Yes this album does only have 8 tracks (7 of them live), the quality of the performance and the production is pretty poor, but it does include some interesting tunes, namely "Three Mile Smile" and "Train Kept a Rollin'" that fans wouldn't expect them to put on the record. That still isn't enough to make a potential listener want to buy, much less create a new Aerosmith fan. In essence, your money is much better spent on "Bootleg" which is a more complete performance and collection of songs (but still only rates 5 out of 10). They need to go through old master tapes of performances and make a killer two disc live set from the 70's a la Zeppelin's "How the West Was Won."

The real attraction is the definitive recording of "Major Barbara." It's better than the recording used on the "Pandora Box Set." That still doesn't make it worth your 10 dollars. "Classics Live 2" is better, but not by much.

Overall: 4 out of 10.

I Like this album... the only thing that is bad about it is that it was too short for a live album... also it didn't have alot of the really good songs... though it did have some good ones like Dream On, Sweet Emotion, and Kings and Queens. Dream on is my favorite Aerosmith song and for some reason i liked the way it counded on this album... I actually like the way it sounds on this album better than the origional recording... same thing goes for kings and queens... anyway.. it sounds good but it's too short.

This CD features Aerosmith at their most slick-sounding and consistently rhythmic; the opening "Train Kept A Rollin'" is their most moving version of this song (it's also featured on Get Your Wings and Live Bootleg among others) and the next song "Kings and Queens" - along with #4 "Dream On" - is melodic and melancholly. "Sweet Emotion" is superbly performed, perhaps not any more so than any of their other versions (from Toys In The Attic or Live Bootleg or a half dozen other albums...) but, as said before, it's the most slick sounding version in their career back catalogue. The "side 2" (as is on the cassette version - which was the 1st type I bought...) isn't quite as good, and if you've listened to this CD a few times already, you might find tracks 5-8 pretty boring actually. But it's good kickin' noise to have in the background if you can't stand the oh so terrible silence (whatever!)...; in my opinion "Major Barbara" falls short of the expectations prompted from the lyrics...unless you have a photographic memory, you might go back to that song thinking it's gonna be a tragic-weepytype song, but you'll be disappointed (if you have any taste, that is...). I agree with one or more reviewer(s), that CL#2 is quite better...I'll review that another time.

Though it may not sound the best and though the band may not be as tight as they could and should be Classics Live! is still a pretty good live album. It has all the elements it takes to make a good live album, its live and not fixed up in the studio, its got all classic songs by Americas greatest rock and roll band and not to mention greatest riff machine! Steven doesnt sound his best by any means. Trust me he can sound a 1000% better! Its not that he sounds bad but you can tell this was recorded when the drugs were taking their toll on him and the whole band really. In some places the band sounds off time, like they just are not clicking with each other at all. I dont like classics Live! as much as I like part 2 because Joe Perry and Brad Whitford dont play on all the songs here, Jimmy Craspo and Rick Dufay do most the guitar playing, because Joe and Brad hadnt come back to Aerosmith yet when this was recorded. And I am a firm beliver that no one should ever play Joe and Brads licks unlesss its the boys themselvs. One cool thing is 'Major Barbra' which is not a live track but a studio track that was ment for Get Your Wings but never made it onto the album. Its really a great song though. If Joe and Brad were on all the songs and Steven sounded better and the band was tighter then this would be a five star live album but thats what holds it down I mean the two other guitar players dont even play the right guitar solo on 'Kings And Queens!' But if you wanna hear classic live Aerosmith then get one of their other live albums because this is for die hards like myself only!

Classics Live was released when Aerosmith was backing a comeback.This album was a way to make money off of their new found success on Geffen records.The songs on Classics Live are very good.I must say the performances are better than they were on Live Bootleg.The only thing wrong with the album was the fact that it only has 8 songs and only 7 of live.So the album is rather skimpy.Why couldn't both Classics Live albums be combined for one CD, I believe they are both short enough to have been on one disc.Or they could have made a 2 CD live album with two discs being near 80 minutes each for a better value.