Customer Reviews

Live at Max's Kansas City

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've owned the Velvet Underground's "Live at Max's Kansas City" for a number of years. I always found it to be the perfect CD for those strange nights, where you are tired as hell, but you still can't sleep. In other words it's the perfect late night album to just hang out to.The album, which is sort of a quasi band released bootleg, captured the very last performance (not counting any reunions) Lou Reed played with his Velvet bandmates before heading off into the 1970's and beyond for a solo career. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't put this CD on the stereo in a pretty long time. But I purchased Rhino Record's newly remastered and restored version and decided to give it a try. Well from the very first note, the only thought in my head was "Boy that's what Rock 'n Roll is all about..." It's sort of the same feeling I sometimes get from listening to early Buddy Holly or Eddy Cochran. It's just basic, primitive, Rock 'n Roll. The show truely is great. It has a wonderful set list (classics such as "Waiting for the Man", "Sweet Jane", "White Light White Heat" ) with some incendiary performances.My personal favorite cut is the slow ballad, "Pale Blue Eyes". Lou gives an amazing delivery! While Rhino has now remastered the sound, it still has that 'bootleg' feel to it. The clinking of glasses and audience conversations (including a very loud discussion about Nixon bombing Cambodia) just seems to add to the recording's ambience. You really feel like you are there. I love this CD! It's what Rock 'n Roll music is all about.

It seems appropriate that rocker-muse Bebe Buell once wrote and sang, "Cut my teeth at Max's Kansas City/My soul is pure rock." It was the original rock'n'roll club, with drag queens, actors, hit singers and underground hits in the same room. It had Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger and then-waittress Debbie Harry hanging out in the same place.

Alas, there hasn't really been a place like Max's Kansas City since. So it seems appropriate that a momentous rock occasion took place there: Lou Reed did his final show with the Velvet Underground. Fortunately, a pal named Brigid Polk taped the whole thing, and this "legitimate bootleg" is a rough-cut little slice of what that night was all about.

It opens with drums being clattered, instruments being tested, and a lot of background chatter. Then Reed offers a dignified intro ("you're allowed to dance, in case you don't know"), before launching into several songs that are primarily from "Loaded" and "White Light/White Heat," with stage chatter between songs.

Apparently Reed unexpectedly changed the second set (on the second disc), including material from the "Nico days," early in the band's existance, including a spare, stripped-down version of "I'll Be Your Mirror," a gentle "Candy Says," a suitably hungover-sounding "Sunday Morning," and the way-too-long "Some Kinda Love."

The album is bootleg quality, especially since they didn't have digital recording then, and Polk used a tape. So it's very fuzzy around the edges, a little incoherent here and there; "Femme Fatale" is downright murky. But it's all in remarkably good shape when one considers that it is from 1970.

And to some degree, its rough quality can be seen as a blessing. People like me -- who were born way after Max's Kansas City faded away -- can get a brief taste of what the nightlife at Max's was like, when fashion, art and pop all collided. So the background voices and clattery tuneups just add to the "you are there" quality.

It's also noteworthy because the songs included are among their best, and because Reed delivers them with so much emotion. There's a certain poignancy to his introduction when one realizes that it would be his last show with the Velvets. And it gives a bit of extra oomph to certain songs like "I'll Be Your Mirror."

"Live At Max's Kansas City" is not the best-quality live album there is. But it is a small slice of the psychedelic nightlife for anyone who wasn't lucky enough to actually go there.

Wow! There have been so many upgrades and additions to the Velvet Underground catalog over the last 7 or 8 years that it's difficult to keep up with all of them. Here's another worthy upgrade for us completists who must have every mix and every note of recorded tape available. While *every* album in the VU catalog can be considereed "essential" for different reasons, the revision and remastering leads this one ahead of LIVE 1969 as well as The Quine Tapes, as the best live document of the band (prior to the 1992 reunion).

THIS remaster offers an additional set's worth of material. It seems that the original producers 'cherry picked' the 'best' tracks for the original LP. Here you will find both sets, more or less complete (less in the case of the 2nd set, which picks up at the beginning of the second verse of "Who Loves The Sun.")

However, I wouldn't wish to imply that the material orginally deleted is in any way inferior-- it's not, these are performances that are as strong as anything on the album.

This set is historically significant for several reasons. The most immediate sonic reason being this is the first LP appearance of then 17' year old drummer Billy Yule. Billy's drumming is completely different from Moe Tucker's (who left temporarily to have a child), it's Rock n' Roll drumming with lots of drum rolls, fills and flash, a great departure from Moe's more sparse and primitive style. Personally, I find young Billy's style ameteurishly over the top, but it's not so detracting or distracting to take away from the overall ambience of the album. This is also Lou Reed's last night with the Velvet Underground-- Doug Yule and Tucker (rejoining the group after her pregnancy) soldiered on for another year and a half touring, but it wasn't really the Velvet Underground by that point.

The remastering of the sound for this CD is quite amazing. For those of us that grew up with the original LP release, it's hard to believe they were able to pull the sound quality up to this degree.

This CD is essential for a few reasons. First, this was literally the END of the Velvet Underground. These two performances were either the very last or the nearly-very-last ones that took place before Lou Reed bolted. Secondly, what these recordings do so well, is nail down an exact place in time and history. Brigid Polk and her cheap tape recorder not only recorded a couple of fantastic VU gigs, but she also recorded the clinking of glasses, across-the-table conversations, and the atmosphere of Max's Kansas City. As another reviewer stated, just close your eyes and you're there.

As for the music, though sound fidelity for obvious reasons isnt primo, it shines through. Doug Yule's brother, Billy, was filling in for a pregnant Moe Tucker on drums and contrary to many, I feel he did a great job. Moe is very good at what she does, but Billy's Rock 'N' Roll drumkit was understated and classy. Some say he was too "frilly" or "fancy"...well, he is a Rock Drummer for cryin' out loud and I think he did great. So There! Sterling, as ever, was immaculate, and Lou sang in a pained and beautiful voice...as if he knew what he was about to do (quit).

Before this disc was OFFICIALLY released, it was slotted to contain several rehearsal tracks. Once it WAS released, well, most of those rehearsal tracks were withheld. My suggestion to you? Try to seek out the ADVANCE PROMO COPY of this disc. It contains rehearsal tracks and a "hidden" 11 minute conversation between Patti Smith and another unnamed denizen of that era.

Here's another live set that I preferred over the popular favorite. The Live 69 set always seemed muddy and unlively to me. The Max's set, while lo-fi, finds the band in a much more relaxed setting and in fine form.

The lo-fi aspect of these recordings has been overstated, in my opinion. Those who purchased the Bootleg Series set will find this to be on par or better in terms of fidelity. The overall ambiance allows one to close the eyes and be right in the club.

The two sets recorded this night (the last night Reed was with the band?) show the Velvets as a tight rock n roll band. I think the ballads are some of Lou Reeds finest recorded vocals.

Velvets fans should buy this just because of the extra songs. The curious should check it out as a fine historical document. This was rock n roll.

Though I miss Mo Tucker's drumming on this concert recording (she was on hiatus having a baby at the time!) the sound quality is noticeably improved over the original edition. You also get an extended version of 'Some Kinda Love' and nice live versions of 'Candy Says' and 'I'm Set Free' on this remastered deluxe version. Sell your copy of the old version and get this!

...none other than Jim Carroll, poet, novelist, Velvet Underground enthusiast, and future rock and roller, responsible for "People Who Died" and other great songs. He and Brigid Polk, who taped this record, apparently sat at the same table that night at Max's!

Those new to the Velvet Underground or looking for good live material should first purchase both volumes of the "Live 1969" collection. The 1969 sets were professionally recorded and also feature drummer Mo Tucker, who was not on stage for the Max's KC gig. After digesting Live '69, this disc is worth exploring for a couple of reasons. First, this concert, recorded on a hand-held cassette recorder on 8-23-70, would prove to be Lou Reed's last appearance with the VU until the 1990's. (The band performed additional concerts at Max's KC without Reed and over the next couple years was "led" by Doug Yule. This version of the band, which also included Tucker, released a 1973 import-only album "Squeeze" before disbanding.) So despite the fact that the sound quality is not of the highest fidelity and the foundation of the band is missing, its still a good addition the the VU discography. The setting is intimate and Reed seems relaxed performing before a hometown audience. The set also features songs from the 1970 "Loaded" album which was recorded in the spring and early summer. In summary the relaxed playfulness of "Live At Max's KC" provides an interesting contrast to the focused intensity of the "Live 1969" discs.

For those of you who have the old vinyl (1 album) version of this you might as well throw it away or better yet trade it in if there's a store around that takes them still. The job they've done on remastereing the sound is superb. Even better than some studio releases I've heard. Really! Not to mention it's a 2 disc set with another whole set thrown in. I was at that show & remember it well. You might not know that this is a bootleg recording if it wasn't for the crowd talking. But you can overlook that because the music sounds more up front now than before. I won't get into reviewing all the songs because this would be too long. Besides those of you who own the old version already know how good the show was anyway. Those of you who don't will really appreciate this too. The last performance with Lou Reed and leaving on a high note at that. One of the most underated bands of all time. They only got their recognition many years later. A must have for all fans. P.s. Even the vinyl has been out of print for many years. One last note, the crowd really makes you feel like you're right there on the floor or at the bar.

This was one of the first VU albums I heard as a kid. A classmate (who I was in a garage band with) had it and we damn near wore out the grooves. It inspired us to get a different bass player and do most of the songs on that record. It sounded great until my buddy's mom said we couldn't play with him 'cause she didn't like his look.

I just recently got this record on CD and had forgotten how great it is. Yeah, the sound quality blows. But, keep in mind, it IS the Velevet Underground. Playing's great. Energy's fantastic. Lou's singing is top notch. And best of all, a fan yells out a request for "Heroin". Lou flatly responds, "We don't do Heroin". You can't write that kinda stuff.