The Mars Volta Album: “Live”

The Mars Volta are simply the most exciting, energetic, and awe inspiring live band out there. Seeing them twice, I can tell you from experience that those two shows were the best shows I have ever seen. With their improv jamming and extended songs, listening to them live is an experience that is quite different from their studio work. This EP is an excellent showcase of a few of their live songs. Recorded wonderfully, this four song EP clocks in at just over 40 minutes (yes, the songs are that long! I once watched them play 6 songs in over 2 hours!).

There are a couple times where Cedric messes up on the lines, or Omar might play a wrong note, but it adds to the beauty of the album; it shows that they are not perfect and that they are willing to throw in some mistakes to make it seem more live, which many bands do not do with their live albums. If you are a Volta fan and do not own this EP, buy it...now.

So I was lucky enough on eBay to get this rare peice, and it certainly was worth it. The last reviewer said something of the sort of Bixler forgetting his lyrics. No, he didn't, this is PRE-De-Loused and their live shows are very different from their studio sessions. Ced likes to mix things up. There are some minor things that should be fixed, such as the bass being a little to high, but it certainly isn't a problem. If you're lucky enough to get this off eBay for 30-40 bucks, it's certainlyl worth it. Great great EP.

In short: this is definitely worth it. Unlike Scabdates, another live release, this CD is an accurate representation of The Mars Volta's live performances and is, for the most part, very high in quality. The recordings are very raw and should be played on adequate speakers to be fully appreciated. If you satisfy this condition, everything should really, really shine. The only thing thing more faithful to TMV's live sound than this is an actual performance. Definitely worth it if you can get your hands on it for a reasonable price.

I LIKE ALL THEIR MUSIC, BUT LIVE WOULD HAVE TO BE UP THERE ON MY LIST OF MOST LISTEN TO ALBUMS. THE DRUMS, BASE GUITAR, ELECTRIC GUITAR, BONGOS, KEYBOARDS(FOR THE COOL, DARK SOUNDS, AND VOICE EFFECTS), AND FOR CEDRICS VOCALS!!

I have been a huge Mars Volta fan for a very long time. Of course you have to expect the band will have limitations when playing live since their studio albums are so complex and layered, but this cd is very dissapointing. First off the songs are VERY poorly mixed. The drums and bass are so loud on the first 2 tracks that you can barely hear anything else at all. The vocals are also very poorly presented. They are drowned in so much reverb it almost sounds ridiculous, even for them. Another dissapointing thing about this cd is the performances. Many notes and melodies are altered dramatically from the album version, which takes away some of the magic from the songs you have come to know and love. The last thing that really surprised me about this cd is when Cedric forgets his own lyrics! Did he honestly forget, or just not care? The Mars Volta is one of, if not the most talented band out there today and you should definately check out all of their music. This album is interesting to hear of course (is any of their music not?), but dont bother buying it. Just go out and get "De-Loused In The Comatorium", which is where these songs are from. ROCK ON!