Live: Near the Seedy Mill Golf Club,
The VibratorsI’m not really a fan of live albums, the quality is rarely up to scratch, the levels are all over the place and it’s always hard to balance how much crowd noise to get in on the mix. Of course, if it’s all mixed down before it goes to the pressing plant can you really call it a ‘live’ album; after all it kind of overrides the whole concept. Either way record labels still insist on putting them out and people still buy them and reviewers have the joy of well, reviewing them.
This album was recorded at Lichfield Rock Festival in August 2002, according to the accompanying liner notes it ‘encapsulates the essence’ of the band. Suffice to say, if this is the case I’m not overly impressed. This album has 15 tracks of two minute, old school punk tracks, nothing wrong with that in itself but it just fails to do much for me. The vocals are pretty much sung throughout without any enthusiasm at all, much like they’re just carrying out the motions. With the vocals being louder than anything on the CD it’s hard to try and put them aside and focus on much else.
I suppose this release would be a way to discover the band so to speak, it covers a lot of ground and gives you a good indication as to what THE VIBRATORS are all about. I just can’t really get into it, the ballads actually make me cringe; ‘Baby Baby’ especially. The music is dull and very basic, the chorus harmonies aren’t really harmonies and the lyrics are pretty poor to top things off.
I guess this is one for the fans really, I don’t think it will earn them any new followers really but saying that, I don’t think it was released with that in mind.
Mike
