Alan Merrill

Almost 20 years after he departed Tokyo for a new career in English pop, Alan Merrill returned to the land of his earliest stardom to play a sold out tour, basking in a catalog that abounds with so much great music that his best known number, "I Love Rock'n'Roll" scarcely appears on the accompanying live album. Instead, he storms through what is essentially an all-new repertoire, highlighting what would become Vodka Collins' comeback catalog, but with a rawness that sees Aleecat Live in Japan leaping out of the speakers at you, a battery of high octane rock & roll delivered to an audience that cannot believe its good fortune. Sixteen songs leave little room for nostalgia, and no space to breathe, either; in an age when live albums are sounding more and more manufactured every time another artist "fixes it in the mix," Aleecat Live in Japan has an immediacy that is almost frightening. All concert recordings should sound this good! ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide