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The Runaways - Live in Japan Audio CD

A fair review of the The Runaways "Live in Japan" 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 The Runaways reviews here, or go back to the The Runaways tabs.

The Runaways Band: The Runaways
Title: Live in Japan
Rating:
Release Date: 2004-01-23
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 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

Live album shows just how this 1970s all-girl band could rock
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. 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. 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. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com].


LIVE AND REAL..... !

Cherie Currie was still on lead vocals at the time this album was recorded, and she delivers them with more intensity than you will hear from her anywhere else. The editors review here claims that this album came out after Cherie and Jackie left the band, but that is wrong. It's too bad she left the band, because she had some of the most intense vocals of any female rocker I've ever heard. . . and so hawwwt too. AGAIN. . . she IS on this record.
Joan Jett of course gets a few front appearances here too, but she was not at the helm just yet. Waitin' For The Night, the groups next album would be the first with Joan Jett on lead vocals. She has a rockin' sexy voice too, as can be heard on any Runaways album, but I gotta say that Cherie's voice is way more powerful, in that sleaze rock sort of way. . . you can't F' wit' it!
Anyway. . . Whats best about Live In Japan, is that it really lets you understand that these chicks, literally knew how to take what they had and make it rock. The magic was beyond studio tricks. These chicks had rock and roll in their guts. YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!

And a God Bless to Sandy West. Rockin on.


In honor of Sandy West and because The Runaways rock!
I also have been a fan of The Runaways since they began. My review is in honor of Sandy West the drummer for The Runaways who passed away on October 21, 2006. I grew up with them - have all their albums and still listen to their music. For me, it is the kind of music I can put on and instantly feel energized and alive. I love Queen's of Noise, California, American Nights and of course, Cherry Bomb from this cd. .


For Sandy West - this album rocks!
It sounded so much bigger than the studio albums. My friend in the 70s, David Coston, had this album on Japanese import and I borrowed it all the time. I'm finally getting my own copy today, in loving memory of Sandy West, one of the great all-time rock drummers!.


On the Road...
I like this live album so much because it is simpel and doesn't have anything strange: intros, outros, interludes, guitar solos, or anything absolutely nonesense. After making two enourmous studio albums The Runaways give them fans what they wanted for: a live recording. They just play and sing songs: that's what the audiences wishes for. There's three songs from their second album, Queens of Noise ("Queens of Noise", "California Paradise", "Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin"), four from their debut album ("Rock-n-Roll", "You Drive Me Wild", "Cherry Bomb", "American Nights"), and five previously unreleased songs ("All Right You Guys", "Wild Thing", "Gettin' Hot", "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are", "C'mon"). I think there should have been at least one more track from "Queens of Noise". . . maybe "Midnight Music" or "Heartbeat" would have been good. I think the previously unreleased songs are good in this live concert, especially "Gettin' Hot" and "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are". The sound quality is very good and feels like you actually would be there listening to them. I like when audience sing with them "Rock-n-Roll" in the beginning of the song: "It's Alright!". Cherie Currie never loses her touch with the audience.
Stars: Cherry Bomb, Queens of Noise, I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are.


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