Like most people my age, I had a copy of 1981's Freeze Frame album by this band which contained a few hits and a lot of synth filler. I then bought the follow-up live album Showtime! and discovered that this group is actually one of those rare bands that is much better live than in the studio. They first proved it on this live album, which showcases the incredible showmanship of frontman Peter Wolf as well as the fantastic harmonica playing of Magic Dick. I recently saw Peter Wolf in a televised concert and he's still got it. With 8 tracks packed into 36 minutes (including a 9 minute version of John Lee Hooker's Serves You Right To Suffer), this is a better live version of the band than Showtime.
One retrospective album review calls this "a short, punchy shot of rock & roll genius by one of the great bands of the '70s and one of the best live albums ever recorded" while, in a more thorough review, another critic writes that "minute for minute, 'Live' Full House is one of the densest rock live albums ever produced." That's a lot of hyperbole, but readers of this blog should be used to that by now. ;-)
And I just noticed that's not a full house on the album cover art. Clever, guys.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #54
Tracks: It's all high-energy, old fashioned, blues-based rock and roll; no ballads here. You buy this album for Whammer Jammer, then you stick around for First I Look At The Purse, Pack Fair And Square, Hard Drivin' Man, Cruisin' For A Love, then you go back and listen to Whammer Jammer again.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I wish I could claim to have listened to this album for many years, but the truth is that I discovered Whammer Jammer in the opening scene of the horrible 2008 movie, Hancock. Better late than never, I guess. The Shazam app is one of the most frequently used on my phone and it was put to good use that day.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Showtime! (1982)
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