Clutch Album: “Live At the Googolplex”

Well, Clutch is a live band and the best thing about this record is that it represents the brutal charisma of this band. All of their best songs are on it. I actually think the song versions are better that the studio ones because the tempos are faster and more intense. This is a very mean and vicious effort. Singer Neil Fallon's voice sounds like razors, not some over-produced studio trickery. This is the real deal. All of their best songs are here: Careful With That Mic, Pure Rock Fury, Escape From The Prison Planet, Immortal, etc. Plus there are bonus stickers included. Great stuff!

Don't be fooled by the mid-tempo introduction, Clutch releases all their energy right from the get go on "Pure Rock Fury". You want brutal angry rock? You got it! "12oz. Epilogue" and "The Soap Makers" keep the fires of hell burning. Clutch isn't all about temperament, "Brazenhead" and "El Jefe" shows their, dare I say funky side. These tracks are just a few that display a fondness for that 70's sound. You have to love the riff on "Sea of Destruction". The song is heavy, but with the inclusion of a melodic lick. "Rats" on the other hand has a strong and somewhat eerie riff throughout. Oh yeah! How can you not bob your head after hearing the ominous laugh that begins "Careful with that Mic...". Neil Fallon is at his lyrical, tongue-twisting best here. Clutch add a longer than usual conclusion to the track which is sure to please. I must say that I was impressed that Clutch worked 'hee haw, hee haw' into the chorus of "Rock and Roll Outlaw". Never did I think those words would ever be used seriously in a rock song.

Bottom Line:

Live At The Googolplex was the first full live album released by the sensational, genre defying rock band Clutch. If you have reached the point where you wish to buy a live record then you should already be aware of the band's live reputation and of their astonishing musicianship, vocals and lyrics. This particular live album was recorded in 2002 and released in 2003, with the songs taken from various different concerts, on separate dates at different locations as opposed to one complete concert from beginning to end.

Compared to two out of the three live albums which would follow; Live At The Googolplex is only a single disc album of fifteen tracks, recorded in the wake of Pure Rock Fury's release and as a consequence has the least expansive track listing of any Clutch live album on the market.

Luckily, the album still manages to feature tracks that aren't on any other live effort from the band, such as the rare `Sea Of Destruction,' and the early track `El Jeffe,' which sounds more like the band's modern material when played live than it did on record, as well as material from the Pure Rock Fury album which isn't as supported live as most other Clutch releases, from which tracks grace this live album including `Brazenhead,' `Immortal,' and the rap-metal track `Careful With That Mic...' which features a jammed out ending making it fit in more with the rest of the material.

In terms of sound and performance both are satisfactory and the album overall is a loose and fun feeling snapshot of the band at this point in their career. The band have better sounding live albums and live albums with better performances available, so you may wish to choose one of those over this one. This fact however does not truly take away from Live At The Googolplex which is a good record in and of itself when you remove the comparisons.

If you are a serious Clutch fan then you will find Live At The Googolplex worth your time, it is a good live album with a fair few unique tracks among their live albums. If however, you are choosing your first Clutch album or even first Clutch live album, it may be better to try something a bit more expansive and representative of the band as a whole, such as `Live In Flint Michigan,' or the `Full Fathom Five,' DVD version.

I listened to this disc literally once years ago, and wrote it off in the first second. I was so naive... never gave the album a real chance. It is amazing. Now I've got all three live releases and this is right up there with flint michigan. The thing I LOVE about this disc is, its right in my era of clutch (pre-Blast Tyrant) so the track listing is my favorite by far, and I also notice JP Gaster is in the pocket 100% of the time, grooving so hard in every song its incredible. This is amazing, JP kills it for me, Brazenhead, careful with that mic jam... he is rediclious here. Best part of the live act. I've seen em 12 times, they are right on top with a band called world inferno for me; i love clutch.

You cant go wrong with anything Clutch releases. They are, with no question, some of the most talented musicians in the entire heavy rock universe. If you havent seen them live yet, you are missing out. This cd will give you a nice taste of what its like!