by The Indomitable Professor Universe
'70s Live Albums? More like lie albums, amirite?
Rock n' roll bands of the '70s were never overnight successes. In an age before the internet, television, and movable type, musical acts had to make their bones the old fashioned way: on the motherfuckin' road. Record labels were mostly behind the push for live albums because they cost virtually nothing to produce and could become huge sellers (e.g., Frampton Comes Alive!), or could finally break a band they'd poured a lot of money into (e.g., Kiss Alive!). Anyway, being venal, self-absorbed assholes, most bands were too coked out of their skulls to notice that their live shows kinda sucked outside the excitement and spectacle of the arena. Enter studio polishing. The following are five great albums that are live only in a very abstract ontological sense.
UFO, "Strangers in the Night" (1979)
Now, this album fucking rips and sounds the most authentic out of all on this list, but there are glaring physical impossibilities that render this point mostly hollow. Phil Mogg does his own backing vocals on 75% of this record, most easily heard on "Doctor, Doctor." Some Live Album Apologist might say, but couldn't that be Paul Raymond doing the backing vocal? Well, if he did I'd be impressed because not only did he expertly mimic Phil Mogg's singing voice (he didn't), but he also apparently possessed the ability to play synthesizer and rhythm guitar simultaneously. However, it should be noted there have been a rash of live album mea culpas by some of the old guard. On the 2008 reissue of this selfsame album the band at least admitted to completely recording two songs in the studio and adding crowd noise after the fact. The most heated discussions of this album tend to center on Michael Schenker's solos and if they were live or dubbed. Do I buy the live argument? You're goddamned right, I do. Because Michael Schenker is a wizard and I don't fuck with that.
Kiss, "Kiss Alive!" (1975)
This album is the genesis of the live album phenomenon. Not surprisingly, it's also the genesis of severe motherfucking overdubbing on live albums. Pretend you own a copy of Alive! for a second and listen to the thing front-to-back. What did you hear? It sounded perfect, right? Okay, maybe the keen listener will note Gene wangs part of "C'mon and Love Me," but there's not an out-of-place note on this record, which is fucking laughable because Kiss can't play for shit. Everybody knows that. Even card-carrying Kiss Army douchebags know they are one of the least musically adept rock bands to ever strap on a codpiece. What's it all about, Alfie? Don't ask me. Ask Eddie Kramer, one of the most respected engineer/producers of all time, and he'll tell you the entire fucking thing is dubbed. Every. Single. Bit. And how does Eddie Kramer know? He recorded all the overdubs and spent the next 20 years covering Paul and Gene's asses in interviews. Hey, the only thing better than being in Kiss is being on their payroll and I want a percentage when they IPO next quarter.
Thin Lizzy, "Live and Dangerous" (1978)
You have no idea how much it pains me to put this album on here. For years I desperately wanted to believe that every note on this record was genuine. Then I wised the fuck up and realized that for the majority of Thin Lizzy's existence Phil and Scott were strung out on heroin, and Brian was so drunk that he sobered up on tour with Motörhead in '83 asking why they were playing "The Boys Are Back In Town" so fast. And why it was now called "Ace of Spades?" The big tip-offs here are Phil doing his own backing vocals on "Rosalie", "Are You Ready?" having the ambience of a Campbell's soup can, and, the coup de grace, during "The Boys..." when Brian manages to work in a little guitar lick during the big twin-guitar harmony ending. Jesus, what is this, amateur hour?
Oh, and in the liner notes where it says, "Thanks to Tony Visconti for getting Scott off the nod long enough to record guitar overdubs for tracks 1-17."
Judas Priest, "Unleashed in the East" (1979)
When this album was released Rob Halford steadfastly maintained that the album was 100% live. Also, he's not gay and he does not have a drinking problem. Then after he left the band, came out of the closet, and went to AA, he changed his tune and said the live vocal track for this record was ruined during mixing and he had to do one-take overdubs to replicate the live feel. Next year I predict Rob'll say that the album is totally dubbed, seek treatment for his addiction to Drank, and admit that he's a werewolf. Mark my words.
Kiss, "Kiss Alive! II" (1977)
I'm just kidding. This album sucks except for "Rocket Ride."
Comments
It's a different genre, sure, but another big one is the Grateful Dead's Europe '72 - in which all the vocals were overdubbed in the studio, which is why the harmonies don't sound like a group of cats being pinned against a blackboard using extra squeaky chalk.
Posted by: G. Xavier Robillard | March 14, 2009 9:30 AM
because we know how much super villains love dragging improv sessions and cats being pinned against a wall. well, maybe the second one.
GD gets annoying.
except "Touch of Grey". that's as far as I go.
And HOW do you sober up when on tour with Motorhead? how, i ask.
Posted by: Prof. Francesca Caccini | March 14, 2009 1:13 PM
Hell, yeah! Aside from Kiss, the other three are definitely the triumvariat of live metal albums from the 70s.
A coupla notes, though . . .
Halford had a cold or something when Unleashed was recorded. He overdubbed the vocals but that's supposed to be pretty much it. If you can track down a copy of the 12" single of "Living After Midnight," this is appears to be legit, as on the two previously unreleased live tracks ("Delivering the Goods" and "Evil Fantasies") from the same shows the band sounds shit-hot, but Rob's voice is fucking ragged. My guess would be these tracks were not cleaned up as they were just for a b-side.
As for Thin Lizzy and UFO, I saw both in the 70s and both were tight as fuck. I got my copy of Live & Dangerous autographed at a record store signing thing near my house the day of the show, even.
Posted by: Mr. HCI | September 18, 2009 12:50 PM