The recording quality is a bit rough, but we can't expect too much considering it was just a guy in the crowd with a portable MiniDisc (remember them?!) recorder. The balance between instruments is good, however it is often difficult to hear/understand the vocals. The rhythm section is very "tight" for a ska band, however the horns were a bit hit and miss on the night.
Many of the songs are from the debut EP, and actually I prefer these live recordings as the atmosphere better reflects the band's energy. Also the banter from the crowd is amusing in itself: it seems the band were taking too long between songs on the night, so there are heckles like "Just play the fucking song", "Come onnnnnnnnn" and "Call yourselves a ska band, motherfuckers?" !
Among the EP songs which are played well are Al Capone, Eugene, Front Bottom, Police Woman, Unjumpable Shrubbery and Jerk Pork Skank (with a little suprise cover at the end). On the other hand, Arabian Taxi Driver, Pink Panther and OISKA had great energy live but seem to lack depth when heard on a recording.
Some people might be wondering why I mentioned vocals earlier? Weren't Oiska an instrumental band?? Actually, the songs Heard It All Before, Bracket Creep and Opportunity Knocks feature fantastic lyrics. The songs are feature great instrumental parts, but with the added bonus of a lyrical story on top. All three songs are among Oiska's finest, in fact Heard It All Before is my all-time favourite Oiska song.
The instrumental The Way It Goes is a bit disjointed and simplistic in my opinion. However Sniffen Glue is vintage Oiska- a perfectly polished instrumental.
No comments:
Post a Comment