Search - Various Artists :: Austin City Limits Festival

Too much heat in Austin...

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 09/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm glad that I can get to hear this music from the comfort of my air-conditioned living room, because I don't think I'd be as pleased as most attendees seem to be here, considering the size of the crowd and the high temperatures. Despite conditions that would send me reeling in search of the nearest air-conditioned tavern, the oversized crowd is apparently enjoying themselves, which makes sense as you listen to (or watch) these excerpts.

Diversity is the key here, with acts from virtually every corner of contemporary music contributing a song. Perhaps the best thing about this release is its diversity, because it allows the viewer to familiarize themselves with acts that otherwise might have been overlooked. Fans of the Pixies get a chance to hear My Morning Jacket (and vice-versa), while fans of Sheryl Crow get a gander at The Soundtrack of Our Lives (both on the DVD only).

The DVD is the better deal here, since it contains two disks, and contains eight performances not included on the CD release. Oddly, some of the best performances are edited from the CD, particularly the stellar performance of Soundtrack of Our Lives (perhaps the best of all included here) and Howie Day's odd `solo' performance with multiple tape-looped versions of himself as accompaniment.

Consistency is in short supply, though, and both the disk and the CD drag at times. Broken Social Scene's "Anthem for a 17 year-old Girl" is about as tedious as the title suggests. Los Lonely Boys make an attempt to channel the spirit of Stevie Ray Vaughan on a track called "Crazy Dream", but they end up falling far short of their mark. Better is the Old 97's, who get by just fine by sounding exactly like their smart-ass selves on "The New Kid", and Roseanne Cash, whose understated presence lends some grace to the disk with "Seven Year Ache." Unfortunately, though, 100-degree temperatures can suck the energy out of a person, and the languid, mid-tempo pace of many performances included here seems to reflect the heat in ways that might not translate, especially in the comfort of my regulated, 68-degree environment. All in all, the Austin City Limits Music Festival is impressive for attracting a wide variety of musicians, but its occasional lack of energy and continuity render it ultimately less than satisfying. B Tom Ryan"

Makes you want to go!

Warren Kelly | Southern Ohio | 04/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Austin City Limits. For over 30 years, ACL has transcended style, age, and anything else that divides musicians (and their fans) to bring some of the best music around. I tend to be a bit musically schizophrenic, so I love the diversity that ACL brings. I looked forward to the CD, figuring I would be able to enjoy some old favorites and find some new 'must haves.' I wasn't disappointed.



The CD opens up with "Debaser" by the Pixies. I've never been much of a Pixies fan for whatever reason, but this was a pretty good selection (though I'm not sure I'd have started the CD off with it). Dashboard Confessional and Franz Ferdinand were both excellent. And the Blind Boys of Alabama doing "Walk In Jerusalem" (one of my alltime favorite spirituals) made the album for me.



A few bands I hadn't heard before were Los Lonely Boys, Calexico, and Drive-by Truckers. These bands reminded me why I love compilation CDs so much - you always find something new to listen to.



Every CD has its weak points, though, and this CD had a few. I wasn't impressed with Broken Social Scene - I found the vocals to be a little weak, but I chalk that up to my own musical taste. I'm also not a big Shelby Lynne fan. But the weak parts of the CD are more than made up for by the new discoveries I made.



They say that diversity is the spice of life. If that's the case, the Austin City Limits festival is a spicy dish indeed. And I like spicy."