Band:
GUNNAR NELSON – Lead Vocals, Guitar
MATTHEW NELSON - Lead Vocals, Bass
BRETT GARSED - Vocals, Lead Guitar
JOEY CATCHCART - Vocals, Guitar
PAUL MIRKOVICH - Vocals, Keyboards
BOBBY ROCK - Drums
Discography:
After the Rain (1990)
Because They Can (1995)
Imaginator (1996)
The Silence Is Broken (1997)
Brother Harmony (1998)
Life (1999)
Like Father, Like Sons (2000)
Lightning Strikes Twice (2010)
Before the Rain (2010)
Guests:
Info
Released 3/12-2010
Reviewed 30/11-2010
Even if live albums are like cancer I have still listened to this album several times in order to reach a fair verdict on what is on it and before I come to my conclusions I will explain a little about what it is you get with this record. You get fifteen tracks of music one of them is a studio recording which could be found as a bonus on the Japanese version of after the rain and now it is a bonus for those who buy this album and it of course adds some value more than the live tracks. The live tracks are mainly from the After the Rain album since that was the only one the band have released and then there are the obligatory instrumentalist show-offs and the talking between tracks, much like what is to be expected with a live album, more or less. The crowd sound is very prominent on this record with lots of screaming teenage girls it sounds like, the sound of the band is quite audible as well and it does feel a bit artificial in the balance between the band and the crowd so maybe they have tried to make the crowd seem a bit bigger or something.
The regular hits are of course there with Love and Affection and so on, and as a show it seems to work quite flawless despite the fact that the band do not have much songs to pick from when making this show. I can also say that it does sound like the band was quite popular in this time, but I guess with such a big hit as the debut album actually was.
I think live music works best as filmed media and not as audio recordings, but I suppose audio recordings can accompany the filmed media as it does in my favourite live album, the Live on Earth album by Star One, then there is only one more live release that I really enjoy and that is Return to Paradise by Styx which is a great DVD of a live show from a great band. These two has some magic with great sound and the bands sounds amazingly skilled and they have an amazing treasury of songs to choose from, something Nelson did not at this time and does not have now either really. Of course this album can not be as good as the ones I just mentioned no matter how exceptional the band was, they did not have the songs and frankly this is nothing more than an average live album, it is like worse versions of the songs, sure it is good songs but worse than the songs on the very good After the Rain album. So in the end it really feels just as unnecessary as I usually tend to think live albums are, it does not add anything of interest to the musical library.
Wrong, you might say, what about the bonus track? Well, you are of course partially right about that thing, it adds some value to the album but enough to justify getting it? No, try and find a Japanese version of After the Rain instead, it would be much more better. Maybe it will be possible to but that track in iTunes, which would be even better and cheaper for the one track.
But sure, if you are a fan of the band or really love live albums for some strange reason, then you will probably enjoy this release as it is not too bad but it does not add anything really.
HHHHHHH
