Alive in America
The eagerly awaited return of the Becker/Fagan axis was widely viewed as an anticlimax in concert, and the same faults that dogged these 1993/94 tour dates--predictable repertoire, play-it-safe arrangements--are reprised here. It's fine as a tour memento, but these dozen classics sound tired and lackluster next to their still-potent studio counterparts. Nice choice, though, as an Christmas present for the pony-tailed dad on junior's shopping list.--Jeff Bateman