Customer Reviews

Live In Chicago

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

 

 

Two discs 49,53 minutes each approximately. The sound (taken from a DVD I believe) is uniformly good. This is a concert recording from Chicago in 2003. The packaging is nice-a triple fold-out with the discs snapped in,which I've never really liked,but what can you do? There are a number of color photographs of Petty in concert. This is another release from Immortal,based somewhere in Europe. They've released two CD sets of Neil Young,Dire Straits,and others,all in this same format. And all are (legally ?) supposedly taken from DVDs. But that's okay,because the more live TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS,the better. In comparison,this set seems to have the best (both the Young and DIRE STRAITS sets are pretty good) sound (in mono) of the above mentioned releases-sounding like a mixing board tape-crisp and clean.

The songs performed are a mixture of Petty tunes ("Crawlin'Back To You","Handle With Care","I Won't Back Down","Angel Dream","Melinda","Refugee","Love Is A Long Road","You Don't Know How It Feels","Black Leather Woman","Wake Up Time","Lost Children","Two Men Talkin'",and "You Wreck Me"),and quite a few classic blues tunes ("Baby Please Don't Go","Born In Chicago","The Red Rooster",etc.),and covers like Chuck Berry's "Carol",Eric Burdon's "I'm Cryin'",Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman",and Lester Flatt's "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms",among others.

As usual Petty and his great band take these songs and make them their own. As on the 4 CD live set ("The Live Anthology"),the musicianship is impeccable. This group of musicians is capable of taking virtually any song and,while staying true to the original,they simultaneously stamp it with their own sound. From straight Chicago-style blues (which are both a revelation and a highlight),to bluegrass,and basic garage-style r&r,this set not only shows the depth of Petty's band,but their penchant for good,basic rock & roll.

If you have heard the above live anthology,this should be something to consider purchasing. But don't wait long,these releases go out of print with little notice. And that would be a shame. For this concert shows that Petty and his band (especially Mike Campbell-guitar,and Benmont Tench-piano) can play the blues with feeling,all while never losing their own identity. This should be more well known to Tom Petty listeners.

Live in Chicago is a great album to hear not only some great Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers music but some covers of musicians that the band has admired over the years. The album was a great listen and I would recommend it to any TPHB fan.

I have loved Tom Petty since the first time I heard him in a record store in college in 1977. Have all his albums, tons of boots on CD and DVD, seen him multiple times, the whole deal. I was very disappointed in this album. It does not capture who Tom is, he plays too many covers whereas people who buy Tom want to hear Tom's music. He is one of the best song writers of his generation. I could not even get through this album, I just did not like it at all. Maybe some day I will return to it, but then again, if I don't nothing will be lost. I just consider it one of those albums that never should have been bought, or made for that matter.