Taking Back Sunday - Live From Orensanz
Record Label: Warner Bros.
Release Date: August 17, 2010
Eight years after the debut album Tell All Your Friends, Taking Back Sunday are still a very well established band in the scene. Taking Back Sunday is known for it's dual vocals, angst-y lyrics, mic swinging, and for introducing what the media calls Emo to the mainstream. Several lineup changes later, Taking Back Sunday is still going strong, and Live From Orensanz is perfect proof that the band is still strong. Sure the 2009 release New Again was a major let down for fans, specially the ones still attached to the older albums. For those who liked Louder Now and New Again, and even for those who didn't enjoy the releases as much, Live From Orensanz presents you with an extremely well crafted performance that will make you fall in love with all the tracks on the CD/DVD, even the ones disliked by fans and critics on New Again.
The first good sign was in the videos posted by the band prior to the release of the album, all of the guys seem to be having the time of their lives. Although not a part of the band anymore, Matt Rubano and Matt Fazzi are a key part of the sound achieved in this performance. Fazzi's voice is clean and even superior to Adam Lazzara's at some points. The band interacts with the crowd very well and the atmosphere is completely different from the recent relationship between the band and its now former members.
The album kicks off with "MakeDamnSure," which sets the tone for the album quite well. The performance feels very intimate and well prepared. Lazzara and Fazzi continue to exchange vocals through the album, and it all feels natural, as if Fazzi belonged there all along. The only moment in which the crowd sang more than Fazzi himself was one of the tracks from Tell All Your Friends, "Cute Without The 'E'". Overall very few traces of pitch correction can be recognized through the album, and although Lazzara's voice falters sometimes, no bad vocals are present on the record at all.
Instrumentally, Live From Orensanz may just be Taking Back Sunday's best work to date. The drumming, acoustic guitars, bass, and piano come together perfectly, and the addition of the string instruments fits right in beautifully.
Perhaps the best thing about Live From Orensanz is the way the songs were re-invented. Taking Back Sunday fans are very likely to enjoy the Louder Now and New Again tracks more than the original versions of the song. Songs like "Everything Must Go" and "My Blue Heaven" get new life breathed into them, turning them into amazing ballads.
Live From Orensanz is an album any Taking Back Sunday fan must have. It contains a balanced track-list of songs from all four of Taking Back Sunday releases, some sounding better than ever. Sure this is not an album with new tracks, or presenting anything new to anyone, just an extremely well executed acoustic performance that is bound to be loved by fans and collectors. This album is everything you expect, and it will keep you entertained until the new album is released.
Stand-Out Tracks:" A Decade Under The Influece/Lightning Song", "Your Blue Heaven", "Everything Must Go", "Set Phasers To Stun"
I'm loving this, i think the vocals on it are great and are helped by a crystal clear production
whoever produced this is one hell of a producer, because i've never heard a live album sound better. Specially acoustic sessions. there is always an instrument too loud or too soft and the vocals always sound kind of sloppy, but they pulled it off great.
Good review. In love with this. My favorites are "One-Eighty By Summer," "Your Own Disaster," and "Cute Without the 'e'," but every track is brilliant.
I'm loving this, i think the vocals on it are great and are helped by a crystal clear production
man fazzi kills it on this record. they also made cute without the e just as bad ass acoustically. it'd be interesting to hear that same arrangement with john on it
man fazzi kills it on this record. they also made cute without the e just as bad ass acoustically. it'd be interesting to hear that same arrangement with john on it
i think John's voice wouldn't fit the acoustic vibe as well, maybe Fred would do great, but John has a raspier voice that sounds nicer when he screams.
i think John's voice wouldn't fit the acoustic vibe as well, maybe Fred would do great, but John has a raspier voice that sounds nicer when he screams.
true. fazzi's got such an urgency to his voice at parts, especially near the end of cute. it's so perfect for the acoustic setting
true. fazzi's got such an urgency to his voice at parts, especially near the end of cute. it's so perfect for the acoustic setting
Cute is the only song that sounds good that i didn't enjoy as much. Fazzi touching cute makes me uneasy. Even the live from bamboozle cute is not the same for me. I'd rather hear the good old cute with John Nolan while watching that Fight Club themed music video than anybody else singing it.
It's not that fazzi didn't do a good job, it's just that Cute is kind of sacred.
Cute is the only song that sounds good that i didn't enjoy as much. Fazzi touching cute makes me uneasy. Even the live from bamboozle cute is not the same for me. I'd rather hear the good old cute with John Nolan while watching that Fight Club themed music video than anybody else singing it.
It's not that fazzi didn't do a good job, it's just that Cute is kind of sacred.
You know you can watch that video on Youtube, right? And when you watch it on this you can just skip it, leave the room or just close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears!
You know you can watch that video on Youtube, right? And when you watch it on this you can just skip it, leave the room or just close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears!
No thanks required. I'm just here to help.
i'm not sure i understand how this 'You Tube' thing works?
no, seriously, i don't see a purpose to your comment. it's not even clever, or it's too clever for understanding.
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