Live At Rockpalast captures Mickey Jupp at his rockin' best during his only appearance on the legendary German Rockpalast television show, recorded at WDR Studio A in Cologne on 17 December 1979. Jupp was already established as one of Britain's finest Rock 'n' Roll and Rhythm & Blues songwriters, and this superb live set finds him delivering a mixture of his own classics and carefully chosen Rock 'n' Roll and Blues standards. With Dave Mattacks and Pat Donaldson among the four-piece backing band, the performance has plenty of musical muscle behind Jupp's unmistakable songs and vocals.
The set draws heavily on Jupp's classic material, with Cheque Book, Guitar Pickin' Slim, Switchboard Susan, Brother Doctor Sister Nurse, You Made A Fool Out Of Me and Short List all getting the full live treatment. There's also a terrific selection of covers and Rock 'n' Roll standards, including St James Infirmary, Chuck Berry's Memphis, Crossroads, Boney Moroney and Kansas City. The complete 14-song concert is presented on DVD, while the accompanying CD gives you the same musical performance in audio form, making this an unusually satisfying package for both listeners and Jupp collectors.
For anyone who appreciates Mickey Jupp's sharp songwriting, British Rock 'n' Roll and rootsy Rhythm & Blues, Live At Rockpalast is a particularly worthwhile addition to the collection. The combination of the complete concert footage and matching CD makes it much more than a standard live album, while the historical importance of Jupp's sole Rockpalast appearance gives it an obvious appeal to collectors. A cracking snapshot of one of Britain's great Rock 'n' Roll characters in full flight.
