The Jesus Lizard was rhythmic, sweaty, loud, and sexual. Singer David Yow gyrates, howls, and flails, molesting the audience at every available opportunity.
Dan got his push from a fuck-filled “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in Old School, and singing “Feel Like Making Love” to a 13-year old in Starsky and Hutch.
The biggest complaint about The Mars Volta is that, although their full-length is damn near impeccable, their live shows feel like an exercise is wankery.
Live, is, well, live. It has been compiled from several years of performances. It sounds like a combination of King Crimson, Frank Zappa, and John Cage.
22 tracks over two discs, the song selection covering the whole of the band’s career. Not a band prone to jamming, so the arrangements are left untouched.
Released in 1992, Brian’s voice is clearly shot as his once-powerful scream is reduced to an almost painful gurgle. The band rocks as powerfully as ever.
Perfect vocal pitch, extra energetic piano arpeggios, brilliant ad lib, and an Elton John cover. The classics are here, including material from the ‘Five era.
Recorded live in Brazil in 1998, Live is a pretty straight-up live performance (hence the name), with no frills, overdubs, extra features, or backstage antics.
The Southern twang in Jon McGee’s voice is not an affectation, the ZZ Top cover is straight-up and fits flawlessly into the set, and the vibe is upbeat and fun.
Ripping open with catchy thrasher “Ton Of Bricks,” Live captures this “almost” band criss-crossing the country in ’86 after their second album, The Dark.
Entombed came to the States to push To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak The Truth. It may not match Clandestine, but it stomps like Motörhead on steroids.
Why does a band that has become internationally famous for breakbeats and “Loops of Fury” revert to the metronomic bass drum sound that drove so many away?
After over an hour of this wank, I saw me moment at last. They got t’ that fuckin’ “Woo-hoo!” song, the one they couldn’ even come up wi’ a proper title for.