This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
Live in San Francisco is a live album by the American garage rock band Thee Oh Sees, released on July 1, 2016 as part of the Live in San Francisco series by Castle Face Records. The vinyl release is accompanied by a DVD of the performances, filmed by Brian Lee Hughes. The album was recorded over three nights in July 2015 at The Chapel, in San Francisco, during the band's tour in support of its sixteenth studio album, Mutilator Defeated at Last, and marks the first release to feature drummers Ryan Moutinho and Dan Rincon. The track, "Gelatinous Cube", subsequently appeared on the band's next studio album, A Weird Exits.
Wow, this was energetic! Just another example of how good live albums are when they're good. I knew the band but not this album. As a big fan of classic live albums, I consider this filling a void. Thank you for that
Very heavy indeed! The energy just splashes in your face, even though you're not in the live audience! Amazing wall of sound too. Good choice!
Thee Oh Sees are so prolific and consistent sound-wise that it's hard to pick their best album, so a live set serves to represent their discography well. They have some prog/psych/noise tendencies that separate them from more run-of-the-mill garage rock.
Really exciting and energetic rock. Bringing to mind Hives, Stooges, MC5 and even elements of Joy Division (JD's live cover of Sister Ray notably). (Strange that I was unimpressed with Ty Seagall, but not this). “Tidal Wave” could be their take on “Have Love, Will Travel” - brilliant. Bass and drums locked into the groove on the last extended jam is what garage rock is all about! I don't even mind that the vocal is incomprehensible, yelped and snarled. Thank you for introducing me to this.
I usually am not excited to see a live album here, but this was fantastic. This is Bay Area garage at its finest. The arrangements and performance are tight, and even the improvisational sections are perfectly placed and never overstay their welcome. This band is known for their prolific output and genre breaking music. This album might be considered garage rock, but there are elements of surf rock, and hardcore here that work super well together. I’m really glad this album and this band have been brought to my attention.
Nope
This album is not necessary. A live album certainly doesn't improve it in any way. Sometimes the music was alright. The lyrics weren't good. No need to revisit.
Oh, yay! A live album from a no-mark punk band, recorded more than 30 years after the genre ceased to be relevant. What an inspired pick!* A calculated attempt to be exciting and edgy that achieves the polar opposite. Musically, despite the try-hard energy, this just sounds tired and out-of-date. And that's before you even get to the vocals, which are an embarrassing parody of Johnny Rotten. Both annoying and dismally boring all at once (let's call it bornoying), this is an objectively awful record with no redeeming features. An utterly pointless waste of an hour of my life. Rating: 0 Playlist track: Toe Cutter Thumb Buster Date listened: 06/09/24 *By the way, I was being sarcastic.
This rocks hard. I like it. 4 stars.
Fun energetic punky concert. The kind of concert that justifies its existence from the raw energy that is not repeatable in a studio.
Above average garage-y West Coast rock and roll from a band I hadn't listened to before. Though not universally true by any means, I feel like live rock tends to be a blunter instrument, and I may check out how the studio product compares. No complaints anyway, it was a good workout jam.
Woah! That was quite the ride! Great energy and I just love how well the live sound is captured in this recording.
The OC disorder
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Tidal wave, Withered hand, Gelatinous cube
Normally dislike live albums, this captures energy so well though.
This was a unique live album. Probably one of the rawest albums I’ve heard throughout almost the whole list because you really get the vibe that they’re in a sweaty abandoned building going crazy to their like 9 fans. Super hardcore but very bluesy and grungy.
Based on the cover, I was reluctant to listen to this on a high anxiety day. But on a high rage day, it was just the ticket. It's got a timeless energy and I quite liked most of it.
An interesting choice, although I'm not sure that is too unique compared to a lot of similar acts on the list and choosing a live album specifically is a weird one.
Live, Thee Oh Sees bury Dwyer behind walls; Recording, the same decision is made about banter as for mix. So the record becomes an exhibit of how the band's thinking: A little loose, very much with fingers. They're deep deep deep in the groove, surface weirded a little more than a studio record allows.
This sounds really energetic, but without visuals it is just too chaotic for me. And I really believe if I was in the crowd I would be blown away. So, three stars it is.
Not too bad for noisy indie stuff. Punky and catchy as well. At one point I thought the same song had played twice though, and it hadn't. Not the mark of a GREAT album lol. 3/5.
Sure not the worst live album on here 3
Ok
Garage rock, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, punk rock, experimental rock. Ni fu ni fa.
The choice of a live album was the correct one here. Pure, incandescent punk energy of the best kind. I would not have minded if it were shorter, but that's a minor critique. Thanks for sharing this. Fave Songs: The Dream, I Come from the Mountain, Tidal Wave, Toe Cutter Thumb Buster, Web
It really rocked sometimes, but overall I got tired of it.
There’s already been a bit of overkill on punk albums. And live albums are always divisive so the combination of a punk love album isn’t anything worthwhile. Maybe the person who submitted this was there. Not sure what else would make someone want to choose this since 90% of punk albums have already been on this list. Good energy though but not something I’ll revisit. 4.3/10
I'm not a fan of a live album at the best of times... And here it sounds like the soundman actively hates them. The vocal and drum mixes are an actual hatecrime, and the guitar is more overbearing than some of the parents on my school run. A crying shame, as it sounds like some of the songs will be atmospheric and cool, done properly. I'm giving a low score, but will listen to more of their stuff!
Never encountered this band before, so this was new to me. I don't think a live album was the best introduction for me as the muddiness of the recording was a bit grating. I did get to the song "Web" and did like it, so I sought out the studio recording of the song. The experience was much improved for me and I really liked it. Maybe if I was already a fan this would have connected better with me. I suspect seeing this guys live is a great experience which may be why someone chose a live album from Thee Oh Sees. But a live recording may not have been the best starting point for my first introduction. I definitely would have rated this higher had I started with one of their studio albums. As it was this was just too muddy for me to really get into. It's a no on this album, but I think I will be checking out some of the recordings from this band after my good experience with the one studio recording I checked out.