This is one for Legs Diamond completists only when all is settled, but for those wanting a laugh or two for stated reasons this is almost a must hear. Never has anything been so blatantly out of place as the crowd noise here.
Written by: Dangerzone
ARTIST: Legs Diamond
ALBUM: Captured Live
LABEL: Music For Nations
SERIAL: CDMFN 137
YEAR: 1992
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Rick Sanford – vocals * Roger Romeo – guitars * Michael Prince – guitars, keyboards * Mike Christie – bass * Dusty Watson – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Intro – Things To Come – Epilogue * 02 Out On Bail * 03 Rok Doktor * 04 World On Fire * 05 Walkaway * 06 I Am For You * 07 ‘Guitar Solo’ * 08 Satin Peacock * 09 Nervous * 10 Woman * 11 Town Bad Girl * 12 Underworld King * 13 ‘Drum Solo’ * 14 I Think I Got It * 15 Stage Fright * 16 Fan Fare
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Does anyone else in the world know Legs Diamond once played Wembley Stadium to 72,000 people? Well the venue this was actually recorded at was La Semana Alegre Outdoor Festival in Texas, but based on the volume of the crowd and the rapture given to Legs you’d swear there were a few hundred thousand on hand.
The band were an institution of sorts in Texas and at this stage of their career were enjoying a slight renaissance, 1990’s ‘Town Bad Girl’ a fine outing, following on from ‘Out On Bail’ and ‘Land Of The Gun’ a few years earlier.
As this gig was held in their ‘home’ away from home – San Antonio, it must have been an automatic decision to record a live album, but sadly it’s a standard run-through of the bands classic output, put off by the ludicrously overdubbed crowd noise that comes off faker than pre-taped pro wrestling show audience boos and cheers.
The Songs
The intro ‘Things To Come’ has to be heard to be believed. As the announcer presents the band the crowds volume is so ear piercing and clearly tacked on that even Kiss would be ashamed.
The attendance might have been large, but this is over the top. And the capacity for the crowd to disappear as each song begins makes it worse. The setlist is solid, ‘Out On Bail’ opening, but simply a plain run through and offering nothing the studio version didn’t.
‘World On Fire’ is live, in the studio perhaps. It’s so clinically perfect musically that I find it hard to be convinced this is live at all. ‘Walkaway’ is treated as though it was a number one smash, and indeed a fine track, but let’s not fool ourselves into believing it’s among the bands greatest known tracks.
Forgetting this dubious feature of the whole affair it’s still a pleasure to hear the timeless classic hard rock of ‘Satin Peacock’, ‘I Think I Got It’, ‘Woman’ and ‘Stage Fright’ wheeled out to the delirious masses, conclusive evidence of what a tremendous and underrated act Legs Diamond were and still are.
There are obligatory keyboard, guitar and drum solos included along the way to heighten the ‘live’ feeling, the keyboard soloing on ‘Satin Peacock’ a dead ringer for various Deep Purple live numbers heard in the mid 70’s circa MK4 era.
In Summary
Inoffensive and almost unbelievable, it feels wrong to review this simply for the sole reason to bash the horrendously handled crowd overdubs, but it mars the album awfully. This is one for Legs Diamond completists only when all is settled, but for those wanting a laugh or two for stated reasons this is almost a must hear. Never has anything been so blatantly out of place as the crowd noise here. I’ll let you make your own minds up. I’ve had my say.
Video
Entire Album (Select Tracks)
