This is something that any Volta fan should listen to on its entirety.
After the initial concerts performed due to the release of the debut album "De-Loused In The Comatorium", The Mars Volta went to explore various parts of the world. The critical and commercial success that the band received was a surprise for many, even for some of the member, but it was accepted on a very positive way. The condensed musical journey that the group provides was something highly enjoyable despite the layers of technicality, psychedelic passages, a blend of many influences, cryptic lyrics, and a very high energy, aiming to provide a sound of their own, expressing themselves on a very loose and creative manner. For a debut album it truly was an accomplishment, achieving an album that aged on a great way, creating their first studio masterpiece, creating high expectations for the next step on their discography. The El Paso band managed to stand out from the previous projects that they were known for, despite the long and bumpy road that took them to that point, and the many difficulties that lead them to moments full of uncertainty.
Their first live performances on the "De-Loused" tour didn't have the complete energy seen before (mainly due to the recent death of Jeremy Michael Ward one month before the debut came out, taking a huge weight on all the members, marking the beginning of a change in habits), but they managed to pull through, eager to continue their career in a great way. One thing that characterized the band was definitely their live presence. Their high energy captured the soul of the songs and looked to expand upon the main ideas with jamming and an unmatched spirit showing the chemistry and incredible coordination between all the band members fulfilling their respective roles. The band themselves were aware of this, aiming to capture that energy in their studio efforts, but also putting out a couple of live projects across their career (specially their live peak, between 2002-2005). It is a shame that those official releases didn't manage to be adequate portrayals of their true potential, but instead felt like a selection of tracks from different shows being put together instead of a full concert representing the so called "Volta experience" (one of those instances being the 2003 "Live" EP, consisting on tracks from the early De-Loused tour, giving a fair taste of their potential but not doing justice to the mesmerizing experiences that were their live shows).
That is where the existence of bootlegs and unofficial recordings come at hand. The extensive live archival of the many live shows across the band's career helps whoever chooses to dive into the evolution of the band, the many changes in attitude and focus over the years, but also the varied ways the group had of performing their shows. Of course, sound quality varies on many ways depending the source of the recordings, but there are some lucky times where the recordings are taken from TV (like what happened with the Electric Ballroom release, finally letting the fans see the full show where two of the songs from the EP were taken, but still not being the definitive way to see the great live performances from the band) or radio broadcasts. One example of that is their Maida Vale session in London, recorded in August of 2003.
First emitted on broadcast on September of that same year (with two of the three tracks being emitted between interviews) and would get lost until being re-transmitted on its entirety on December 2008, on the BBC show "Rob Da Bank & Friends", during the special "Raiders Of The Lost Archives" segment, aimed to show rather rare sessions from Maida Vale (including Mogwai and Radiohead). These recordings came just a couple of months after the recording of the Electric Ballroom concert, but it truly shows a big improvement coming from the band regarding their overall attitude in their performances. With the help of a clean and polished sound and just three tracks making for an hour long experience, this is one of the most essential bootleg recordings that The Mars Volta have to offer, showing their slow musical and creative evolution.
Starting with a brief introduction of the unconventional session that the band took, recording over an hour of music, where the host affirms that the recording took place in 2004, being a wrong fact because the band did not tour in the UK back in 2004, and the dates of the first Maida Vale Volta interview date back to September 2003 (with the host even declaring that it was the Volta's very first visit to the studio, something that was can be easily checked out looking at the dates of the tracks on the first half of the Live EP). Then it transitions into the first song, an extended version of Eriatarka, already showing a major improvement compared to previous live performances. The energy and intensity on the performances is something that can be felt throughout the entirety of the song, with the ability of replicating the studio qualities on a live setting, while also expanding and performing better with the improvisational segments on many of the songs. Being the shortest song on this session while being just under ten minutes, it starts showing the implementation of new creative ideas within the band, focusing on percussion and calm atmospheric segments where all the members are still playing on a very cohesive and technical way. There are signs of growth within all the band members, Cedric's vocals are starting to become more dynamic than ever, Ikey's keyboards are much more lively and adjusted to the mood, Juan's bass is subtle in how it manages to carry itself to the changing time signatures, Jon's drums are bombastic and showing an artist that is trying to push his limits as much as he can, Omar's varied use of pedals and unconventional compositions, all tied together by a great sound manipulation and overall chemistry making up for a more than impressive performance of the song, definitely one of the best live versions available out there. After that, Rob Da Bank retells how an "unsavory" writing on the wall from someone on The Mars Volta lead to the ending of that tradition for all the bands that came to the studio, and then introduces the following track on the "prog rock odyssey", the thirty six minute behemoth that will leave "your brain fried" (incredibly accurate description): Obelisk.
This is not a simple deep cut, this is just an almost forty minute improvisational jam between all the members of the band, blending elements from De-Loused with big hints to their future projects, making up for one of the best tracks performed in The Mars Volta's live catalog. For being a full improvisation, the entirety of the track flows on a very natural way, changing in tone, mood, and technical qualities, from tempo to tempo, with all the instruments balanced on how they interact with each other. A big mellow segment, where everything slows down without leaving the complexity behind, with guitar solos accompanied by great keyboards, a patient bass, and energetic drums. The use of pedals and the sound manipulation is very evident, and this comes before the implementation of Marcel Rodriguez Lopez as a percussionist, so the use of maracas and sound manipulation really shines for how surprisingly well implemented they are. A track that starts off very intensely, slowing down over the course of the entire song, eventually fading into the final segment, getting distorted and steady in order to transition to the final track. It is something that has to be heard in order to be fully appreciated. Everything holds in a fantastic ways, with improvised lyrics full of the usual cryptic structures from Cedric (some passages even giving hints at the story and themes of their sophomore effort), displaying his talent as a vocalist, accompanied by instrumental qualities seen on De-Loused with the atmospheric and ambient interludes to be explored on Frances The Mute (with even a portion of the end of the song being very similar to the one before the transition to the title track of that project) appearing right at the end. Of course, this would not be the last time that the band performed this way, with a long jamming segment taking over a big portion of the concert, but it sure is one of the most impressive and outstanding performances from this time, recorded on excellent quality, that shouldn't be missed by any fan.
Finally, the third and final track never before aired on its entirety comes in to close the entire show, with a twenty five minute version of Cicatriz ESP being displayed. Seamlessly transitioning from the very end of Obelisk, with a small introduction to set the tone before jumping straight into the main song. Undoubtedly one of the best live versions of the song from this time available for everyone to listen to. The band improvises some segments, with the already recognizable implementation of the bass notes from what would become part of Cassandra Gemini, but also the band playing around loosely, with Cedric joking around in Spanish ("Me duele la cinturita", quote for the ages, but never dropping the impressing coherence and coordination between all the instruments. Undoubtedly fantastic, finishing off such a performance of a very high note, with the host shifting to a different segment.
If one seeks a good bootleg to have a proper idea of what the band was like live around the time of the release of De-Loused, this is it. This bootleg is definitely an essential listen for anyone who would like to appreciate the live talent of the band on great quality (and definitely one of the most underrated and outstanding Maida Vale sessions available out there). Just Obelisk alone makes this session worthy of being heard, but all three tracks have wonderful qualities to offer to whoever wants to engage into a journey full of energy, intensity, impressive musical ability, and a huge charm coming from the collective chemistry of The Mars Volta. A band that was willing to break what was thought as the norm in order to express themselves to the world with the help of their music, blending so many influences creating a unique sound that speaks to anyone who is willing to listen to it. Definitely some of the best renditions of Cicatriz and Eriatarka, with not one second wasted, and expanding the concepts seen on the studio counterparts while giving hints at the future of the band. Very close to being perfect, and definitely being something that must be heard in order to be fully understood.
One of their best unauthorized recordings. Brilliant. Highly recommended.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Favorite Track: Obelisk
After the initial concerts performed due to the release of the debut album "De-Loused In The Comatorium", The Mars Volta went to explore various parts of the world. The critical and commercial success that the band received was a surprise for many, even for some of the member, but it was accepted on a very positive way. The condensed musical journey that the group provides was something highly enjoyable despite the layers of technicality, psychedelic passages, a blend of many influences, cryptic lyrics, and a very high energy, aiming to provide a sound of their own, expressing themselves on a very loose and creative manner. For a debut album it truly was an accomplishment, achieving an album that aged on a great way, creating their first studio masterpiece, creating high expectations for the next step on their discography. The El Paso band managed to stand out from the previous projects that they were known for, despite the long and bumpy road that took them to that point, and the many difficulties that lead them to moments full of uncertainty.
Their first live performances on the "De-Loused" tour didn't have the complete energy seen before (mainly due to the recent death of Jeremy Michael Ward one month before the debut came out, taking a huge weight on all the members, marking the beginning of a change in habits), but they managed to pull through, eager to continue their career in a great way. One thing that characterized the band was definitely their live presence. Their high energy captured the soul of the songs and looked to expand upon the main ideas with jamming and an unmatched spirit showing the chemistry and incredible coordination between all the band members fulfilling their respective roles. The band themselves were aware of this, aiming to capture that energy in their studio efforts, but also putting out a couple of live projects across their career (specially their live peak, between 2002-2005). It is a shame that those official releases didn't manage to be adequate portrayals of their true potential, but instead felt like a selection of tracks from different shows being put together instead of a full concert representing the so called "Volta experience" (one of those instances being the 2003 "Live" EP, consisting on tracks from the early De-Loused tour, giving a fair taste of their potential but not doing justice to the mesmerizing experiences that were their live shows).
That is where the existence of bootlegs and unofficial recordings come at hand. The extensive live archival of the many live shows across the band's career helps whoever chooses to dive into the evolution of the band, the many changes in attitude and focus over the years, but also the varied ways the group had of performing their shows. Of course, sound quality varies on many ways depending the source of the recordings, but there are some lucky times where the recordings are taken from TV (like what happened with the Electric Ballroom release, finally letting the fans see the full show where two of the songs from the EP were taken, but still not being the definitive way to see the great live performances from the band) or radio broadcasts. One example of that is their Maida Vale session in London, recorded in August of 2003.
First emitted on broadcast on September of that same year (with two of the three tracks being emitted between interviews) and would get lost until being re-transmitted on its entirety on December 2008, on the BBC show "Rob Da Bank & Friends", during the special "Raiders Of The Lost Archives" segment, aimed to show rather rare sessions from Maida Vale (including Mogwai and Radiohead). These recordings came just a couple of months after the recording of the Electric Ballroom concert, but it truly shows a big improvement coming from the band regarding their overall attitude in their performances. With the help of a clean and polished sound and just three tracks making for an hour long experience, this is one of the most essential bootleg recordings that The Mars Volta have to offer, showing their slow musical and creative evolution.
Starting with a brief introduction of the unconventional session that the band took, recording over an hour of music, where the host affirms that the recording took place in 2004, being a wrong fact because the band did not tour in the UK back in 2004, and the dates of the first Maida Vale Volta interview date back to September 2003 (with the host even declaring that it was the Volta's very first visit to the studio, something that was can be easily checked out looking at the dates of the tracks on the first half of the Live EP). Then it transitions into the first song, an extended version of Eriatarka, already showing a major improvement compared to previous live performances. The energy and intensity on the performances is something that can be felt throughout the entirety of the song, with the ability of replicating the studio qualities on a live setting, while also expanding and performing better with the improvisational segments on many of the songs. Being the shortest song on this session while being just under ten minutes, it starts showing the implementation of new creative ideas within the band, focusing on percussion and calm atmospheric segments where all the members are still playing on a very cohesive and technical way. There are signs of growth within all the band members, Cedric's vocals are starting to become more dynamic than ever, Ikey's keyboards are much more lively and adjusted to the mood, Juan's bass is subtle in how it manages to carry itself to the changing time signatures, Jon's drums are bombastic and showing an artist that is trying to push his limits as much as he can, Omar's varied use of pedals and unconventional compositions, all tied together by a great sound manipulation and overall chemistry making up for a more than impressive performance of the song, definitely one of the best live versions available out there. After that, Rob Da Bank retells how an "unsavory" writing on the wall from someone on The Mars Volta lead to the ending of that tradition for all the bands that came to the studio, and then introduces the following track on the "prog rock odyssey", the thirty six minute behemoth that will leave "your brain fried" (incredibly accurate description): Obelisk.
This is not a simple deep cut, this is just an almost forty minute improvisational jam between all the members of the band, blending elements from De-Loused with big hints to their future projects, making up for one of the best tracks performed in The Mars Volta's live catalog. For being a full improvisation, the entirety of the track flows on a very natural way, changing in tone, mood, and technical qualities, from tempo to tempo, with all the instruments balanced on how they interact with each other. A big mellow segment, where everything slows down without leaving the complexity behind, with guitar solos accompanied by great keyboards, a patient bass, and energetic drums. The use of pedals and the sound manipulation is very evident, and this comes before the implementation of Marcel Rodriguez Lopez as a percussionist, so the use of maracas and sound manipulation really shines for how surprisingly well implemented they are. A track that starts off very intensely, slowing down over the course of the entire song, eventually fading into the final segment, getting distorted and steady in order to transition to the final track. It is something that has to be heard in order to be fully appreciated. Everything holds in a fantastic ways, with improvised lyrics full of the usual cryptic structures from Cedric (some passages even giving hints at the story and themes of their sophomore effort), displaying his talent as a vocalist, accompanied by instrumental qualities seen on De-Loused with the atmospheric and ambient interludes to be explored on Frances The Mute (with even a portion of the end of the song being very similar to the one before the transition to the title track of that project) appearing right at the end. Of course, this would not be the last time that the band performed this way, with a long jamming segment taking over a big portion of the concert, but it sure is one of the most impressive and outstanding performances from this time, recorded on excellent quality, that shouldn't be missed by any fan.
Finally, the third and final track never before aired on its entirety comes in to close the entire show, with a twenty five minute version of Cicatriz ESP being displayed. Seamlessly transitioning from the very end of Obelisk, with a small introduction to set the tone before jumping straight into the main song. Undoubtedly one of the best live versions of the song from this time available for everyone to listen to. The band improvises some segments, with the already recognizable implementation of the bass notes from what would become part of Cassandra Gemini, but also the band playing around loosely, with Cedric joking around in Spanish ("Me duele la cinturita", quote for the ages, but never dropping the impressing coherence and coordination between all the instruments. Undoubtedly fantastic, finishing off such a performance of a very high note, with the host shifting to a different segment.
If one seeks a good bootleg to have a proper idea of what the band was like live around the time of the release of De-Loused, this is it. This bootleg is definitely an essential listen for anyone who would like to appreciate the live talent of the band on great quality (and definitely one of the most underrated and outstanding Maida Vale sessions available out there). Just Obelisk alone makes this session worthy of being heard, but all three tracks have wonderful qualities to offer to whoever wants to engage into a journey full of energy, intensity, impressive musical ability, and a huge charm coming from the collective chemistry of The Mars Volta. A band that was willing to break what was thought as the norm in order to express themselves to the world with the help of their music, blending so many influences creating a unique sound that speaks to anyone who is willing to listen to it. Definitely some of the best renditions of Cicatriz and Eriatarka, with not one second wasted, and expanding the concepts seen on the studio counterparts while giving hints at the future of the band. Very close to being perfect, and definitely being something that must be heard in order to be fully understood.
One of their best unauthorized recordings. Brilliant. Highly recommended.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Favorite Track: Obelisk
No comments:
Post a Comment