Captured live during the band's Among The Living tour back in 1987, this Caught In A Mosh: BB Live In Concert delivers two relatively solid set lists from New York's Anthrax and gives you what is referred to as the "Classic Lineup" doing what they do best……thrashing you to the death. Since there are two separate shows represented on this release, I figured I would give a little overview to each of them.
Hammersmith Odeon: 2/15/1987 – With this early 1987 recording, Anthrax was celebrating a stratospheric level of success and this would soon get bigger and more promising when the new album Among The Living would get released. This sold out show comes from London's Hammersmith Odeon which is also the scene of another legendary recording by Motorhead that I am sure you know about already so I shall continue along without any more on that album. The set list while very sound will surprise some of the fans that purchase this because while the band was indeed supporting "ATL", the set list is primarily focused on the Spreading The Disease album that came out before it. This didn't bother me as I have long felt that album was much stronger than the one that gave the band its larger push to fame. The energy is on the high side but the sound is a lot muddier than I would have liked it to be. Historically, the Among The Living album came out one month after this show was recorded so this might be why the emphasis was placed upon the other album. It makes sense that the band didn't want to push so much new material on the crowd since there wasn't anything for the fans to run out and buy after they had gone home. I really liked hearing "Armed And Dangerous" at this early a time in the band history as that was one of the songs that sold me on their sound and the same applies for "Panic". The cover of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is also among the winning selections that the band delivered during this show.
Donington Festival: 8/22/1987 – Having seen many bootleg and official Metal concert videos, it sure looks like the stuff that went on at Castle Donington was a lot of fun. Sadly, like many of you I have never actually been able to attend anything that has done on over there so it is thanks to releases like this one that I get a small idea as to what I missed. Fast forwarding several months after the concert on CD1 in this set we find the band now delivering the Thrashing goods with the new Among The Living album out on the streets and in the hands of their fans. The set list is a close mix of "ATL" and "STD" with the new album holding one more track over its predecessor's head. The band once again does their cover of the Sex Pistols classic "God Save The Queen" and did a solid job of it but it is tunes like the new releases title and the seminal "Caught In A Mosh" that hold the most impact during the show. This is the classic lineup of Anthrax at their best but like many bands of this kind, a live recording does not really give you the feel of what is happening in the venue as much as it delivers the audio. Some Metal bands need to be witnessed in the flesh to make you realize just why they are so popular at what they do. There are actually only eight songs for this set and while "I'm The Man" is listed as the final track on this second disc it DOES NOT appear on the recording at all. Track "9" is actually a continuation of "A.I.R." and the only thing that one can take as a piece of "ITM" is the chanting of "NOT" by the band as they close out their set.
While this is great to have for the long time Anthrax fans, there are a couple of issues with the sound of these shows and in the end they are a little bit muddy. Let's face it, a live recording is hard to get perfect and we are talking about 1987 when it comes down to it. If that doesn't bother you then have at them because you will likely never find these shows anywhere else and certainly not in one collection. There is a booklet included that gives some liner notes along with images of the bands skulls, but it is not much too really speak of in terms of heavy content. The notes are fine but those Metal historians might have been expecting more. The band is still active today and has had fluctuations in the lineup but still finds Scott Ian, Frankie Bello and Charlie Benante in their roster. This is a safe recommendation for the fans of Old School Thrash or Anthrax as an entity but if you never found much appeal to their sound you can give it a pass.
Track Listing: CD1
1. A.I.R.
2. Metal Thrashing Mad
3. Panic
4. The Enemy
5. I Am The Law
6. Madhouse
7. Howling Furies
8. Medusa
9. Armed And Dangerous
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
11. God Save The Queen
12. Gung-Ho
Track Listing: CD2
1. Among The Living
2. Caught In A Mosh
3. Madhouse
4. I Am The Law
5. Medusa
6. Indians
7. God Save The Queen
8. A.I.R.
9. I'm The Man
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
