LIVE

This is the ultimate Roxy Live album. When I reviewed Viva! I mentioned that most of their giant numbers were not represented. It was slightly corrected, in a way, with "Heart Still Beating" in 1990.

What the fan gets here, is what he has expected from Roxy during the last twenty-five years or so. Like the cover mentions : "The Best Of Roxy Music - Live In Concert". As it was a reunion tour, Roxy had no album to support, so they offered a kaleidoscope of their fabulous repertoire.

The original line-up (except Eno unfortunately) was re-united for the occasion. As a guest, Chris Spedding was playing rythm guitar. It is quite remarkable that after having the bass player from The Vibrators (Gary Tibbs featured on Manifesto and Flesh+Blood) they enrolled another member of this association (you know the one reponsible for pogo dancing : one goes up, must come down!) with Chris Spedding.

Roxy had the brilliant idea to include very old numbers in this tour. What a nice gift to its old fan database (to which I belong). I saw this tour and it was quite a pleasant concert I must say.

Even their great debut album is featured with three of its most interesting songs (but all of them were great, IMO) : "Re-Make-Re-Model", "Ladytron" and "Virginia Plain" featured on the CD remastered version. Four songs from "For Your Pleasure" : the title track, "Do the Strand", "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" and "Editions of You" which is totally devastating here (almost punkish). The best three songs from their third album sit here as well : "Street Life", "A Song For Europe" and an extraordinary version of "Mother Of Pearl".

My only regret is that their last two albums from their early days (the one I like the most, by far honestly) are under-represented. Only "Out Of The Blue", (wonderfully played) from "Country Life". I would have liked to hear "Casanova" and "Prairie Rose" but these tracks were only played live during the "Country Life" supporting tour).

From "Siren" we get "Both Ends Burning" for the third time in a row on a live album. This version is far much better than the one available on "Heart Still Beating". The second and last number from "Siren" is of course "Love Is The Drug" which has been played in each Roxy tour since 1975. "Whirlwind" and "Sentimental Fool" would have been great as well.

From their second era, I really miss "Manifesto" (but it was featured on "Concerto") and "Same Old Scene". The remaining numbers are not really my cup of tea in terms of studio albums (you can read my review to get details, but each one was rated with two stars) so getting them live do not really change my mind about them.

If, like me, you are a Roxy maniac, you'll create your own "Best Of - Roxy Live" compilaton from their four live offical albums. If you are a casual fan, I highly recommend this one. Four stars.