I’ve always liked live albums. Hearing how bands change songs, add different bits and peaces and often, how bad a singer truly is. However that is not the case here, with all members of the mighty Alice plying sublimely (as always.)
The album kicks of with Bleed the Freak, one of my favourite AIC songs, and this take is no disappointment. Jerry and Layne’s voices are great and Sean and Mike provide a solid groove (as they do throughout the album.) Queen of the Rodeo is second, it’s a bit of a spoof, taking the s**t out of hicks basically, quite comical really.
Angry Chair and Man in a Box run together, there both very good performances and I’m sure as the both big singles we don’t need to go into them. Love, Hate, Love is depressing. The guitar is quite haunting and the lyrics are harsh, the laboured bass and drums also add to the feel of the song, I suggest skipping this song if you’re feeling down and coming back to it when you’re in a happier mood because it’s well worth it.
This is a good sing along, Rooster, obviously written about Jerry’s dad in Vietnam. Awesome vocals, the drums in the first couple of minutes are a bit annoying but when they all come it’s a powerful song, the ending is also well done. Would? is also good, not much needs to be said, as I’m sure you all know it.
Junkhead is fantastic, power and groove swirl together in this one along with great lyrics about drugs and addiction, on of the best performances on the album. Dirt is one of the few AIC songs I don’t particularly like however they do it well on this album. Them Bones is, not rushed, as is the tendency to do with similar songs, good mosh speed, Jerry does the solo well however it is disappointing he doesn’t change any of it.
God Am is good too, cool riff in this one, grungy as, good mosh-along track. Again is my favourite track of their self-titled album, the melody’s cool and it has catchy lyrics, I always find myself singing along. A Little Bitter is pretty cool but nothing special, I often skip over it but it’s still good. Dam That River would be a brilliant way to finish a set, crunching riff with cool lyrics and solid drumming, Layne's vocal performance is excellent in this song, cool solo as well.
Over all, this is a good live album, one of the better ones I own, lots of good songs and not just the big singles. However don’t get it until you have heard their recorded stuff first, you’ll appreciate in much more then.
4/5
