Overall great disc
10/12/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've been a fan of Paradise Lost for roughly 4 years, and have heard all of their songs, and I must say this is quite an interesting compilation. I bought the album confused thinking it was just a bunch of different live shows at different venues. No, this is a compilation of some of the most raw Paradise Lost songs you can find, which definitly isn't a bad thing. These recordings are not just rehashes of their album counterparts, these versions represent the way Paradise Lost was meant to be heard. This cd has actually 3 parts, Rock show 20th November, Rock Show 95, and Rock Show in Concert. The first is very nicely recorded, for its age, that is. "As I Die" has always been one of my favorite songs, and this version confirms that, as it is even more heavy and when he sings As I Die in this version his voice reverbs. The Second Portion, Rock Show 95, is slightly less of sound quality, but shows much more underproduced versions of songs from the Draconian Times, and shows how Paradise Lost have progressed over the years from an underproduced (or garage sounding) metal sound to a very refined sound (hear their latest album Symbol of Life and hear what I mean). Something to note about this portion of the disc, is the inclusion of "Sweetness" a somewhat difficult to find song by the band, and the fact they included a Rock Show version of this song makes it even more rare. The third portion, In Concert, is Paradise Lost in their prime, especially if you enjoy their heavier days of Gothic. You hear the crowd rawr and want to jump up and shout along with the rest of them and sing the lyrics. Overall I give this cd 4 stars, not a 5 simply for the fact that Rock Show 95 is a bit of lesser quality sound compared to the rest of the disc. This disc is a must have for any Paradise Lost fanatic or metal lover alike. Oh and don't forget to check out their latest "Symbol of Life.""
Different concerts, different quality
Jose L. Herrera | Mexico City | 10/16/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"As a fan of Paradise Lost, I didn't hesitate when I bought the live album of one of my favorite bands. Being honest, I cannot give five stars to this Cd, because the material belong to different concerts without the quality I expected. The first part, from a 1992 concert, are (live versions of) four songs from the album "Shades of God" and have poor sound quality (limitations of recording on the stage); also the voice of Nick Holmes (at that time) hadn't the power of latter albums. The second part (another four songs, now from 1995) improved the sound and Nick had a better performance. Being the "Gothic" album my Paradise Lost's favorite, the third part (10 songs from 1993)is the best of the CD: nice recording, powerful vocals, excellente selection of songs. "Live at the BBC" represents the first record of the Paradise Lost live performances, so I expect one or two more live albums with recent material and much better sound."
Paradise Lost live! A superb CD.
Chad Brendan Fogelberg | Longmont, CO United States | 10/31/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The only reason I give this CD four stars instead of five, is that the latter half of the CD is a better compilation of material than the first. This is an excellent CD nonetheless. I wonder though, if live performances from later in their career will be recorded onto compilations like this one? To get to the point, this is a good CD overall, and a nice introduction into Paradise Lost's older material slanted more toward the doom metal genre as opposed to the lighter Gothic Metal recorded later in their career. Paradise Lost is one of my favorite bands (I've seen them in concert with Opeth), and they deserve more attention. This is the fourth CD of theirs I have bought so far, and I am only more convinced over the years of how diverse and talented this Gothic Metal act is. I recommend this CD to any metal fan interested in one of the most influential metal bands that explores the darker side of metal. It is a real treat."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1