:: Panic At The Disco - Live In Chicago CD/DVD

Panic At The Disco

There are few things in life more frustrating than a live album. Some bands don't even sing live and many aren't any good when they do. And even in the slim chance that they actually do sound good, why would any respectable artist think that we would want to pay money to hear them sing live without the atmosphere, electricity and excitement that comes with actually physically going to a concert? This is the question one would like to pose to Panic at the Disco while asking them whether they regret releasing the Live in Chicago album that has frustrated this reviewer so. Live in Chicago begins with the sound of screaming fans and lead singer Brendon Urie thanking Chicago for coming out to see them, which, of course, is what someone who didn't go to the concert and doesn't live in Chicago really wants to hear on the album they just paid $30 for. Sorry Brendon but you're not that good. In all honesty you're not that good live at all. Maybe caught up in the fever of seeing Panic live you could forgive any vocal failings, but listening to Live in Chicago they're impossible to overlook. Brendon sings all of Panic's hits in a breathless scream that makes him sound like he's unfit, while the instruments all sound very far away and are washed out by the incessant screech of fans, who you can even hear singing along. Together this all makes for some very painful listening. But in a desperate attempt to find some good in what is an unparalleled train wreck, Live in Chicago does in the very least provide a different take on Panic's old hits. It is heartening to know that the band doesn't just play their CD and mime along. There is also a good mix of old tracks and new tracks, as well as a DVD with photos, the concert and music videos. “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” is the album's stand-out track. The almost primal vibe of the song really suits the live stage and the vocals are filled with a passion and pain you don't get in the original studio recording. “I Write Sins not Tragedies” is also ok. The intro is a new acoustic solo and the boys really have some fun performing it. But the calls for the audience to do jazz hands and the jibes about fellow band members that are riddled throughout the album just don't have the same effect without the visual cues and Live in Chicago is one big let down. Simply put, this album is for fans only…and fans who are obsessed with Panic at an almost stalker level only. For anyone else this album is a definite no.