View Single Post
  #6  
Old 11-02-2015, 11:33 PM
aleuzzi's Avatar
aleuzzi aleuzzi is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,401
Default

Yeah, I'm with Imnotafraid on this one. Not a great album, in my book.

My problems with the record (as opposed to mere nitpicks) are that many of the performances sound half-baked or substandard. I don't see how this could have happened considering all of the great bootleg and concert recordings I've heard from this band.

Stevie sounds terrible on Landslide. Christine is out of tune on portions of Over and Over. Lindsey is as tiresome on Never Going Back Again as he is today when he sings it. The best live performances are Over My Head, Sara, and Oh Well--all of which sound solid, energetic, but nowhere near the excellence of their studio counterparts.

Had the band done a complete live show date instead of several performances across several years, it might have sounded more cohesive.

However, the new material on the record is underrated, in my opinion. Fireflies is a great little tune. Fun, catchy, inspired. One More Night isn't one of Christine's best (or her worst) but her performance of it is warm and convincing. Lindsey's arrangement of the unexpected Farmer's Daughter cover is adorable.

The soundcheck tunes (Don't Stop and Dreams) sound clean but mediocre. I enjoy watching the videos of both of them, since the band's visual appeal often helps carry their tunes over on stage.
Reply With Quote