Living In Large Rooms and Lounges

Album Review

Despite the fact that Hunters & Collectors had been unable to maintain the sort of record sales toward the end of their career that they had enjoyed in the 1980s, they still remained one of Australia's favorite live rock acts. Living in Large Rooms and Lounges shows why. Recorded on their "Live Demons" tour in early 1995, this collection shows two different sides of the band. The first disc (titled "Live at the Continental Cafe") was recorded at a small club venue in Melbourne, and is a largely acoustic set, while the second disc ("Live in the Pubs") was recorded at a number of large pub venues and features full-scale production. The acoustic set allowed the band to experiment with their sound, but it is the second disc that best shows off Mark Seymour's raw, powerful vocals, and the skills of the entire band, including the ever-present brass section. Songs from virtually every Hunters & Collectors album are featured here, but it is the older songs — "Say Goodbye" and the classic "Throw Your Arms Around Me" from Human Frailty, "Chalkie" from Jaws of Life, and "Do You See What I See?" from What's a Few Men — that are the highlights. Unfortunately, this shows up the weaker songwriting that marred some of the albums Hunters & Collectors released in the '90s, although Ghost Nation's "Blind Eye," and Cut's "True Tears of Joy" and "Holy Grail" showed that the band was still capable of writing some great tunes. While this collection won't convert any new fans, it does give an insight into what enabled Hunters & Collectors to retain a cult following throughout their long career.