Customer Reviews

Live Stock

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I will never forget the first time I saw Roy Buchanan live. In 1976, at Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom in Atlanta GA, Roy played 4 nights in a row,Wed. thru Sat. There were 2 sets each night. Roy played his first sets from about 10 until midnight, and the 2d from 2 to 4a.m. Bugs Henderson (!) was the opening act. I was there for every string-bending, chicken-picking, volume-swelling, steel-imitating, tube-frying minute. I was dumbfounded. I have been a serious guitar player for 30 years. Let me tell you, there are very few electric players in his league. As much as I love Eric Clapton, Roy was in a different category. His technique and unbelieveable depth of emotion were astonishing. More comparable players who were influenced by Roy are people like Arlen Roth, Danny Gatton, Eric Johnson and David Grissom. "Live Stock" is a great-sounding record that captures the essence of Roy. Favorite tracks are the sweet-soul "Can I Change My Mind", and instrumental "Hot-Cha". Don't worry about Billy Price's singing, he sounds great. If you like ANY kind of emotional electric guitar playing, you will be in bliss when you hear Roy. Thank me later.

I was 16 when I first heard this album in the back of a friends car. I was a budding guitar player who thought he had a grasp of the medium... Man, was I wrong. I was in tears after listening to the first solo on 'Roys's Bluz', especially coming out of it hearing "you ought to be ashamed"... The first time you hear it you will feel ashamed that you have waited so long to buy this album. My all-time favorite Roy song is 'Can I Change My Mind', a sweet cover of an old Alton/Hortense Ellis Ska number... I cannot recommed this CD highly enough. You will not be disappointed. My number ONE Stranded Island CD.

"Can we have a warm New York welcome please for Mr Roy Buchanan". So begins the best live album from any artist of any musical discipline I've heard. Roy's technical skills are legendary and, on this record, probably displayed to best effect on Roy's Bluz, surely the most searing live blues guitar performance ever committed to vinyl. But the sweet, smooth-as-silk white blues of Can I Change My Mind is probably my favourite. Many of my friends have been turned onto Roy from listening to this album. This album has been part of the soundtrack of my life for the past 24 years. An added bonus is that I live just a few minutes from the butcher shop shown on the front cover! Long live King Roy.

The test of any great artist is their ability to perform live. If you can't sound as good live as on your studio work, then get another career. Roy Buchanan was a great musician either way. This CD is a good example of his work, by the way I like Billy Price on this CD because he has an old rock n roll sound to his voice. I saw Roy perform four times between the late 70's and early 80's in places like Carnegie Hall. I was always amazed at how easy it was to get tickets to see "The Greatest Unknown Guitar Player in the World" as he was titled by people like Jeff Beck. He was a pure blues player and writer who could hold his own with Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, B.B. King or Eric Clapton. There are some rock n roll songs on this album like "Reelin and Rockin" and "Can I Change My Mind". Any one who loves blues or rock n roll or any of the artists I previously mentioned will love this CD. Buy this one first, then you will want more of Roy's work, I promise. It's a shame Roy committed suicide, he was truly a master. God rest his soul.

There are (or were, sadly) a few amazing things about Roy Buchanan: he learned his craft in the American North, and he played a simple Telecaster directly into an amp, no effects. So his blues land somewhere between Motown and the Band, and his tone is all hand made - he holds and stretches notes as an art form, deriving effects from pure string attack and picking tricks. On this CD, the live version of "Roy's Bluz" is a masterpiece, showing just how far he could take the unadorned guitar. Everything on the disk is amazing, even the rare Roy vocals, but I would own it just for that 8 min. track.

it's all good and in particular, cuts 4-7 smoke!

I defy you to not play "Can I change my mind?" over and over and over and over and...

I've been listening to Roy Buchanan consistently for a year now, ever since I picked up his "best of..." CD. I recommend that one for starters, promptly followed by Live Stock. Anyway, from the gut-wrenching opening solo of "Roy's Bluz", through the splinkety-splonkety, air-guitar-inspiring "Can I Change My Mind" and finishing up with the grunting, sinuous "I'm Evil" - you simply won't be let down. It may not be the most rounded of RB's albums (try "You're Not Alone"), but with numbers like the ones mentioned above, it's hard to complain.

Buchanan's guitar cries the blues and Price's silky smoothe voice is unblievable. the track 'can i change my mind' is the best. if you are a blues fan at all buy this album. it is a classic.

This is quite simply one of the top ten recordings of all time by any artist. If you only counted live recordings, then this one revs-up to number one. Roy Buchanan is the best unknown guitarist of any generation and this CD can only add to the mystery of why he was such an unknown. Roy Buchanan plays the guitar with the speed and range of three people simultaneously. Just listen to the incredible licks on Roy's Bluz and I'm Evil. When they wear you out, listen to the jazzy Can I Change My Mind and the all out rocker Reelin' and Rockin'. If they don't get your attention then you must be dead! This CD has done more to influence my friends into believing he was the greatest guitarist of all time than any of his others. Yes - better than Jimi, Eric, Page, Stevie and Beck put together. (Well, maybe not Stevie)

Growing up in Northern Virginia where Roy was home-based for many years, it was pretty easy to become a Roy afficionado. I had seen him several times in various clubs and even recreation centers. Roy always prefered the more intimate venues and never really seeked superstardom. But he definitely had the guitar chops for it.

This album (which I purchased on it's release in '74) captures Roy at one of his best performances during his peak. Roy just squeals the tires off his vintage Telecaster here with no fuzz boxes, wah-wah pedals or delay effects, just straight out of a Fender reverb amp. His harmonics are just devastating as usual especially on his masterpiece Roy's Bluz. The backup musicians are, as always, competent but Roy is the real show here.

That's all I really need to say about this album. There have been other subsequent live albums of Roy in action, but this one (to me) is his most definitive showing him at his best.