Originally recorded in November 1997 but not released until 1998, Thunder Live is now being rereleased after having been remastered to bring out the band’s onstage energy with a more modern sound quality. It will be available as a three vinyl set, a double CD, and also, for the first time, digitally. The track listing contains all the songs from the original release, plus the inclusion of nine extra bonus tracks. These include a less than impressive attempt at the Small Faces‘ classic 1968 psychedelic hit ‘Lazy Sunday’, which frankly should never have seen the light of day. Thunder can rock, but Danny Bowes is no Steve Marriott.
At the time of release, Thunder had been in existence for the best part of a decade and had built a solid following with their synthesis of bluesy-tinged rock wrapped around classic hooks and melodies. They became one of the most enduring rock bands of their time, though they’ve always been about rock with a little soul rather than straight-up power riffage. Listen to tracks like ‘Until My Dying Day’, the harmonica-laden ‘A Better Man’, and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, with its Stonesy early seventies feel, and you can hear it.
This rerelease is a straight-up, fine quality live album from a band who’ve consistently rocked over the years and who’ve released an impressive body of work. All tracks are taken from their first four albums, plus a couple of cover versions in the mix. Thunder set their stall out right from the start with the lively ‘Welcome To The Party’, and they go on to perform several of the songs which helped build their live rep, such as ‘Higher Ground’, ‘Does It Feel Like Love’, ‘Backstreet Symphony’, ‘Laughing On Judgement Day’, and the very impressive ‘Empty City’. They also perform two covers: a decent version of Sly Stone‘s ‘Dance To The Music’, though ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ lacked the up front keyboards of the original and the emotive vocal power of Stevie Winwood. They conclude a fine set with a trio of Thunder classics: ‘Love Walked In’, ‘River Of Pain’, and ‘Dirty Love’. The nine extra bonus tracks include ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Everybody Wants Her’ which, given their quality, makes it somewhat surprising they weren’t included on the original release back in the day.
Thunder have released some good albums, and they’ve deservedly made their mark. For me, while Danny Bowes has a good rock voice, if Thunder had possessed a vocalist with a voice like Hughes, Coverdale, or Rodgers, their star may well have shone a lot brighter.
