES LIVE.



4. As a long time Foghat fan, I'd intended to give this one a five star review before even listening to it. Heck, I'm thrilled to see the Peverett estate hard at work to shell out some additional goods to the legions of fans out there that'll never have enough Foghat to last a lifetime. Now, after listening to this double CD for almost a week, I'm not so inclined to give it the glowing review I'd hoped to give it. Still, it deserves alot of recognition. So, here's a FOUR AND A HALF star review for DECADES LIVE.

   Let's start with the good, and there is plenty of it. One: 2 CD's of previously unheard performances. And you get a great selection of songs, some classics, some classics that have never been released in a live format, some previously unreleased songs, and more! The first CD, and the first two songs on CD 2 is a complete performance from the reunited team of Peverett, Price, Stevens, and Earl. This is another solid set from the band that'd toured tirelessly after the release of their CD RETURN OF THE BOOGIE MEN. It's a solid set of songs, and even includes Honey Hush, which hadn't been released live from the reunited group. Very nice. Good versions of Stone Blue, Sweet Home Chicago, and I Just Want To Make Love To You. Dave seems to be losing his voice at the end of the set during Fool For The City, and Slow Ride, but it's a small distraction to the solid set. Next, we have a few great cuts from various concerts throughout the 70's and 80's, where, in my opinion, Foghat was at their strongest. I Ain't Got You is killer. And then, we have a few cuts from an 80's set that includes a great version of Chateux Lafitte '59 Boogie, and even a cut from Tight Shoes, a real treat for this fan who'd never heard anything live from that album. Maybelline is so fast, it's amazing that Roger Earl was able to keep up, and the bass work of Craig MacGregor is simply jaw-dropping (who, surprisingly, seems to be missing from the photo montage in the liner notes). All in all, a must have collection for fans.

   Now, why did I subtract a half star? Well, we have already two separate releases from the reunited band from the same tour: Road Cases (2 versions), and Two Centuries Of Boogie, on DVD. Why release a third set from the same tour, which is nearly identical to the others? This Foghat enthusiast would like to see more classic sets from the 70's and 80's, and I'm sure they're out there. How about a re-issue of Foghat Live with the complete set? Those four songs on Decades Live from the 80's probably came from a complete show. As a purist, I'd rather hear this complete show. And also, what about some sets from the 82' Foghat with Eric Cartwright? I remember MTV airing a show from when they toured with Blue Oyster Cult. Wouldn't mind seeing this again. Or, how about a DVD retrospective, showing concert footage throughout the years, as Zeppelin did. Oh man, wouldn't this be a treat! Well, I can only hope that Decades Live is the beginning of a series of classic concert releases from Dave and the boys. Bring them on!!!




5. First of all let me say that I love this band, I have for over thirty years and still do, including its new lineup. They are, without doubt, the best good time rock and roll band ever assembled. However, I will not swoon and give five stars to everything/anything they (the Peverett estate) puts out. Mind you, there is some incredible material here - Honey Hush, It Hurts Me, Too, Louisiana Blues, Eight Days on the Road, I Ain't Got You, and Nothin' But Trouble to name a few. But others, like Chateau Lafitte 59 Boogie, Drivin' Wheel, Fool for the City and I Just Want to Make Love to You are not particularly well done - Dave's vocals are sometimes flat and Rod Price's slide work seems out of sync. A one disc compilation of the nine or ten best songs - the best performances - would have been a better choice. Or, eliminating some of the poorer performances and replacing them with some of the incredible stuff from the new lineup would have made for a better two disc set. I get the feeling that there's some friction between the Peverett family and the new lineup which continues to churn out the best blues boogie, both live and in the studio, on this planet.

   Any Foghat fan needs to have this disc, if only for the fact that there are versions of songs never released live before. But, overall, this compilation is NOT that great.

5 comments about Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert.

1. The first cd is a bit to slow for me. It just doesn't grab my interest. I'm not really a big fan of acoustic guitar. I think Susan Tedeschi, Cry of Love & Govt Mule really make this CD what it is. Oh, and if you're a Derek Trucks fan, (I'm not) then you'll like it better then I do. If not for the great jams from Govt Mule, I'd have givin this CD 3 1/2 stars.



2. Recorded around the holidays in 1999 and produced by Warren Haynes, there's some fine jams here. Side 1 is highlighted by a lengthy set from Derek Trucks, his band, his future wife Susan Tedeschi and their work is excellent. Side 2 is highlighted by a Gov't Mule set and with Little Milton, Derek, Susan, Johnny Neel, Jimmy Herring and others all adding to the songs. The finale is a lengthy "Merry Christmas Baby" with Little Milton, Haynes, and Tedeschi sharing vocals and Haynes, Trucks, and Herring on guitars. If you are a fan of the Allman Brothers, may of these names will be familiar to you. There's alot of talent on display here.



3. well, if you enjoyed gov't mule or haynes' solo recordings, you can put this double cd just beside them. so really there are lots of good musicians playing here, but when you here warren' s guitar, you can watch the sky becoming clear. a special mention should go to derek trucks, who is playing really good, but i prefer to listen to him playing with allman bros. band. a cd to mention to your friends loving rockblues.



4. The 1999 11th Annual Warren Haynes benefit concert for Habitat for Humanity offers something for everyone. Disc One opens with soul-filled acoustics by Edwin McCain and Warren Hayes. They are followed by a rolling blues jam hosted by Derek Trucks. Derek Trucks leads with "Rastaman Chant" -- a bow to Reggae that keeps you bouncing. Trucks then lays a solid foundation with the jazzy Chicken Strut for a five-song set that closes out the first disc. The set features guest after guest pushing each other to new heights. Jimmy Herring, Col. Bruce Hampton, Susan Tedeschi, and Larry McCray mix and match as song after song delivers first rate blues. Larry McCray sizzles on "Ain't That Loving You" and Col. Bruce Hampton will have you kneeling at the altar of the blues with his "Yield Not to Temptation". Tucks closes Disc One with Tedeschi's "Just Won't Burn" (Oh, but she does and so will you).

   Tedeschi opens the second disc with a version of "Angle from Montgomery" that rivals Bonnie's rendition. Cry of Love returns after a five-year absence to rock the concert. On "Piece Pipe" they beat out a powerful song that resurrects the spirit of the 60s. Government Mule then does for Disc Two what Tucks did for Disc One - they host a rolling jam featuring Johnny Neal, Jimmy Herring, Col. Bruce Hampton, Mike Barnes, and Little Milton. Jimmy Neal rips out one great line after another on "Falling Down". Hampton, Neal and Mike Barnes have some fun with Willie Dixon's "Spoonful". The second disc closes with Little Milton reaching new heights on "When the Blues Come Knockin'" followed by Government Mule, Derek Trucks, Little Milton, Johnny Neal and Little Milton in an unforgettable version of "Merry Christmas Baby".

   This is a solid two CD set for the serious Blues-Rock fan who appreciates live music and artists who love to jam.




5. This cd starts out with some acoustic numbers from Mr. McCain. They hold up to repeated listening because of Mr. Haynes' tasteful and impressive acoustic lead and slide playing. The Derek Trucks Band is as an exciting band that is working today and their set is a joy. But it gets even more thrilling as virtually each extended jam features one great artist after another. The Cry of Love set adds some welcomed, tuneful hard rock and then Gov't Mule takes over. It's set is more like, but maybe even beter than, disc one (as opposed to the stellar disc two) to "With a Little Help from Our Friends" and holds up well to repeated listening. "But" you may wonder, "isn't this just another one of those blues based extended jam albums that I already have in abundance in my collection?" No! Herring, Haynes and Trucks are the "it" boys and they deliver (together no less) on song after song on this cd, plus, and I must say surprisingly, the sound quality here is outstanding. One last thing, Haynes, McKay and the various and asundry good friend/guest vocalists can belt it out -- not an embarrassing note among them.