The J. Geils Band – “Live” Full House (1972) Review | The Band Plays Its Cards to Perfection
Kronomyth 3: They’re dancing at the Cinderella Ballroom.
Once upon a time, there were people who would pay good money to have their faces blown off by the blues. Such was the case one magical night in April 1972, when this Chicago blues by way of Boston band found itself in the fabled walls of the Cinderella Ballroom in Detroit. From the sound of things, the audience spent most of the concert on their feet in a mix of pure joy and adulation. “Live” Full House has since earned legendary status as lightning in a bottle from what was arguably the best blues-rock band on the planet at the time. Peter Wolf is the primary conduit for this energy, but he’s hardly the only source of it. The performances from Magic Dick, J. Geils, Stephen Jo Bladd and Seth Justman are just electric. The original show was twice as long; “Live” Full House cuts it in half. You still get the full version of Serves Your Right to Suffer (very possibly the peak of the night’s performance) and The J. Geils Band‘s newest hit, Looking for a Love. What you’re missing (e.g., “Ain’t Nothin’ But a House Party”) isn’t insignificant, so maybe someone will restore the missing pieces in a subsequent reissue. The patter from Peter proves him to be a masterful master of ceremonies, from his playful cues (“Play your guitar, Clarence”) to the vocal gymnastics that kick off Whammer Jammer. The only knocks I have on the album is that there isn’t more of it and what’s here you’ve already heard on their first two records. Small sins, and I’m a miserable person for even pointing them out. Later reissues are remastered, although I’m not sure the audio fidelity (which I would call “average” at best) warrants the effort. Then again, they remastered Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music, so I’m pretty sure it’s just an unconscious exercise for record labels at this point.
Original elpee version
A1. First I Look at the Purse (Robert Rogers/Smokey Robinson) (3:56)
A2. Homework (Otis Rush/Al Perkins/Dave Clark) (2:34)
A3. Pack Fair and Square (Walter Price) (1:41)
A4. Whammer Jammer (Juke Joint Jimmy) (2:21)
A5. Hard Drivin’ Man (Peter Wolf/J. Geils) (4:23)
B1. Serves You Right to Suffer (John Lee Hooker) (9:32)
B2. Cruisin’ for a Love (Juke Joint Jimmy) (3:32)
B3. Looking for a Love (J.W. Alexander/Zelda Samuels) (4:55)
All songs arranged by The J. Geils Band.
The Players
Stephen Jo Bladd (drums & vocals), J. Geils (guitar), Seth Justman (piano & organ), Daniel Klein (bass), Magic Dick (harp), Peter Wolf (vocals). Produced by Geoffrey Haslam & The J. Geils Band; recording and re-mix engineered by Geoffrey Haslam.
The Pictures
Cover photo by John Paul Endress. Band member photos by Rod Bristow, Jim Marshall, Robert Ellis. Album cover conceived & designed by Peter Wolf & Stephen Jo Bladd.
The Plastic
Released on elpee, cassette and 8-track on September 26, 1972 in the US (Atlantic, SD/CS/TP 7241). Reached #54 on the US charts (RIAA-certified gold record).
- Re-issued on remastered compact disc in 1995 in the US (Atlantic, 82803-2).
- Re-issued on 180g vinyl elpee in 2009 in the US (Audio Fidelity, AFZLP-044).
- Re-issued on super high material compact disc in 2009 in Japan (Warner, WPCR-13615).
- Re-packaged as Original Album Series w. The J. Geils Band, The Morning After, Bloodshot and Ladies Invited on 5CD box set in 2010 (Rhino).
