Customer Reviews

Showtime

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You can't go wrong with a live J. Geils Band album. These guys were born to be on stage and during their '70s halcyon days, a better live rock & boogie band could you find.

Unfortunately, "Showtime" covers live material from the band's least creative (albeit most commercial) period -- the late '70s/early '80s. Their previous live recordings -- "Full House" and "Blow Your Face Out" -- are vastly superior, but having all three live albums certainly provides fans with a great retrospective of J. Geils concerts over the years.

If you like hot, sweaty, blues-based boogie rock played with a good-time frenetic approach, J. Geils is the band for you and any of their aforementioned live albums will represent nicely. But, as I said, by virture of the more pedestrian material covered here, "Showtime" is the weakest of the band's live efforts.

Finally, not that true fans need a history/geography lesson, but J. Geils Band formed in the bars, pubs and clubs of Boston... NOT Detroit. The previous reviewer seems confused. Perhaps because Geils had a song called "Detroit Breakdown" he assumed it was were the band hailed from. They are, however, from Beantown.

Anyway, former lead singer Peter Wolf continues to make great solo CDs -- check them out, too; especially "Sleepless."

This CD is out-of-print in the U.S. It showcases a unique band at their peak and blows the roof off of similiar live albums of the time --no overdubs, lots of comedic interplay between bandmates. The horn section could "...turn goat milk into gasoline" as the Blues Brothers once commented, and Peter Wolf belts with the best. DO NOT be fooled by its anonymity -- this is a true-collector's classic.

This album holds a special place in my heart. I was at one of the six(!) dates they did at Pine Knob Music Theater (Clarkston, MI), my first concert. Basically, this is a snap-shot of those shows. It's about 1/3 of the actual concert, it makes you want more. This includes hits like "Centerfold" and "Love Stinks", but it's gems like "I'm Falling" and "Stoop Down #39" that make it a great album. From the start of "Jus' Can't Stop Me" to the last cheers of "Land of a Thousand Dances", this album takes me back to being 11 years old and getting my first rock-n-roll experience. What a way to start!

When I was 12 years old, Showtime! (1982) by the J. Geils Band was the first album I ever bought with my own money. This is a classic live album that was recorded at Pine Knob Music Theater in September 1982. To me, Pine Knob is still Pine Knob, not DTE Energy Music Theater. This album is lively, entertaining, and never dull. Lead vocalist Peter Wolf is at his best. The songs on this album are as follows:

1. Just Can't Stop Me
2. Just Can't Wait
3. Till the Walls Come Tumblin' Down
4. Sanctuary
5. I'm Falling
6. Love Rap
7. Love Stinks
8. Stoop Down #39
9. I Do
10.Centerfold
11.Land of a Thousand Dances

Any band will tell you that Detroit is the best (or their favorite) city to play live in. This live album is from one of the great rock bands that embrace a working class city like Detroit - The J. Geils Band. I highly recommend it.

This live CD won't have the impact on you, as did "Full House" or "Blow Your Face Out," and it is recorded on the down slope of the bands career, still, if you are a fan, this should be in your collection. Live, J. Geils always seemed to speed through their repertoire like the house was on fire and "Showtime" proves it. I bought this to complete my collection of one of America's great bands. Thank God for The J. Geils Band!

Baby baby baby, remember Mooba Gooba with the green teeth? No? Oh yeah that was on the other live disc Face Out. Remember CENTERFOLD?!

The commercially succesful years of the J.Geils band are actually my least favorite, Freeze Frame has some good tunes, but they were weak in comparison to the earlier years of Geils. But the live stuff is always a win, even here on the bands third live release SHOWTIME. It includes that pop nugget that I mentioned before as well as LOVE STINKS, (even love stinks is pretty good on here!) but still goes to show how much those original bad boys of boston could really heat it up on stage--- check this bit out even if you've never heard those bits before. They made an effort not to overlap any songs from the first two live albums (both killer sets as well), covering a lot of material from the later years, SANCTUARY etc... But you get the energy and rawness of classic J.Geils rockaroll, The LAND OF 1000 DANCES is killer stuff, loud. And you get the skattin and beboppin all over from Mooba Gooba, and even some out right group shout along stuff. They got a little silly in the early eighties sure, but the live act was still nothing but solid. Don't overlook. But by all means get FULL HOUSE and FACE OUT too if you can!

The J.Geils Band's 1982 live album Showtime captures of the band at the height of its popularity.Showtime was recorded during the supporting tour for The J.Geils Band's 1981 breakthrough Freeze Frame.This probably works to the albums advantage,since the band is captured during the heigh of their popularity,and while they were still playing good.The one disadvantage of the album is that many fans know The J.Geils Band used to be a bluesier rock band,until the 1980's rolled around,so those who are looking for hits like Musta Got Lost, won't find any early material here.It's all from their years at EMI,so most selections are drawn from Sanctuary,Love Stinks and Freeze Frame with a few other songs thrown into the mix.Highlights include:Just Can't Wait,Love Stinks,I Do,the massage radio hit maybe their best known song Centerfold, and the closer Land of a Thousand Dances.A great live album,that captures an awesome band at the top of their game.

SHOWTIME was one of the best live albums the band made and it's even better on cd. Classic songs live. What more can one ask for. A must for any fan.

This band was just amazing live. This album captures their form at the height of their popularity. Anyone interested should definitely go for it and buy this one.

5 stars for the album 1 star for the remastering job, is the 08 version from rhino any better?