As had been amply proved by their dismally recorded studio albums,
Y&T's songs were simply made to be heard in a live setting. Arriving at the tail end of the band's association with A&M Records,
Open Fire is hardly exceptional by live-album standards, but the difference between these performances and their studio counterparts is so immense that one has to wonder if the performances are even by the same band. Every forced lyric, every lame arrangement, and every lost nuance are forgotten as
Y&T come to explosive life on this astounding set, which revisits the best moments from the band's early-'80s career, including "Rescue Me," "Forever," "Barroom Boogie," and "Open Fire." Later material like "Go for the Throat" and "Summertime Girls" is less impressive, and the inclusion of an old track ("25 Hours a Day") from their late-'70s origin as Yesterday & Today comes off as pedestrian at best. But a final encore of the beautifully cathartic "I Believe in You" is guaranteed to send everyone home happy. [The 2006 reissue included bonus tracks.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia