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luna: live
Luna has always been compared favorably to the Velvet Underground—musically, think the VU's soft, melodic, self-titled third album. Both bands are also legendary as performers. Thus, the long-awaited release of Luna's first live record was met with understandable excitement, as fans anticipated a Velvet Underground: Live 1969 for the 21st century. Unfortunately, the creatively titled Live, recorded over three shows in 1999 and 2000, tends to evoke the Underground's limp reunion tour CD more than it does the VU's edgy, energetic live albums from the '60s.
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With Britta Phillips—formerly the singing voice for TV's Jem—replacing bassist Justin Harwood on Live, Dean Wareham is the last holdover from the band's debut, Lunapark (1992). Those backing him may have come and gone, but as the musical brains behind Luna, Wareham has not altered the group's sound much over the course of its career. Luna in 2001 still sounds like Luna in 1992, which is why, despite the compositions being culled from six different albums, this collection is so seamless. The songs all share the dreamy, fuzzed-out guitars, me-to-you lyrics, and straightforward drumming that have characterized Wareham's work since his days with Galaxie 500.
On paper, Live is flawless: the 14 songs constitute what is essentially a "best of," the disc flows well track to track, and Luna's concerts have long received deserved praise. And yet, this album doesn't work. Without the thick, glossy production of the studio albums, or the power and energy that are present when actually witnessing a Luna show in person, Live just doesn't have much to offer.
Much of the band's appeal lies in the narcotic atmosphere its music creates, and Live sorely lacks that atmosphere. Wareham's low, nasal vocals are effective when wrapped cozily in layers of guitars and bass, but when shouted over the band, they sound harsh and strained, as in "23 Minutes in Brussels." Even the languid "Hello Little One" and "Chinatown," two of the band's most beautiful compositions, are stripped of their intimacy. Luna is not a band that benefits from sounding raw, and that is the problem at the root of this entire album. Minus the warmth and flawless technique the band so skillfully achieves in the studio, these songs go from being sublime to ultimately being dull. (Arena Rock) —Jim Laakso
All materials © 2001 The Yale Herald, Inc., and its staff.
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