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Live: Omaha to Osaka

L7 - Live: Omaha to Osaka Audio CD

A fair review of the L7 "Live: Omaha to Osaka" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all L7 reviews here, or go back to the L7 tabs.

Band: L7
Title: Live: Omaha to Osaka
Rating:

Release Date: 1998-12-15
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: L7 Overture/Medly Fast And Frightening, Andres, Drama, Pretend We're Dead, Shove, Shitlist, The Beauty Process 2: Bad Things 3: Must Have More 4: Death Wish 5: Slide 6: Bitterwine 7: Drama 8: Non-Existent Patricia 9: Pattylean 10: El Wahtusi 11: Shitlist 12: Andres 13: Fast And Frightening 14: Off The Wagon 15: Little One 16: Lorenza, Giada, Allesandra

How NOT to record a live album
-I'm a L7 fan. 1. Let's make that clear
2. -It's a shame such great songs are featured with such poor, terrible sound. Imagine going to a Rock show with the flu, seeing the band in the back of a low-budget club. This is it
3. -Some reviewer wrote "I have heard worse ones". Yeah, me too, but they were not OFFICIAL releases!!! ANY BOOTLEG nowadays sounds light years better!
4. -Such cool intro with the marching band. . . again, down the drain it goes
5. -Great poster designer Frank Kozik did the design for this one. . . And he did not do very well either! The photoshop tricking is obvious on the cover
6. -L7 RULES. . . BUT NOT LIKE THIS!!.

Let's rock tonight!
I found the performances to be fairly good, while the sound of the disc is not. Since I continue to wait for a "Best Of" disc from L7, I thought I'd take a gamble on this live album. After the marching band medley to start, which is unique and interesting, we get ten tracks live in Omaha, and the remainder from Osaka. Also this is obviously part of the "Beauty Process" tour, as half the tracklist is from that album. I won't complain about missing songs, since this is actually a decent mix. I can safely say this is for the bigger L7 fans out there, and newbies should just stick with "Hungry For Stink" or "Bricks Are Heavy". Still, if it sounds good go for it. It's cheap used. .

Just an incredible live album
I already loved L7 but this album really blew me away. I've never seen this in a store except for the copy I bought. I never got to see them before they broke up but this album makes up for it. This album also serves as an unofficial "greatest hits" of a sort since the songs range across 3 albums.
The album is really humorous as well as rocking. The opening medley of L7 songs played by the John Marshall high school marching band is unparalleled as a square-but-cool tribute played by kids that march in formation every friday night during football season. The stage banter between songs is really hilarious "Let me tell you something, we, L7, would rather be here with you in Omaha tonight than with the finest people in the world!" which is met with wild applause. Hahahahha. There are dozens of funny bits like this that give you a glimpse into the band beyond reading lyrics and reviews.
The songs are great. The sound quality is nothing to write home about but I've definitely heard worse. If you've ever bought a Sex Pistols bootleg you know what I mean. This is 100 times better! You can hear every instrument on every song, and the drums are epecially crisp on the Osaka tracks. The live feeling is infectious and exciting. It's truly classic and I'm really sad that some of the other reviewers don't seem to agree. Used copies are a steal last time I noticed, so grab this rare gem while you can since they sure arent going to press any more. .

A decent effort
After HUNGRY FOR STINK and THE BEAUTY PROCESS failed to generate the sales of BRICKS ARE HEAVY, L7 was quickly dropped by their label, Slash Records. For all potential buyers who may be wondering about some of the criticism concerning this record, let me fill you in. This led to a period of uncertainity for the band, who were wondering about what label they would end up signing with, or if the band would even survive at all.
While they were considering their options, the band came across two bootleg shows from Omaha and Osaka and decided to release them on CD to keep the band's name alive until their future was certain. This explains the inferior sound. Once you get past that, this is an enjoyable record. The ladies were a hard-rocking outfit and this comes through despite the poor quality.
Since the band was using bootleg tapes, there's no overdubbing or removing any mistakes, such as the out-of-tune guitar parts on "Bitter Wine", which makes this one of the most genuine and realistic live albums ever released.
Aside from being loud, furious,and energetic, L7 was a lot of fun. Part of the fun of any L7 show was the banter between the band members and the crowd, and, occasionally, each other. Midway through the album, Donita Sparks and new bassist Gail Greenwood turn the concert into a comedy act, tossing jokes and wisecracks back and forth until Sparks says "We're a rock band, not a Vegas act. I guess we have to play some songs now. "
The album features such classics as "Deathwish", "S---list", several tracks from THE BEAUTY PROCESS(their newest album at the time), including "Drama" and "Off The Wagon", and three new songs, "Pattylean", a swing version of "Non-Existent Patricia", "El Whatusi", a surf-inspired number, and the cowpunk/polka tune "Little One", which also appeared on L7's next studio record, SLAP HAPPY.
As another poster commented, "Pretend We're Dead", the band's hit single and a concert staple, doesn't appear on the record. Ordinarily, it would be unthinkable to put out a live album without your biggest hit, but I've always thought that one possible reason had to do with comments Donita Sparks has made about how it's not their strongest song live and how difficult it is to sing live. No reason was ever given in any interview that I ever read.
I was always hoping that L7 would release a proper live album someday, but that will never happen because they broke up in 2001. It's unfortunate that one of rock's best live acts will never have a proper showcase for what they did best. .

L7 - 'Live:Omaha To Osaka' (Man's Ruin)
'Live:Omaha. Never was THAT huge of an L7 fan,but I did get to see them once as support band for Marilyn Manson,as I thought they were decent. . . ' documents two(2)live concerts of the group when they played,of course in Omaha,NE and Osaka,Japan. The live CD isn't perfect but the sound is acceptable. Some may call L7's music 'Feminist Punk' or even 'Riot Grrrl'(is that second one even a genre?). Some of the tunes that I liked best were "Bad Things",the punk/metal goodies "Death Wish","Non-Existent Patricia","Slide" and "Fast And Fightening". Line-up:Suzi Gardner&Donita Sparks-guitar&vocals,Dee Plakas-drums and Jennifer Finch-bass. Probably will be most appreciated by fans of Seven Year (. . . ),Babes In Toyland,Hole,Pandoras and Lunachicks.

You can see a complete list of all L7 discography, or go back to the L7 tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.