Is It Live, Or Is It.... ?

Growing up with recorded music, I learned a thing or two about classic live performances captured on media for our home enjoyment. Early in my record (and tape and CD) collecting years, I accepted live albums as just as essential as a band's studio work. But over time, my interest in live recordings has waned dramatically. When I was younger, I felt a live album served as a time capsule of "greatest hits". But as I developed a more discerning ear, I was less satisfied with concert discs that were marred by audience noise and a less than dead-on performance.

I believe the very first live album I ever saw and heard was Alive! by New York City rockers KISS. Though far from a pristine, sophisticated recording, Alive! did successfully represent the energy of the band's live show. The fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitar, flashing lights excess - you could almost see it all. And of course, that album boasted the amped up version of Rock and Roll All Nite, this time with a searing guitar solo, unlike the studio track. I confess I never owned the album until just a few years ago, when I found it at a bargain basement price. It just wasn't high on my list of priorities.

Around that same time (mid-70's), I noticed Frampton Comes Alive! (what's with the exclamation point in these live album titles?) in my friend's brother's record collection. I didn't listen to the album then, but I did hear its hit singles, Show Me The Way among them, on the radio. Not earth-shattering stuff for me... then or now. It's okay. Rolling Stone Magazine, on the other hand, thought it was worthy of high praise. Whatever.

A couple of years later, in the early stages of my Cheap Trick obsession, I discovered their live Budokan album. That was HUGE for me. Cheap Trick At Budokan sat me front row centre at the 1978 show that blew away 12,000 Japanese screaming fans. The electricity of the performance and even the raucous audience was somehow channeled onto tape, then vinyl, and through my home speakers and headphones. High points in this legendary set are Big Eyes, Trick's cover of Ain't That a Shame (an explosive drum-and-guitar-fest version for which I'll always have fond feelings), and I Want You to Want Me (a more heavily rawked-up version of the rather tepid studio tune). The album set new standards, sold like crazy, and made many top live album lists. 

I have since upgraded my Budokan album a few times... from vinyl and 8-track to cassette and later CD. Then I snapped up The Complete Concert when that became available. Yes, the full concert, instead of just highlights - all masterfully spruced up for optimal sound. Then a bit later came a CD (and accompanying DVD), aptly titled Budokan! (again with the exclamation point), of the other of the two shows recorded back in '78 - in its entirety.

When I entered my Rush phase, I was in for a treat with their large discography of live recordings. About half of Rush's output was concert recordings - crazy, huh? Who else has done that? For decades, every fifth album the band popped out was a live disc. Now... though All The World's a Stage was Rush's first live album (1976), that didn't quite capture my imagination the way subsequent offerings did. The one that I, and probably most Rush fans, would point to as pivotal in the band's long career is Exit... Stage Left (1981). This excellent set included primo tracks culled from Rush's eight (to that point) studio albums, including favourites The Spirit of Radio, The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, and Xanadu. And Rush had a knack, by now, for embracing the technology to clean up live recordings without losing any of the magic of the concert performance. 

Also from '81, I added Maiden Japan to my tape collection (the records were long gone... so sad). This EP served up a handful of early Iron Maiden gems, including Killers, Wrathchild, and Running Free. Very short as live recordings go, this at least packs a punch in its short running time.

A little after the fact, I discovered the '79 Max Webster release entitled Live Magnetic Air. I was, and still am, a huge Max fan, so this album was essential. While so many other rock live recordings were double albums, this one was a compact single record... or in my case, a cassette tape. A nice cross-section of Max's history which includes Hangover, Gravity, Paradise Skies, and a funky new ditty Sarniatown Reggae. The band's tight renditions are as fun as ever, with frontman Mitchell's wacky banter between songs.

During my college years, I was exposed to an emerging young Irish band called U2. A friend had a couple of their albums, but I never got to hear them. In big ol' metropolitan Toronto, Canada, though, the possibly first "alternative radio" station pushed U2 music a lot. And I learned to enjoy their passionate, rousing, jangly style. I wanted to get one album with maximum punch, so I bought the newly released Under A Blood Red Sky (1983), a live performance that kicks some serious booty. The album confirmed U2's status in the big leagues... a hugely successful recording. Though I've never been a major fan, I have always enjoyed a bunch of their songs.

In 1985, I snapped up Stages, the live document of Canadian hard rockers Triumph. I loved their music for a spell and though I saw them twice in concert, I can't say this album did much for me. It's a selection of songs that wasn't quite what I had in mind. I much preferred early Triumph, of which there was precious little here... sacrificing valuable record (or in my case, tape) space for two new, rather ho-hum tracks, and too many Never Surrender tunes.

That same year, I grabbed World Wide Live, a wild concert compilation by my other fave band, Scorpions. The album hits all the high points of the Scorpions' peak years... well, at least their commercial peak. I saw the Scorps on this tour, so World Live Live was a sort of memento of the event for me. Musical meltdowns like Blackout, Rock You Like a Hurricane, and Can't Get Enough stand out on the setlist. 

Without going into detail about all of the Rush live records, I'll just say I faithfully continued to add the Canadian prog rockers' albums to my collection. My shelves were bursting. 

Even though I was never much of a Jimi Hendrix listener, I understood his importance to rock music, so I always had at least something of his on my shelf. I've owned a couple of different compilations over the decades, barely ever listened to them, but what DID impress me a great deal was The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at Winterland (I know everyone talks about his Woodstock and Monterey albums, but this is where I ended up - so there). This famous show sounds amazing on CD... Jimi is totally on fire here, guitar soaring to cosmic heights, effortlessly jamming out his best-known hits as well as covers like Wild Thing and Sunshine of Your Love. Exciting and definitely a snap-shot of a time that'll never be repeated. 

During the mid-80's, when I was filling in gaps in my Yes collection, I picked up the 1973 triple-album (yes, you read that right - triple) Yessongs on cassette tape. It's a cumbersome set, and I rarely put those tapes through their paces. I think I had a few favourite bits that I played semi-regularly, but skimmed over a lot of it. I mean, what was the point here? If I want to hear a fifteen-minute Yes song, then I'll put on the studio version, right? Strange. Still, there's something more immediate and intimate about live Heart of the Sunrise and Mood For a Day. That clunky tape set now gone, I have no intention of ever replacing it.

Also back in the 80's, I had Yes' 9012Live: The Solos. A bit of a curiosity, but a fairly cool exhibition of the band's musical virtuosity. Now this wasn't the Yes of the 70's, all pompous grandeur and epic compositions. This '85 release presented the tweaked line-up, with new co-frontman Rabin taking charge with songwriting and guitar (no Howe - a travesty!) and a lot of the singing. Shorter, poppier songs were the order of the day. Two 90125 tracks appear here, live of course, plus some interesting if not captivating instrumental solos by each band member. When the time came, I was happy to give that tape the heave-ho.

I used to have the Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense back in the day, but later I decided I'd rather hear something truer to the studio versions, and a more comprehensive set of their music (One In A Lifetime did the trick eventually). I do have the movie of the same name, so I've got everything on the album and more. Excellent creative New Wave (or whatever you want to call it... the Heads are genre-bending). I saw these guys in concert in the 80's (opening for The Police), so I've experienced their live show first-hand... no need for a recorded reminder. If I want live sound, I'll go to a show, and if I'm in the comfort of my own home, I prefer studio sound. 

Earlier in this post, I made it clear I was no longer interested in live recordings, at least those in the rock genre. Obviously, a lot of great jazz and classical albums were taped at live venues, but I'm not going to open that can of worms. I do own piles of jazz and classical CDs, but I haven't been at them in years, so my familiarity with them is now fuzzy. The only live album I procured in recent years was Johnny Cash's At Folsom Prison... though I rarely even remember I own this, I know it's an historically important record... and it does sound awesome in its raw and honest form.

I made a point of obtaining Live At Radio City Music Hall, by Heaven and Hell (AKA Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio), on home video. There is the recorded album of this, as well, but what I really wanted was to re-live both visually and musically that unforgettable 2007 concert I attended. So the album alone wasn't even a consideration. A terrific string of heavy hitters, like Mob Rules, Lady Evil, Computer God, and Heaven and Hell. 

As far as all-time greatest live albums go, I know there are tons of them out there that I've neither owned nor even heard. Though I've long been a Who fan, I confess I've never had the pleasure (?) of hearing their Live At Leeds classic from 1970. Maybe someday. And since my interest in Led Zeppelin sort of fizzled out years ago, I barely got around to buying just a handful of their studio releases, let alone the bombastic The Song Remains The Same live set. Long ago, I owned the VHS movie of the same name, so I know what it's all about. The album, after all, is simply the soundtrack to the film.

I guess I'd say the most important live albums to me are:

Cheap Trick At Budokan
Exit... Stage Left, by Rush
Stop Making Sense, by Talking Heads
Live Magnetic Air, by Max Webster
Live at Winterland, by Jimi Hendrix Experience


Thank you for coming... good night!

The Director's Chair - Part I - Robert Wise

Robert Wise began his career in film as an editor, racking up experience on twelve motion pictures, earning an Academy Award for his expertise on Citizen Kane in 1941. His work on the 1939 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame played no small part in the movie's legendary status - it's certainly among my favourite horror-ish dramas of all time.

Wise then went on to direct dozens of notable films from the mid-40's until 2000, among them many of my faves of all time: Curse of the Cat People, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Run Silent Run Deep, The Haunting, and The Andromeda Strain. The Day the Earth Stood Still to this day remains a classic of science fiction, a prime example of restrained tension and superb storytelling, all thanks to Wise's expert direction. The same goes for those other movies, especially The Haunting - a quiet yet chilling ghost story - and Run Silent, Run Deep - a nerve-wracking submarine war thriller. 

The Body Snatcher was an atmospheric horror tale about a doctor who coerced a pair of grave-robbers to bring him fresh specimens for his experimental work. Naturally, the morbid subject matter works for me, and with big names of that era (this was from 1945) like Karloff and Lugosi, it simply could not fail. Wise's deft touch was instrumental in the movie's success.

A departure from the ghoulish brought Robert Wise to the WWII adventure The Desert Rats, a very fun flick that I really enjoyed. And I'd sure like to revisit it sometime, to bask again in the gritty realism of James Mason and Richard Burton's performances. 

Yup, you all know this one...

Though Wise was not afraid to dabble in genres such as noir, war, westerns, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, he also turned out memorable and entertaining musicals and dramas that appealed to more mainstream audiences. Few people besides film buffs could tell you that Wise was responsible for legendary 60's movies like The Sound of Music, West Side Story, and The Sand Pebbles... all of which earned him many Academy Awards and Golden Globes, not to mention several more nominations. 

Unfortunately, Wise faced a bit of a flop with Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), which was poorly received upon release. As time passed, the movie gained a little more status among the Trekkie legions, yet it is inferior to most of its sequels. Hey, the title alone is a good indication of just how clunky this is. A neat story idea... just not executed with the best results. 

Star Trek aside, Wise enjoyed quite the prolific career, directing dozens of movies, many of which are considered influential and essential to the art form. 

Robert Wise is revered today as a master of cinema. I've long been a fan, both knowingly and unknowingly... hey, I loved Day the Earth Stood Still and Hunchback of Notre Dame when I was a kid, too young to even pay attention to the film credits. 

And... action!

The Written Word in Cinema

Not long ago, the movie Secret Window (a creepy tale based on a Stephen King novel) came up in conversation. A movie about a writer. Then a few other movies about writers popped into my mind: The Shining, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Misery, Sinister, 1408, and Stand By Me. Then I thought of Rum Diary and the Before trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight).

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

- Jack Nicholson in the horror classic The Shining

And more: Adaptation, The Ghost Writer, Barton Fink, Midnight in Paris, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Almost Famous, Naked Lunch, Romancing the Stone, In the Mouth of Madness, Annie Hall, Sunset Boulevard, The World According to Garp, Sideways, and The Squid and the Whale. 

Those are just the ones I've seen... that I can think of off the top of my head (and with just a little jogging of the memory with a quick Google search). At least the movies I've noted here seem to be essential viewing... I guess I've mentioned some of the best ones out there. 

When these film titles first started flooding into my mind, I realized they were all horror movies.. several based on the written works of none other than Stephen King, who loved to write pseudo-autobiographical stories. But when I began to exhaust that genre, other - non-horror - flicks came to me.

Johnny Depp as the desperate and addictive writer in Rum Diary

- a bit of a disappointment actually; Hunter S. Thompson's book was far better.

Capote is a modern classic, I've heard, often mentioned in Top 10 lists, that qualifies for this category... but I still need to see it. Maybe I'll make the effort very soon. Same goes for Ruby Sparks and Wonder Boys, all highly acclaimed and yet they have been in my blind spot for far too long. 

There's definitely something appealing about the character of a writer and his or her personal issues and adventures. The writer is often (almost always) carrying some sort of burden or baggage and is struggling with their latest written effort. Even if the viewer can't relate to the writer's job and creative process, there is the inevitable suffering and anguish that goes with the profession... at least as far as these cinematic stories are concerned.

I suppose it is the investigative spark that ignites when these film writers are faced with strange or adverse circumstances. They apply their research abilities and natural curiosity to the problem at hand, and that is the most entertaining part of these movies. Seeing someone rather average addressing whatever obstacle stands in their way. Handling the problem poorly usually, at least at first, stumbling in a very human way, then gaining a foothold as facts present themselves. Now this idea of mine may apply to only some of these "writer movies", but I think it covers a fair number of them. Especially since so many of them contain mysteries to be solved. Riddles to be untwisted. Very fun and intriguing stuff. Edge of your seat viewing, to be sure. 

Now I seem to have opened a can of worms... and I really want to check out some of these films... either to re-watch favourites or to explore uncharted territory. Wish me luck...

Happy Canada Day... Celebrate with Classic Canuck Music!

Happy Canada Day to all! 

This afternoon I found myself listening to the entire A Million Vacations album by Max Webster. This is truly a Canadian classic party rock album, most deserving of a Canada Day feature playlist. If you know the record, you'll most likely agree. Just sit back with a cold one and press Play... it doesn't get much better than this on a steamy summer afternoon (it's 47C with humidex here right now) and evening. Cheers!

And if you're in the mood for even more Kim Mitchell (the founder and leader of Max Webster), pop over to these equally classic Canadian summertime tunes: