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[mewsical]

Collective Soul goes Home
A Review of the Home DVD released in UK - 6 November 2006

If you are a Collective Soul fan then you'll probably think this live concert DVD is the best thing since sliced bread! However, this alternative rock band is virtually unknown in UK and if, like me, you are seeing and hearing them for the first time, this DVD is unlikely to turn you into an overnight convert! The concert, recorded live in 2005 over two days in the band’s home city of Atlanta, is visually overpowering with the band supported on stage by the full Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. The orchestra is technically excellent and the instrumental number Pretty Donna, featuring a string quartet, sounds lovely but the whole orchestration thing is a bit too over the top for my liking.

The 20-song collection encompasses numbers from their seven studio albums. Most of the first half I found rather tedious and repetitive. The occasional heavy guitar riffs and stage antics from singer/songwriter Ed Roland in Gel, Heavy, Under Heaven’s Skies and Shine hint at a wannabe 'bad boy’ but the band cannot help but succumb to their natural ‘nice boy-next-door’ image typified by the heartfelt personal lyrics of Crown and Satellite. There are some memorable guitar hooks on The World I Know, She Said (featured in the sound track to Scream 2!) and the otherwise disappointing December but, by and large, the slow ballads are all unremarkable and samey.

And then, just before I write it off as a total disaster, I find two real gems right at the end - the power ballad How Do You Love and the even better really rocking Better Now. The band comes to life, forgets its inhibitions and finally fights back against the orchestra.

This is more like it, and I'm starting to think that I may have been too quick in condemning them out of hand. Shine, the second of their encore numbers reminds me strongly of the opening to John Hurley/Ronnie Wilkins’ Love Of The Common People.

If you attended the Atlanta concert, then the DVD would form a fitting reminder of your time on ‘home ground’ but if, like me, you have not come across this band before then I suggest you listen to some of their tracks first before committing yourself.

The CD set might offer better value as background music to listen to whilst doing something else. The band’s musical style lends itself to film tracks, but I don’t think Collective Soul are well enough known over here to make any impact on the UK music scene and, unless they can promote a strong single such as Better Now, I don’t think this DVD is going to help their cause.

[mewsical]

I'm checking out Better Now on Rhapsody. It's a real sledgehammer of a song - a mile-wide groove.

[mewsical]

em, the band cites EJ as one of their great influences!

[EaglesBabe18]

Good review WB. Thanks for sharing!

I've just found a video of Better Now on YouTube. It's a rocking number, I agree.
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Be young, be foolish, be happy.

[eaglemom]

[EaglesBabe18]

Also found a clip on YouTube of How Do You Love. Listening now.
_________________
Be young, be foolish, be happy.

[eaglemom]

I just watched the Better Now video. I like that. I really like it!

[EaglesBabe18]

[Henley_Fan]

The one song I heard quite a bit was Shine, and it grew on me after a while. I haven't heard any of their other songs, but I'll have to check some of them out. Thanks for the review!
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I tried being good, but I got bored.

I'll have a cafe, mocha, vodka, valium latte to go please.

I'm so busy, I don't know whether I found a rope, or lost my horse.

I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are in order like they should be.

The voices in my head may be imaginary, but they've got some really great ideas.

[winslowboy]

[eaglemom]

[EaglesBabe18]

I'm going to have another look on YouTube. Pretty sure I saw Shine.
_________________
Be young, be foolish, be happy.

[EaglesBabe18]

[Henley_Fan]

[theeguest]