A question I saw on a music forum recently posed a question to its members, Is there a need for a band to record a ‘live’ album? I pondered this for a moment before I stormed in all guns blazing, HOW DARE they ask whether a live album by a band was a good idea or not! Some of the BEST albums I grew up on were live albums;

 

• Iron Maiden – Live After Death

• Dire Straits – Alchemy

• Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous

• U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky

• Deep Purple – Made in Japan

 

And more recently;

 

• Mega City Four – Inspiringly Titled

• Nirvana – MTV Unplugged

• Counting Crows – Across a Wire

• IDLES – A Beautiful Thing: IDLES Live at Le Bataclan

 

So there you go, a list of live albums that have helped to steer me along what I hope was the right musical path.

In the naysayer’s defence, I will add that a live recording doesn’t convey the atmosphere of BEING at a live show, oh no, that’s a different bag of frogs altogether. Sitting at Wembley watching Roger Water’s version of The Wall in 2014 was akin to an out of body experience, the sheer scale of the venue, the 80000 people all cheering and singing along left me gobsmacked and wondering if I would ever be able to replicate the feeling that washed over me that very evening, I hate to say that I have yet to top it and I go to a LOT of live shows!

 

So, back to the question, is there a place for live albums from bands? Do fans prefer to listen to the more polished and ‘produced’ studio versions of their favourite songs or do they enjoy a bit of ‘off piste’ behaviour when a band decide to inject a 5 minute section which takes you away from the original and down a different alley altogether, bringing you back on track once they’ve had some fun with the left and right sides of the audience in an orchestrated ‘sing-off’ at a major venue whilst on the umpteenth leg of their record breaking world tour? I guess it’s a personal choice and one that I very much agree with.

 

The purpose of my ramblings aren’t so much to tell you about my love of the live album but more to look at a recent live release by a phenomenal singer-songwriter who has earned the respect and admiration from his worldwide fan base through a relentless and punishing tour schedule which quite ‘frankly’ leaves him very little time to reflect on his monumental career to date let alone time to relax and take things a little easier now that he’s a married man….

 

I am of course referring to Frank Turner who releases his brand new album Frank Turner - Live in Newcastle on Friday 24th April, during the peak of what I can only describe as ‘lockdown’ here in the UK.

 

Frank Turner is 8 studio albums into his musical career (not including previous bands that he has featured in), so it’s about time he got it together to release a live album. I guess of the 2481 shows that he has performed to date (correct as at 21st April 2020), he’s got no shortage of material to pull together a live compilation album but NO, he decided to put out a live recording of a show that took place at Newcastle’s City Hall on November 27th 2019 which was on his tour to promote his latest studio album No Man’s Land (for the FT purists out there, this was show #2429).

 

Consisting of 20 tracks and spanning the best part of 2 hours, the album covers his career to date and is filled with some brilliantly humour and between song banter that really draws you into Frank’s world, a world that not many folk would survive - believe me, I’ve seen his tour schedule! He takes time to explain where the influence for the songs came from, these range from failed relationships, gruelling tour schedules, international layovers at bizarre airport lounges and fascinating tales from his colourful life on the road.

 

Of the new approach to touring, Frank commented,“The story-telling set that I put together with the Sleeping Souls last year was a new venture, an experiment, a risk, and in the end a huge success - I couldn't be more proud of the way we found a new angle on my songs and my live show. I'm excited that we managed to capture the magic and get it out there for everyone to enjoy.”

 

A lot happened during 2019, the most memorable event was clearly Frank’s marriage to Jessica Guise, his long-term musician girlfriend who finally said yes and tied the knot with him at the end of August. Midway through the set, he took to the piano to play a beautifully heartfelt version of ‘There She Is’, a song that he penned for Jess as she slept whilst on holiday in Italy, commenting that he wanted to get it finished before she woke up. Sadly, his plan was foiled as she woke earlier than usual and refused to go back to sleep so instead, she snuck off for breakfast leaving Frank to finish off the song and when she returned, he played it to her in the hotel room, talk about a romantic gesture!

 

I mentioned 20 songs on the track list and looking through it, all of the classics are there, ‘Prufrock’, ‘The Way I Tend to Be’, ‘Photosynthesis’, ‘Recovery’, ‘I Still Believe’ and of course, ‘Be More Kind’. Granted, with an acoustic approach to all songs, you do lose the atmosphere that you get from one of Frank’s ‘electric’ shows but then again, you’ve had years of that and it’s about time that you get the chance to listen to a more ‘stripped back’ version of his classic material along with more recent offerings.

 

What appears to be present at this show as well as all others that I have had the fortune to see him at is the enthusiasm and passion injected by ALL band members from the moment they take to the stage until the dying seconds when they give a final wave and leave with massive smiles on their faces, soaked in sweat, ready to jump on the bus and venture to the next venue on the Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls roadshow.

 

I don’t rate releases here on musomuso as I believe that music is subjective and requires you as an individual to sit down, press play and immerse yourself in the music. I will add that this is a different take on previous FT album’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing but I feel it needs to have a place in your collection. If you’re a die-hard FT follower, you’ll love it, if you’re new to Frank, check it out but also spend some time seeking out his back catalogue and then revisit the live album, it will make perfect sense to you once you do and you can thank me later!

 

Frank Turner – Live in Newcastle is available to download from April 24th via Xtra Mile Recordings & Polydor Records

Tracklist

1. The Ballad of Me & My Friends
2. I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous
3. Journey of the Magi
4. Substitute
5. Isabel
6. Redemption
7. Reasons Not To Be An Idiot
8. I Am Disappeared
9. Tell Tale Signs
10. One Foot Before the Other
11. The Way I Tend To Be
12. The Opening Act Of Spring
13. Love Forty Down
14. There She Is
15. Don’t Worry
16. Balthazar Impresario
17. Photosynthesis
18. Recovery
19. I Still Believe
20. Be More Kind 

Review by Steve Muscutt