The Mars Volta – Scabdates (Universal/GSL)

It may seem a little early in the game for The Mars Volta to be releasing a live album, with only 2 full-length albums to their name thus far, but my initial thought in hearing about this record was a positive one. Live recordings from a band as experimental and progressive as TMV could be an intriguing and entirely different experience from their studio albums… at the very least, something worth exploring. And since I hadn’t had the chance to see them live in concert before, this would be the next best thing. On the other hand, I had also heard mixed reviews of their live shows, with directionless improvisation and a sometimes erratic sound, so I couldn’t help but feel that this live disc could risk alienating a lot of people too (myself included).

As much as it pains me to say it, “Scabdates”, is for the most part not as interesting as it probably should have been. Culled from concert footage recorded between May 2004 and May 2005, the track listing is comprised solely of material prior to their newest album, “Frances The Mute”. This could have been a good thing, considering the fact that I was a huge fan of their first EP and “De-loused In The Comatorium”, but less enthusiastic about Frances. However, the actual selection of songs on this album is really limited, with “Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt”, “Cicatrix ESP” and “Concertina” being the only previously released songs represented here. The track listing might lead you to believe that you will be treated to a large assortment of brand new, unreleased Mars Volta songs instead, but in actuality the rest of the album is filled in with extended jams and improvised noise passed off as full tracks.

I don’t necessarily have a problem with live improv, particularly if a band is good at it. With The Mars Volta, I definitely expected it and was even looking forward to it, but the thing is… they don’t deliver the goods. For example, the album opens with “Abrasions Mount The Timpani”, a 4 minute sound collage dominated by sounds of a baby crying and screeching. I’m sure this is a bold artistic statement of some sort in their minds, but with the crowd murmurs mixed in, it’s almost unclear whether or not there’s just a crying baby in the audience somewhere. Instead of being unsettling, it’s just annoying.

The improvised bits do occasionally hit the mark, like on the two-part follow up to “Take The Veil”, which keeps the energy level high and brings the song full circle again at the end. On other hand, songs like “Caviglia” (the lead-in to “Concertina”) and the aimless “Haruspex” do not really deserve to have a title or dedicated track of their own on the disc. The 40-minute long extended version of Cicatriz that ends the CD starts off sounding tight and urgent, but by the end, it severely drags. Quite simply, it does not deserve to be so long. I might have bought it, right up until the final 20 minute “Part IV”.

Although the sound quality is pretty good overall, I think Scabdates proves that a band like The Mars Volta is more enjoyable in a controlled studio setting. They can be as creative as they want, but producer will still rein them in and mix it down nicely at the end of the day. Live, Cedric’s voice too comes across as more of a strangled wail than anything else, and Omar’s furious guitar shredding is sometimes reduced to a jumbled mess. I also have a feeling that with a band like this, the visuals play an important role in your appreciation of their live presence. A live DVD may have been more effective given the circumstances.

I’m going to have to say that this one is only for hardcore followers of the Volta. It’s certainly not going to win them over any new fans, and if anything it’s only going to contribute to the general consensus of people feeling increasingly frustrated by the band’s self-indulgence. I appreciate what this band does, but I don’t think this album is a very good document of everything they’re capable of. — Sean

SCORE:

Recommended If You Like: Frank Zappa, !!!, Hawkwind, Rush, June of '44

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