Luna Live

1	Bewitched 4:38
2	Chinatown 4:53
3	Friendly Advice 4:14
4	Pup Tent 6:00
5	Sideshow by the Seashore 3:05
6	Anesthesia 4:43
7	Tiger Lily 5:03
8	4000 Days 4:12
9	Hello Little One 4:29
10	Moon Palace 3:38
11	Lost in Space 3:35
12	23 Minutes in Brussels 7:46
13	4th of July 4:57
14	Bonnie and Clyde 6:04

Barnes & Noble

Luna's live shows aren't wildly different than their studio recordings, but as the band's first live release demonstrates, even subtle changes can have a bracing impact. Luna's strength can be subtle anyway -- this New York City quartet know the power of a perfectly assembled phrase and mesmerizing guitar note. While Luna's not necessarily known for cranking their amps up to 11, there are some reminders here that the band can bliss out and rock out, such as the impassioned version of "Anesthesia" and the particularly loud "Sideshow by the Seashore." And, of course, the live setting also gives Luna the freedom to stretch out on the slightly psychedelic jams and spacey grooves of "Pup Tent" and the sublime eight minutes of "23 Minutes in Brussels." In addition to showcasing the band's on-stage energy, Live is also a winner because the song selection is inspired -- the nearly-perfect set draws from all five Luna albums, with concentration on their finest, 1995's Penthouse, plus two choice covers, Serge Gainsbourg's French-pop classic "Bonnie and Clyde" and the gem "4th of July," which Luna frontman Dean Wareham wrote with his former band, Galaxie 500. Yes, die-hard Luna fans will yearn for a live version of "California (All the Way)" and their much-adored cover of Beat Happening's "Indian Summer," but there are many, many blissful moments on Live that can be savored instead. Wendy Mitchell

All Music Guide

Dean Wareham told Ice Magazine, "Generally speaking I don't like live albums, except for bands like Television and a few others. But having just made one I now know that you can capture all the live energy that's just about impossible to capture in the studio -- unless you're a band like AC/DC, that is." Despite his initial reservations, Luna Live is a hypnotic, bittersweet, transcendental pop masterpiece. It finds the band in great form at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and also New York's Knitting Factory, and yet the presentation of the sound quality and the mastering are situated in such a way that it seems like one evening. Even a personnel change in the middle of the record goes almost unnoticed as the previous bass player Justin Harwood plays the middle seven tracks and his apt replacement Britta Phillips plays the front three and last four. Ten years of Luna are presented here by way of inspired presentations of songs from each of their studio efforts. Luna Live uses this material as a departure point, pulling out smart and inspired versions of "Double Feature" (mistitled as "Friendly Advice" on the back cover), "Pup Tent," and if they have (or if anyone has) ever soared to the heights of "Marquee Moon," it's with this version of "23 Minuets in Brussels." Wareham and second guitarist Sean Eden completely take this one away to places of guitar eminence where they are in complete and utter control of sound. Any good rock show (and one is certainly translated here) is like a good film. Participating in either of them makes one feel like they can do anything: like you have escaped from your cube and have decided to walk around the city all day watching the world go by while thinking about lost love and aspirations for a future that is at once so distant and unattainable. [The Arena Rock Recording Co. also released a vinyl version of Luna Live with four bonus tracks.] ~ Jack LV Isles, All Music Guide