Do you know Gomez? Do you love their music? Have you even heard their music? If you live in the US, you will more than likely answer “no” to all three questions. The fact is that Gomez is one of those special bands with great talent, creativity, and youth to boot.
Over the course of their short career, Gomez has earned support from critics and fans alike. In fact, they earned so much support for their 1998 debut Bring It On that it earned the coveted Mercury Music Prize that same year. Oddly enough, the record was recorded when the band was barely out of their teens and just as the members learned to play their respective instruments. This unique quality helps to make Bring It On one of the freshest albums in my personal collection. It’s diverse and entertaining, hip and emotional. The band’s unlikely combination of pop and blues is extraordinary. Gomez is simply one of the best bands out there even if you haven’t heard of them.
I’ve already mentioned the success of Bring It On, but the subsequent three albums have all in their own way lived up to the significant hype. Gomez is never content to do the same thing twice. They’re always maturing and changing. 1999’s Liquid Skin, 2002’s somewhat disappointing In Our Gun, and 2004’s Split the Difference are the proof one needs to realize the band’s importance. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it was 2000’s Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline (a collection of b-sides and rarities) that turned me on to Gomez. Since then, I’ve never looked back.
Gomez jumped labels from Virgin to ATO in early 2005 following the release of Split the Difference. Ian Ball (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Paul Blackburn (bass, guitar), Tom Gray (vocals, guitar, keys), Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitar), and Olly Peacock (drums) finally got to release the live album they’d desired in 2005’s Out West. All the bits that make Gomez special are here. There are great guitars, amazing vocals (I’ve always been a sucker for Ottewell’s deep voice), and fantastic arrangements. The band is known for their live prowess and Out West showcases that. My only complaint is that it is live and as such the quality of the recording isn’t as good as in the studio. It’s just a personal peeve and as such I can’t really fault the band for it.
As it stands, Out West collects some of the band’s best songs in a concert setting. Considering their live following it was a good idea to release such an album. Out West may not be entirely my cup o’ tea but others will certainly enjoy it as much if not more than the Gomez studio discography. It was recorded on January 20, 21, and 22 of 2005 at The Fillmore in San Francisco. 20-songs long, Out West covers each of the band’s prior releases including Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline though Bring It On and Liquid Skin are best represented.
Get Miles is not surprisingly the first selection. Droning noise is joined by guitars and Peacock’s blazing drums. These drums are one thing that really helps to set Out West apart from the studio releases. Ottewell then jumps in to the enchanting mix. His gravelly, mature voice is at the heart of the classic Gomez track. I can’t think of a better way to start this live collection. An up-tempo, catchy song Shot Shot is next. Particularly notable is the melody which is at least in part driven by a sax and jangly guitars. It’s one of the lighter hearted songs from Gomez here or elsewhere.
From this point on, I’m mostly happy with Out West. On the first disc, I’m particularly impressed with the driving Hangover, the brilliant Tom Waits cover with killer drums Going Out West (so good, in fact, that the band named this album after it), the lovely Here Comes the Breeze and disc ender Revolutionary Kind. There’s a little something here for every single Gomez fan regardless of how addicted. It’s not without flaws, but I’m generally pretty pleased with the lack of crowd noise and mix levels. I still much prefer studio releases, but based on this little release I can’t help but hope some day I get to see them in concert.
The second disc is just as strong as the first. It still is ever-so-slightly flawed, but again I find myself really enjoying the cool Gomez vibe. Bring it On jump starts the second CD. The Liquid Skin song opens with percussion, synths, and guitars followed shortly by Ottewell’s striking vocals. It’s a emotional, gorgeous bluesy pop-rock song that ranks as one of my favorites from the band here and in its original form. Similarly, I adore the album ender Whippin’ Piccadilly. It could very well be my favorite Gomez song of all time and ranks in my top 20 songs from any artist—ever! Nothing is Wrong was a decent original song, but I’m not sure I love it on this release. Fortunately that minor complaint is forgotten with the playful Love is Better Than a Warm Trombone.
Other songs on the second disc which are immediately satisfying are rarity Do’s and Don’ts, medley Black Eyed Dog/Free To Run, smooth Get Myself Arrested, and Make No Sound. Happily, though, the whole thing is easy on the ears and adds another complex layer to the Gomez sound. Even the lesser songs go to show that the band has depth and talent.
Out West may not be entirely consistent, but it is still a decent live album. Heck, it’s one of the most interesting ones I’ve heard as of late. I wouldn’t suggest this as your first Gomez release (buy the albums chronologically starting with Bring It On for the best effect), but it is a great addition to any collection that already includes the band. If you want to hear one of the best rock acts as of late, then don’t miss Gomez.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
Disc 1:
01. Get Miles (Bring It On)
02. Shot Shot (In Our Gun)
03. Hangover (Liquid Skin)
04. Going Out West (cover of Tom Waits song)
05. Here Comes the Breeze (Bring It On)
06. We Haven’t Turned Around (Liquid Skin)
07. Fill My Cup (Liquid Skin)
08. Do One (Split the Difference)
09. Revolutionary Kind (Liquid Skin)
Disc 2:
01. Bring It On (Liquid Skin)
02. Nothing Is Wrong (Split the Difference)
03. Love is Better Than a Warm Trombone (Bring It On)
04. Do’s and Don’ts (Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline)
05. Black Eyed Dog/Free to Run (cover of Nick Drake Song/Bring it On)
06. Ping One Down (In Our Gun)
07. Blue Moon Rising (Liquid Skin)
08. Get Myself Arrested (Bring It On)
09. These 3 Sins (Split the Difference)
10. Make No Sound (Bring It On)
11. Whippin’ Piccadilly (Bring It On)
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