Killing Joke was one of the biggest sounding, most thrillingly primal and frightening live bands of the 1980s and '90s, and the BBC live series has always been red hot. On paper, this sounds like a super marriage but turns out to be nothing special. Instead of being recorded at London's Paris Theatre, like most BBC LPs, this emanates from the giant 1986 Reading Festival, and the recording fails to crackle (until the final three songs, tacked on from a 1985 Paris Theatre appearance). In fact, the first ten songs sound like a better-than-average bootleg. 1995's Jana live EP is the real place to hear live
KJ, recorded with spark, though longtime fans and completists will find a look at the mid-'80s
Joke -- the
Brighter Than a Thousand Sons-culminating classic era -- of genuine interest. And the Paris Theatre songs smolder. ~ Jack Rabid