Buckcherry – ‘Live & Loud 2009′ ’15/Black Butterfly’ (Eleven Seven)
CD Reviews
Written by Johnny H
Sunday, 15 November 2009 18:24
Six or seven years ago when I added Buckcherry to my wish list of bands I’d love to see (even if they had broken up), I wished long and hard that one day I’d maybe, just maybe, get to see the band that I’d helplessly watched self implode after their awesome second album (‘Timebomb’) was largely ignored by an indifferent US audience. I so much wanted Buckcherry to return and prove everyone who ever ignored them just how fucking wrong they were first time around to do so, and rub their ignorant noses in the fact.
Well, roll on to 2009 and I can proudly say I’ve witnessed Buckcherry live many, many times since they thankfully regrouped in 2006, and the fact that I’m holding two new CD releases by them, one being a Platinum selling US release gives me a real sense of smug self satisfaction that maybe your rock ‘n’ roll dreams can come true, if you just wish long and hard enough for them.
First up of the all-new releases we have ‘Live & Loud 2009’, which is a US release that piggybacks the band’s current countrywide trek with Kiss. This CD somehow manages to cram 15 tracks of live, red hot and lethal Buckcherry onto one CD without losing any of the band’s infectious charm in the process. From ‘Broken Glass’ to ‘Rescue Me’ via ‘Lit Up’ this is the sound of a band that lives to tour and is loving every minute of their time up on that stage.
Five hundred shows in nearly four years has certainly made Buckcherry razor sharp in delivery and the CD has that authentic Josh Todd warming up his voice sound that you’ve come to expect from the band live (so thankfully no studio touching up to report here).
There is a slightly relaxed ending to the set list with ‘Everything’ and ‘Sorry’ being woven into the party hardy rhythms of ‘Crazy Bitch’ before it’s all over with ‘Cream’. But this is only so evident due to the first eleven tracks on ‘Live & Loud 2009’ being such uncut rock ‘n’ roll shots of pure adrenaline that anything that doesn’t then rip your face off is going to suffer stacked up alongside the likes of caustic versions of ‘Talk To Me’, ‘Lawless and Lulu’ and my own personal favourite ‘Ridin’.’
I’m not so sure if ‘Live & Loud 2009’ is ever going to see the light of day in the UK high street music shops, so it might be worth like me checking out your usual online retailers to pick it up some time soon. It is well worth the trouble…trust me.
If, however, you are one of the few people who hasn’t already got their hands on the band’s previous albums ’15’ and ‘Black Butterfly’, right now is the ideal time to dig out that spare tenner from your lace-up-the-side spandex trouser pocket and pick up a copy of this three CD version, seemingly exclusive to the UK.
What you get for your money is platinum selling ’15’ as you have always known it, all dirty grooves and every bit the album Aerosmith would like to be able to write these days. Along with ‘Black Butterfly’ with sees the band’s version of Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star ‘added to the track listing, but rather oddly ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’ dropped, and a bonus 5 track CD with a mixture of live sessions and demos (which all sound pretty fine to me). Making this a true VFM must buy package.
As Jiminy Cricket once said, “When You Wish Upon A Star. Your Dreams Come True”. Just be careful what you wish for now, we don’t want any Ugly Kid Joe reunions soon now, do we?