Pantera "Official Live: 101 Proof"

Official Live: 101 Proof is a live album released by Pantera on July 29, 1997.

The first fourteen tracks are live recordings of songs from previously released studio albums (starting with Cowboys from Hell); the last two songs ("Where You Come from" and "I Can't Hide") are new studio recordings.

Vinnie Paul:

"We recorded the new material during a break in our tour. We recorded them in 12 days. It was a great feeling to get back in the studio again. Especially when we knew the songs were going to go on an album that is so important for us and our fans."

The track "Dom/Hollow" is an amalgamation of parts of "Domination" (originally from Cowboys from Hell) and "Hollow" (originally from Vulgar Display of Power). The band played "Domination" leading into "Hollow" virtually every time they played either song live.

The track "Hostile" is simply a live version of "Fucking Hostile" (from Vulgar Display) with a shortened title.

During the song "Becoming", the band would end the song with the outro of "Throes of Rejection", from their album Far Beyond Driven. Likewise, the band ended "I'm Broken" with the outro of "By Demons Be Driven" from the album Vulgar Display of Power.

Vinnie Paul commented on the album:

"We felt like after 7 years of playing live, that we wanted to put out a record with all our best tunes. Songs that have our own TLC instead of all that foolishness that happens when a band puts out a greatest hits album or some overdubbed live album."

The album cover is a reference to the Wild Turkey bottle label "101 Proof" referring to alcohol content and "No. 5" referring to the brand (Like Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 brand) and the fact that the band considered this is their fifth "official" release (starting with Cowboys from Hell and not counting their four earlier independent albums).

Official Live: 101 Proof reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200 charts with the album receiving solid reviews, and stayed on the chart up to 12 weeks.

Track listing

All tracks written by Pantera.

1. "A New Level" (listed on album as "New Level") 4:24
2. "Walk" 5:50
3. "Becoming" 3:59
4. "5 Minutes Alone" 5:36
5. "Sandblasted Skin" 4:29
6. "Suicide Note Pt. 2" 4:20
7. "War Nerve" 5:21
8. "Strength Beyond Strength" 3:37
9. "Dom/Hollow" 3:43
10. "This Love" 6:57
11. "I'm Broken" 4:27
12. "Cowboys from Hell" 4:35
13. "Cemetery Gates" 7:53
14. "Fucking Hostile" (listed on album as "Hostile") 3:56
15. "Where You Come From" (Studio recording) 5:11
16. "I Can't Hide" (Studio recording) 2:16

Total length: 76:23

Tracks 12, 13 and Domination taken from Cowboys From Hell.

Tracks 1, 2, 10, 14 and Hollow taken from Vulgar Display Of Power.

Tracks 3, 4, 8 and 11 taken from Far Beyond Driven.

Tracks 5, 6and 7 taken from The Great Southern Trendkill.

Tracks 15 and 16 were newly recorded studio tracks.

Recording information:

Recorded in 1996-1997 "Tourkill" in the USA.

Tracks 15 & 16 mixed in DWG, Texas at Chasin Jason Studios.

Mastered at Sterling Sound.