Dropkick Murphys - Live on Lansdowne, Boston, MA Review
Posted by Lenny Vowels on 03.20.2010
“LET'S GO MURPHYS!” *clap*clap*clap-clap-clap*
Track Listing:
1. Famous For Nothing
2. The State of Massachusetts
3. Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
4. Time To Go
5. Sunshine Highway
6. Flannigan's Ball
7. Bastards On Parade
8. God Willing
9. Caught In A Jar
10. Captain Kelly's Kitchen
11. Citizen C.I.A.
12. Fields Of Athenry
13. Your Spirit's Alive
14. The Warrior's Code
15. The Dirty Glass
16. Tessie
17. Forever 2009
18. Worker's Song
19. Kiss Me, I'm Sh*tfaced
20. I'm Shipping Up To Boston (featuring the Mighty Mighty Bosstones)
There aren't many things I love more than a raucous crowd at a concert, and few crowds of fans are as loyal and devoted to their favorite band than those that love the Dropkick Murphys. I managed to catch the band last summer when they were on tour with The Offspring and to say that the atmosphere was uncanny is an understatement. It was remarkable to bear witness to such a devout following of fans who were there to chug beer, sing along, mosh it up, and basically get the snot kicked out of themselves, all for the sake of having a good time. The Murphys are most certainly aware of this fact, and their philosophy has always been, to quote a classic, “There's no place like home;” hence, they bring their annual St. Patrick's Day show back home to Boston every year, and for the second time in their career, it's recorded.
Now this album wasn't just recorded from one show. Instead, DKM took it upon themselves to place recordings from six of their last seven shows into a 20-song compilation of what they consider to be their very best. Judging from the list, it's hard to argue.
I must say that I do find it weird that they started the set with three tracks on their most recent studio album, The Meanest of Times. Now, I love the album, as well as the songs (especially “The State of Massachusetts,” one of my personal favorites), but I figured they would've pieced it together chronologically. Still, it doesn't take away from the album as “Famous for Nothing” truly is a phenomenal concert opener. I would also be remiss if I failed to mention the Murphys' trademark shout-out to a local sports team, the Bruins in this case, to close out “Johnny.” You gotta love it.
The setlist receives a mix-up at this point, as previous albums get their due with the songs “Time to Go” and “Sunshine Highway,” before returning to newer territory with “Flannigan's Ball.” The always awesome “Bastards on Parade” follows, as does the final track from the most recent album, the amazing “God Willing.” The lack of more Meanest tracks is a shame too, as I've always wanted to hear a live version of the anthemic “Echoes on 'A' Street.” Hopefully it'll make it to the list for the next live album. The older hymn “Caught In a Jar” leads us to close out the first half with my personal favorite DKM song.
Here we have one of the most rousing songs I'll ever hear in my entire life: “Captain Kelly's Kitchen.” Seriously, listen to this song and try not to dance an Irish jig or sing along. It doesn't work. Not only is the song way too infectious, but it also tells a great story. For me personally, this song would've been way too tough to follow, but the Murphys keep it strong with “Citizen C.I.A.” and “The Fields of Athenry,” complete with a dedication to a fallen comrade to lead into “Your Spirit's Alive.”
The final stretch of the album starts off heavy with “The Warrior's Code” before settling into a ballad-like duet with Ms. Liza Graves for the always timeless song, “The Dirty Glass.” I also love the ode to a group of Yankees fans that had a run-in with the band in the form of “Tessie.” Arguably the Murphys' most famous song, the Red Sox-inspired classic makes it a point to hammer home the fact that they truly are glad to be home. The fact is further elaborated with the remake “Forever 2009,” the ultimate in admiration for the die-hards that have been coming to their live shows for the past thirteen years. The love doesn't stop there either, as the song “Worker's Song” follows up for the blue-collared man in all of us.
The final bit of business is predictable, but no less welcome. “Kiss Me, I'm Sh*tfaced” is not only epic, it's hilarious. Seeing an entire crowd sing along to it last year was pure entertainment, and hearing it was nothing less of a joy. And of course, the band rounds out this little ditty with “I'm Shipping Up to Boston” along with special guests, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. I'm a big fan of the Bosstones, but it was kind of unfortunate to not really be able to hear them amongst the rest of the case when listening. I'm certain it was a “you had to be there” kind of moment, but it's too bad it wasn't reflected very well on the CD.
The production is... interesting. It's very clean; in fact, I'd say it's too clean. It's rare that you can hear any audience interaction during the songs, although there is plenty before and after each number. It's very odd for a live album to not include fan gestures and sing-alongs, aside from the obvious “LET'S GO MURPHYS!” At least the band commentary between most of the songs is enough to keep it interesting.
The 411: The Dropkick Murphys knock another one out of the park for their favorite annual holiday. Seriously, when it comes to music, St. Patrick's Day might as well be about the band and not that other guy. It's a great collection of hits with no misses, and aside from the slightly-tuned out audience interaction, it should be an automatic inclusion for anyone who's a fan of the band. Even for those that aren't fans, if you're looking to become one, this is a fantastic place to start.
