Five Stars Plus For The Music; Considerably Fewer For The Pr
Stephen B. O'Blenis | Nova Scotia, Canada | 08/14/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Nine awesome songs by the inimitable DiVinyls perormed live with power and passion, how could this possibly get anything less than a full five star rating? Sadly, it's because of the production. This was recorded during the years when endless legal battles between the band and one of their former record labels prevented them from making any money off new releases, so they authorised bootleg concert recording just to get a new (live) album out to the fans. That alone makes me want SO much to boost this from a four-star to a five-star rating, but if I start basing the amounts of stars on such considerations as this, or on the fact that a certain band or author or whatever is an alltime favorite, or even on an unending affection for a band's red-haired female singer (we're speaking hyothetically, of course) instead of on the item's own merits it diminishes the value of a five-star rating. And of fours and threes, for that matter. Any disc or movie or whatever I give four stars to is a very high endorsement on my personal scale, and even most of the titles I've given three stars I consider very, very good and worth having.
The music and singing are exceptional. The production, although it does seem to improve as the album goes on, unfortunately doesn't really do it justice (understandable in this case). For proof just check out the DiVinyls live tracks on the "Collection" CD or, if you can track them down, old twelve-inch singles and the like that contained live material - absolutely phenomenal!! Also, there is virtually no 'talking to the audience' between songs, which in the concert from which this was taken Christina Amphlett apparantly did a lot of, and I'd really love to have here. There is some before "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" but it's, uh, hard to figure out what she's referring to. I believe it's related to dialogue from one of her theatrical stage performances (she's actually an award-winning actress from stage musicals, including Australia's mega successful "Boy From Oz" production). The lack of liner photos is also a great sadness.
Despite all this, these are nine outstanding live power rock tracks including alltime greats like "Boys In Town", "I Touch Myself" and - possibly the track that comes off best on this disc - "Love School", with an epic extended outro. And it's an essential album, underproduced or not.
DiVinyls Forever!"
THE DIVINYLS--A BAND THAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY
GIO | GA | 04/30/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THIS EXCELLENT LIVE CD CAPTURES THE BEST OF ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS EVER--THE DIVINYLS--FROM --ALL THE BOYS IN TOWN--ONLY LONELY--I TOUCH MY SELF--TEMPERAMENTAL--PLEASURE AND PAIN--A TREMENDOUS LIVE PERFORMANCE BY THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN BAND" THE DIVINYLS"--THIS CD IS A VERY HARD TO FIND LIMITED EDITION--SO PICK THIS ONE UP,BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1