Review Summary: Ready for a live album that makes you feel as if you were at the show cheering and singing along with the band? Give O.A.R.'s 34th & 8th a listen.
Nowadays, when people think of great pop-rock live performances, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and other bands of the sort come to mind almost instantly. However, there is one band that is completely overlooked and sometimes underrated. This band is O.A.R., which is short for Of a Revolution. Unlike other mainstream, major label pop-rock bands, O.A.R. is truly musically talented. Each member of the band is incredible on their respective instruments, the vocals are noticeably talented, and most important of all, the songs give off an uplifting, positive message.
O.A.R.'s 34th & 8th was recorded from November 28 to November 29, 2003 and was released along with a DVD set. O.A.R. is:
-Marc Roberge : Vox, Guitar
-Chris Culos : Drums, Percussion
-Richard On : Lead Guitar
-Benj Gershman : Bass
-Jerry DePizzo : Sax, Guitar
Disc One
34th & 8th opens with the suprisingly slow
Dareh Meyod. Of course, the crowd is screaming their lungs out and the energy level is increasing. Roberge's vocals really shine through as he shows off his ability to hold notes out as long as he can without his voice faltering. After a short little break,
About Mr. Brown blasts in. The chorus is really the highlight of this track. Again, Roberge's vocal ability is one of the key ingredients in making this track stand out.
Wonderful Day, which was previously unreleased, gives the audience a chance to rest because, well, no one knows the words. It's a happy little track with some really interesting saxophone work. This song isn't exactly a masterpiece, but it's a fast little track that fits perfectly into the set. Similarly,
Missing Pieces is a fast song with some excellent bass work and, for the first time on the album, some real crowd participation. Roberge pushes the crowd to sing a whole line of "whoas and yeahs." The audience is one of the keys to making this song work, as it would seem almost bland without the huge crowd singing along.
The slower tracks on Disc One, [b]Old Man Time[b] and
Ran Away to the Top of the World are just as outstanding as the faster tracks. They provide perfect slow jams to showcase the instrumental talents of the band and highlight Roberge's vacals once again. Disc One finishes with the hybrid song,
City on Down...Delicate Few. Clocking in at about 10 and a half minutes, the song changes tempo midway through. This song features some of the album's best lyrics,
"Why can't we all be united as people?"
The two major highlights of Disc One,
Black Rock and
So Moved On stand out due to their
Disc Two
"Let's bring this energy up a bunch man..."
The opening words of Disc Two sum up the entire disc fairly well.
Right On Time,
King of the Thing and
Here's to You are all energy packed tracks with a constantly screaming crowd aiding the instruments.
One major change from Disc One to Disc Two is the presence of stripped-down acoustic tracks.
Someone in the Road is one example, along with the solo
I Feel Home. I Feel Home is completely just Roberge and his acoustic guitar playing alone, although Richard On's clean electric does come in with a slow solo midway through the song. This song really gets the audience moving and you can tell the lighters have come out when this song's chorus comes in.
The final track is probably the best O.A.R. song ever written and is played to perfection live.
That Was A Crazy Game of Poker concludes O.A.R.'s set, but does not fade away quickly. This song leaves a lasting impression on the listener not only because it is over 18 minutes in length, but also because it is such a positive, uplifting song. The first half of the song seems to be about a game of poker, but I think the game may represent some sort of metaphor for society. Then, about halfway through the song, a raging guitar solo completely changes the tempo and rhythm, and we begin the second part of the song. The chanting chorus is really moving and inspiring. The audience even sings a chorus completely unaided by the band. O.A.R. goes out with many “thanks yous” and “goodnights” and we feel that the album has finally come to a close.
This superb blend of energy, musical talent, and positive messages may be the reason this is such an outstanding live album. O.A.R. never makes a mistake in any song, and the energy is never let down. The songs grace your ears and make you want to sing along. Each song is its own story, and each song will take you away to a better place.
Recommended Tracks:
Dareh Meyod
So Moved On
Black Rock
Right On Time
That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker
