AMG Review of Greatest Hits Live

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

Starz is certainly one of the leading "shoulda/coulda/woulda" rock bands of the 1970s. They had everything in place for stardom (killer hooks in their songs, a pin-up-worthy frontman, etc.), but for whatever reason, they never broke through to the mainstream as many of their contemporaries did -- Kiss, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, etc. Additionally, they could hold their own with the era's top live rock bands, as evidenced by the 2004 release, Greatest Hits Live. Comprised of live recordings from various different concerts, this 16-track set contains all of the group's top tracks, including their lone bona fide hit, the power pop gem "Cherry Baby," as well as such rough 'n' ready rockers as "Live Wire" and "Detroit Girls," and the seemingly long-and-winding "Pull the Plug." While the quality of the material and performance is never in question here, the sonic quality however varies -- but don't fret, there's nothing here that approaches "bootleg" territory. Despite there being a multitude of Starz live CD's to choose from their peak era (specifically, from the official Starz website), Greatest Hits Live is probably the best live Starz release from a track list standpoint, as it includes standouts from throughout their career.