Customer Reviews

Operation: Livecrime

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Queensryche for the most part is one of the forgotten bands of the late 80s & early 90s. Known mostly for their "Pink Floyd" like song "Silent Lucidity". This shouldn't be the case.

The making of the Operation Mindcrime album back in the early 90s stands alone as monument to strong, talented, original, and bold creativity in the music industry. The best "concept" album since "Tommy" by the Who, and the best still.

Live Crime captures this "Live", as if you hadn't guessed already. Having actually attended the concert I can tell you first hand it's an incredible show, and the clear translation to the CD is beautiful. The Duet on "Sweet Sister Mary" captures the range of Geof Tate's incredible vocals, "The Needle Lies" the unmistakeable talent of Eddie Jackson's Bass skill, Anarchy-X the almost Neil Peart caliber of Scott Rockenfeld's drumming, and the powerful duo of Michael Wilton & Chris Degarmo resonates throughout the entire album. Not many bands can lay claim to serious & unequivicable talent. Queensryche does. And you can capture that talent for yourself from "Live Crime".

Queensryche is a Heavy Metal band, yes. In a day where Metal has fallen to Punk. But their influence upon the music world will be long standing due greatly to the effect of this album.

Give it a try. Dissappointment will be the farthest thing from your mind.

Now THIS is Queensryche!

A Pal of mine and I were lucky enough to see 'Ryche on this headlining tour in Muskegon, Michigan, and I remember being totally blown away by the spectacle of it all. Operation: Mindcrime is one of the greatest albums ever recorded (and performed) and this re-release (Operation: LIVECrime) captures every blistering note and catchy melody.

Speaking of lucky, I was of sound mind enough to buy the CD/Video of Operation: LIVECrime when it was first released way back when. I remember I wasn't too thrilled with the video portion of it (they chose to use a slower-than-normal frame speed so the whole thing seemed to be in slow motion), but the overall effect was stunning. I wonder if the soon-to-be-released DVD will look the same? Will it be a CD/DVD package?

Anyway, these Mindcrime songs are absolutely brilliant. "Revolution Calling," "Operation: Mindcrime," "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger" are dynamic, powerful songs, which sound their best when performed by the original line-up that created them. (See my comments on their recently released Live Evolution CD.)

This re-release contains two songs that weren't on the original release: "The Lady Wore Black" and "Roads to Madness," both of which are very exciting and fun to listen to.

I highly recommend this vintage Queensryche live CD!

In 1988, a band called Queensryche blew the minds of everyone who heard a little ole record called "Operation Mindcrime". It was a story/concept album about a man in the Reagan era who joins up with an underground organiztion hell-bent on assasinating corrupt politicians and taking the country back. The album was a huge success for the band and went down as many's favorite concept album of all time. In my opinion, they never quite duplicated the genius of it all (even though they went on to do some really great stuff), "Mindcrime" is still one of my faves.

Thirteen years later, the band releases "Operation Livecrime" which is the way it should have been released to begin with since it was tailor made to be played live. Having been burned so many times on live albums, I was a little leary of buying a live album I'd never heard, but I decided to take the gamble and do it anyway. It was worth it. If anything at all, they sound even better live than in the studio. Geoff Tate never sounded better and the band is just phenomenal. Hearing it done live makes the whole thing even more emotional and dramatic.

Hearing the whole thing played, track for track, gives an old favorite a more real feel and also gives the experience an extra boost. Again, I'm just mesmerized by how good they sound live. It's truly unbelievable. Any Queensryche fan should own this, even if you aren't a big fan of live albums. I'll be waiting for the Dvd.

For a long time the Holy Grail for Queensryche fans, "Operation: Livecrime" is a live recording of the band's "Operation: Mindcrime" album, recorded on the "Empire" tour. Out of print for nearly a decade, this reissue was a welcome sight for fans who were long seeking this. Like all the Queensryche reissues (although it was released long prior to it) this one is augmented by bonus tracks.

The performance itself is a fine reading of the album, if you own the record, you know what to expect (if you don't, get the studio version right away). In fact, if there's a complaint to be made, its that it is a nearly note-perfect reading of the record. Sonically, it all sounds quite nice, its a modern live recording though, I really have high standards for these.

The bonus material is reasonable-- "The Lady Wore Black" and "Roads to Madness" live from the same tour.

In the end, this recording adds very little to the experience of the album, but its worth having for fans.

This is a great disc! I remember listening to the studio disc over and over when it came out and then the limited edition video and live CD came out and my girlfriend gave me one of the best presents I ever received for Christmas. Yes, it was the limited edition LIVECRIME set! It's hard to believe how good these 5 people are live. I have seen them 4 times and they continue to amaze me with their ability to make the stage sound like a studio.

Queensryche is one of about 20 bands from my lifetime that I honestly consider artists. They amaze me constantly with great music. LIVECRIME, of course has the same great songs as OPERATION:MINDCRIME, with the exception of 2 bonus tracks, which are very good, particularly "The Lady Wore Black". Every song here is a sensation to the ears, of course, you need them all for the great story anyway. My favorites, for those of you unfamiliar with the mindcrime saga, are "Revolution Calling", "Spreading the Disease", "the Needle Lies", "Breaking the Silence", and "Eyes of a Stranger". The song I absolutely love is "I Don't Believe in Love".

Superb vocals, great lyrics, intoxicating performances, and imaginative music, that's what awaits you inside OPERATION:LIVECRIME. You can't go wrong with this or the studio version. I practically guarantee if you buy one you will buy the other. I'd say this was the performance of a lifetime, but these guys are great everytime they play. Get it!

When compared to the 'Mindcrime Suite' found on 'Live Evolution', this is definitely the better of the two performances: More polished in every respect. I'm not sure the orchestra was the correct choice however. As far as sound quality goes, I don't really care for the in-your-face mix with all the eq levels peaking at once, it makes for a tiring listen after awhile. Think a very loud cd, which isn't always a good thing regardless of who's performing.

First off, this is the best live c.d. i've ever heard in my entire life. The production is BRILLIANT!!! I have to say that I actually like this version better than the original studio version. Songs like eyes of a stranger, suite sister mary, and the mission all are very moving and powerful. The two bonus tracks are also excellent. Well the original version has been one of my favorite albums for years. To hear it performed live is a real treat. I would recommend this album for any fan of true classic heavy metal. You won't be dissapointed!!!! Other ryche albums to check out The Warning, and Rage for Order.

Opereation Mindcrime is a masterpiece that its hard to top. Queensryche had released this live set in a special edition CD - VHS a few years ago and now is available for the first type on a separate CD and DVD. This is truly a one of a kind live performance. Every band member is 100% into the performance and specially Geoff Tate (singer) shows that he is one of the best voices in hard rock. Both this CD and now the DVD are a must for hard rock and progressive rock fans. In order to make this re-issue more apealing extra tracks have been added but the original music is what really matters in this recording.

I have been dying for this album to be re-issued for a long time now, and now it is finally here. Alas, I can definately say that it WAS worth the wait. All the tracks have been remastered, and the sound is impeccable and in-your-face. Of course, we get Mindcrime performed live in its entirety, one of the most highly acclaimed prog and hard rock albums in recent memory, and for good reason. The performance is high-energy and enduring. The band is in fine form, and Geoff Tate shows why he is a consumate showman, and one of the best singers in rock music today. In addition to all this, we get two excellent bonus tracks, The Lady Wore Black and Roads To Madness, long two of my favorite Queensryche tracks. I call this album a must for any QR fan. Even if you have the original box set, I reccommend picking this up, anyway, because of the remastering and the two added tracks. A highly worthy live album.

Queensryche's decision to perform Operation: Mindcrime in its entirety during the Building Empires tour was one of the band's most important artistic decisions. Formerly available in a boxed set, this disc desperately needed to be re-released. So it's about time! A lot of work went into the performance. Animated sequences illustrating the progression of the story, live performances by Pamela Moore as the wailing Sister Mary... you know, the works. It's an awesome show - a little less slick than the studio version, all the rugged energy of the live setting, the deafening roar of the crowd.

For the most part, it's Operation: Mindcrime, note for note. Only occasionally are there modifications, as on the extended interlude of "Spreading the Disease." Still, "Suite Sister Mary" gives me massive chills every time I hear it. Moore gets very, uh, sexual for her performance here. "Eyes of the Stranger," the album's best song, is far more powerful. For the re-release, a pair of great bonus tracks were added: "Roads to Madness," the band's progressive epic, and the power ballad "The Lady Wore Black." If Operation: Mindcrime is one of your favorite albums (and it definitely is for a lot of people!), this is the disc to own.