2025 in 2025: Day 116

Live in Tokyo, Japan (Nakano Sunplaza, February 19, 1992) - Nirvana

This was the only live show from the 20th Anniversary release of Nevermind that I kept. Because no one needs that many Nirvana concerts in their collection. Hell, I am not sure I even need one Nirvana concert in my collection.

Highlights: Lots of feedback

5/10

Live In Utrecht: June 20, 1987 - Prince

As expected, this is a very solid performance. And the band are certainly funk enough. However, it must be said that there is genuinely something lacking without The Revolution. 1999 sounds like a bit of a mess. And, strangely, most songs NOT from the Sign O' The Times album are rather truncated. Shelia E. is da bomb.

Highlights: Sign O' The Times, Girls & Boys, Four, Purple Rain

7.5/10

Live Jewels - Queen

A collection of random live songs, mostly from the reissue bonus discs. Well, they are all from the various reissues, just not full concerts or anything. Pretty sure if I look hard enough I could find them, but it is much nicer to just have the official releases that actually sound good. And makes for a fun mix.

Highlights: Is This the World We Created...? (Live in Rio January 1985), We Will Rock You [Fast] (Live in Tokorozawa November 1982), Action This Day (Live in Tokyo November 1982), Calling All Girls (Live in Tokyo November 1982)

7/10

Live May/June 1975 - Elvis Presley

It has been a hot minute since I heard some live Elvis, and this is a pretty fine concert; Elvis' voice is in good form and he clearly has zero cares to give, given he admits to being sick of singing Love Me Tender and even makes fun of his fans for attending the concert. Not sure the kissing 13 year-olds is something that needed to be on record, though.

Highlights: Let Me Be There, Burning Love, If You Love Me (Let Me Know), T-R-O-U-B-L-E

6.5/10

Live on Two Legs - Pearl Jam

Eddie Vedder sounds annoying from the very first line he sings on this album. And Stone Gossard's guitar work is... not great. Matt Cameron may actually be best part of this band, at this stage. Boring.

Highlights: The end guitar solo in Black

5.5/10

Live to Win - Paul Stanley

Taking a break from actual live albums is fine with me! I stand by all my original comments regarding this album. Paul's voice certainly is past its prime, here. But at least this is all relatively short.

Highlights: All About You, Live to Win

6/10

Live Your Life Be Free - Belinda Carlisle

Belinda Carlisle really does have some great pop music - this is very much in the same style as Heaven on Earth. Not a bad thing. The title track is a fantastic song.

Highlights: Live Your Life Be Free, You Came Out of Nowhere, You're Nothing Without Me, Loneliness Game

7/10

Live: 1995-03-24 Mt Smart Supertop - Auckland, New Zealand - Pearl Jam

This was the first concert I ever went to! I remember this all very well... Anyways, this is an audience recording, so the sound is absolutely terrible and barely listenable. I should throw this in Logic and see if I can remaster it or something.

Highlights: I got a cool t-shirt

IMPOSSIBLE TO SCORE

Live: 1995-03-25 Mt Smart Supertop - Auckland, New Zealand - Pearl Jam

And this was the second night. The sound is a bit better on this one and Eddie's voice is actually freakin' great. If only there was a better version available.

Highlights: Remembering that Pearl Jam were cool

IMPOSSIBLE TO SCORE

Live: Entertainment Or Death - Mötley Crüe

This was the last album I listened to (and probably did not complete) when I started my Mötley Crüe marathon some time ago. It very much has a 'Tommy has left the band and we are dead, so here some live tracks for one final cash out!' feel to it. It feels far too long, despite the fact that it clocks in at 97 minutes - which is likely much shorter than an actual Mötley Crüe concert. I think that says a lot. The first disc is actually pretty decent; I think some of this was recorded on the Shout at the Devil tour and they were on fire! But by the time they start using backing tracks and Vince has clearly given up trying, it is just a chore to get through.

Highlights: Looks That Kill, Knock 'em Dead Kid, Too Young to Fall in Love, Smokin' in the Boys Room

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1015

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 115

Live EP - Sarah McLachlan
How do I have two live releases from Sarah McLachlan? This one is with a full band. And is from earlier in her career. It is quite good.
Highlights: Home, Lost
6.5/10

Live Era '87-'93 - Guns N' Roses
There is just not enough of the earlier era here to make this album worth spending two and a half hours listening to, for me. Like, it starts off very strong, but then the Use Your Illusion tour stuff is pretty obvious because Axl's singing is terrible and Slash's guitar solos are sloppy. Duff is, however, a total badass throughout. That man rocks. 
Highlights: Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone, Welcome to the Jungle, It's Alright, Rocket Queen
6/10

Live From Nowhere - Ryan Adams
This appears to be just a couple of random live acoustic numbers - namely Shine Through the Dark and Wasted Years. I actually dig what he did with that Iron Maiden song. How do I not have any Iron Maiden in my collection anymore?
7/10

Live From The River of Dreams Tour '93-'94 - Billy Joel
Just some quick highlights from the tour, I guess. Bonus disc in the River of Dreams album. Songs from that album and a couple of covers. In fact, I think I may even have a DVD from this tour? Joel's voice is pretty darn rockin' on this.
Highlights: No Man's Land, The River of Dreams
7/10

Live in Auckland, New Zealand 3/12/80 - Kiss
Album #1000! I have this recording for posterity; so I can say I have at least heard every Kiss concert in Auckland (I have attended every other one, because LOGMAN rules). And actually it is pretty decent; very much atypical of a Kiss concert on this tour. It is not a patch on something like Alive!, but that is because it is a proper live recording and not touched up in the studio. Which is fun. Spoiler alert: when Paul Stanley said they were "definitely coming back next year", he was lying.
Highlights: Shandi, Is That You?, Talk to Me, Calling Doctor Love
7/10

Live In Detroit 30/11/82 - Prince
This has got to be one of the earliest Prince concerts out there, right? And it is super awesome. I absolutely love the way he plays up the ending of How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? I would ask his estate for more of this sort of thing, but I would be lucky if they could even release another... anything!
Highlights: How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?, 1999, Controversy, Do Me Baby
8/10

Live in Eindhoven 2011 - Heather Nova
This was like a free download for pre-ordering her album or something? I do not recall if I have ever really given it a solid listen, because I would have remembered that is very good. Much better than I expected. Which makes no sense, considering Heather Nova is great. I think maybe I thought this was mostly acoustic, but it is a full band show. And the guitarist does his best David Ayers impersonation. 
Highlights: Heart and Shoulder, Island, All I Need, Beautiful Ride
7/10

Live in Japan - George Harrison
Really, it is George Harrison and Eric Clapton. But it is nice that it was just released under Harrison's name, so I do not have to have 'official' Clapton in my library. It is a pretty solid recording, overall. No nonsense and just straight rock'n roll - pretty much what you would expect. A decent mix of solo and songs from his time in The Beatles. And Clapton is best served as a sideman like this.
Highlights: I Want to Tell You, Isn't It a Pity, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Cheer Down
7/10

Live in Japan - The Runaways
I think I have mentioned this album previously; I thought it was nothing special, but now I love it. Totally rocks hard. And Gettin' Hot is such a totally badass song I do not understand why this is the only version of it out there.
Highlights: Gettin' Hot, Queens of Noise, American Nights, C'mon
7.5/10

Live in New York City - John Lennon
Look, we all know how I feel about Yoko and John Ono Lennon. And even I would be ready to throw this album in the 'who cares?' pile. But seeing as they have finally remixed it and whatnot BUT are pretending Woman is the Nigger of the World does not exist, so this album is the only way to hear it live... well, I guess it become a lot more worthwhile having it in the collection. But the performances on Anthology are better.
Highlights: Well Well Well, Instant Karma!
6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1005

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 114

Live + 1 - Frehley's Comet
Ace and his band live - not really a lot to say. Except that I would likely rate the Greatest Hits Live album a bit higher. Oh, and the studio track is very good.
Highlights: Words Are Not Enough
7/10

Live Acoustic E.P. - Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan and a piano performing what sounds like a VERY small group of people. Nothing wrong with any of it, whatsoever.
Highlights: Building a Mystery
6.5/10

Live at Avatar Studios - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
It is all the between-song banter that I enjoy most. I would trade all the extended Grateful Dead-inspired jam endings for another few minutes of yelling out random stupid things like JIMMY HACKEYSACK and RHODA RO. I like Easy Tiger, so this is an Easy Pleaser for me. And that end solo for I Taught Myself How to Grow Old is amazing.
Highlights: I Taught Myself How to Grow Old, Goodnight Rose, Magnolia Mountain, Everybody Knows
7/10

Live at Glam Slam 1992 - Prince
This was part of the Diamonds and Pearls reissue a couple of years ago. It is a killer performance and Rosie Gaines is a the second star of the show. Prince is number one, of course. Some big long funky jams and high energy new jack swing action.
Highlights: Diamonds and Pearls, Jughead, 1999/Baby I'm a Star/Push, Cream/Well Done/I Want You/In the Socket
8/10

Live at The Apollo, Vol. II - James Brown
Bah gawd this album is just about the cold hard funkiest live album ever recorded. So many jams, I am sure everyone in the band got a couple of solos throughout. And those beats! You can not have hip-hop without sampling some of that.
Highlights: There Was a Time, Bring It Up, Sweet Soul Music, Maybe the Last Time
8.5/10

Live at the BBC - The Beatles
A very fine collection of The Beatles performing their early hits and some rock'n roll classics. It is a great showcase of how talented they were as musicians. And hilarious dudes all round, because the between-song banter is generally hilarious.
Highlights: Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, Ticket to Ride, Matchbox, Slow Down, Honey Don't
7/10

Live at the BBC, Vol. 2 - Queen
This is a little LOGMAN collection of the extra BBC tracks found on all the reissue bonus discs. I would just get the On Air set, but I am really only missing a few now and I am sure they will be reissued in other ways. 
Highlights: We Will Rock You [Fast Version], Spread Your Wings, See What a Fool I've Been, Flick of the Wrist
8/10

Live at the Brixton Academy - Faith No More
Mike Patton sounds like he has cold or is just a terrible singer. I am guessing the latter. The funny thing is when he actually tries to sing something properly he sounds a million times better! I mean, this is just garbage. Wait - there are two bonus studio tracks? In 30 years this is my first time realising that. Perhaps even teenage LOGMAN could not make it through how bad this album was to hear them?
Highlights: The Cowboy Song
4/10

Live at the Rainbow: 31 March 1974 - Queen
More live Queen? Yes please! Especially this performance; Queen II is one of the greatest albums ever, so getting an actual concert from the tour supporting that album is great. And it is a pretty darn impressive performance - they sound absolutely massive and just nail everything.
Highlights: White Queen (As It Began), Father to Son, Ogre Battle, Son and Daughter
8/10

Live at the Rainbow: November 1974 - Queen
And Queen return some 8 months later to promote their Sheer Heart Attack album. Good for them! It is a little lacking compared to the previous show, but it is still pretty great. And boy this crowd are Jonesing for Liar the whole show. Pretty funny when Freddie just gives up trying to introduce it, because the crowd just will not stop yelling about it.
Highlights: The March of the Black Queen, Stone Cold Crazy, In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited
7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 995

FREE PALESTINE