Babylon A.D. Live Lightning Album Review
By Lucy Hall
What makes for a successful live album is when great moments are captured in time by musicians who can breathe new life into familiar songs, while vividly delivering an atmosphere of sound that gives their listeners a sense that they are part of the live concert experience. Live Lightning is a perfect example of this type of live album which has captured the very essence of Babylon A.D.’s high-voltage energy in concert.
Culled from shows at The Empress Theater in Vallejo CA, and Swiss Park Music Hall in Newark CA, Live Lightning delivers fourteen smashing tracks that include three of the band’s biggest classic hits, “Hammer Swings Down”, “Kid Goes Wild”, and “Bang Go The Bells” from their debut album. Also, Live Lightning incorporates a dynamic array of Babylon A.D. hits from every preceding studio album including their last release Revelation Highway.
Babylon A.D. has been the sound of L.A. hard rock, since its formation in 1987 and through a variety of changes and musical directions. Kicking around the L.A. club scene, the band gathered a lot of attention and it’s easy to see why Ron Freschi and John Matthews were killers on guitars, James Pacheco was an amazing drummer, and they had a great rhythm section, and Derek Davis is one of the best singers you’ve ever heard or seen. They continue to deliver that same quality today because good music ages gracefully like fine wine and Babylon A.D. is proof of that. After a hiatus, the group is back as powerful as ever with this third live album.
Babylon A.D. is indeed an amalgam of hard rock’s finest and is known for its powerful live performances and catchy songwriting skills. If you go back and dissect their first major release and then review their preceding discography you will get a good idea of their variety of sound. They can be melodic at times and also play a hundred miles per hour at times, they are a bit of everything you want out of a hard rock act.
The final word is that this latest release is an essential collection of standout performances from one of rock’s greatest lineups with a nice variety of songs. More specifically, here is exactly what you’ll be missing if you don’t buy this live album, a high-quality, well-mixed album from a group that has not lost its edge throughout a lengthy career. It is worth a second look and listen and you certainly do not want your record collection to be devoid of a very important addition. A rock-solid package of music. Pick up your copy today from Perris Records and be on the lookout for the band’s upcoming tour plans to support it.
