Cleveland '87

Despite the year of the show, this live album was actually released in 2003, in the wake of "Wage of Mayhem" and followed later by the band's comeback album, "Psycho Psycho". The show was recorded in Cleveland in 1987 during the tour promoting the album "Indulgence". Beside the very good set-list, the sound is pretty good: While it is quite clear, it preserves the rawer live feel and doesn't sound overpolished in studio. There's enough interaction with the crowd to remind you that it's a live album, but not too much as to become annoying (not like some albums where the band jerks around for 10-15 minutes.) You can almost feel the band's live energy coming through the speakers, another absolute requirement for a live album. Having seen them in 2003, I can say that this is as close to seeing them live as it gets (well, other than a DVD, of course. :)) There's nothing bad to say about this release, really. The booklet includes a few pictures and a short band biography.

I think I can put this one up there with such live albums as "Live After Death", "Skeletons in the Closet", "No Sleep 'Till Hammersmith" and "Alive in Athens": Just like them it's a live album that you don't get tired of. In short, a live album worth your hard-earned cash. Yes Little Johnny, even if it's your mom's.