dunedin wrote:I like the album but I don't love it.... It's a fine performance, but there are no real surprises, nothing to set it apart from the other releases IMO
My feelings exactly. I've been hesitant to be critical of it because I know folks here attended the show and that makes this release special to them, but this is not the most exciting Racs show I've heard. Which is not to say it's a bad show, I can't imagine a
bad Raconteurs show ever happening. And I completely understand why this one was chosen, it's the Ryman, the Mother Church, it had to be very meaningful to the band to perform there. But we have the TMR show from the night before, Jack's voice sounds like it wasnt' fully warmed up either night, and there were some much more interesting shows at which he sounded much better later in that mini-tour. I can't help but wish this lp and dvd had captured one of those, and have been filmed by someone else-- Though part of the issues with the dvd seem to be due to the apparent challenges of shooting at the Ryman. There are too many long shots from the side of the stage where we see the band members from the back or in profile, there are too many moments of almost complete darkness, I want to be able to
see Jack play guitar, dammit, get a camera guy who can keep up with him and give us more close-ups of his hands!
To also have the tangible presentation of this album not match its advertising... I don't want to use the word "disappointing", but it definitely didn't live up to my expectations. I hate like hell to be so critical of anything to do with the Racs because I love this band so, so very much. But at the same time, that's exactly why I am critical. This is a
good Vault package, but the Raconteurs are a glorious band and their package should have been glorious, too. Or else I just need to manage my expectations better.
"And the message is clear: if we want Jack White as our hero, he will entertain, but not pander. We have to accept all his flaws, whims, caprices and manias as a critical, sometimes uncomfortable, part of the contract."