When people talk about great live albums, no one ever mentions this, which blows my mind. This is a great live record that was recorded on the Departure tour. They were huge all over North America at this point, and world domination would elude them. It would be their next album, Escape, that would make them huge all over the world. At this point, Greg Rolie was still in the band and still got to sing the opening on Just The Same Way. It’s hard to believe that a few years earlier they were basically a jazz fusion/jam band. The addition of Steve Perry changed them for ever over night.
This live album is all about Steve Perry and Neal Schon. Perry’s vocals are incredible, and there is no denying that no matter how much people hate the band, Schon’s guitar playing is stunning. His tone has changed over the years and has got a lot more distorted, whereas here he is on fire and a lot clearer. There are some killer tracks and performances here, Line Of Fire, Dixie Highway, Walks Like A Lady, Loving Touching Squeezing, Wheel In The Sky…I mean the list goes on, great tune after great tune. This is a must have album for me.
9.5/10 from The Grooveman.
