Customer Reviews

Live Alive

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Some good stuff, but not his best. FYI, not to rain on everybody's parade, but this was recorded during the period when the whole band was pretty messed up on drugs and alcohol, and much of it was later overdubbed in the studio because the original tracks were below par. His best live stuff is probably Carnegie Hall...

Pay attention- this album is for srv's fans. Not the best of his live work. This album was greatly redone in the studio so first of all- it's not really that live of an album. Don't get me wrong- there really isn't anything bad on the album Change it may even be a better version. Leaving you and superstition are the only songs not on his other albums that are worth it [ Srv himself remarked after sobering up that he thought willie the wimp was in badtaste and didn't want it on radio]. If you're a big fan go ahead and get it... after you get all the other stuff. If you are a casual fan of Stevie's blues and blues rock and occasional jazz- any of his other albums live or otherwise would be better. It's a good album but at the bottom of stevie's work taking under consideration the availibility of the songs and so on. So buy it if you have his other stuff and can't stand not having these 3 songs.

The late Stevie Ray Vaughan rocked on stage. His rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Commit A Crime" may lack the raw punch of Wolf's original, but that's a minor complaint...most of this album is simply excellent, filled with gems from Vaughan's first three albums.

Stevie Ray's muscular and versatile guitar playing is sublime, with more grit than most of his studio orginals. His vocals are good, too, and the song list is magnificent, featuring the rare, non-LP track "Willie the Wimp" about the bizarre 1984 funeral of a Chicago "wiseguy".

Other highlights include Vaughan's best song, the superbly groovy "Pride And Joy", as well as "Look At Little Sister", "Cold Shot", "Love Struck Baby" and the slow blues "Texas Flood" and "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love", but there are really no weak songs, and this album should appeal to fans of both blues and rock music.
The sound is good, although not always crystal clear, and the band is excellent. Several songs actually sound better in this live setting than on the original studio albums, partly because of the blistering blues-rock arrangements which include keyboards (piano and organ).

Apparently some people feel that Vaughan's playing wasn't up to his usual standards when this album was recorded, that he must have been having a bad night or something. I've heard a lot of live SRV, and I can't make any sense of that claim, especially since "Live Alive" wasn't recorded during just one show, but actually incorporates cuts from different concerts in both 1985 and 1986. He must have been having some bad years, then, and this myopic claim sounds particularly absurd when it is brought forward by people who then go on to praise Stevie's "Live At Montreux" album. Several of these performances are from, yes, you guessed it, the very same 1985 Montreux performance.

Contrary to what some people have apparently heard and chosen to believe, this is a very enjoyable, soulful live album, and it is highly recommendable to anyone with an interest in Stevie Ray Vaughan, or contemporary blues and blues-rock in general.

I first avoided this album because of a few of the reviews I'd read. It is true that Stevie was in the midst of his many addictions at this time, but none of that is apparent in any of these performances. The listener instead will find themselves addicted to these blistering renditions of SRV classics.

The setlist itself is obviously outstanding, and this is the only live official release from SRV that has this good a setlist. All of the best-known tracks from his earlier works are here, and among my favorites are "Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up On Love," "Pride and Joy," and "Voodoo Chile." But there are three tracks on here you simply must hear to believe. This is perhaps my favorite version ever of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and "Superstition" and "Texas Flood" are absolutely full of fire. It's simply amazing how note after mind-boggling note just flowed out of this guy, with no pauses, no breaks, no time-outs to think of what he was going to do next. It just flowed out as naturally as could be, and fortunately for those of us who didn't get to catch SRV live, it was captured here.

But really there are no live recordings of his that aren't essential. Live at Carnegie Hall was recorded just before this release, and is also a fantastic performance. Likewise, the El Mocambo club video is an amazing display of talent with a setlist quite similar to this, although I would argue that he seemed much less healthy then than he does on this recording.

You might be concerned about the sound quality considering the fact that this was recorded in "arena rock" settings, but have no fear. The crowd does sound a bit distant, but the band easily overflows the vacuum that is left. The recording is simply breathtaking. Buy it, listen to it, and go through as many double, triple, and quadruple takes as you like, this guy was a legend, and this CD is a testament to that.

This is an excellant SRV album. I had to buy several copies in cassette version because I played it so much I kept stretching it out! The only problem I have with the CD version is that the "powers that be" eliminated the "Life Without You" version that appears on the cassette. This is inexcusable, in my opinion, and I can only assume it happened because of pressure to be "politically correct"....Stevie makes very direct references to South Africa and Apartheid. Stevie "preaches" in the middle of the song and gives one of the all-time classic lines...."I may be White, but I ain't stupid!" I would really, really, REALLY like the studio to reconsider and re-release this album on CD in its original form. In any event, this is a "must have" CD for any serious SRV fan.

Stevie Ray Vaughan simply is the best at texas blues/rock, but this album was produced at a time in Stevie's life where he was physically unable to be at his best. Drugs were his only downfall as a person, but this did keep him from superiority (although he did kick the habit late in his life). This album has the only live version of Texas Flood that he has recorded (the only way to hear the song), and an excellent version of ain't gone 'n' give up on love; but the album simply lacks the usual energy that Stevie was known for. A "must have" for the avid SRV fan, but don't make it your first SRV album.

I have 3 copies of "Live Alive" - The 1990 US release, the original 1986 Japanese, and the 2 CD remastered edition released in 2000.

The remastered edition of this release has a very live feel to it and is sonically clearer that the 1990 US edition. I have to agree that this isn't SRV's best set of recordings, however for the period, these are probably better performances.

"Say What", "Ain't Gone'n Give Up On Love", "Pride and Joy", "Mary Had A Little Lamb", "Texas Flood" are the better tracks. On the remastered edition "Cold Shot", "Love Struck", "Willie The Wimp", "Superstition" are exposed as thin sounding, it sounds like SRV is singing through a can or something - but the performances are good.

If I were going to recommend live SRV, it would be in this order:
1. "Austin City Limits" - DVD
2. "Austin City Limits" - Bonus DVD from SRV Box Set
3. "El Mocabo" - DVD
4. "Live at Carnegie Hall" - CD
5. "Montreaux Jazz Festival" - DVD 1
6. "In The Beginning" - CD

Many people consider this inferior to his other live recordings, "In the Beginning" and "Live at Carnegie Hall", but to me, this set list is far superior to those two. This one has all of the essential material off his first three albums (with the exception of "Couldn't Stand the Weather"), & there's plenty of energy. I'd rather have this than an album that might be technically superior, but is full of minor hits and filler material.

Released in 1986 this is a typical live CD released in the early days of CDs, when albums were released on CD, LP and cassette tape at the same time. At the time, the maximum length of a CD was 74 minutes (more on that at the bottom) and CDs were actually expensive make. So there was a move to put double ablums on a single CD and to do so, one or two songs would be dropped from the LP or cassette versions.

Also typical of early CDs, the sound quality is pretty bad, which is what led to vinyl snobs. This CD was taken from several shows. The sound quality is uneven, so I am guessing part of the problem is due to the source tapes from the different shows.

Many people complain about the group's performance because this was the height of Vaughan's drinking and drug period. However, I think that the poor sound quality makes the performance seem sloppy and bad.

I actually think that the performance here on many of the songs is the best I have heard. This is from the tour to support the album Soul to Soul and I think the live versions of those songs are much, much better than the original studio versions.

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS LIVE ALBUM VERSUS MANY OF THE OTHERS:
VAUGHAN ISN'T CONSTANTLY RUNNING HIS FINGES UP THE NECK OF THE GUITAR. IT IS A NICE SOUND, BUT A COUPLE OF TIMES IS ENOUGH.

The other good thing about this CD is it contains many, good songs that weren't available on the studio albums (such as Superstition). Nothing is worse than a live album that it just a copy of the studio album.

This may not be a perfect album or the best Vaughan live album, but it is his live album with the most raw energy.

Be aware that the Amazon text above ("Features the same remastering from the 1999 issued pressing") is incorrect.

This new 2009, Japan-only mini-sleeve remaster has been remastered and expanded to two discs. It contains two additional tracks, "Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun [11:13]" and "The Sky Is Crying [7:19]" (both of which appear on the "SRV" box set).

The mastering on the Japan set is a definite improvement over the old 1990 domestic, single disc CD.

This 2CD set is part of an nine title, all mini-sleeve SRV release, where some the albums are the same '99 remasters, but the three live albums, "In The Beginning", "Live At Carnegie Hall" and "Live Alive" are newly remastered.

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.