Search - Red Elvises :: Your Favorite Band Live

Great live record, but doesn't compare to real shows

11/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great disc to pick up if you want the Red Elvises experience. This is a representative selection of their concert song list. But trying to put them on a live record is difficult since they have so much personality and the shows are a lot of fun.I think what I'm getting at is that I was expecting a little more. The band has a lot of funny little things to say between songs (some are on the record), but most tracks do not; the songs fade in and out of silence. This doesn't reflect the amazing rapport the band earns with any crowd. I expected to hear their usual, like "Show us your beers! Beer makes us sound better!"I was concerned with sound fidelity as I was thinking about buying this. Well, the sound is almost *too* good; the vocals and lead guitar stand out, leaving the bass and rhythm guitar less present. I guess if you crank it with the bass up and the treble down you can try to recreate the live show sound. But all in all, it sounds too polished to be a live album. The Red Elvises are a band that makes their money on great shows, and this disc doesn't quite get there. I enjoyed the actual live sound than the live-album-sound. But perhaps that's just me.I'm giving this four stars because it is a great colleciton, and the Red Elvises are a great band -- probably the best band nobody's heard of. Not five, since the live show experience could have been put on disc a little more faithfully.The album is a great introduction to the Red Elvises but you really should go see them live. You won't regret it."