You don't need a ticket for this show

Portishead roseland nyc
Portishead

The first time I saw a photo of Beth Gibbons, the sad, beautifully haunting voice of Portishead, I knew I could never see the group perform live. Seriously, she looks like the earthy Lilith Fair type, not someone who sings over smooth beats, samples and scratching (what some people call trip-hop), and I thought I would be too thrown off and distracted to enjoy the show. So while Portishead quickly became one of my favorite groups with their 1994 release of Dummy and their second release and only other album, 1997's Portishead, I've never seen them in concert.

But, wait, what do we have here? The Bristol, England foursome's latest work, roseland nyc live, could very well be the solution to my (admittedly self-inflicted and completely unnecessary) problem. Recorded live at the Roseland Ballroom on July 24th, 1997, the album is made up of 11 songs and features a full string orchestra and horns. Six of the songs are from the last album, which I must admit is a bit disappointing because Dummy is far superior.

The audience seems to share my view judging by the amount of applause at the beginning of all the old-school tunes. Another let down is the fact that all of the songs are from their albums; I would expect to hear something they're working on, an unreleased gem, or at least a cover. Don't all live albums contain at least one cover? However, despite my nitpicking (remember, they are one of my favorite bands), this album is pretty damn good.

The first few tracks are fairly indicative of how the rest of the album sounds. Their arrangements and vocals are almost identical to the studio versions, but the little details, like a live drum rather than a drum machine and more elaborate scratching, give the songs a raw feeling, which is to be expected from a concert album. The band could have probably been more experimental; on the occasions when they are experimental, the band is effective.

The best example: just when we've all heard "Sour Times" a few hundred times too many, Portishead manages to make it fresh by slowing it down and giving it an almost country and western sound. And Beth rocks it out at the end like I've never heard her before, sounding a little like Stevie Nicks. The strongest tracks are definitely the songs from Dummy, especially "Mysterons" and "Glory Box," although the audience seems to have an annoying habit of clapping along with their favorite tunes.

Roseland nyc live is not perfect, but neither are most live albums. In fact, live albums are usually pretty bad, so Portishead has managed to pull off a difficult task. They don't change the music enough to make the songs completely new and different, but there is definitely a distinction, a more emotional and passionate feel, when compared to the recorded tracks. The concert album is impressive enough to make me consider seeing Portishead live. But only if I can get a bad seat.