Search - Family :: Live

Brisk, Robust Performances

loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 05/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The somewhat startling but much-welcomed appearance of this official "Family Live" CD is a relief of die-hard fans of Family but at the same time raises some possible "good news, bad news" issues. "Family Live" captures the band on stage during the all too brief tenure of the lineup that recorded the classic albums "Fearless" and "Bandstand." The sound quality here is much better than the "BBC Live" CD (and miles ahead of anything available on the numerous live bootlegs), and the band sounds more focused and robust here than on the live tracks that compliment the studio tracks on "Anyway." Family's blistering live sessions are something of legend, and supposedly Jimi Hendrix made sure he never had to follow Family after once being upstaged by their performance. Whether that story is true or not, some of that same energy pulses through these tracks, four of which were drawn from "Fearless" and the balance from earlier Family recordings. This is creative, smart rock, nothing pretentious or outlandish.As a long-time fan, the music in this live set is worth five stars to me. But I was disappointed by the relative shortness of the CD---it is just under 57 minutes---and many live tracks, including additional numbers as well as some of these, are showing up as "bonus" tracks on the latest round of Family remasters. I would much rather have had a double CD of all this live material and hope that the remaining live material will be issued together instead of piecemeal. The artwork, photos, and liner notes should have been better for a CD this important. There is plenty of history to draw from. (Compare the quality of what's here with Streetwalkers live and you will see what I mean.) One has to also wonder where this music has been languishing all these years. If "Family Live" had been released in 1972 could it have been the breakthrough album Family never had?Roger Chapman sounds great, brimming with power, and showing his playful, madcap side perhaps more fully than on Family's studio sessions. Charlie Whitney as always, comes across as the consummate guitarist, conjuring up riffs and solos that rank among the best of the day. Rob Townsend's drumming keeps things in order here, moving matters along briskly and crisply. John Wetton punctuates the sound on bass and chimes in on some vocals. Poli Palmer brings a freshness on keyboards; his forays into vibes, flute, and synthesizer alternate from being a needed flourish to sounding harsh and out of place. All things considered, hearing Family captured live during their heyday makes me fervently wish I could roll back the years or time travel to hear some of the greatest rock of any time."

Finally, the Live Album We Waited For

Michael Strom | Chicago, IL USA | 04/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I knew someone had to have a decent source tape for a live Family CD. This one has such outstanding sound quality, I can only wonder what took so long. No one just happens to stumble onto Family without pretty solid knowledge of the material, so this will answer the questions of the cogniscenti. Anyone who bought the bootleg-quality Larfandsing label live CDs can now put them away. If you heard the bootlegs, you already know what these performances will sound like -- but now you can really, actually hear them! And yes, the sound is really way better than the live side of Anyway. Although the sound-quality criticisms of the live side of Anyway are valid, I'm a bit puzzled by the liner notes (& prior reviewer) criticism of the performances on Anyway. "Holding the Compass" was better played (albeit recorded poorly) on Anyway, and "Good News - Bad News" is close (I'd choose the performance on Anyway there as well, but less decisively). It's interesting to hear live versions of the very-studio Fearless tracks. Family was more than capable of reproducing in concert the hot house weirdness of the songs from that era. In general, I wouldn't say the live set will put these songs in a different light for you. The live versions are surprisingly faithful, but if you loved classic-era Family, you really always wanted at least one solid live album. This is it -- at last. There's a bit more edge to Charlie Whitney's guitar, and as is usually the case, you notice the drummer more on a live album -- in a good way. Great rendering of "Drowned in Wine," and a solid version of "Weaver's Answer." If you're even thinking of getting this, pull the trigger. You never know when this sort of thing will go out of print."

Excellent Live Album

allismile0 | Washington, DC | 10/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After having read extensively how The Family was a phenomenal live band but never being too impressed by the muddled sound or sloppy performances on the "live-side" of Anyway I thought to give this a chance. Family Live is just amazing. the sound is clear and it feels like your standing on stage with them. The performances are much tighter and creative. The opening liner notes for this cd mentions that the songs were not very rehearsed on Anyway but by the time they did the songs on this cd they were clicking on all cylinders- after hearing this I definitely agree with that. highly recommended"