Live Trax Vol. 58

The obvious highlight of this show is the super-embryonic performances of GREY ST., SWEET UP&DN, BARTENDER, RAVEN, and JTR. I love how raw these performances are. To be sure, all but SWEET UP&DN and RAVEN got better over the course of 2001 and 2002, but even here they’re on fire. And don’t get me started about this RAVEN, it’s up there on the list of all-timers. As for the rest of the show: STONE is very good as always, but lacks some of the punch it picked up as the summer progressed. LIE IN is an all-timer from Boyd. #40 is beautiful, as is MAKER (I’ve always liked it as an E1). On the less positive front, #41 and RECENTLY are two outstanding songs with subpar performances on this night. I find Boyd’s solo intro to JANE a little cringeworthy. And CRASH on the 12-string just doesn’t do it for me; not my preferred sound for that song. In terms of the Summer 2000 releases, I rank this just below LT16: LT3, LT16, LT58, LT11.