GIANT – Live And Acoustic Official Bootleg

These are certainly glory days for appreciators of Giant. Not long ago their third album was released, and now this souvenir is released through their new label, Frontiers Records.

Never has a title been more appropriate, Live and acoustic- official bootleg sounds every inch like a home-made bootleg of your favorite band. In this case, it works, because the performances are heartfelt and true, and they catch the time they were made in, perfectly.

Relying heavily on their classic debut album, Last of the runaways, you get all the hits: I’m a believer; Shake me up, Innocent days, and their only big hit: I’ll see you in my dreams, top 10 in 1989. The record also includes a great version of the old Beck- classic (Jeff Beck for those of you that haven’t got a clue…), as well as some songs from their sophomore effort: Time to burn.
The live-album feeling is pretty good, despite the cutting of the songs. Due to the rough nature of the recordings, it still sounds very much like you’re in attendance and in that way Live and acoustic works.

Listening to the acoustic session, I do get reminded of the bootleg-nature of this record. Bassist, Mike Brignardello, is gloriously out of tune, during the whole set! Bearing in mind that these guys are seasoned session-musicians, it’s kind of strange that no-one heard the flat notes produced on that bass-guitar. Well, they must have heard them now. Anyway, the acoustic set is damn good, and Stay ought to have been a hit. The passion and delivery of main man, Dan Huff, are clearly evident, and it’s too bad they disappeared for a decade. May they deliver songs of this caliber on their next album.

Highlights: Stay, I’m a believer, Innocent days and I’ll see you in my dreams.