A decade after 10cc's demise and utterly heedless of the blink-and-you'll-miss-it reunion of ...Meanwhile, Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart returned to the old brand name in 1993, undertaking a Japanese tour devoted wholly to rekindling a past that had seldom proven less than glorious. The resultant live album has proven one of the most ubiquitous of all the group's much-repackaged past, appearing in a bewildering variety of guises over the years, with Alive: The Classic Hits Tour just one more in an increasingly disreputable parade. There's nothing wrong with the music, of course; slick and a little over-musician-ly though the performance is, it certainly recaptures the thrill of the band's return to action. Equally commendable, the dozen tracks (pared down from the original two-CD package's 15) wrap up seven of the band's biggest hits, with three more ("Robber Bullets," "Silly Love," and "Life Is a Minestrone") secreted into an epic set-closing medley. In between times, a ripe cover of the Beatles' "Across the Universe" and the band's own "Welcome to Paradise" and "The Stars Didn't Show" prompt listeners to explore the band's catalog beyond the well-trodden path of their greatest hits. It's the sheer proclivity of this material that bothers the fan, though, the interminable reissues which have already hopelessly devalued what was once considered a rather nifty release -- and will doubtless continue to do so. If you need to hear how 10cc sounded in 1993, seek out the original Alive package. And if you just want the hits, buy the original albums.