AMG Review of Big Heart: Live Tokyo

Tim Sheridan
All Music Guide

Bandleader John Lurie really hit his stride with this live set, recorded in Tokyo with perhaps the strongest incarnation of the Lounge Lizards. The passionate, furious vibe is set from the outset on the title track, featuring the slashing guitar of Marc Ribot and the funky bass of Erik Sanko. But Lurie's more sentimental side comes through his sax on the doleful "It Could Have Been Very, Very Beautiful." In all, the disc represents what is great about the Lounge Lizards: a serious band that doesn't take itself too seriously.