Alive at Last

The concert album ALIVE AT LAST captures the spirit of Train, a band that achieved a slow climb to popularity via solidly crafted songs and an ability to enhance them in a live setting. The set list here includes hits that recall Counting Crows ("Meet Virginia" which also features contributions by Crows members) and the Black Crowes ("Drops of Jupiter"). However, scratching below the surface not only reveals more original-sounding fare, but one of rock's more underrated frontmen. The pliable voice of singer Pat Monahan stands out above all else on these 14 live cuts. When Monahan's not indulging in a bit of self-deprecating humor amid the audience accompaniment of "Save the Day," he flexes his vocal chords with some jazzy scatting on the sinewy "Get to Me." Sealing the deal on this scintillating outing is a rousing romp through "Stay with Me" that's nearly as raucous as when the Faces recorded it. Complementing Train's in-concert tunes are a pair of bonus studio tracks--"Ordinary" and "New Sensation"--that showcase the band's anthemic brand of songwriting.