Search - Ike Turner & Tina :: What You Hear Is What You Get: Live

Perhaps the greatest live album of all time...

D. Connally | Aurora, Colorado United States | 03/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's already been documented. Yes, we know that they had a stormy personal relationship, but often overshadowed by Tina's recent revelations of spousal abuse is the music. Though they had relatively few hits (only 6 Top 40 hits, and 25 R&B hits over a span of 16 years) onstage it was a completely different story. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue was the most explosive touring spectacle. Fronted by Tina, often referred to as the female James Brown and the human bombshell, and backed by Ike, The Ikettes and the Kings of Rhythm, the Revue toured constantly and on April 1, 1971 they found themselves about to make history at Carnegie Hall. The disc opens with intros to the band, the Ikettes and Ike himself, yet as one would come to expect, the cd begins to burn up as Tina roars onto the stage. She instantly takes command of the audience with her incendiary vocals and spellbinding gyrations. They burn through covers of Jessie Hill's "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", and the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman" a song which Tina did make her own. The show continues on with a remarkable performance of "A Love Like Yours" on which Tina's emotional depth and heartfelt singing (even if not to Ike really in hindsight) truly shine. Yet the ultimate showstopper arrives with the inception of "Proud Mary" their Grammy winning cover of the John Fogerty penned classic. Tina begins the song with her now famous locution that helped Ike and Tina to own this song. "We never, ever do nothin' nice and easy" she proclaims to uproarious approval. "We always do it nice and rough!" Then both Ike and Tina begin to sing the opening to the song just as they said they would, easy at first, then Tina launches into the wild and raunchy part of the song for eleven minutes and forty-two seconds of the finest rock and soul ever to rock Carnegie Hall. To follow is a marvelous blues performance of Don Robey's "I Smell Trouble" and Tina's fine performance convinces you of every word. Ike, not to be left out should be noted for his fine guitar playing. A cover of Sly and the Family Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher" comes across very well on the stage, and perhaps it was startling to Sly as Ike and Tina's version charted "higher" on the charts. The final climax to the show however, is the wildly rauchy, dirty, yet fun rendition of "I've Been Loving You Too Long". Complete with simulated orgasms and stroking of microphones, this song wows the Carnegie Hall audience and you can hear the ovations and approval of the crowd as Ike and Tina live up to their reputation as live performers of the first rate. If one can listen to the music without bias, it can be seen that this performance by Ike and Tina Turner is one of the best live albums of all time. Onstage they were at their best, and what you hear is definitely what you get!"

Absolutely Essential

Southern Man | Raleigh, NC | 02/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This ranks up there with James Brown's "Live At The Apollo" as one of the greatest R&B concert documents. If you're worried (as I was) about whether playing at Carnegie Hall might have caused Ike and Tina to tone down their performance, fear not. This set absolutely sizzles.



I've read some criticism that the opening intros and performances by the Ikettes diminishes the impact of the album. I totally disagree. These opening performances give Ike and the Kings Of Rythm the opportunity to show off what a crack band they are, without being overshadowed by Tina. Ike is a superb guitarist and bandleader - I especially like Socow Richardson's drumming. The Ikette's performances are very good but wouldn't carry a whole album. But this allows you to share with the audience the anticipation of Tina's first appearance on stage, whipping the place into a frenzy. By the time she belts her first line "Do you like good music?", almost ten minutes into the CD, it comes across more as a proclamation than a question.



From the moment Tina first appears to the end of the CD, the energy level never lets up. All of the songs are covers but so what? Tina reinterprets them and makes each song her own. (Nobody would ever confuse this version of "Proud Mary" with the original by CCR). It might take guts to take on "Respect" after the legendary version cut by Aretha. But Tina doesn't try to redo Aretha's version, she completely makes the song her own, and does so highly successfully.



The fidelity of this remastered recording is exceptional. The sound is pure and natural, extremely well recorded and mixed. Crank it up and you feel like you're right there at Carnegie Hall.



If you only own a handful of R&B albums from the early 70s, this has to be one of them."

One of the first albums I ever bought

G. E. Williams | California | 04/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The original vinyl double album was one of my first music purchases as a kid growing up in Orange County Ca. I literally wore it out on my cheap turntable. For years I just got by with the memory of how much I loved this album. Last year I came into possession of the CD, and it still shows what a great performer Tina Turner was in her prime. However, while I love it for what it is, the sound isn't as good as we are used to these days, and while Ms. Turner is an incredible perfomer, she isn't a great vocalist, as great vocalist go, but on the other hand she can really deliver on the emotion of a lyric.



The other thing is this is a great example of a bygone kind of show... The "Rock & Roll Review" which started back in the 50's and probably died with the divorce of the Turners.



But here you will find the classic rendition of "Proud Mary," and my favorite version of "Grapevine" as well as my personal favorites from the album, "I've been Loving You Too Long" and the absolute best version of "I smell trouble".



If you love the classic Ike & Tina Turner Review music, you can't go wrong with this CD."