You must buy this album. Now.
Tom Munroe | Chicago, IL United States | 05/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the best live albums that I have ever heard. This is a TRUE rock and roll band (with a bit of pop, house, grunge, punk, techno, and the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure) hitting on all cylinders. And what an engine it is - a V-16, at least, although the roar and fury of a dive-bombing Messerschmitt comes to mind. The power of this band is unbelievable - you must purchase this CD to hear what a full-throttle sonic assault sounds like. This is not to say that it is just noise - on the contrary, the musicality of this band at this amped up volume is what amazes. Screamadelics, purchase early and often. You will not be disappointed. Those just learning about this amazing band would do well to begin here, just to get a sense of the awesome power that this group can unleash at will. Devastating!"
Primal Scream....have now delivered a definitive document of
fetish_2000 | U.K. | 07/28/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Primal Scream (for me) have been a truly amazing band....a band, that when the muse takes them, can produce some of the most distinctive and energetically accomplished albums around. So the Truly high points of their work are largely considered to be the Sunny, carefree ecstasy optimism of "Screamadelica" that skilfully fuses House/electronica and Rock together for something transcending conventional rock. Through to the harsh abrasive XTRMNTR, an album that focused an aggressive melding of techno and agitated hard rock, into a thrilling confrontational rollercoaster ride. And having only ever sampled the band via their studio albums, I'd over the years heard that their `Live' performances can on occasion outstrip their studio work. Well, having finally managed to get hold of the `Live in Japan' album which was recommended as a perfect starting point, to hear the bands live work....I was initially slightly dubious, before I actually got a chance to hear it...seeing as it's not exactly readily available everywhere in the U.K. was I setting myself up for a crushing disappointment???
...I should have given the band the benefit of the doubt, because from the moment I stuck this album on, there are just two things that go through your mind when you're listening to it. (1) This band really flourish and come into their own, in a `Live' environment .....(2) This `Live' performance is Fierce...
Bobby Gillespie, seems to literally revel in the `Live' surroundings, with a vocal swagger and confidence that imbues all the best live performers/performances of their time. What this basically boils down to, is a run through of the highlights of their previous albums, but the Live surrounding, give the band ample opportunity to show that they, not only cut it when they perform their songs Live, but also bolster their own fanbase, via word of mouth reviews of their exceptional ability to take fans favourites Such as "Accelerator, Shoot Speed/Kill Light, Swasitika Eyes", which all crackle with a brash and volatile energy, but totally boost the sound, with sheer self-confidence, that It almost feels like Gillespie is goading the audience into inciting a Riot, such is the sheer balls-on-the-wall approach to these songs. Which seems at complete odds with the change in tone for some of the more subtle / subdued songs which "Higher That the Sun & Movin' on Up" require...with soaring melodies and choruses, and such a gleeful celebratory hedonistic abandon, that your instantly transported back to the early rave/dance scene of the 90's in the U.K.
There's no doubt that although Primal Scream, could never be considered a band that were `lacking confidence', these performances must have elevated their already large ego's to almost stratospheric proportions....and it's one that is arguably well deserved. This truly sounds like one of those seminal gigs, where people list it amongst their all time faves, or refer to the performance years later. Understandably the Japanese audience were ecstatic, at bring present at such a seminal performance, and one...that you have to wonder, if the band can reasonably surpass the groundwork that they've laid here. Such is the sheer brilliance of their performance that unless, they're holding something back for future shows, it's extremely hard to identify, just how they'll progress beyond these performances. The sound itself is pretty much spot-on, a balance between having the rugged feel of Live shows, but enough of the precision of the Studio albums, and with crowd noise mercifully kept to before and after songs.
Complaints...mere nitpicking on my part, regarding tracks, that weren't part of the setlist....(why no, "Loaded, Star, Blood Money, Exterminator, Come together??....and my personal fave "Stuka"). But again this is merely nitpicking on my part. What Primal Scream has done is dropped a Live album that should be mentioned amongst the greatest Live albums ever: "James Brown - Live at the Apollo", "Neil Young - Live Rust", "Nirvana - Live at MTV", Miles Davis - Live/Evil", "Albert King - Live Wire/Blues Power", "MC5 - Kick out the Jams", "The Who - Live at Leeds", "The Roots - Live", "Bob Marley and The Wailers - Live", "led Zeppelin - How the West was won". And anybody that has the opportunity to pick this `Live' album up, so do so without any reservation whatsoever, before it becomes a scarce item (unless it gets a domestic release), for an album as essential as their greatest studio work.
"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1