I’m not so sure about live albums anymore. I didn’t realise they were still a thing, to be honest, but Pennsylvania’s Dr. Dog are so influenced by a time when live recordings were the shit, it was perhaps only a matter of time before they put one out.
They’ve approached it a little differently, though. For one, there is no Flamingo Hotel – the 16 live tracks are selected from recordings taken over a 20-show tour. Bassist/singer Toby Leaman told The Wall Street Journal the experience of listening to it “should be like you’re listening to a record, because you’re not actually at a show”. So it’s a live recording from a fictitious venue that’s actually several shows, but you shouldn’t listen to it like a live recording.
If you’re confused, fret not because the recordings are top-notch, featuring the best tunes from Dr. Dog’s 12-year career. Kicking off with their most delightfully frenetic track ‘These Days’ is a smart choice – it’s a great launch pad of a tune that’s followed by a cover of Architecture In Helsinki’s ‘Heart It Races’ which, dare I say it, supersedes the original.
The taut but impassioned musicianship is also a highlight. Though the songwriting doesn’t always smack of ’60s and ’70s influences like The Beatles, Bowie and the Eagles, the set-up and soundcertainly does.
3.5/5.
