Fairfield Halls, Live 1970

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-04-14 rating:
GREAT LIVE RECORDING - SHODDY PACKAGING...
As a document of Mott`s phenomenal pulling power as a live band, this is of course the album we`ve all been waiting for for -er- decades. Therefore, I won`t elaborate any further on the audio content, as others have done that wonderfully. br / br /However, my gripe is that Angel Air have done the historic significance of this document no justice whatsoever with their cheap, shoddy packaging. Witness the use of a computer scanned photo (including visible pixellation!) of Mott in Croydon on the rear, the crappy computer lettering on the cover - or the truly awful advertisements for current Verden Allen and Mick Ralphs releases in the CD tray. Or the completely overblown layouting of Keith Smith`s (otherwise fine) liner notes where the lettering is so large that a 24-page (!) booklet is the wholly superfluous result. Or...etc. br / br /Why sales personnel still don`t realise that records and cds are bought both by applying sonic AND visual standards, escapes me: br /I would suggest that should this cd be rereleased in a few years, a complete layout overhaul be done that does the content justice - I for one will happily be an early candidate to buy another copy...

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review by: peter60780 date: 2008-02-02 rating:
Brief but sublime moment in rock history...
Some live albums go beyond encapsulating a gig and define a moment to the point where you can not only smell the beer, smoke and sweat but recall the car you drove home in, the friends you went with, the clothes you wore, the person you loved that day/week/month. Recorded for a proposed live album conveying the original (pre-glam) Mott the Hoople's true potency (something their studio albums seemed unable to), these tracks (bar 'Keep a Knocking's fish-out-of-water appearance on 1971's 'Wildlife') were consigned to the sock-drawer of history after 100 excited fans stormed the Fairfield Halls stage, knocking mikes down, kicking leads out, and thus scuppering a release. Mercifully, 35 years on, we finally go to the ball. A holy grail for fans, this seminal set, opening for Free, captures the band's phenomenally-entertaining live act to perfection. It's only seven songs-long but you get your money's worth as a roaring, packed house enjoys knockout takes of faves 'Rock 'N Roll Queen' and 'Thunderbuck Ram' counterpointed by ballads 'No Wheels To Ride' and 'When My Mind's Gone', topped by a hard rocking 'Keep A Knocking' and an encore of a famed, explosive instrumental cover of The Kinks' 'You Really Got Me'. Even Free - riding high on the success of 'All Right Now' - must have swallowed hard before following this. The Fairfield Halls set is worth the price of entry alone. But we also get five extra tracks including 'Walking With A Mountain', 'The Original Mixed-Up Kid' and 'Laugh At Me' from 1971 played to a politely restrained audience in Stockholm which the band heckles into a collective mojo ending with another stomping 'Thunderbuck Ram'. Hitch this music to a bumper 20-page booklet of band recollections and pictures and you have a brief but sublime moment in rock history. br / br /

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review by: date: 2007-10-25 rating:
I was there!
I was at this gig, 16 years old, and I kind of understand why they may not have released it before... it was wild. Overend was travelling fifty feet out into the audience with a long lead, clambering over seats - the Fairfield Halls is an all seated venue built for Classical concerts - I would expect a few extra or missing bass notes resulted! Ian Hunter invited the audience up on stage - soon you couldn't see any band members at all and probably half the recording equipment was knocked over. br /There's a live version of Ohio on the Mott's Anthology CD which I always assumed came from the Fairfield Halls concert, I seem to recognise the sound of the applause (I once heard it at the end of an Ornette Coleman tune and got goosebumps!). They played it because Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's version was just out, only a couple of weeks after the Kent State shootings, and was banned by the BBC - Mott wanted us to hear it! br /I had seen Mott the Hoople and Free several times before at the better venue across the street - the Greyhound. At the time I thought it was ridiculous that Mott supported the Free - I watched a couple of Free's songs, then walked out, along with many others. Early Mott tthe Hoople at the Greyhound were among the best gigs I've ever seen, just amazing. So this is the proper Mott the Hoople with Mick Ralphs and Verden Allen, and in their prime. As you can probably tell, I haven't even heard this yet, I only just found it was out, but I know it will be a real recording of a band that could really tear it up live. And they liked those Croydon gigs too, as they say in the later "Saturday Gigs". br /I can add it to the other recordings I was also at - Bob Marley "Live", The Ramones "It's Alive", etc. I'm so cool; I'll have to listen to LCD Soundsystem's "Losing My Edge" now, to get over myself...


review by: Robscanda date: 2007-10-16 rating:
At last the live evidence of what a great band they were in their Island days
Buy this as the essential MTH live album!It sounds great and has all the early classics (Rock and Roll Queen No Wheels to Ride etc) and includes the best version of Thunderbuck Ram I have ever heard and finally a full version of You Really Got Me with the chaotic ending. This is the legendary night that MTH as the support band blew the mighty Free away and sealed their live reputation and this is the aural evidence in great quality. br / br /As indicated on the sleeve, this is the holy grail for MTH fans. The tapes were considered unusuable by Guy Stevens back in 1970 with only one track "Keep a Knockin" released on Wildlife where it does not sit well, not fitting the rest of the mood and being overlong - certainly not the best example of the group live. Overend Watts used to always say he did not believe any of the tapes he had of the band live, showed their much vaunted live power. However this is the one that finally captures that power in its full ragged glory and shows what gave them such a rabid, loyal following. br / br /This CD does a great restoration job (overseen by the one and only Buffin to make sure things are treated with the respect they deserve)and again like the Free concert section which was restored on their box a few years ago, it appears that the faults originally were as much to do with the feed from a faulty 8 track tape as any problems of mikes cutting in and out. The version of "Keep a Knockin" also appears to be different from the Wildlife version which suggests they did tape both sets performed that night and have used the best versions of the two available. If you want to buy just one live album of Mott buy this one - it is essential. It's only taken 37 years - better late than never this really should have been released years ago.

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