Customer Reviews

Buried Alive

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

it was 1979, when keith and ronnie put a band that was supposed to be called the barbarians. they found that that actually a band with that name already existed and decided to change the name into the new barbarians.
fans who were lucky enough to see this tour consistently said that they had rarely seen keith having so much fun as he had with the new barbarians.
the band, in addition to having keith and ronnie on guitar, featured a bunch of legenday musicians: bobby keys, ian maclagan and staley clarke on bass.
the concert was recorded in maryland on may 5, 1979 and was previously made available as a bootleg by, i believe, an italian record company.
the set is great. there are some tunes with ronnie as leading vocalist and keith singing back up vocalist and other sings that were sung by keith--the numbers that were sung by keith include worried life blues, apartment n. 9, let's go steady, and so on. it was also the first time keith and ronnie performed a live version of before they make me run--the great piece that keith had recorded with the stones for some girls (1978). ronnie sings instead tunes like seven days (by bob dylan) and i can feel the fire --that he had originally recorded with mick jagger and david bowie when the stones were recording it's only rock and roll. the comparison between this version of i can feel the fire and the one recorded by ronnie, sir mick and bowie shows quite clearly that keith is a genius. the way in which he sings his parts as backing vocalist (but all the stones record makes it clear that behind mick's voice, keith's performance as backing vocalist was giving the song a richer, wilder flavor) brings new life to the song and makes it infinitely more catchy than the studio version. this is a must have for everybody.
for those who do not have the bootleg, this live album is a great opportunity to appreciate what keith and ronnie were doing with their band. for those who already have the bootleg, this is a great chance to hear the songs (such as jumpin' jack flash) that were never put on the bootleg.
it's awesome

This 2-CD set documents an event remarkable in Rolling Stones history: The New Barbarians' series of arena shows during 1979 marked the first time any of the Rolling Stones toured outside the band. "Some Girls" had rejuvenated the Stones creatively the year before, and the '78 tour (documented on the essential Stones boot "Handsome Girls") itself revealed a lean, hungry Rolling Stones, minus the bells and whistles and inflatable phallus of 1975's "Tour Of The Americas". In the wake of the punks, The Rolling Stones stripped down for their 1978 trek to the five band members, plus Ron Wood's longtime Faces bandmate Ian McLagan and original sixth Stone Ian Stewart comprising the musically perfect, unobtrusive keyboard team.
The New Barbarians' lineup wasn't certain until the last minute (Neil Young, who coined the band's name, and Boz Scaggs had participated in rehearsals but later bowed out), leading to rumors that various superstars, including Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan (who had been hanging out with Wood and contributed a song to his new album), would make 'surprise' appearances at nearly every stop. The lineup finally coalesced, however, and the New Barbarians opened for the Stones themselves, in Canada, at the April 22, 1979 benefit for the blind Keith was sentenced to perform after his infamous Toronto Heroin bust, toured the U.S. April 23 through May 22, 1979, followed by a single show in the UK that August, the giant Knebworth festival, where they opened for Led Zeppelin. The Barbarians' tour coincided with the release of Wood's fourth solo album, "Gimme Some Neck", but this remarkable set documenting a Largo, Maryland show May 5th shows they had already forged a potent, if occasionally wobbly, sonic identity of their own - sort of a rich man's version of (Johnny Thunders') Heartbreakers, loose as the Faces, raw as any great garage band, and with their varied musical influences and backgrounds always on display - blues, country, funk, '50s rock 'n' roll - yet fully integrated into the collective. Recalled as "sloppy" and drug-addled, the New Barbs were, to a man, master musicians ready, willing, able, and big enough to put together something special; add prodigious amounts of chemical enhancement and the results are what you hear on this frequently blazing, powerful and only occasionally disheveled live set.
First, it has indeed been remastered and absolutely sounds better than the boot from this show I'm familiar with, issued by Swingin' Pig years ago. In fact the sound is remarkably immediate and powerful, except for the closing 'Jumping Jack Flash', which sounds like an fiery version sadly marred by the fact that it's taken from an inferior source. Also, both due to the intensity of the band's performance and because Ron Wood's voice is often hoarse, especially on the early tracks from disc 1 (nothing like the healthy sounding Wood who sang 'Ooh La La' just six years earlier), this album is most effective if you program a handful favorite tracks at a time. The second disc is tighter than the first, overall. The band, as noted, are all superstars: The Meters' Joseph Modeliste (drums) is a master of deep funk grooves, with a century of New Orleans' rhythms in his DNA. The Meters had recently broke up after a dozen years together, and 'Ziggy' sounds like he's thrilled to be aboard playing rock 'n' roll. The two Stones, Ron Wood and Keith Richards (guitars, vocals, pianos, etc) were still, clearly, close friends and partners; longtime Stone-in-law Bobby Keys (sax) is the perfect tenor man, with soul and grit in his tone, for any house party. Add Stanley Clarke, the technically astonishing jazz bassist, the perfectly complementary, marvelous piano and organ work from Ian McLagan, and the results indicate this ad-hoc combo make big, loud, dirty rock and roll together, with more than a dollop of hard funk in the grooves. It works about 80% of the time, and when it gets a little ragged you can still just bask in the grunge. Keith and Ron are really playing together (you know, "weaving") here, and that itself is wonderful to hear. And everybody seems to be having a great time.
Highlights include a long, powerful take on one of Wood's best songs, 'Breathe On Me'; Keith's soulful versions of 'Let's Go Steady' and a lovely Tammy Wynette song left off the "Emotional Rescue" album, 'Apartment Number Nine' (with Wood on pedal steel). The band rocks the blues on Maceo Merriweather's chestnut 'Worried Life Blues' (sung by Keith) and B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" (which Wood recorded with the Jeff Beck Group). A couple of cuts later we come to the best sixteen minutes of the whole set: a 10-minute 'Am I Groovin You' (trust me: play loud!) simply shreds anything else I've heard recently, as the band settle in to luxuriate in the impossibly dense, funky groove; midway through Stanley Clarke makes noises with his bass that would leave Bootsy Collins dazed with delight. This leads into a ferocious, driving version of 'Seven Days' that blows away the studio version and even the hot 1993 version Ron did with the MG's at Dylan's 30th anniversery. The guitars prod and sting like rusty barbed wire, without the edits or sometimes sterile mixes that mar some latter day live Stones sets (i.e. "Flashpoint")
This is the first release from Wood's Wooden label, which has already signed a couple of terrific new bands. Ron Wood promises more archival material: a CD/DVD set documenting the two July 1974 Kilburn concerts, Ron Wood's first solo gigs; Keith, who had just contributed mightily to Ron's solo debut album, was integral to those shows, too - one hears the Stones' guitarists performing together a full year before Wood's first Stones tour. Wooden Records isoff to a terrific start: The New Barbarians' "Buried Alive" is essential for any serious Stones fan.

I think for those of us who remember the late 70s as the last period of true genius for Keef Riff Hard and his twin brother Ronnie Wood, this release is long overdue. I've passed on bootlegs of this for years waiting for the official release to come out. There was a lot of buzz about these shows in the late 70s. So for us old-timers there is serious nostalgia going on with this release. The riffs and licks on this CD are Keith and Ronnie at their sloppy drunk best. Truely hard core rock and roll for the time. Not missing Jagger one bit. This CD is worth every penny of the $30 I spent.

As a serious guitar player for 25+ years who has played in several bands, I love the way Woody and Keith play guitar. I buy all their solo albums just to hear their unique styles and riffs. Keith's riffs in open tunings are something to admire. You really have to play a lot to play like that in open tunings with such ease and to make up such cool sounding riffs. Ronnie is just a great standard tuning player who plays a mean slide as well. I realize songwriting, lyrics and choir boy vocals are not their forte. It's the riffs and unadulterated rock and roll that gets me going. If that's not your bag, tune into "American Idol" or "Making the Band".

One reviewer here opined that Brian Jones and Mick Taylor were better guitarists. In my opinion, they are different guitarists. Woody is no slouch. Taylor was a great virtuoso and I loved his long guitar solos on the Stones tours and bootlegs of the early 70s. He's more like Clapton in that way. Ron Wood, of course is more like Keith Richards in that he is one of the great rock masters of hooks, riffs and fills. Brian Jones was a terrific and under rated blues guitarist for his time who could learn to play any instrument in short time. Genius in that regard. But I'd have to say Ron Wood has proven to be better in his time than Jones.

Recommendation: If you love the way Keith and Ronnie play guitar, this is a must have CD. If you simply want some insight into Stones history in the late 70s, you might like this CD. If you remember these shows and this time, it may be a nice trip down memory lane and worth the purchase price just for that. If you have to hear Jagger and must have a big production and 20 piece band with back up singers like they have done on recent tours then stay away from this CD. You would be better off with the cheesy live Licks CD from the 2002-3 tour.

As others have noted, the performance itself has high and less-than high points. I don't know if the tracks on this 2 disc set are in the same sequence in which they were performed, but it seems that the band really starts cooking on disc 2. IMHO, the set reaches it's peak with the piss-and-vinegar, raunchy arrangement "Before They Make Me Run," which is an interesting contrast to the relatively sanitized, poppish version on the Stones' "Some Girls" album.

Granted, some of the looseness here is because the band itself came into existence on the fly, and some of the looser moments may be a reflection of Ronnie and Keith's sobriety on that particular night. This is not to say the band sounds incompetent -- because on this album they are clearly masters of their art in a most triumphant period for their artform. But this is not a masterpiece -- it's a raucous night on the town for the boys and they rock the joint to bits.

If you appreciate meandering, dual-lead, Chuck Berry freight train orgies peppered with random blasts of power chords, you will love this album. Power sludge, indeed.

These guys rocked the Oakland Coliseum when I saw them swing through the bay area back in the 70s. Keith and Ronnie were so elegantly wasted cool. Sharing a mic on Honky Tonk Women, Ronnie would approach the mic with cigarette in mouth and then quickly take it out and put it at the foot of the mic stand. Keith would sidle up and drop down and in a flash would have that cigarette in his mouth, both of them smiling in agreement that this stage is where it's at. And Stanley Clarke playing an out of this world bass solo with Ziggy pounding out a funky beat! If this double CD set is the only live chronicle of this band having a blast, then it's totally worth owning. Great that this gig is officially released. Ian MacLagan's "Troublemaker" CD uses the same musicians in the studio. His voice has that same raspiness of Ronnie's voice. Rock n'Roll!

If you're looking for some over-produced rock concert with top 10 hits, go buy Flashpoint or some other modern Stones concert CD. This CD is for the pure Keith and Ronnie fans, who can appreciate the joys of a bunch of guys getting hammered on bourbon, jumping on stage and playing their hearts out.

Listenting to this CD, at times you have to wonder how drunk they are and how is it they are still standing. When Ronnie opens the show it appears obvious these guys have been drinking for a while, but its pure fun and a complete pleasure to listen to.

I've owned the bootleg for many years, but the quality on this release is much better! I highly recommend this CD for big fans of Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards!!!

This review is tough express. I'm not sure of the source tape quality etc
so I have heard better mixes and releases of far better quality. Ronnie and Keith did sound ripped, but it was a time of rock and roll excess. Are there missed notes and chords, is it sloppy? YES.
But man it rocks it has a certain dirty groove and energy that will make you turn up the volume and stomp.
Pure rock and roll sometimes is not pretty and this is a fine example.
If you love your rock down and dirty or better stated "solid garage rock" This will put a smile on your face. If you love perfection all the way around pass on it. I love the music but to keep it real I give it 3 stars for the flaws....Yes it's glorious trainwreck.

I saw these guys during Keith's benefit show for the blind, which was part of his sentence for smack possession in Toronto in the mid-1970s.
I was quite young and it was probably one of my first concerts. The show was a blast in the tiny Oshawa civic centre.
Like the other reviews mentioned, both Keith and Ronnie were wasted, having a good time, and although we really didn't get a polished musical performance, it didn't matter. These guys were gods: smokes dangling from their mouths, Ronnie on his Strat, Keith playing his black Tele deluxe, cranking out tunes that ranged from the straight-ahead, key of G rocker, "Sweet Lil Rock n Roller," to the bluesy "Love in Vain," to the country balladry of "Apartment No. 9." It's was all good.
You'll get the same here.
After years of trying to find anything by the Barbarians, and not having a copy of a bootleg, I had almost given up. So it was welcome news when this CD appeared earlier this month.
If you like unpretentious rock and roll, from an era when popular musicians knew how to play their instruments (no matter what the state of their minds), then buy this one. It's a good find.

Besides the vocals being somewhat rough,and the music a little raw,the show was great that nite,I realy enjoyed hearing this music from that show,just because I was there.

On stage with a music stand, sheets of music, cigarettes and a guitar, Ronnie Wood and friends - Keith Richards (g), Stanley Clarke (b), Ian McLagan (key), Bobby Keys (sax) and Ziggy Modeliste (d) - partied their way across North America in 1979, playing two concerts in Canada and 18 in the U.S., along with opening for Led Zeppelin at the Knebworth Festival - to support Wood's solo album, Gimme Some Neck.

And this 2-CD set typified the oftentimes very sloppy work of a super group led by Woods - New Barbarians - playing the role of arena rock mega-stars. With promotional ads promising the possibility of "special guests" to boost tepid ticket sales, the majority of the concerts were played in front of half-filled - or less - arenas.

This October 2006 on Wood's record label, Wooden Records, is about as good as it got musically on the tour. This is rock-n-roll soaked in the licks from the blues and r & b, but more suited for a smokey bar on a very late Saturday night, not from accomplished musicians who - when motivated - could have performed much better.