Dashboard Confessional - Mtv Unplugged Bonus Dvd (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Excellent, this disc is really a keeper.

Peter Cooper | Louth, UK | 01/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, the background singing on this CD is not, in my opinion, bad at all. It's hardly noticable on most of the tracks, although it is significant on perhaps 4 of them. It's quite low in the mix though, and is mostly noticeable when Chris decides to stop singing and let the audience take over.This CD/DVD combo is excellent value. The DVD has the full MTV Unplugged performance, and the CD is the same audio mix as the Stereo soundtrack on the DVD.Many tracks are MUCH improved from the studio albums. 'Screaming Infidelities', 'Again I Go Unnoticed' and 'The Sharp Hint of New Tears' now have a full band backing which propels them into totally new fresh tracks.The first three tracks are probably the most annoying when it comes to crowd vocals. They only feature Chris on his own, as the band doesn't come in till later. 'The Best Deceptions' is probably the most annoying song with the audience, as they've left the audience at the same level in the mix as Chris.The production quality is high here though. The guitars are crisp, the drums are 'just right', the bass is unimposing, the vocals are up front and direct, and the 'live feel' is there with the crowd in the background (on track four and beyond).If you hate crowd noises and a bit of background singing, avoid this. If 'Best Deceptions' is one of your favorite songs, avoid it too, as the crowd are too loud. But it's a live unplugged gig, not a studio album! That said, it has the most professional sound of any of Dashboard Confessional's albums to date."

Insanely good as expected

Troy | 03/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First off- Dashboard Confessional is one of my favorite bands along with some harder rock bands. This CD/DVD is probobly my second favorite concert DVD. The reason why it is in second? Because i certainly did not enjoy the people background singing. That is the reason i gave it 4 stars instead of 5, the Singing is loud at times and in my opinion partially wrecks the song. Not totally wrecked or anything, but it would be a lot better with the lead singer/guitarist only singing and not the audience.

overall very good"

I love chris' voice...

andrew adams | Minneapolis, MN | 12/24/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"first of all, i'm a huge dashboard fan, i worship anything and everything that comes from chris' guitar, mind, and mouth. that's partially why this album was a slight disappointment. first of all, most of the songs sound more 'plugged' than any of dashboard's studio work. second of all, the unplugged idea was that it would be a departure from the normal style of the artist. dashboard seems to be exaclty the kind of sound that would do this normally anyways.
okay, as far as the album goes, on several of the earlier tracks, (most notably, the kickoff track 'the swiss army romance'), you can barely hear chris over the crowd. i understand that it's part of the experience, but i guess the fans are just as rabid as me- they sing their hearts out on every note. it gets annoying.
that said, this album was absolutely a joy to listen to- many of the songs were masterfully done... 'places that you have come to fear...' is perfect live, 'hands down', possibly dashboard's best track, is climactic and absolutely wonderful.
if you can stand the sing-along qualities of the first 2 or 3 tracks, it's quite a listen."

Unlike anything else

John Ebert | Watertown, WI USA | 12/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, this is a fantastic value. Of course you get the CD, but you also get the DVD of the performance... normally the DVD would run you the price of the CD! Anyway, onto the music. If you've never experienced Dashboard Confessional before, this live performance will certaintly be a suprise for you. All the fans sing along to every word, and sometimes take over completley, to an elegant effect you can't find on studio records. Every great song DC has ever done is compiled on this smoldering collection. Chris Carraba's songs are so heartfelt and stunningly well crafted it's hard not to be drawn into the lyrics and music. Highlights among the already great collection include "Swiss Army Romance" "The Best Deceptions" "Screaming Infidelities" "Saints & Sailors" and "Hands Down." If you're new to the genre of emo, immediatley pick up this collection, and if you're a fan already, you probably already own it."

I hope the audience were paid royalties : P

R. Ocampo | North America | 08/31/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Of all the live albums I've heard, this has got to be the most prominent singing I've heard. Okay so Christopher Ender Carrabba enjoys having the audience sing along with him everytime he performs. Pardon the reviewers for not knowing. But most importantly pardon the fanatics who are bashing the reviewers with "well for those who aren't fans of...blah blah" comments.

I'm not a fanatic, but I enjoy music. I enjoy Dashboard Confessional's poetic and heartfelt songs. Most importantly I enjoy seeing artists perform these songs from their heart. This CD/DVD is definitely one of those performances.

Hearing the CD is awesome alone. But popping that DVD and playing it thru your beloved home theater is another experience. The audio recording and mixing quality is exceptional. The DVD is even mixed in 5.1 surround. The picture quality is exactly how you see MTV shoots their UnPlugged sessions. And for the price it's being sold, it beats everything else on the market with absurb mark-ups.

I would have given it 5 stars, but the thing is I came to hear Chris Carrabba sing his heart out - not the audience. The audio engineers already did a great job, but they should have lowered the audience volume a few notches down. We already know the audience love singing along his songs, so they could have prepared for that and remedied the situation in post. The only reason it isn't annoying is because you get used to it. Sigh.

I can understand those live performance instances when they allow the audience to sing a phrase or two. In fact it's amusing when that happens. In this case, all the familiar Dashboard songs they also sing their hearts out. They could have done this in any other Dashboard performance, but when it's being recorded for an album release it's just bewealdering that you can only scratch your head.

That said, it's still a solid album with a solid price worth collecting. In fact the arrangement of some of the songs are even better than the studio versions, which tend to be bland at times.

I don't mean to offend the Dashboard Confessional fanatics, but that's just the way it is. For the rest of us who enjoy their music, this is one great purchase you won't regret.

By the way, due to the obvious date of this performance you won't find "Vindicated" here. But how perfect it would have been..."

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