Search - Little Richard :: Golden Legends: Little Richard Live

Good tracks but not live in concert

Phil S. | USA | 05/18/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Some of these tracks were also found on a '76 K-Tel release called "Little Richard Live!", a collection of 20 re-recordings of his Specialty classics. The dubious historian, wondering if if Little Richard finally delivered the live album to end all live albums, wondered not too long once the needle hit the groove: if it was "live", then it was *live-in-the-studio*. (Or they used some serious directional mikes). Whatever the case, no audience can be heard on the Specialty sound-alike takes done in Nashville in 1976, which make up seven of the cuts offered here; the remainder are three Specialty originals, three Vee Jays, and one presumptive leftover from a 1971 session.

There are many mediocre Little Richard remakes out there (on the out-of-print and in-print collector's market) but these '76 entries are worth hearing. Richard does a fine job recreating the original arrangements.

"Lawdy Miss Clawdy", ofcourse an "oldie" by then, originating with the man who convinced LR to mail a demo to a certain record company in California, is a great rendition, with Richard really strutting his stuff on the medium shuffle - if you love his piano then this is the track you'll be playing for many years to come. Another '64 "cover" is "Going Home Tomorrow" (aka "Goin' Home") a terrific workout on the Fats Domino blues. Don Harris breaks out his electric violin on this gem.

If you really want "Little Richard Live" then check out a recent set from Shout! with LR in top form in Boston from early '70; the "Okeh Club" set from '67, disappointing musically but containing some exciting parts; the apparently out-of-print "Let The Good Times Roll" from Bell Records - Richard with other acts from '72, again not what it could have been as Richard is given a full album side and gives us *three* cuts!; the lesser-known set from Modern, live in Atlanta, Georgia in '66, if you can take the grating (added) audience overdub. A great live segment is found on the European "Little Richard - The Specialty Sessions" Box which has June, '64 songs from a Paris venue. Finally, there is a set reported to be available, from Boston in '68 and '70, with poor to good sound on some numbers not immediately associated with The Quasar."