Rodrigo y Gabriela "Live in Japan" (ATO Records) SOUNDS LIKE: Virtuoso guitar playing with no real hook.
Live albums always seem to exist in a state of music purgatory. They can never hope to recreate the visceral experience of going to a show, and they will never really have the polish of a studio album. On Rodrigo y Gabriela's "Live in Japan," the acoustic duo tries to show off the fast-paced Spanish guitar and unique percussion that has earned them a devoted following over the last few years. Mixed into the album are some new tracks and some classics, including their now-famous cover of "Stairway to Heaven."
As most live recordings go, the audience is only heard during the brief moments before songs, and that alone takes away the feeling of experiencing a real concert. The album doesn't showcase much about the band at all that couldn't be gleaned from giving their first album a listen. There's almost no banter going on (which is probably to be expected from a recording of a show with an audience who doesn't primarily speak English) and very little to break up the songs. The audio portion of the album is completely nondescript, lacking the precise sound of their recordings while adding little in terms of value or experience.
While the audio CD doesn't offer much new or original material, the accompanying DVD does a much better job of tapping into what makes Rodrigo y Gabriela so much fun to listen to. The way each of the notes meld together is even more unbelievable while you're watching the frenetic finger picking and guitar manipulations that make each song so impressive. While the guitarists just sit there without much action or other stage presence, just watching them play is enough to inspire a reminder of the inherent power and thrill of music. If the package were just a DVD documenting the entire show, "Live In Japan" would be that much more enthralling. But the five songs we get to watch only whet the appetite for more.
-MICHAEL RICHARDSON
