music: CHIC live

Santa gave me Chic - Live at Montreux 2004, an entertaining performance with some sensational rhythm guitar riffing from Nile Rodgers. It's interesting to compare it and Live at the Budokan with the Chic originals.

Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsay Yowsah Yowsah) is better at Montreux, and the sax and trumpet are top-notch; Le Freak, with a burning guitar solo from special guest star Slash, is awesome at the Budokan. It's chilling to hear Bernard Edwards say "I'm a little sick tonight. I've got the Tokyo flu" only a few hours before his death. Even though the Chic studio originals have a similar large group of musicians, they sound sparser — it's a core sound, not the block sound of many musicians playing together. Also the studio sound is darker, so the splashes of piano on Good Times and the bells on I Want Your Love sparkle and scintillate.

Omar Hakim is on both live albums. He's an exciting, propulsive drummer, but somehow lacks the inexorable punch of Tony Thompson.

Good stuff for fans.

As in 2007 Chic are nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And again Yes is ridiculously snubbed.