Customer Reviews

King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents in Concert

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Recorded live at the Palladium in Hollywood on August 10, 1983. Main reason I bought this CD here recently is because I saw guitarist Rick Medlocke with Lynyrd Skynyrd a few summers ago. Maybe not the best King Biscuit release out there, but still decent. Tunes here I got the most out of were "Rattlesnake Rock 'N Roller", their two hits "Train Train" and "Highway Song", Uriah Heep's "Easy Living", "Fly Away" (great guitar work) as well as "Living In The City". Has an interview where Medlocke discusses subjects like touring with Nugent and the Scorpions, playing large European festivals with AC/DC and Iron Maiden and how well Blackfoot had functioned as a band. Line-up: Rick Medlocke: slide guitar & vocals, Charlie Hargrett-guitar, Ken Hensley (forgot all about how he was with Blackfoot)-hammond organ, Greg T. Walker-bass & vocals and Jackson Spires-drums & backing vocals. Nothing too special, like I said but alright.

If your a Blackfoot/Rickey Medlocke fan I'd have to say it's worth owning this CD. The 20 minute interview alone will get you off,especially if you're into Southern rock lore.From a sound & performance standpoint however, you'll be a little let down. Like the other guys have said, get "Highway song live" to hear Blackfoot in their prime.

If you're thinking of buying this as a substitute for the classic Blackfoot live recording "Highway Song Live" (not yet available on CD, and never released in any format outside Europe), think again. If you're thinking of buying it because you enjoy good, bluesy rock with a definite Southern style, then this may well be for you. Recorded after the 'Foot had peaked and with journeyman ivory-tinkler Ken Hensley grafted into the band, this CD captures some fine tunes from Blackfoot with a good mix and technical quality for the most part. It's spoiled a little by the songs not appearing in their usual running order, and in truth Highway Song Live could never have been bettered for sheer power, feeling and boogie, so this effort was always going to be second best. But collectors and Blackfoot fans will certainly enjoy this CD, if only for the keyboards appearing where they hadn't been previously and the rendition of Easy Livin' fron Hensley's former band, Uriah Heep. A curious recording but worth having all the same.

Blackfoot is my favorite southern rock band. I had visions of a great live album matching the caliper of the several live cuts on the compliation "Rattlesnake Rock and Roll". Quite frankly, they should have left this one in the vault. The sound quality is terrible and the performance overall is just not their best. I wish they'd have released "Siogo" or "Highway Song" instead, that would be a treasure trove for die-hard fans.

Haven't played this for a while, but now that I have, thought I'd throw my two-cents in with the rest. The final track, "Livin' in the City" appears to be a studio track although that's not mentioned. The two tracks before that, "On the Run" and "Fly Away" are either from an different show or they were taken from an inferior source from the rest. The audio quality is significantly different.

The actual tracks from the KBFH broadcast are all played a bit too fast (as many bands do in a live situation). This is a detriment to "Train Train", sad to say, but oddly it's a plus for "Highway Song" which is definitely the strongest track on the disc, and worth the price (now cheap) for just that track alone.

The interview with Rickey was a let-down for me. His thoughts and recollections are very scattered and not very interesting. He does mention that Shorty Medlocke and his wife, who are his grandparents, also raised him, which is why you'll hear him refer to Shorty sometimes as his dad. So that was something of interest.

All in all not very good, which is surprising for a KBFH release.

It pains me to give a Blackfoot release a bad review but trust me ,there was no other option on this one.Blackfoot was without a doubt one of the greatest live acts I've ever seen but this recording does them no justice.The fire that Medlocke and Co.always brought to the stage is without a doubt missing here.If it's live Blackfoot at their best you're looking for,then look no further than their first live release 'Highway Song'and you won't be disappointed.