''Best Seat in the House'' is a

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by the Australian

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

group,

Sunnyboys Sunnyboys are an Australian power pop band formed in Sydney in 1979. Fronted by singer-songwriter, guitarist Jeremy Oxley, the band "breathed some freshness and vitality into the divergent Sydney scene". Their first two albums, '' Sunnyboys' ...

. It was recorded at the

Enmore Theatre The Enmore Theatre is a theatre and entertainment venue in Sydney, Australia. It was built in 1908. It is located at 118–132 Enmore Road in Newtown, in the inner west of Sydney's suburbs. It was first opened in 1912 as a photo-play theatre. I ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

on 14 March 2015. The album includes live favourites, the hits and rare tracks. The album was announced on 7 February and released on 26 February 2016. Upon release,

' bassist Peter Oxley told the

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...

"I'm 55 and I know how I feel about music. If I get to see a band who I really liked when I was 20, I'll go and do it because to me it's an ageless feeling. A lot of people who grew up when we did, going out to see bands four or five nights a week ... for them now to see those bands that they really loved is something incredibly special. It brings back such great, fond memories."

Reception

Steve Bell from the Music AU said; "This 2015 live recording from Sydney's Enmore Theatre documents the phoenix-like return of '80s Oz rock institution

after a lengthy stint in the wilderness. It proves that they remain a live force.

Jeremy Oxley Jeremy Saxon Oxley (born 15 November 1961) is an Australian songwriter, singer and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the 1980s pop-rock band Sunnyboys. Biography 1961-1978: Early Life Jeremy Oxley grew up in the northern New South ...

's coarse vocals drip with passion and conviction and the band lock together like a well oiled machine: like all live albums there's the odd wart, but the power, melody and beauty inherent in tracks like "What You Need", "Happy Man", "Individuals" and "Alone With You" highlight why Sunnyboys remain so revered by so many." Catherine Gale from Courier Mail said; "This gig sees the original line-up playing with all the energy and precision that made the Sunnyboys 1980s live favourites" adding "Although they excelled in the studio, it’s live where the Sunnyboys held their own – and still do. It’s a thrill to hear the band in such amazing form after playing sporadically the last few years after a three-decade hiatus. As much as this is a fan’s delight, it would seem the Sunnyboys are also playing for themselves. From the opening track "Love to Rule", they make it abundantly clear this is for real and not a nostalgia trip. It’s hard to single out the highlights as the entire performance is powerful and triumphant on a number of levels. They were an inspiration in the eighties and continue to be so in 2016." Terry Teece, who was present at the live recording, said of the album; "Jeremy Oxley is in top form, making his guitar sing, his voice is still powerful and amazing, the rhythm section of Bill Bilson and Peter Oxley is a well-oiled awesome machine, and Richard Burgman is attacking his axe with as much fury as ever. They have still got it and it comes through on the album."

Track listing

Release history

References

{{Sunnyboys 2016 live albums Sunnyboys albums