This is an open forum for staff members, contributers, and fans alike to submit their reviews on the latest music releases and concerts. In an industry that is drowning with overprocessed, grossly overrated, unoriginal crap these days, this is our chance to allow the real stars to shine, if only on our humble, little stage; and expose you to some of our favorite talents.
Reviews are given 1 - 5 stars.
Live at Budokan
1. Intro
2. Radio Tokyo
3. Uncomfortably Numb
4. #1 Summer Jam
5. Last Flight Out
6. Mixtape
7. Best Thing You Never Had
8. Lights Out
Live Acoustic from Atlanta
1. Intro
2. Sober
3. Promise
4. Race Cars and Goth Rock
5. Diary Of A San Fernando Sexx Star
6. Mixtape
7. Don’t Move
8. Best Thing You Never Had
9. Cigarette Lighter Love Song
10. Suburbia
11. Grant Park
12. Over Your Head
13. Every Monday
14. Freak Of The Week
15. Let Me Go
16. Take Tomorrow (One Day at a Time)
Boy, did Mr. Butch Walker deck his fans’ halls during the Christmas ’05 season. After years of awfully pixilated download clips, overpriced eBay bootlegs, and shoddy-at-best audience recorded cds he’s finally ponied up with an official live DVD. Not one, but two pieces of Walker-wonderment. All is right with the world, right? Almost.
The performances themselves show just how much of a dynamo Butch Walker really is. The guy truly is a phenom. In both sections of the disc, the full-on Butch assault from Tokyo, as well as the stripped down solo performance from Atlanta; the evidence is all here. The music is amazing, the lyrics can’t be touched, his energy is unmatched, and if there was any sort of justice in this world, Butch would be the sort of superstar that could act a’ fool in a Canadian McDonalds and get away with it. From the tender acoustic numbers like “Diary of a San Fernando Sexx Star”, to the balls-out tunes like “Uncomfortably Numb” and “Lights Out”; this is pure musical bliss.
But, since there is no justice this DVD certainly has its shortcomings. First of all, and most of all the audio quality SUCKS. And by sucks, I mean it truly blows. Sony/Epic, you’re no broken independent label. This is one of the “big boy” outfits. Put some freakin’ time and effort into these things. You know, kind of like the time and effort I had to put in at my job to earn the loot I just handed you.
Sound issues aside, this is exactly what the Butch faithful have been clamoring for. The not-to-be-missed tracks are “Best Thing You Never Had” and “#1 Summer Jam” from the electric portion, and “Cigarette Lighter Love Song”, “Take Tomorrow”, “Don’t Move” and the mini-Marvelous 3 reunion “Freak of the Week”. From beginning to end, this is all great music. And as an added bonus between songs from the Tokyo set lie several of Butch’s exploits from the land of the rising sun. Any segment that is titled “Best Sink Ever” and highlights just how efficient and impressive a Japanese restroom fixture can be, will always be a crowd pleaser in my book.
At the risk of sounding a little too ‘Reading Rainbow’ I implore you, “Don’t just take it from me”. Even the fact that the audio track is substandard can’t spill this milk. If you’ve been holding out on checking out Butch Walker, the time is now. If you’re a longtime fan, I’m wasting my time telling you about it- You’re already owning (and loving) this DVD.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to have “I Heart Butch” tattooed on my forehead.
Reviewed by: Corey Rotic | January 2006
