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Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
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Reviews

Niacin — Live: Blood, Sweat and Beers
(Magna Carta MA-9063-2, 1997/2003, CD)

by Paul Hightower, Published 2003-08-01

Live: Blood, Sweat and Beers Cover art

For those not in the know, Niacin is music biz vets and session aces John Novello on Hammond B-3, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Dennis Chambers on drums. The inspirationbehind the band was to recreate the classic sound of Hammond-led artists like Booker T, Jimmy Reed, and even early ELP. From listening to their studio albums I’ve always thought that one of the driving reasons behind the group was to get on stage and have a good time, so to have a live document would seem to be a no-brainer. These 14 tracks were taken from shows in Japan and Indonesia, not places I would have thought of as hotspots for steamy live music. One listen to the fat riffing on “Clean Up Crew,” the Geddy Lee-led bass of “Hell to Pay,” or the jamming funk of “Three Feet Back” and you’ll be wanting a chance to see these guys. To top it off is a rendition of Vanilla Fudge’s “You Keep Me Hanging On” that blows the lid off of whatever cynicism about Magna Carta super groups that remains. Novello has the B-3 thing down cold, though it’s Sheehan’s bass work that steals the show. I never considered him among the pantheon of bass gods though that’s all in the past after the stunning virtuoso displays and effortless riffs he reels off here. They’ve all proven themselves in the studio but on stage this trio is almost too hot to handle.

Filed under: Reissues, Issue 27, 2003 releases, 1997 recordings

Related artist(s): Niacin

 

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