Last fall, when it was announced that hard rockers Sevendust would be embarking on a short tour where they would play acoustically, two thoughts came to mind. First off, how was a band that was so dependent on a "chugga chugga" sound for their first 3 records going to do an acoustic show that was actually worth my time? And secondly, what would this mean for their newest release, Seasons? I ended up missing the tour's closest date to me (Providence), but I was so impressed with Seasons that I named it the second best record of 2003.
So when it was announced that the band would release a double disc set, one CD, one DVD, of their September 12, 2003 acoustic performance from The Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA, I was naturally curious about how good it would actually be. My curiosity has been sated, and my initial impression was correct: Sevendust as an acoustic entity is not something I want to hear unless it was originally written by the band in that setting.
This isn't coming from someone who hates when a band goes acoustic. Many times it can result in fabulous new arrangements of songs that sound nothing like the originals. It can also result in performances that rip your heart out and tear you up. I just don't get that from this set, though to be honest, after being disappointed in the CD portion, I have not given an awful lot of time to the DVD, but since it's the same show, why would I, right?
The CD
The setlist is essentially broken into two portions, with the first two-thirds of the set concentrating on the at the time unreleased Seasons record and the band's previous effort, Animosity. The last third of the record finds one song from the band's excellent sophomore effort Home, along with four tracks from their self titled debut. Also included is a take on Nine Inch Nails' Hurt, which of course, was also popularized by Johnny Cash shortly before this show took place.
And Hurt is a good place to start when reviewing this record. Hurt was essentially a song that at one point I thought no one had any business covering. It was and is, a masterpiece. When Johnny Cash released his version, I honestly thought any other version would be blasphemy. This version finds the band getting the chords right, but the emotion is sorely missing. Guitarist Clint Lowery, taking over for Lajon Witherspoon on vocals, not only flubs the lyrics in places, but he sounds like he's straining to hit each note.
But the band's cover of an undeniable classic is only the beginning of the problems for this performance. Witherspoon sounds out of tune and uninspired on many of these tracks, and the production leads a lot to be desired. The drums and bass at times drown out oh so much of the guitars to the point where at times, you're left wondering if there is any guitar being played at all.
The band's "re-working" of tracks like the opening Trust and Beautiful are ok at best, and aren't re-worked very much at all to these ears. I suppose it doesn't help that Lajon seems intent on barking his way through Beautiful. Other tracks, like Seasons, aren't even touched; it just sounds like the band playing the same song with acoustic instruments. YAWN.
Not surprisingly, the band's numbers that were already acoustic or softer work best; Angel's Son, given new meaning with the death of Lajon's brother, sounds great here, and it's one of the few times Lajon sounds half decent on this record. Lowery's lead vocal turn on Xmas Day works better than it does on Hurt, and Skeleton Song proves to be a memorable version.
The band's late run through old favorites is extremely hit and miss. Rumble Fish sounds like acoustic sludge, while the band's first hit, Black sounds halfway decent. I think what I like about Black is that the guitarists finally get a chance to shine, even if they are way way way too far down in the mix.
The DVD
I think what's interesting about the DVD portion, besides the fact that the audio doesn't sound like complete a*s, is that most of the criticisms one can make about the CD become plainly obvious. Watching the concert, one gets the feeling that the band is just going through the motions, that they're coasting.
The much improved audio on the DVD portion does make some of these songs somewhat better, though at times there is an annoying tendency for the video to not be totally synched up with the audio (it becomes even more obvious since the cameras quickly switch when this is the case). Speaking as a bootleg collector, if someone can synch up a video taken from the audience with audio taken from the audience, synching soundboard audio with pro-shot video really shouldn't be that difficult.
As a whole, Sevendust's acoustic experiment has to be chalked up to "sorry guys, didn't work, nice try." I rather would've had a full electric show (with maybe an acoustic portion for the appropriate songs) that was full on kicking my a*s than something that makes me wonder what was going through the band's head.
The CD: 2 stars
The DVD: 3 stars
Overall, 2 1/2 stars, rounded down to 2.
More on Sevendust:
Sevendust
Home
Animosity
Seasons
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