Live

As one of the founding fathers of today's heavy metal rock music, Iron Butterfly has them power, drive, and sound that made them unique in the world of rock music. This live album serves as a testament to that fact. Eventhough the recordings of live concerts from the late 1960's through the mid 1980's was primative at best (by today's standards), this live recording of Iron Butterfly captures most of the groups best music durring their prime as a chart-topping group of that era. This is a "must-have" for all Iron Butterfly fans.

The first five tracks are decent versions, but if you are interested it for a version of "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" that's two minutes longer, forget it. First off, it's a shade too fast. Then somewhere along the way, bassist Lee Dorman and guitarist Erik Brann get bored with the signature ostinato that made the song great in the first place. And if they'd based this album on a wider range of performances, or hadn't begrudged us an extra song, they could have ended with the "Iron Butterfly Theme". I saw them during the tour supporting the "Ball" release and they ended the show with that one by Brann putting his axe in the stand with the last note still sustaining as he walked offstage until the local DJ who acted as emcee came out and shut it off before msking his last announcement.

For some unexplainable reason(s),I've never been able to much get into this live album.To anyone who's often taken a look at my reviews,I usually love live lp's.Oh,'Live' isn't terrible,it just isn't 'great' either,as most other fans have noted that it's one of the best live albums from that era.Only two cuts here I even liked were "Soul Experience" and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Too bad this disc didn't have "The Iron Butterfly Theme".Now,THAT might've made a huge difference.

Not much more I can say than that...

Even a year later...we still miss you Erik.

-Your "Lil Bro", Jon

Iron Butterfly was a great band. this takes tracks from their first 3 albums. (all of the concert from that tour is on the cd, except some shows had 2 different tracks played instead of others on that tour. The Iron Butterfly Theme and Flowers & Beads)

As for this show. The only bad things is some feedback during In The Time Of Our Lives and Some woman singing during the drum solo in In A Gadda Da Vida.

The good? Solid musicianship, great solos. Vocals tight and perfect. and a good setlist. The only tune i would have loved was Belda Beast from the Ball album. Otherwise it is a good representation of their songs. The poppier You Can't Win, The heavier Time of our lives, filled with fear & are you happy. The lighter sounds of Soul Experience & the total psychadelic, acid trip of Vida.

For fans of the group it isnt ALL you can find (some stuff is available on bootleg, even some REAL good sounding radio broadcast stuff) But it is a good live album as a whole.

For the non fans, it isnt a good way to introduce yourself to the band (Light & Heavy best of is better) but if you are a live rock concert buff, it ranks up there.