Grammy award-winning rock band Train (of "Meet Virginia" and "Drops of Jupiter" fame) prove why they are America's best on Alive at Last, their 2004 Live album.

Train's 2004 live album Alive at Last showcases the band's versatility, musicianship, and staying power. The compilation solidifies the stature of this band as one of America's best (albeit understated) rock bands of the new millennium.

Recorded over 4 nights at Workplay Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama, the 14 live tracks represent a career that encompassed, at the time of release, 6 years,1 Grammy and 4 Grammy nominations, 3 studio albums, and 5 Top 40 hits. Not bad for a band that has been labeled by detractors as "classic rock impostors," "wannabees" and "too honest".

Honest American Rock Music

Lead by singer and lyricist Pat Monahan, Train includes Jimmy Stafford on guitars and mandolin, drummer Scott Underwood, Brandon Bush on keys, and bassist Johnny Colt.

The band plays tight, with passion, and with fun on these live tracks. They move fluidly from the bi-polar rock of "Meet Virginia" to the bluesy "Get to Me." Much of the allure of this band, in fact, is their ability to transform themselves as the music dictates, from straight-ahead rock ("Stay with Me") to blues ("Sweet Rain")to funk ("She's on Fire"), from song to song.

Train Rocks Workplay Theatre Live

Train's songs shine in this stripped-down, unadorned context. Clearly, this is not a band of wanky guitar tangents, showy costumes, dazzling light shows, or animal drum solos. They are about music, connection.

During an interlude mid-song on "Save the Day", Monahan admits where his focus lies, or doesn't lie, rather: "I try to be the sexy rock guy and I can't do it. It's just so much bullshit, you know." That's far more honesty than the average rock band delivers these days.

Even critics who love to hate Train have to admit that the band commands respect with its refusal to adopt a rock star image. According to Thom Jurek in the All Music Guide, "[Train's] sincerity is pervasive and it bleeds all over everything...this is also precisely why they inspire such devotion in a fan base that is utterly sick of 'cool,' 'hip,' 'smart,' and so on."

Pat Monahan's Vocals

Much of the band's intrigue, admittedly, has to do with Monahan's vocal dexterity. He leads band and fan alike with an intrepid, shape-changing voice that can belt like Rod Stewart, seduce like George Michael, white-boy-funk like Paul Carrack ("All American Girl"), and at times bring to mind the aching vocal performances of dramatic rockers Steve Perry and Meat Loaf ("Landmine").

Alive at Last Track List and Production Notes

1. Calling All Angels
2. She's on Fire
3. Meet Virginia
4. Save the Day
5. Get to Me
6. Landmine
7. All American Girl
8. When I Look to the Sky
9. Latin Interlude
10. I Wish You Would
11. Sweet Rain
12. Free
13. Drops of Jupiter
14. Stay with Me
15. Ordinary (studio bonus track)
16. New Sensation (studio bonus track)

All live tracks were recorded and mixed by Pearl Jam's longtime sound engineer Brett Eliason along with Assistant Mix Engineer John Burton. The production style welcomes the listener into the audience, with crowd singalongs, Monahan adlibs, and clear, raw, live sound.

The studio bonus tracks were mixed by 2 of rock's heavyweight mixer veterans: Andy Wallace (Ordinary), and Bob Clearmountain (New Sensation). The songs sound like they are 2 parts of a whole, both produced in a hard-hitting, wall-of-sound rock n' roll style typical of 2004.

Playing time is 1.2 hours.

Anyone looking for an introduction to Train would do well to start with Alive at Last.

Sources

Rock on the Net website's Train Timeline (accessed on 31 December, 2007)

Billboard's online magazine, Train Discography (accessed on 31 December, 2007)

All Music Guide website, Album Review by Thom Jurek, (accessed on 31 December, 2007)