Bryan Adams is an artist that you can easily put into the legends category; he’s a man who has tracks that everyone has listened to even if they think that they haven’t. I’ve personally had this man’s music in my life since as long as I can remember, and I’ve loved his music ever since. His releases have been consistent for the past 43 years, 18 studio, 6 live and 2 soundtrack albums plus no less than 75 singles, along with a lot of touring.

This time it’s an amazing live album from The Royal Albert Hall, with an incredible 3 disk box set giving you non-stop Bryan Adams!

Disk 1: Waking up the Neighbours

The first disk has an amazing 15 tracks and starts with Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?. Asthe second the track comes in you can just hear the crowd going insane in the background. I don’t know how but you can feel the energy radiating off Bryan through the track, like you’re watching it live and you can see him running and dancing around the stage.

There’s no doubt about it, his voice has always been incredible and it’s so refreshing to hear that it’s held up so amazingly well, considering he’s been doing this job for a good 40 years he doesn’t sound like it at all.

That second track, Hey Honey – I’m Packin’ You In!, jumps in with an incredible guitar solo giving you a country swing from the get go, the of rock n’ roll feel flooding through your veins. The added beauty with the crowd singing the lyrics back being heard in the audio is amazing for me to hear, sometimes artists decide to remove background noise, but hearing that it’s been kept in is such an amazing thing to hear.

Third track is keeping the energy up high with Can’t Stop This Thing We Started with the man himself demanding they don’t stop any time soon, very fitting. Already my eyes are closed with a smile on my face, I feel like I’m back in my dad’s car with my mum in the front seat singing her heart out, Bryan Adams just brings back so many positive memories for me. The audience belting out the lyrics just brings this base that’s the best thing to uplift your mood.

The fourth track Thought I’d Died And Gone to Heaven slows the mood down a bit and takes you into a deeper mood, a song to really tug at your heartstrings. I know it’s a live album and it may sound a little bit stupid saying this, but it’s like having a concert in your living room and with you on the go. I get post-concert blue’s after a gig, where you miss the atmosphere and the love that the show gave you when it’s over. With this album it’s like it’s never over, it just comes with you on the go, the way you can feel the atmosphere through the speakers is emotionally healing.

To everyone who was at the show watching it live, I hate you, envy you but I hope you had the best time because I can tell you did with all of these classics!!

There are so many incredible songs on this album, the fact that they were done live makes me wish I was there witnessing greatness in front of me.

I love how all of the mini talking points with the audience is kept in, it keeps the love for the fans there and makes you feel way closer to the artist when listening to the album.

My personal favourite is track No.10, All I Want Is You, everything about this live version is just amazing the guitar riffs, the vocals that have that added rasp from being worked on just blend so effortlessly together. The lyrics can be easily relatable and they pull you in and make you think of certain people in that moment. You can also clearly see this is just a complete recording of the entire show from start to finish, the set isn’t mixed together to make it a little different like other live albums tend to do, but it transitions to each song exactly as it should.

The Canadian superstar is treating you all with this live album, for sure. This album has just taught me that he has gotten insanely better as the years have gone on, the man has progressed and aged like a fine wine.

The final three songs of this album are a batch that I’m sure during this live performance everyone was waiting for, just wanting them to show themselves. We’re treated, and I mean treated with If You Wanna Leave Me (Can I Come Too?), Don’t Drop That Bomb On Me and the ever incredible and a song that never will get old (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.

I know you’re all sitting down or even walking with a gigantic smile on your face, swaying your hips and dancing around like you’re there again in that crowd, or imagining that you are. It’s okay because I’m doing the same, the shoulders are shaking as I dance around my kitchen belting every lyric out.

Track list:

1. Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?
2. Hey Honey – I’m Packin’ You In!
3. Can’t Stop This Thing We Started
4. Thought I’d Died And Gone To Heaven
5. Not Guilty
6. Vanishing
7. House Arrest
8. Do I Have To Say The Words?
9. There Will Never Be Another Tonight
10. All I Want Is You
11. Depend On Me
12. Touch The Hand
13. If You Wanna Leave Me (Can I Come Too?)
14. Don’t Drop That Bomb On Me
15. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

Disk 2: Into The Fire

Disk two consists of 10 tracks this time so it’s a little different, he’s carefully selected his discography out and out songs with certain sounds together to make a perfect fit. You notice the change in sound and tempo with the first track being Into The Fire, which for me has a little bit of an indie feel to it in a lot of parts. You always have that traditional hit of original rock n roll that I don’t think can ever be shifted, there’s still a moderate to fast tempo but it’s also very calming. This disk does feel a lot different compared to the first one, the audience seems to be less added in this version compared to the last, there isn’t as much cheering and singing the lyrics back going on which is weird, even at the end of the song there isn’t any cheers which I find really odd.

The second track Heat Of The Night adds to my confusion, there’s silence at the start as a guitar is heard being plugged in but no cheers, nothing from the crowd. It sounds like yes it’s been recorded live because you can hear that rawness to it but it doesn’t feel as at home as the previous disk did. Which is a bit of a let down because before it felt like you were actually there, you could close your eyes and feel yourself being in the audience just through the sound alone. With the lack of audience backing being heard as visibly aside, the vocals and guitar are beautiful. The balance of sound is clearly there as you can hear every single instrument perfectly well, which with live performances can be hard to find the perfect sound level to hear everything perfectly. Everything has been levelled really well either in this performance in the moment, or in post-production but either way the levels are perfect, vocals can be heard above all which is what you want but you don’t have to force anything to be higher it’s perfectly done.

Slow it down with Victim of Love, this is giving off classic 80s dramatic rock music video vibes, with the dark apartment that just has the queen sized bed in the middle, balcony doors open with the see through white curtains blowing with the wind. Instantly that’s where my brain went to, probably would have done that live if I was there for this to be honest.

Again in between tracks there is no sound of a crowd which I really find odd to have it so visible in the first disk and then nothing in the second, did the crowd leave? Were they quiet during these ten songs? It’s just very odd to have it clear as day in the first disk and then have it completely stripped away in the second.

You can see the specific selection the more you get into this album, it feels perfectly organised which is insanely satisfying having a cluster of song’s on each disk that have a specific sound put together.

The shortest track on the disk Only The Strong Survive gives a whole load of 50s rock within the first 30 seconds, I have no idea how he keeps his live vocals sounding that good but they just do without a single hint of being out of breath at any given moment. Disk 2 feels like a bit of a letdown compared to disk 1, it just doesn’t feel the same, it feels like it was recorded separately to the show itself, it feels like it was just thrown together a little bit, there isn’t as much audience interaction which makes it feel completely different.

For me a personal favourite from this disk is Hearts On Fire the catchy riffs with added backing vocals that make you feel involved and pulls you in, makes you dance and also makes that head move, it also gives a slight change to the vocals where they have a softer side where it feels less raspy and harsh and more smooth.

Track list:

1. Into The Fire
2. Heat Of The Night
3. Victim of love
4. Another Day
5. Native Son
6. Only The Strong Survive
7. He’s A Rebel
8. Remembrance Day
9. Hearts On Fire
10. Home Again

Disk 3: Cuts Like A Knife

Disk number 3 being the last of the box, the exit of the show aka the way to bring all the emotions in and leave you wanting more at the same time. Cuts Like A Knife was Bryan Adams breakout album and 40 years later it still stands up so well. Everything starts off with snarl and cheek with Take Me Back, before dropping to something more bouncy with This Time which includes a very jangly breakdowns. This disk just goes by so fast it’s over before you know it, I’m Ready and What’s It Gonna Be are now more advanced from the original album order so this time the set closes with the acoustic Straight From The Heart like I said pulling at the emotions to end the night, this song being a major one to end on with it being his first chart success in Canada.

Track list:

1. The Only One
2. Take Me Back
3. This Time
4. I’m Ready
5. What’s It Gonna Be
6. Don’t Leave Me Lonely
7. Let Him Know
8. The Best Was Yet To Come
9. Cuts Like A Knife
10. Straight From The Heart

The 3 albums are crisply recorded, every instrument could be heard perfectly so hats off to the sound crew for the perfect levelling there. Some amazing guitar work from Keith Scott that give the rockers more heft. An amazing album for the perfect road trip and a time when spirits need lifting.

Review by Lauren Allard

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