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CD
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ever since I first saw Elvis Costello in 1977 I've thought the Attractions were one of the all time great backing bands - not that there'd have been much point without Costello and his many excellent songs - and this CD doesn't alter that perception at all.
It expands on - and borrows the sleeve design from - the 3 track live EP that was given away with early pressings of Armed Forces six months later; more tracks have found their way onto later reissues of Armed Forces but this complete recording of the Hollywood High concert on 4 June 1978 includes 11 that have never been issued before. There are no sleeve notes.
Vocally, Costello is on extremely fine form; it's a spirited and very live-sounding performance with a good selection of songs, including most of This Year's Model and 3 from the yet-to-be-recorded Armed Forces. The recording is good in terms of clarity, but it sounds like it was recorded directly off the PA without any further mixing, though the audience is far from inaudible. The sound is dominated by Steve Nieve's organ: whether deliberately or not, the guitar is very low in the mix most of the time and at times this does detract slightly from the enjoyment of the performance; this is particularly relevant on songs such as You Belong To Me. The bass isn't that loud either - a shame given Bruce Thomas is one of the finest bassists on the planet. The earlier songs, originally recorded with Clover, sound very different played by The Attractions, especially the single B-side Stranger In The House, which almost totally loses its country feel.
For fans of early Elvis Costello, and particularly of the Attractions, this is an essential and very welcome release, particularly as it is second of a series (the first volume was Live at El Mocambo, previously only available as part of a 1993 box set). I hope there will be further releases in this series, recordings from the Armed Forces and Get Happy tours with better sound balance would be nice. But this will do nicely for starters.
It expands on - and borrows the sleeve design from - the 3 track live EP that was given away with early pressings of Armed Forces six months later; more tracks have found their way onto later reissues of Armed Forces but this complete recording of the Hollywood High concert on 4 June 1978 includes 11 that have never been issued before. There are no sleeve notes.
Vocally, Costello is on extremely fine form; it's a spirited and very live-sounding performance with a good selection of songs, including most of This Year's Model and 3 from the yet-to-be-recorded Armed Forces. The recording is good in terms of clarity, but it sounds like it was recorded directly off the PA without any further mixing, though the audience is far from inaudible. The sound is dominated by Steve Nieve's organ: whether deliberately or not, the guitar is very low in the mix most of the time and at times this does detract slightly from the enjoyment of the performance; this is particularly relevant on songs such as You Belong To Me. The bass isn't that loud either - a shame given Bruce Thomas is one of the finest bassists on the planet. The earlier songs, originally recorded with Clover, sound very different played by The Attractions, especially the single B-side Stranger In The House, which almost totally loses its country feel.
For fans of early Elvis Costello, and particularly of the Attractions, this is an essential and very welcome release, particularly as it is second of a series (the first volume was Live at El Mocambo, previously only available as part of a 1993 box set). I hope there will be further releases in this series, recordings from the Armed Forces and Get Happy tours with better sound balance would be nice. But this will do nicely for starters.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Richard Hine
Format:MP3 Download
You may not have been on tenterhooks, but for EC completists, here at last is a 20-track set recorded at the Hollywood High on June 4, 1978. I'm still the proud owner of the original 3-track vinyl promotional "Live at the Hollywood High" EP of the show released in 1979, the cover of which famously featured the mangled title Adcicents Will Happen. I got happy when I saw I could download all 20 tracks and install them quickly on my iPod for under ten bucks. Got a little less happy when, upon hearing the intro to Lipstick Vogue, I realized I had heard it before. Watching my detective work, you would have seen a quick investigation to uncover the fact that I already had nine of these tracks on my Rhino Armed Forces 2-CD reissue from 2002. Maybe if I had committed all my liner notes to memory, I would have known that already. Then again, if I could keep track of all EC's recordings, reissues and repackaged products I would be a miracle man. If you want to hear a great live show, even if you already own Live At The El Mocambo, this might be the ticket. While you're waiting for the end of the world, you'll be transported back in time to a great high-energy gig, hear Elvis mocking "physical jerks" with a stronger London accent than you get from watching Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... (Season 1) [DVD] [2008], and enjoy some fun introductions to the three members of the Attractions, who EC claims are "feeling extremely unloved here in Hollywood."
Maybe you don't really need it. But that's no excuse not to pump it up.
Maybe you don't really need it. But that's no excuse not to pump it up.
6 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have always loved the EP and wanted to hear more
This is one of the best live CD's I own
Buy without hesitation!
This is one of the best live CD's I own
Buy without hesitation!
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