Heart Still Beating: Live Music

Recorded in 1982 before an extremely vocal--and, from the sound of it, very large--French audience, HEART STILL BEATING is Roxy Music's second live album (1976's VIVA! was the first). The set list is evenly divided between material from the band's early and late periods. Far from a greatest hits live collection, many of the earlier tracks, while not greatly different from their original versions, are slightly reworked so as to smooth out some of the rough edges--see "Out of the Blue" from COUNTRY LIFE. "Both Ends Burning", as on the earlier live album, is played fast and loud to great success.
Guitarist Phil Manzanera gets to create some fireworks of his own in the original instrumental, "Impossible Guitar". The live version of "Avalon" is an altogether warmer-sounding affair that the original, which changes it focus slightly--not better or worse, just a different take on an amazing song. An unexpected highlight is a blistering cover of Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane". Released commercially in 1990, this collection makes a nice coda to the Roxy Music catalogue.|