Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Vive La Revolution! (1999)

With such a glut of live Johnny Thunders albums on the market, it's becoming increasingly tough to locate the best. One somewhat helpful guideline to use is "the earlier the show, the better" -- because as Johnny Thunders' career continued on, the more he relied on drugs, which resulted in very sloppy performances that teetered on the edge of unlistenable. But Vive la Revolution! is definitely one of the better live Thunders sets out there, as it catches the Heartbreakers early on (in Paris on December 8, 1977), when they were still a hungry band and playing like it mattered. A pretty consistent set, included are such early Heartbreakers highlights as "Can't Keep My Eyes On You," "Too Much Junkie Business," "One Track Mind," and, of course, the Dee Dee Ramone-penned anthem "Chinese Rocks." Also rounding out the set is a handful of L.A.M.F. outtakes (which, honestly, aren't that much different than the released versions), including three different versions of "Get Off the Phone" along with "I Wanna Be Loved" and "I Love You." Vive la Revolution! captures Thunders and company before drug intake got in the way of performing.~Vive la Revolution! (Live and Outtakes) Review by Greg Prato