Three Dog Night Album: “Greatest Hits Live”

Well, it took over 20 yrs. for "Around the World with Three Dog Night" to make it's CD debut (thanks to the UK's Edsel label), and now just 2 years later we get a more concise live collection from the same tour. The reason I don't give this a 5 Star rating is that two of the tracks (Family of Man, Liar) are the same performances as on "Around..." (although remixed to change the dynamic between vocals and band). They also missed the chance to rectify the fact that two other songs on the original release (Black & White, Out in the Country) were actually the original studio recordings edited in reasonably well (at least by 1973 standards). It would have been nice to hear how those sounded live back then. I guess they only recorded a small number of shows, and they weren't happy with the results. The only other negative with this release is that the crowd noise is somewhat muddy and "added on" in spots.

As far as the good news.... while the first reviewer here stated there was "no filler", I actually love the fact that there are three separate intros/interludes spread across the disc, from a 25 sec. drum lead-in to "Family of Man" to a 2 min. "mini-jam" just before "Liar". I just think these give a much better feel for what it was like to be at one of these shows, as far as focusing on the musicians as much as the vocalists. Then of course there are the four tunes that weren't included on the original double-LP.... "Easy to Be Hard", "Celebrate", "Try a Little Tenderness", and "One"... all excellent versions. The sound quality in general is very good, and there are no complaints here regarding the editing from track to track.

Some Comparisons to ATW Versions: I'm not sure what Randy Newman's original lyrics were, but this is the first time I've heard Cory sing "she's OD'd on the floor", as opposed to "passed out", in "Mama Told Me".... "Eli's Coming" is a more straightforward version here, without the extended "comic" intro.... Chuck gets a little screechy at the end of "Never Been to Spain".... there's some good audience sing-along stuff in "Joy to the World" that wasn't in the earlier version.

I don't know what it would take to get Chuck and Floyd back with the other four surviving original members at this point (will the Hall of Fame ever get it? Should anybody care anymore?).... but in the event that that never happens (and it probably doesn't help that Chuck refers to himself in the liner notes this way - "the fans called him their star"), hopefully it won't be long until some company steps in and gives us a quality box-set to dig into. None of us are getting any younger.... though collections like this can let us forget that once in a while.

So who'da thunk we, the fans, would be so surprised by a release like this in 2008? Surely not I. But they (Chuck?) did it to us, and we're better off for it, I can assure you. There was no expectation of anything sonically spectacular this time around, given the fact that I own both of their live recordings on vinyl and CD. Nothing sonically impressive with those, believe me. But at least the older recordings captured 3DN live, reminding us of the reactions from those of us fortunate enough to have spent the big bucks back then to see and hear and experience them in concert ($7.50 - I still have my 2 different concert stubs from 1969 and 1970).

But THIS ONE was done soooo right. Yes, it is a bit too short (ergo only 4 stars), but what we DO get is fabulous! And the liner notes (make that a great 12-page booklet) reveal the mixdown studio, engineer, and producers: non other than Chuck Negron and Carlos Murguia. Wow! They got it! Full credits are given for the new work as well as the original recording credits.

And listing facts like "Reconstruction..aligning, cleaning all open tracks and guideline mixes" are just some of the issues addressed in the credit section. Together, they cleaned up the tapes and got the sound to come closer to the ears of 2008 than of those/ours of 1969 or 1973. Listen to the upgraded killer bass and kick drum sound coming from Joe Schermie and Floyd Sneed, too.

And to see really well printed pictures in the booklet, group and individual, makes it so enjoyable after all these years. It really makes you miss Joe though, knowing that his passing in 2002 is a reminder that with every year that passes we stand to lose more than our good hearing and our hair. We also run the risk that we may never see a campaign by the record companies that still remain do a good job of getting their catalogue out in upgraded form...let alone a box set on the level of a band so successful and so unique as Three Dog Night.

To say nothing of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame...I know, I said to say nothing...so I won't....again. What a waste of an institution. But I digress.

Then again, if Chuck had this recording up his sleeve, does he/they have more surprises? And were they simply floating this disc out there to see what the response in sales might be? The clue may lie in the packaging copyrights that list "Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, & Danny Hutton under exclusive license to...". Do they have rights to their original recordings. Oh, dear Lord I hope so....

I won't rewrite what others have already said, but this a major release from a great band. The band is in top form on all of the cuts, and the quality of the recording is fantastic--it sounds like you're right there at the concert. Danny, Chuck, Cory--if any of you read this: you only live once, how about one more tour with the original band? You all still sound amazing live, it would no doubt be a huge success!

I have lots of fond memories from the 70's of 3 Dog Night and was thrilled to be able to download one of their classic albums via Amazon.

Yes, there are other Three Dog Night live releases. "Captured Live at the Forum" came out in 1969 so it misses their later hits. "Around the World With Three Dog Night" is missing "Easy To Be Hard," "One," "Celebrate, and "Try A Little Tenderness" which are on this collection. This performance of "Tendernes" may be Cory Wells' definitive interpretation of the song. The same could be said of Danny Hutton's lead on "Liar." Chuck Negron soars through all his leads effortlessly, with some especially good ad-libbing on "Easy To Be Hard." The band - Mike Allsup, Joe Schermie, Jimmy Greenspoon, Floyd Snned - is in top form, and from these performances we can hear that they absolutely rank among the greatest rock bands of the era.

Three Dog Night are a part of "Americana" and that they have been practically ignored by awards organizations when groups with half their catalog of hits have been acclaimed makes no sense. This cd also underscores how criminal it is that Three Dog Night have not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. CELEBRATE 70s pop-rock with this live set.