Jan
28
2009

How Many Live Albums Can You Put Out?

AKA Rise Of Decline

(Add / View Comments) (0)Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 10:14:35 pm
(Posted Under: Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene, Music Music)
How many live albums can a band put out? 2 isn't the limit, according to Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. Hot off the press, the band is releasing yet another live album, starting Feb 2nd.

Maybe it's just me, but it really doesn't seem like Live At Billy Bobs came out that long ago. Admittedly it's been about 3 years, however given the much slower pace of the band, it doesn't feel like that long. Particularly I guess since it's been so long since a substantial release (in quantity and quality), being ¡Americano! in 2004. Further to that, their live and best of type release count matches that of their new albums (Honky Tonk Union, Sonoran Hope & Madness, ¡Americano!, No More Beautiful World, Turbo Ocho (5) Real 2 Reel, Live At Billy Bobs, Four Unlike Before, Glow In The Dark (5) ).

Not that they aren't (or at least weren't) an awesome live band, but really, 3 live albums over your career is showing a lacking in the song writing department.

The other thing I found very interesting about this is that one song will be released / streamed from their website, each week for the next 14 weeks. Given the shit storm and backlash following the Turbo Ocho Viva Cast last year (about this time last year actually), it seems like a very interesting move. But hey, maybe they've found a way to secure the audio better this time around.

The other sore point is that, like Four Unlike Before, this will be a digital only release. For a home grown, organic band, it really does not seem that they have a problem in leaving the past behind. I said it when Four Unlike Before came out, and I'll say it again - "I won't trade my pony for the iron rail". Really Rog, really?

All this ironically comes after some really long and in depth discussions with my associate over the weekend in relation to the band, and the frustration that comes from the Rise Of Decline. It's something that has been going on for quite a while now, and certainly the decline just becomes more and more obvious, but as my associate points out, it being expected isn't much consolation to the frustration of it happening. It's not a surprise to me, I've come to expect it, the continual evidence of it each time I've checked in has not been a shock. But all the while, despite having the realization that things are what they are, there is still a level of frustration. Certainly which becomes forefront when listening to the earlier material. Similarly on the weekend as part of our discussion, we came across a clever piece of art, and after the discussion I found myself unconsciously singing "my second home is a third world catina..." while having a smoke, and immediately had that sense of frustration, without even thinking about it.

I guess at the end of the day it's that that keeps me checking in, and mustering the energy to write about, despite the negative feelings. I've always been an optimistic son of a bitch, and that'll be my downfall. I know I shouldn't care, I'm pretty much over it, but I guess somewhere is a small spark of hope that things will change for the better, despite my better judgment. Maybe that's just what happens when, with the right eyes, you can still see the high watermark - the place where you can see where the wave finally broke, and rolled back (to quote H.S).

Are you with me, or against me?

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