Rodrigo y Gabriela
Live In France
(Rubyworks)
The problem with live records is that the excitement, the visceral thrill and often the sheer volume of being at a concert cannot be replicated on disc. There are of course brilliant exceptions (The Who: Live At Leeds, Nirvana Unplugged, the recent Mogwai live album) but this record is another example that leaves the listener feeling slightly short-changed. This Mexican duo of guitarists, who often perform covers of songs by Led Zeppelin, Metallica and other heavy bands, are a popular live act and their new album was recorded before a rapturous crowd across the Channel. Fingers whizz over the frets on frenetic tracks such as Triveni, Hanuman and on their respective solo outings. The latter, by Rodrigo, has a very welcome few minutes of melancholic, slower fretwork which highlights Live In France’s main problem: the duo’s skilled guitar pyrotechnics are probably terrific in person, but on record it all sounds exhausting. Like an album of bad thrash metal, it bludgeons you with its light-speed technical skills, rather than any memorable song-writing or, crucially, tunes.
Phil Miller
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