Unless you’re a diehard fan, or unless you’re talking about landmark albums like Frampton Comes Alive, live albums are usually disappointing across the board. As for the Hooters’ latest, Both Sides Live, their songs are so catchy that it’s near impossible to disappoint. There are two different experiences on this double set—one electric and one acoustic—that just manages to show why this band has such a cult following well beyond their Philadelphia home. The first set, recorded at the Electric Factory in Philly, has hits like “All you Zombies,” “And We Danced” and “Johnny B,” as well as tracks from 2007’s Time Stand Still (“I’m Alive,” the title track, and their cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” to name a few). But it’s the acoustic set, performed live for “friends and associates,” that really showcases the songwriting prowess of Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman. Most of the songs are same on both sides, but that makes it easy to compare each version of them. If you were into this band in the ‘80’s, Both Sides Liveis a must-have. (Hooters Music 2009)
My first exposure to the Flaming Lips was seeing the video for “She Don’t Use Jelly” on MTV’s “Beavis and Butthead” show, which immediately pegged the Lips as a novelty in my mind (and not one that I even enjoyed all that much). How could one not see novelty in a song with a character who spreads Vaseline on her toast? This was kid stuff, and yes, I could be a silly kid, but where I drew my lines of tolerance for silliness were admittedly very arbitrary (example: I unironically enjoyed Mister Ed). As such, I completely shut out the Lips.
The buzz was loud and clear on Bee Thousand, the lo-fi masterpiece by Dayton alt-rockers Guided by Voices. This was the record that everyone positively had to own, so I borrowed it from a friend of mine…and totally didn’t get it. The songs aren’t finished! Are these demos? When lead singer Robert Pollard – whose last name should be a synonym for ‘prolific’ – saw a song to its completion, as he did on “Tractor Rape Chain,” I was definitely into it, but too many of the songs felt like piss takes to me, so I politely stayed off the bandwagon. Five years later, he made “Teenage FBI” with Ric Ocasek, which I loved, but still didn’t buy any of their records. Then they dropped Human Amusements at Hourly Rates, a compilation of Pollard’s more, ahem, finished songs, and I finally bit, and the disc scarcely left my CD player for months afterward. And then, of course, the band broke up just when I was beginning to appreciate them. Luckily, they recorded 16 albums in 17 years before calling it quits. The only question now is: which one do I start with? – David Medsker
