Respectfully George Slv, I have 2 disagree about this being a 'live' album. I pulled my copy and listened again (with headphones), and this sounds like studio recordings with fake crowd cheering and laughing overdubbed onto it. The give-away 2 me are the tracks where Ray does multiple vocal overdubs, singing along with himself like "Gitarzan", "Along Came Jones" and especially "Bagpipes - That's My Bag" and "Freedie Feelgood". I don't think Ray was seriously trying 2 pass this off as a live album, the effects were added just 4 entertainment purposes (just like on his hit "The Streak").
Lastly, the 'audience' background noise is different on the album and 45 rpm mixes of "Gitarzan". The single version starts with a quiet background, the album version has cheering. Also, the single version has just cheering dubbed in, the album version has cheering AND laughter dubbed in.
ReviewThis is entirely a live album from some club. Renditions are good, enough to be released as hit singles for some. Being on the Monument label they could not reuse his Mercury hits. Ahab The Arab is the short version, expanded here by audience and band sounds. This is the version where he shouts "my soul's American".
Sir Thanks-A-Lot and Bagpipes are great new songs. A fine album.