Dead Boys– ’Liver Than You’ll Ever Be!’ (easy Action Records)
Not everyday that you have the chance to review one of the original CBGB era stalwarts, let alone one of several of WithGuitars’ writers crew’s favourites from New York’s finest past scenes.
The band hailed from Cleveland, Ohio. Moving to New York City at the encouragement of Joey Ramone, the Dead Boys quickly gained notoriety for their outrageous live performances. Lewd gestures and profanity were the norm. On more than one occasion, lead singer Stiv Bator slashed his stomach with his mic stand. They frequently played at the legendary CBGB and in 1977 they released their debut LP, ‘Young, Loud and Snotty’, the album contained their song ‘Sonic Reducer” which is often regarded as one of the classics of the punk genre.
This live album captures the bands first reunion some eight years later, ‘Liver Than you’ll Ever Be’ was, recorded at The Ritz New York City 26th December 1987. The Boxing Day show starts with the anthem which is ‘Sonic Reducer ‘ here with the usual gusto and passion of a classic, it’s only when the songs ends, you get the fervour of a pumped, packed venue, as guitar tune ups and cheers welcome anther keeper ‘All this & More’ it’s clear that Stiv Bator had not lost any of his bite, Cheetah Chrome lead guitar playing should be bottled, if only more of today’s crop had the same gravitas and charisma; saying that, even the better still manage to forget to plug in, at the second attempt ‘Caught With Meat In Your Mouth’ is accepted well as is ‘I’m Calling On You’ which sparks ghost stories of the darker slice of The Dead Boys , but to have the original band back together must have been amazing to witness, with Jimmy Zero back on bass, Johnny Blitz on Drums joining Cheetah and Stiv on what would be sadly one of just a few opportunities after Stiv Bator’s death just three years after this show, from a French road accident in 1990.
‘What Love Is’ gives way to the almighty ‘Son Of Sam’ coupled with former singles including ‘Search And Destroy ‘, live CBGB favourite ‘Ain’t No Fun’ then another single release,‘Tell Me’ which glows, the band still breathing life into familiar songs aired for the most part a decade before ‘this show. Dead Boys still cut it live back in 1987, the show ends on a fairly improv high with ‘3rd Generation Nation’ which sung as a repeated refrain still resonates at least through my speakers in 2013; then to half sung chorus of ‘My way’ followed by Stiv’s band statement “That we don’t believe in set lists” serves as a original, if ramshackle intro into ‘Catholic Boy’. No surprise that ‘Liver Than You’ll Ever Be’ was first released one year later, although mighty pleased that Easy Action have shone a light on a fine original band with an evocative punk show. The 15 track live album matches everything that has gone before, including ‘Live at CBGB 1977’. A live album, that is a treasure to own. Really hope they took a bow at the end of the this 1987 show – thy all deserved it. 8.8/10
Steve Janes