Live Evolution (Dig) [Live]

Queensrÿche | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 25, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B00005OADK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,850 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. NM 156

2. Walk In The Shadows

3. Roads To Madness

4. The Lady Wore Black

5. London

6. Screaming In Digital

7. Take Hold Of The Flame

8. Queen Of The Reich

9. I Remember Now

10. Revolution Calling

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. I Am I

2. Damaged

3. Empire

4. Silent Lucidity

5. Another Rainy Night

6. Jet City Woman

7. Liquid Sky

8. Sacred Ground

9. Falling Down

10. Hit The Black

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Queensryche's career, live., November 21, 2001

By 

Lord Chimp (Monkey World) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live Evolution (Dig) (Audio CD)

Live Evolution is a pretty good summary of Queensryche's 20 year career. It covers each one of their releases: the blistering heaviness of their EP; The Warning, with its progressive leanings; Rage for Order, the band's step into maturity with a cyber-glam metal record; Operation: Mindcrime, the legendary concept album; Empire, the commercial smash; the dark, intellectual Promised Land; the blasé Hear in the Now Frontier; and the recent hard rocker Q2K.

The band's playing is tight, energetic, and assertive. Even after two decades of soaring, technically demanding singing, Geoff Tate's voice doesn't sound much worse for wear. Still, on some of the really challenging songs, like "Queen of the Reich" or "Take Hold of the Flame," Tate goes a little easy on the pipes, which detracts some those songs intensity. Better that than him losing his voice before the end of the night, though. The vocal beast "Roads to Madness" cuts the entire fast section at the end, although that might be due to lack of orchestral backing rather than the constraints of Tate's voice. Still, his performance is heartfelt and strong. He's such an established singer that, even with his incredible skill, he's always singing with the song. There's way too many goofy metal singers who scream at live shows. Tate, fortunately, is too mature for that.

The band also knows how to keep their audiences interested. There's tons of alterations to old songs. The definitive power metal anthem "Queen of the Reich" is preceded by swirling guitar dissonance. "The Lady Wore Black"'s chorus is entirely rearranged, with a slower tempo and relying on big power chords rather than a big riff. On the Mindcrime suite, "Electric Requiem" is tossed into the middle of "Spreading the Disease," which is a neat twist even though it warps the story. Now we're paying for wars in South America again, too. "Eyes of a Stranger," which remains one of the band's finest songs, is given its best performance here...even better than on Operation: LIVEcrime! The gleaming, precise soloing of the old songs sounds like it was given a good shot of adrenaline. It's all about the intensity!

Disc 2 kicks off with a pair of tunes from Promised Land. The songs were under-arranged in the first place, and they don't gain much intensity here. I would have rather seen a lot more time devoted to Empire, which is still the peak of the band's songwriting. The crunchy guitar attack of "Empire" is corrosive and heavy, a strong contrast to "Silent Lucidity," which is the band's most beautiful song. I don't think it was written with any intention to be a good live song, but performed here it has a "bigger" sound and still conveys its arresting elegance. "Another Rainy Night," moody and dramatic, is performed very well. A lot of disc 2 is devoted to Queensryche's last two studio albums, HitNF and Q2K. I'm not big on those albums: I thin they lack songwriting focus and the edge that defined Queensryche of old. Still, the fluid guitar chords of "Liquid Sky" sound great live, and "Breakdown" is another highlight. "The Right Side of My Mind" is a minimalistic song, where adding live intensity is difficult. But the QR boys do it -- that's a testament to their ability as performers.

The album was recorded with a good live feel, and I like how the dual-guitar leads of the Wilton/Gray team are mixed in stereo. The live ambiance is pretty good, although the band's popularity has decreased over the years, and so has the crowd size. Compare the roaring crowd of "Revolution: Calling" on LIVEcrime to the crowd here... there's quite a difference! That's too bad. I think this band deserves better. Although they've lowered the songwriting hurdles over the past several years, they're still great. At least for us informed fans, we can continue to appreciate this band and their big live album.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Metal Pioneers Shine With Evolution, October 4, 2001

By 

Clifford Randi (Shelton, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live Evolution (Dig) (Audio CD)

I have read many reviews of this CD and I am glad to hear that people have good things to say. You have to respect Queensryche. In the 80's, they introduced a sound that could have been the future of heavy metal. Building on that progressive, different, emotional sound they invented with the classic Rage for Order, they released their crowing achievement, Operation: Mindcrime, which should rank in the top 5 albums of all time. Empire was a perfect follow up with a mature, slightly commercialized sound. Hits like Silent Lucidity broke the band into platinumsville, and finally this superior heavy metal band was given the notoriety they deserved. Contrary to popular belief, the band did not fall off the earth after that. Unwilling to commercialize too much, the band took a break before releasing their next technical masterpiece, Promised Land. Something happened to music during that break. Maybe heavy metal had become to overplayed and consisted of way too many bubble gum pop metal bands. The listening public revolted and the powers that be reverted metal back to its rawest, most immature form - Grunge. How were technical masters like Queensryche supposed to compete in an exploding world of musicians that couldn't even tune their guitars. Thats when me and many other fans of substantial music turned off our radios and stopped buying CDs. Hold it up to resilience but Queensryche managed to produce Hear In The Now Frontier, and after the departure of Chris Degarmo, Q2K. Both good to excellent albums - but they had no place in the sess pool that had become heavy metal. Now it looks as if a new day may be dawning - as 80's metal bands are rearing up for a final strike -and nostalgia is kicking in amongst listeners who want more from their music. Queensryche is the answer! Evolution is a perfect example of how this band never lost it. Music just went to sleep for a little while. In the wake of a new day - Evolution shines as a testament to this bands talent and resilience. I say to fans of the new heavy metal, check this out. Ah, music - I remember now!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Evolution of Queensryche, September 26, 2001

By 

serkan erdin (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live Evolution (Dig) (Audio CD)

Queensryche is one of the most influencing bands in progressive rock, and Live Evolution is brief history of their 20 years career. 2 CD album is prepared according to chronological order of their album catalogue, so that every listener will be able to get the idea how they have changed and grown in 20 years. Albums starts with songs from their groundbreaking EP and first and second full-length albums "Warning" and "Rage for Order" . Power metal classics "Queen of the Reich" , "Take the Hold of the Flame" , "Walk in the Shadows" and "The Lady Wore Black" will take every listener back to 80ies wonderful metallic atmosphere and blow their minds away. 2nd chapter of Queensryche was "Operation:Mindcrime", one of the best album in rock music
of all times , and most of the songs in live album chosen from this classic. Especially, duet of Geoff Tate together with Pamela Moore in "Suite Sister Mary" is amazing. 2nd cd has songs from their 90ies catologue, like "Empire", "Silent Lucidity" from their the most commercially succesful album "Empire" , "I AM I", "Damaged" from their second masterpiece "Promised Land" and history ends with tunes from their latest effort "Q2K", and only the last song "The Right Side of My Mind" fits with their early sound. Only shortcoming of the album is the lack of dialogue between auidience and Geoff Tate, that makes listener drag away from concert atmosphere. Other than that, Live Evolution is an album every rock listener must have to get the entire history of Queensryche