A good -- and transitional -- live album

There are very few "perfect" live albums on the market. Recording a concert is not nearly as clean or easy as studio gigs. But for me, this album, recorded during the BRIGADE tour, captures the true feel of a Heart concert from the late 80s/early 90s era.

The interesting thing about this album is that it is not a complete record of the BRIGADE concert. The selection of songs is very telling: the album centres around the hard rock tunes from that era and ignores the big hits like "These Dreams", "Alone", "All I Want to Do...", etc., and the keyboard-drenched schmaltz of "Secret" and "I Didn't Want to Need You". And the "hits" that are included, such as "If Looks Could Kill" and "Who Will You Run To," sound infinitely better than the original versions, with the preponderance for keyboards eliminated and the guitars brought back to the forefront of the sound. This is an album that reminds listeners that Heart had not forgotten how to rawk, even during the time that the band was releasing slickly produced Top 40 lightweight fluff. This album is also an important step between BRIGADE and the next studio album DESIRE WALKS ON, which was much more hard-rockin' without the Top 40 commerciality of the 80s Heart albums. Its as if, with this album, Ann and Nancy were closing one chapter of the band's history and preparing us for the next.

The sound mix could be better, it is true. The audience comes through a bit too strongly at times. However, if you crank it up, you're given the feeling of being in the concert hall with 20,000 of your closest friends, hearing your favourite band performing some of its best rock.

Highlights are a nice performance of "How Can I Refuse", heavier-handed and reenergized versions of "Shell Shock" and "TDHS", very lovely versions of "Love Alive" and "Under the Sky", a wicked version of "The Night" and a slammin' performance of "Barracuda" (I challenge you to find a recording of the song at a faster tempo than this!)

All-in-all, a very pleasing album, one that I will always keep close at hand.

And rock they did.

I take a much more positive view of this live CD recorded in Worcester, MA in 1990 than the other reviewer. I believe it was released in 1991. What it is, is a good representation of a band who had a pop rock rebirth and did it well at that. Most of the songs on this CD are from the rebirth period and they certainly are not bad. "Shell Shock" is good as is "How Can I Refuse", a great song off the ill fated Passionworks LP. There's no "Magic Man" but there is "Love Alive" from the
Little Queen LP. The CD closes with "Barracuda". I paid very little for this CD and its a nice rock n' roll CD to have around. One thing is for certain: Ann Wilson's voice kicks some major [butt]

Not bad if you ask me

Although I am more in favor of hearing Heart in their Dreamboat Annie/Little Queen early days, I think this CD is good for their later hits though I am not farmiliar with some of the songs (I don't own any 80's heart CDs besides the greatest hits) and Ann and Nancy may not have written all of it but I still hear their talent and devotion pouring out. My favorite "How can I refuse" which WAS written by them is probably their best of that era in my opinion.... You can't stay the same forever. Have an open mind and try this CD out. Barracuda never sounded so rockin!