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Incubus ‘Alive’ on new tour DVD
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With their new live DVD, "Look Alive," soul-searching rock band Incubus offers up personal footage of high-energy shows and life on the road. Two hours of music include several songs from the band's 2006 album Light Grenades, as well as a few older hits and previously unreleased songs. The footage is filmed like a home video, and its intimacy and simplicity add to the disc's charm.
"Look Alive" follows Incubus as
they tour the world, traveling from the
Singles from Light Grenades, including "Anna Molly," "Love Hurts," "Oil and Water" and "Dig," are featured on the DVD. Although their 2006 album as a whole was rather forgettable compared to the band's previous records, the live versions of these songs are more enjoyable. One complaint, however, would be that the band included three songs from their substandard and more clinical album A Crow Left Of The Murder, and virtually nothing from 1999's Make Yourself or 2001's Morning View. Perhaps they are trying to deviate from radio hits such as "Drive," but this omission doesn't serve them well on "Look Alive."
On the disc's final live song, "Aqueous Transmission," Einzinger plays the pipa, a Chinese plucked-string, lute-like instrument that provides a tranquil pizzicato melody. The prominence of this melody, coupled with Einzinger's humorous persona, make the live version of the song decidedly more refreshing. In addition, this obscure instrumentation seems to be one of the band's interests — dreadlocked turntablist and assorted percussionist Chris Kilmore explains how he even uses an instrument that "no one's ever really heard of, because we sort of invented it."
Long-time fans will also
appreciate the live tracks from S.C.I.E.N.C.E.,
including a more experimental adaptation of the rap-metal song "Nebula." Other
DVD highlights include an acoustic version of "Redefine" and an energetic,
surprisingly well-done rendition of "Megalomaniac," as well as footage of the
band riding bikes in
Though their signature synthesis of pyschedelic funk and alt-metal has achieved success on mainstream rock radio, Incubus still remains true to their experimental roots with "Look Alive." Their live shows even exhibit jam band tendencies as frontman Brandon Boyd plays the bongos with intense concentration during several songs.
This DVD showcases the band's quirky spirituality and their passion for music and life. Their lyrically and musically contemplative songs reflect both an appreciation of what the world has to offer and the ability to question it. While their song selection is somewhat questionable, their performance quality is exceptional. Fans should be pleased with the exploration and experimentation on "Look Alive."
3 out of 5 stars
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