Doug Van Pelt

The End of My Music Collection

[ ... or Why I Never Have To Buy Another Album... ]

Well, it might not be that good, but my oh my, is this package "it."

Let me back up and tell you about the spoils of my retail trips today. This Saturday started early, as one of my two daughters danced in this competition called Dance America. I actually slept in and didn't go to the Pflugerville High School Performing Arts Center until closer to noon, when my oldest daughter would have the first of her three dances of the day. My youngest will dance tomorrow. She is sleeping as I write, hopefully dreaming of dancing on puffy white clouds and angels all around. The other one is awaiting the awards of the day -- to see how she and her team placed in the various dances tonight. The first dance of the day was a duet, and she and a friend danced to a Newsboys song. After that dance we went to Dairy Queen to celebrate. (this is like a Midwestern tradition that puts the crown on any achievement -- from a softball game to a week's worth of hard work on a farm) I had one of their new "Tin Roof" Blizzards. Very tasty.

By this time the sun was out and it was a beautiful spring day. I drove into Austin to pick up some Bose speakers I didn't really need that someone was giving away. Then I decided to drive in to Waterloo Records down by 6th and Lamar. I remembered hearing about a massive sale they were having. I saw an ad that showed the Polyphonic Spree DVD on sale for only 13.99. I had been there a week before and feasted my eyes on it, but it was 16.99 and I hadn't seen anything on it yet. I knew I'd probably enjoy it, but I figured I'd wait. Today it was to be had for only 11.99. Very nice. I also took advantage of one of several of Waterloo's listening stations, where they where only too happy to play the Raconteur's new album, Consolers of the Lonely, for me. I wanted to make sure I liked it before I snatched it up. A friend had told me it was much more consistent than their first, and that I'd like it. Turns out he was right. Song after song is really good. It's brash, energetic, raw and in your face -- like the White Stripes best songs, but only fuller sounding. I can't believe the Austin American Statesman panned this thing.

x x x INTER>ruption...#101:

Okay, as I type this, I'm seeing an aacrobat spin flips over and over again, ever so slowly, suspended from a big white baloon while this wonderful band plays live at Wembley Stadium. But I'm getting ahead of myself again. I'm just so distracted by the Peter Gabriel-esque visuals of this concert DVD. Wow.

. . .

So I picked up the new Raconteurs album, too. It was only 11.99 as well. Waterloo was celebrating some big anniversary and had a 20% off sale. Very nice. I checked to see if this one dvd was there ... and it was. I didn't know it would be a CD/DVD combination, but there it was. It was packaged in a double disc CD jewel case, instead of an amaray case like a movie. It wasn't too high, but I had a $5 Reward Zone certificate with me, so I figured I'd pick it up at Best Buy later. I had plenty of time before the evening dances, so I drove back up North to Round Rock and took my daughter's cell phone into a Sprint Store to get fixed. I tried to get a walk-in massage at this place called Massage Envy, but they were busy (on a Saturday). I would have enjoyed that, as I have a bunch of "faschia" stuff that makes my back, shoulder and neck muscles stiff and irritated. It's not like me to splurge on a treatment like that, but the physical therapy I'm getting for this (which initially promised but hasn't delivered "deep tissue massage") is pretty much just focusing on stretches and exercise to build up the muscles and bring my healing. It's painful enough to consider the $39 for one hour as being worth it. Not today.

Oh well, I went in to Best Buy and headed straight for the DVD section, which is shrinking at this retailer. I tried the New Music shelves. No show. I then went over to the alphabetical displays for Rock. P, N, M... MUSE. I have Allan Aguire to thank for telling me, "You know who I'm impressed with? Muse." That was a few years ago, when Absolution first came out. He's since indicated to me that he's not "gaga" over them. There wasn't much on the top shelf, but there was a placard that said something like "Live At Wembley CD/DVD On Sale 11.99." Nice! Only problem was, there were no copies there. There were more copies of their studio albums on a lower tier, but this one was nowhere to be found. I found an employee and he looked it up. The computer said they had 7 on hand. Either there were that many shoplifters or that many shoppers with it in their hands right now. After seeing me search around and ask about overstock, he volunteered to go check in the back to see if today's shipment had it. Not long after he returned with a copy. I only had to lay out about $7 for this little gem. I stuck it in my notebook as I worked at a local Starbucks for a couple hours, laying out the upcoming issue of Heaven's Metal Fanzine, and enjoyed hearing their live show on my headphones. I listen to Muse a lot (their last two albums, really -- I haven't gotten into the Hullaboo DVD I have or their Origins of Symmetry album, either), and hearing these songs live really didn't do a whole lot for me. They're such perfectionists in the studio (I suppose), that it's hard to improve on these songs live, much less pull them off in their pristine glory. Anyway, this was one of those rare CD/DVD combos where I was purchasing for the DVD more than the CD. I took my youngest home before my oldest tonight, as she has to get up and dance early in the morning.

I was only able to pop the DVD in at loud, concert level volume in the house for about 5-7 minutes before I turned it way down. Instead of a 5.1 Surround Sound, the audio I was able to select was a 3/2 DTS. I selected the song "Starlight" and let it rip.

Oh my! This DVD is just insanely good. I have to tell everyone within eyeshot of this blog that you must consider getting ahold of it. The band sold out Wembley Stadium, for crying out loud! Their live show is extremely visual, with lots of computers and video screens making rapid art as a stunning visual backdrop. The staging is massive. There are several aerial shots that show the whole stadium, hovering over the crowd. Wow.

Now, there's probably some satanic altar call at some point in the DVD that I haven't seen yet, and so I'll regret saying this (I'm kidding), but this is about as good as music DVDs get. You will no doubt thank me for recommending this loud, ambient, lyrical and vocal and progressive and harmonious piece of art. I've watched the portion from "Starlight" on to the end and have only heard one naughty word mentioned in passing during one segue from performance to pause back to encore performance.

And to think I was a little worried that I might not like this album.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at April 5, 2008 10:57 PM