LiveHereNow – Tel Aviv, May 10 – REVIEW!
With the LiveHereNow release from Tel Aviv now available for download, we thought we’d kick off this series of reviews of Recording The Universe. So was the delayed first installment worth the wait? Well, yes, but it ain’t all good news. Read on for more… but tread carefully – this is NOT spoiler free territory!
PERFORMANCE (BAND/CROWD)
Considering this was basically the second time the band performed the full show in front of an audience, they are remarkably tight, and pulls off an almost flawless performance. Good energy on stage. Off stage not so much… the crowd seems very responsive in parts, and seems to have all but fallen asleep in others.
Score: 4/6
SOUND
The mix is a bit muffled and rumbling. The bass on some tracks is overwhelming. Christian and Dave are all but lost in the mix at times, which is a real shame. There’s definitely room for improvement here.
Score: 3/6
COLLECTABILITY
This recording really is a must for collectors and completists, as we’re treated to “In Sympathy”, a track that has yet to make another appearance after this show. There’s also a nice rendition of “Happy Birthday” on here, as it was recorded the day after Dave’s birthday.
Score: 6/6
BEST AND WORST
“A Question Of Lust” is a standout track – fantastic vocal performance from Martin, and it’s wonderfully well defined in the mix. Gorgeous.
“In Chains” is the worst of the lot. The track is a rumbling mess, virtually void of drums and Dave is so distant you have to strain your ears to find him in there.
CONCLUSION
Even though it’s a bit of a rough one, this recording is a ‘must have’ because of the (thus far) one off track.
OVERALL 4/6
Buy this recording at depechemodelive.com!
12 Comments
09 July 09 at 5:44pm
1
Is this the cover artwork?
09 July 09 at 7:33pm
2
muffled indeed...
10 July 09 at 1:35am
3
As part of the US iPass on iTunes I received "In Sympathy" and "Walking In My Shoes" both Live in Tel Aviv. "In Sympathy" sounded fantastic! The sound is very crisp. I'm still shaking my head as to why the band 86-ed playing this great song. I wish they would reconsider but I'm not holding my breath. On the other hand "Walking In My Shoes" sounded muffled and I was not impressed - and I normally love this song.
12 July 09 at 5:42am
4
Couldn't agree more with the review. A real shame that after so much time (their web site says up to 40 days but it took them 2 months, the album was produces in 6..., what the hell they were doing all that time?) the mix is of such poor quality and do not reflect any of the real sound, vibe or atmosphere in the show itself (listen to the clips on YouTube and judge for yourself) . seems like they compressed the sounds and cut off frequencies all over the place. A real disappointment and waste of money plus the photos are not from the show but probably from the Luxemburg show. Such a lame job, totally unprofessional, I wonder how DM are allowing to treat their shows in such a way?
12 July 09 at 3:41pm
5
Looks like the sound problems of bass heard in the concerts is appearing on the LHN discs. So at least it was a fair reflection of the show. Given the leveks of overwhelming and distorting bass at the shows, it is hard how to see how this could be resolved unless the audience tracks are completely removed from the discs any they are soundboard only. I hope the gaps between the European and US shows will fix all this before they come back for the 3rd/4th legs.
14 July 09 at 7:20am
6
Strangelove, fly on the windscreen, Stripped, Wrong, are all remarkable. The audio quality is fine, but a bit dull. Comparing with Live at the Shoreline (the first release of Live Here Now during playing the angel tour), the audio quality this time is not that crispy. I really hope this one is just one off and the rest can have the great audio quality we have listened to.
15 July 09 at 10:35pm
7
I bought this to tide me over as the London O2 date was cancelled and December is still a long way off. Okay, the sound isn't great but I don't think it's unacceptable. It's nice to hear tracks like Strangelove and Master & Servant again, but Peace really falls flat. It starts okay but gets really wobbly towards the end. The band are obviously expecting the audience to sing along and fill in the gaps and the audience don't seem to know the track at all...quite funny!
17 July 09 at 10:12am
8
Having attended the show in Tel Aviv I simply had to buy this CD. Firstly, whilst I agree with the review that the crowd is sometimes non-existent on the recording, this is absolutely no reflection of the crowd on the night which was awsome and very "into" the gig. That was my first disapointment. Secondly, I also agree that Dave, especially during "In Chains" sounds far too quiet. The general quality of "In Chains" is OK but the audio does improve as the concert progresses. I am looking forward to hearing one of the other gigs I attended with Christian's drumming during the intro for "In Chains" which made it's first appearance in Liepzig. All in all, the quality falls short of TTA recordings but as has already been said, hopefully that will be sorted in due course.
17 July 09 at 2:51pm
9
Definite inconsistant in the mix. Strangelove and Master and Servant sound brilliant while other tracks are definitely lacking. The audience isn't really captured that well throughout. Does it sound like they had alot of trouble mixing in the bass and also maybe any guitar parts??
13 August 09 at 6:06am
10
i want to see the show! since i can't see it at the shoreline, because it got cancel, get well.. soon!
14 September 09 at 5:48pm
11
I have In Sympathy listed as track #6 and In Chains listed as track #1 on my copy of SOTU. What's the big deal?
08 September 10 at 3:12am
12
Where can I find reviews for the Recording The Angel CD's?