PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Thunder officially retired five years ago, and yet here we are with not one, but two live albums.
As well as playing a few festivals here and there, the main highlight of the year is now the Christmas shows. The location moves around each year, always a major city though- it’s been in Manchester and Nottingham in recent years and in 2013 they held it at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton. Though they played two shows this year, due to demand.
Part of the ticket price includes a CD of the gig, so last month fans who had been to the concerts received a copy of “The Xmas show live 2013” on CD. The CD contained highlights of the shows recorded over the two nights. That CD is now being released to the general public, also there is a second CD from the same shows – “Back to the Black Country”.
So why bother I here you ask, as there are 15 tracks on ‘The Xmas show’, and five off those also appear on ‘Back to the Black Country’.
Well if you have ever been to a Thunder Christmas show (and I have, in Manchester ) then you will know what to expect, and that is the unexpected.
A lot of the crowd pleasers such as “Love walked in”, “Backstreet symphony” and “Dirty Love” are not even played, instead we get variations ( each night ) of other less known Thunder songs and a lot of covers, we also get a stripped down acoustic session as well as finishing with everything turned up to 11.
So between the two albums you have got 24 different songs plus 5 alternate versions. Both albums include some great cover versions with “Pinball wizard” and “Merry Xmas everybody” the highlights, and indeed the high point of the show. Over on “Back to the Black Country” the Elton John song “Saturday night’s alright for fighting” makes a welcome appearance while the Doobie Brothers classic “Long train running” is outstanding. A highlight of the acoustic set for me is Thunders version of Neil Young’s “Heart of gold”. An inspired choice of cover.
For Thunder fans who never made it to either of these shows, both of these albums are a great opportunity to hear the band doing something different than their usual touring sets.
Fans who attended the shows will already have “The Xmas show live 2013” so for them the “Back to the Black Country” is a complementary, if not essential purchase.
Track listings:
The Xmas show Live 2013
1. Long way from home
2. Pinball wizard
3. Robert Johnson’s tombstone
4. You can’t live your life in a day
5. Long train running
6. Higher ground
7. When I’m dead & gone
8. She’s so fine
9. Pilot of my dreams
10. In a broken dream
11. Hollywood nights
12. Fly on the wall
13. I’m dreaming again
14. Just another suicide
15. Merry Xmas everybody
Back to the Black Country
1. Long way from home
2. Heart of gold
3. Robert Johnson’s tombstone
4. Carol Ann
5. Long train running
6. Higher ground
7. When I’m dead & gone
8. Everybody wants her
9. Empty city
10. Fade into the sun
11. Got to get you into my life
12. Don’t wait for me
13. I love you more than rock & roll
14. Saturday night’s alright for fighting
