Best Of Renaud 1975-1985, The - Renaud

Advantages: A great live release from one of the great live acts of the last twenty-five years
Disadvantages: A lot of music if you're not a die hard fan, it's also pretty expensive and a newer, cheaper live release will be available imminently

...Never let it be said that Bruce Springsteen does things by half; while most of today's live acts are happy to churn out run-of-the-mill live albums every 5 years or so, when The Boss finally released a live recording it was something to write home about and really gives a flavour of how good he is on stage. Live recordings made with the E-Street Band (who he recently again toured with after a long absence, a tour from which a new live release is due in April 2001) between 1975 and 1985, the 3-CD set contains 40 tracks making up nearly four hours of music and every minute of it is fantastic; no Springsteen fan should be without this. The tracks are very different to their studio counterparts and he clearly puts his all into every one. The energy and musicianship is beyond reproach. Picking stand-out tracks is tough since it's all... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Three and a Half Hours of Some of the best live rock you'll ever hear
Disadvantages: A Lot To Get Through

...Released in 1986 as a five LP boxed set, this is now available on three CDs and is still a definitive collection of Springsteen's live performance culled from concerts between 1975 and 1985, featuring no less than forty songs, some of which, obviously clock well over the ten minute mark. I'm unaware of any other mainstream artist who has released this size of a live album before or since. It showcases Springsteen with the East Street Band where he is best , in front of an audience. It's available for the bargain price of 17.99 GBP from Amazon UK , remember that every CD clocks over seventy minutes so we're talking three and a half hours of music here. Although I've no problem with Bruce in the studio, this album does manage to add an extra vibrancy to the songs contained within this package. It spans his career to date at the time so... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Springsteen at his very best
Disadvantages: bulky case...

..."There I was one night, just a normal guy. And then, there i was the next night, goddamn it, i was still a normal guy!" This is a superb compilation of Bruce's live gigs over 10 years, encompassing almost all of his very best songs from that period, peaking with the rendition of Darkness on The Edge of Town, which is streets ahead of the original, packed with power, passion and feeling, an amazing song in it's own right, but add to it the 39 other superb tracks, from 4th Of July, Asbury Park, to Born in the USA via Clarence Clemmons' saxophonic opus "Paradise by the "C" ", and Growin Up, the song he sung to get his record deal, you have Bruce and the E-Street Band crystallised in one package. The only problem is that my copy has a scratch on disc 2, I dropped it onto concrete... A lot of live compilations have a weak track here... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful