Live Just Beautiful

AMG Review of Live Just Beautiful

William York
All Music Guide

Live Just Beautiful consists almost entirely of cover songs, yet it could never be mistaken for the work of any band except Shockabilly. Little is kept sacred in their versions of tunes by Jimi Hendrix, Roger Miller, John Lennon, and others, with Eugene Chadbourne's shrieking, maniacal guitar work and Kramer's anarchic tape noises leaving indelible marks everywhere they go. The recording quality is less than professional, but it fits well with the noisy, verging-on-chaos nature of the performances. Standout moments include Chadbourne's hallucinogenic guitar solo on the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" and a ridiculous medley of Procol Harum, Hall & Oates, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young featuring Chadbourne on the electric plunger. There is plenty of stage banter in between songs, as well as a few skit-type routines, which mock record label executives, critics, and concert promoters. These moments tend to have a silly tone and are often funny, but they also emphasize the frustration and antagonism the band was experiencing at the time. These factors, along with the occasional hostile audience member, actually seemed to inspire them to greater, more outlandish heights, and the result is very arguably the ultimate Shockabilly recording.