Customer Reviews

Zombie Live

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a unique personality and musical force to be reckoned with for almost twenty years now, it was only a matter of time before Rob Zombie's outlandish and outrageous live show was captured and released on CD (or DVD?). Afterall, aside from Trent Reznor, Rob has possibly the largest selection of non-album releases to choose from in the rock genre. So, honestly, who didn't see this one coming? "Zombie Live" is a fully comprehensive live set recorded during the 2006 "Educated Horses" Tour that spans both his solo career and his past days in White Zombie.

As far as the track listing goes, it couldn't possibly be more jam-packed with hits and classics than it already is. Although more White Zombie material would have been much appreciated -- as it is, we are only treated to five songs from that era -- the fact that we got any at all is a treat. The instantly recognizable, iconic tunes like "Dragula" and "More Human Than Human" sit amongst some more obscure but solid songs like "Dead Girl Superstar," "Creature Of The Wheel," and "Demon Speeding." For the most part, Rob's backing band -- which consists of the legendary John 5 on guitar, Piggy D on bass and Tommy Clufetos on drums -- performs the songs with ease, with the lone exception of "Living Dead Girl" which stutters and stumbles, trying to capture what made the original great. You would think with such a great player as John 5 on hand that the original compositions would be open for some retooling and tinkering, but unfortunately, the band pretty much sticks to format here.

The album is, overall, a pleasant listen for any fan that plays almost like a "Greatest Hits" of sorts. The sound quality is superb, and surely it's worth picking up for the Zombie enthusiast. But it's main downfall is that it does not include the previously promised DVD. A Live DVD would surely be more interesting, especially with all the effort Rob Zombie puts into his live show, and the fact that the DVD portion was left off is a bit vexing. But, the record label promises it will surface in the Spring, and this CD is pretty cheap in most places, so it's kinda hard to knock it.

.....a few weeks ago, this was supposed to be a cd-dvd with a great art-book. As it turns out, no art-book (that I can go without) and, even worse, no dvd (that annoyed me quite a bit). That's right : no live footage, no animated videos. It seems that the live dvd will be released around spring 2008. In other words : we'll have to wait four or six more months before it comes out. So, yes, this live album is awsome, it rocks hard and Rob Zombie is still a genius. But it's not the audio/visual fest I was waiting for. However, I must insist on one point : this live album is f**king great. And sorry about my bad english : I'm from europe and doing my best.

rob zombie,s zombie live was released just in time for halloween of 2007.i really like most of this album.iv,e also heard that rob was going to release a live dvd in relation to this live album so far that hasn,t happened hopefully it will.for me the best of this great live record is;american witch,demon speeding,more human than human,house of 1000 corpses,super charger heaven,black sunshine,demonoid phenomenon,superbeast,dragula and thunder kiss65!!for any zombie fan this album would be a very good choice!!!

Just saw Rob Zombie with Ozzy Osbourne...it was a great show. I wanted more so I bought this album...if your a Zombie fan then you will enjoy this, especially if you want to hear the guitar work of John 5.

i like rob zombie since the white zombie days from the 1st cd that they made for geffen back in the early 90's when rob had used the islamic call for prayer that he picked from the movie the exorcist and no one knew what that sound was, but it was back then that zombie was not in his 40s, for many of the fans that had bought this cd and i have to say that in bahrain zombie is a known star right next to alice cooper cause his fun and hard rockin'. anyway i think that some fans didnt like this cd much just cause they wanted a copy of what he made in the 90s which will never happen 1st cause his aint in his 20s or early 30s + his aint with white zombie - its a new band and i have to say that they are on top of the bill - long live zombie and i hope a dvd will be out soon

This is a great live CD. I listen to it over and over. It has all my favorites. Rob Zombie is a very talented performer.

The Good
If you've never seen a Zombie live show, then your missing out on one powerful experience. The best thing about the performance is the energy it puts out, because the stage show is usually very minimal. There's just something about Rob's band and his stage presence that captivated you for the entire set. Zombie live does a great job of translating that into an aural experience.

For anyone that has heard it, you know that zombie's last album Educated Horses sucked. Somehow the live version of "American Witch" surpasses the studio version by leaps and bounds. The same can be said for "Let It All Bleed Out." In addition to the Educated Horses tracks, Zombie delivers the hits of course; "Demon Speeding," "Living Dead Girl," "More Human Than Human," "Never Gonna Stop," "Thunder Kiss 65," and "Dragula." The other remaining tracks are a mish-mash of newer Zombie cuts and rarities.

The Bad
A hits collection in 2003, a new studio album in 2006...then another hits collection in 2006, and now a live album in 2007. Enough with the old material, fans would rather have new material. And material better than Educated Horses. We can wait.

The set list is a little lop-sided. Four tracks are from Educated Horses, but song like Feel So Numb and any Zombie cover are missing. Also, don't expect Zombie to sound exactly like he does on his albums. It's not easy creating those vocal effects live. It's most noticeable on "More Human Than Human."

The Verdict
Zombie Live captures and delivers the power and energy that you experience in person at your local club or arena.

If anyone has had a chance to see Rob Zombie in concert knows how great he is live. With that being said, fans who have not seen him in person might not fully appreciate this cd. Listening to this cd, you do lose a lot of the studio effects which makes his music great. But don't let this turn you away from experiencing Zombie live. This cd will be mainly for hardcore Zombie fans.

Whether or not you like him more pre or post-White Zombie, you have to admit that Rob Zombie throws an incredible live performance, which is the basis of "Zombie Live". The legendary frontman of White Zombie, Rob saw his career take off even more after the disbanding of the beloved group, as his solo career took off and he broke into horror film making as well. "Zombie Live" finds Rob tearing into his past material, which spans both his White Zombie and solo days, and features songs from both eras that you would expect to hear at a live show from Rob Zombie. White Zombie classics "Thunder Kiss '65", "Black Sunshine", "Supercharger Heaven", and "More Human Than Human" are all here, as are solo hits like "Dragula", "Living Dead Girl", and "Never Gonna Stop". Zombie himself sounds great, as does the rest of the band (which also features former Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5), and the sound quality is quite fine as well. What's most disappointing about "Zombie Live" however is that more material from his White Zombie days isn't included here. Sure, the big hits from the band are here, but it would have been nice had more material been included (I for one would have loved to hear "Blood, Milk, and Sky" and maybe even "Feed the Gods" live). That aside, "Zombie Live" is a great live album from Rob Zombie, and let's just hope the live DVD will be on the way soon so those who have never seen him live can at least get an idea of how great it is to see Rob Zombie perform live.

It really breaks my heart to give this album 1 star. I've been a die-hard fan since 1999 (and still am!) and I have seen Rob Zombie live somewhere close to 20 times. I love these song selections on this disc! This is an amazing set list. He even went as far as rehearsing some old White Zombie songs that they literally have NOT played since WZ (Creature of the Wheel, Black Sunshine).

All I can say is...Zombie doesnt sound anything like this live. I know that may sound weird to someone who has never experienced it. But he is waaaay better live. His voice is raspy in a good hard rock kind of way. It's always fun listening to him talk inbetween songs to the crowd. He's a funny and witty guy, and cracks some jokes and it's just really fun to hear what he is going to say next! These songs are really polished. I know that sounds like a good thing...who wants to listen to crappy garage band tapes or something? Well, it's not like that. It's just...live there is usually a "live" quality to it. Each show is unique. Heavy. Dark. These songs are missing that. They are so clean. It sounds like he went back in the studio because he didnt like what he sounded like and really fixed it up. It doesnt even sound as heavy as it should be. It's really boring and lifeless. I don't know why. This is truely a VERY bad example of what it is like to be at a Zombie show. He doesnt talk at all on this disc. I understand that you would think its better to just save space and play more songs...well, you'd have to see it to know what I mean.

If you want to hear what a great live album is, listen to Marilyn Manson's "Last Tour On Earth". Even if you are not a Manson fan, just do a little experiment and listen to that all the way through, and listen to this all the way through and compare. I think you will find that Manson's has some life in it. The songs are performed slightly differently than they are on the album versions...there might be some mistakes. What he talked about is fun to listen to. I find myself skipping to those segments when showing friends. It's cool because it gives the listener an idea of the rockstars personality. The vocals are strong and powerful. This album is just weak. And it's a shame because like I said the song set list is really good.

Do yourself a favor and go see a Zombie show in person, or if you can't, look something up. Find a bootleg. Anything. This is NOT a true representation of Zombie live. It doesnt give him justice. I've seen him sooo many times. And he is better than this. The songs just sound flat and uninteresting...and these are some of his biggest hits. I dont know what they did in the studio...but someone screwed up.

Buy all his other cds though. He is truely an amazing and artistic guy. I can't say enough good things about him. I absolutely love this mans work. I think he is one of the greatest out there. Go out and get Hellbilly Deluxe 1 and 2 most importantly for a great introduction if you like groovy industrial dark rock! This album sounds like its from some random hard rock/80s metal band. Not that I dislike those genres...but it's NOT Rob Zombie. ...You'll see what I mean.

And btw, this wasnt even his best tour. It was recorded during the Godsmack/Zombie outdoor ampitheater tour. The sound is just not the same as a concert hall. His stage show was at it's weakest (still better than any other band out there)...he's got the best live gigs now for the Hellbilly Deluxe 2 tour.