THE RUNAWAYS
LIVE IN JAPAN (1977)
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After two albums for Mercury that produced mixed artistic results and few commercial gains, this Los Angeles quintet took their act to Japan and found itself welcomed as stars. Though the tour was reported to be very rough on all five members (and bassist Jackie Fox quit the band before the tour's final show), this live recording shows just what they were capable of. Freed from the daily abuse of Kim Fowley's svengali-like machinations and pumped up by adoring Japanese fans, the quintet unleashed their full rock `n' roll spirit. Signature originals, "Queens of Noise," "California Paradise," "Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin" and "American Nights" finally became the teen anthems they were written to be, and covers of The Troggs' "Wild Thing" and Lou Reed's "Rock `n' Roll" rock harder than their studio counterparts. Originally released in Japan, and subsequently in Canada, this was a collector's item for nearly thirty years before seeing CD reissue.
As on their studio albums, Sandy West proved herself the motor of the band's muscular rock. In contrast to their studio recordings, the bass and rhythm guitars push the band with plenty of bottom end, and Lita Ford's lead guitar is more powerful for its restraint. Cherie Currie and Joan Jett are both in fine voice throughout, with Currie really acquitting herself as a true rock singer - albeit still a theatrical one. Those who saw the original Runaways quintet live know just how they were shortchanged by Fowley's jailbait marketing and the anemic, sludgy sound of their studio albums. Playing live, even as Currie strutted the stage in her corset and fishnets the group never failed to rock. There are a few bum notes and miscues here and there, but this live album is proof that the Runaways were a lot more rock band than Kim Fowley initially envisioned or ever really wanted to admit.
As on their studio albums, Sandy West proved herself the motor of the band's muscular rock. In contrast to their studio recordings, the bass and rhythm guitars push the band with plenty of bottom end, and Lita Ford's lead guitar is more powerful for its restraint. Cherie Currie and Joan Jett are both in fine voice throughout, with Currie really acquitting herself as a true rock singer - albeit still a theatrical one. Those who saw the original Runaways quintet live know just how they were shortchanged by Fowley's jailbait marketing and the anemic, sludgy sound of their studio albums. Playing live, even as Currie strutted the stage in her corset and fishnets the group never failed to rock. There are a few bum notes and miscues here and there, but this live album is proof that the Runaways were a lot more rock band than Kim Fowley initially envisioned or ever really wanted to admit.
1. Queens Of Noise
2. California Paradise
3. All Right You Guys
4. Wild Thing
5. Gettin Hot
6. Rock N Roll
7. You Drive Me Wild
8. Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin
9. I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are
10. Cherry Bomb
11. American Nights
12. Cmon
2. California Paradise
3. All Right You Guys
4. Wild Thing
5. Gettin Hot
6. Rock N Roll
7. You Drive Me Wild
8. Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin
9. I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are
10. Cherry Bomb
11. American Nights
12. Cmon
3 comments:
allmusic gives this 2 stars. are you being really selective about what you post?
Ho! Do I love the critics...
First of all, if Allmusic is a very fine, one I regularily visit, it's not the Holy Bible or anything. These are PEOPLE writing reviews according to their own taste and perception of one album, one artist...
Then, did you, Mr. Anonymous, read the review? If not, read it. And did you read Allmusic's review? To save you some time, I'll put it here:
"Because the Runaways were much better known in Japan than the U.S., it stands to reason that their only live album was recorded in that country. This hard to find LP was available in the U.S. only as a Japanese import and sold for around ten to 12 dollars, which was a lot to pay for vinyl in the late '70s. But American Runaways fans who were willing to make that investment found a lot to admire about the album, which boasted superior sound quality (by '70s standards) and explosive, uninhibited versions of "You Drive Me Wild," "Cherry Bomb," "California Paradise," and other hard rock pearls. The original Runaways lineup (Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West) was still in place, and the rockers' primary focus is on material from The Runaways and Queens of Noise. Holding nothing back, Ford is at her most metallic. Except for a handful of bootlegs, Live in Japan is the only documentation of the Runaways on stage".
You see, it's not a two stars review.
Now, please, check this album, and decide for yourself if it was worth posting and if New Moodswings standards are high enough but, FYI, I only post artists or albums I enjoy here and 90% of it comes from my own collection of original CDs.
rate your music has (unfairly) low scores too. My theory as to why they're low is that blokes like us overwhelmingly will be doing the scoring or critiquing(sp?). Unfortunately many blokes like us come with added misogyny when it comes to who should and shouldn't be playing rock. L7 and Babes in Toyland deserve better scores for their key works for instance imoh. Just a theory...
Thank you for the music.
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