The Babys - Live at the Tower Theatre

Chrysalis Records

It is not often that live albums, apart from "Frampton Comes Alive!" or Grand Funk Railroad's oh-so-creatively titled "Live Album", are easily stumbled upon out in the wild. It is even less often that those released by smaller labels or obscurer acts are found, and even rarer still that these live albums are capable of truly capturing an audience's attention the way a good old fashioned concert can. But for far less the asking price than a ticket and a gallon of gas, they can be worth the risk. So, upon finding "Live at the Tower Theatre" at the record store, I was presented with a question: Do The Babys make a compelling live act? Well, if they do, than the Superstars Radio Network certainly isn't going to tell you about it.

The Babys have always, to me, been categorized by their just south of simple playing style, of which John Waite's just skillful enough vocal performances are typically the saving grace. They've always had this unbalanced mixture of talent in their songwriting matched with a lack thereof in terms of musicality, and this unbalanced dynamic is even more pronounced on this record.

Waite, who's singing prowess is usually so reliable, instead sways on his feet, quiet and uncertain, trying to cover up fretfulness with a paltry disaffectedness he uses to deliver all his lines--or maybe it was a few libations. And when he is trying, Waite's vocals are either peppered with fuzz or more than halfway unintelligible.

Even the songs of their's I was already partial to ("If You've Got the Time", namely) simply do not work when presented as live cuts. All the proper components are in the right places, but instead of meshing, they all have clearly defined boundaries--drums start here, guitar ends here--as if something is doing everything in its power to prevent this album from jelling. No wonder it was never officially released.

The only real highlight is the brief moment where "I Believe in Love" is the most cohesive song on the record, but all opportunity is quickly squandered by Waite's exhausted vocals and the most useless extended jam I've ever heard, which reads more like platitude than performance.

What the issue comes down to is this: Never for a second does it feel like we're actually in the room with the band, an issue that befalls most live albums I've come across. It instead feels as if I'm stuck just outside the venue, barely lucky enough to sneak a good look at the band through the window, but not enough to have actually snagged a ticket. But I don't suppose I was missing out on all that much, because The Babys are definitely better as a studio band

Rating: 2.5/5