WBOS
Live from the Archives
On Rounder Records Corp.
Grade: B
You have to love the concept of live music in order to enjoy the new compilation CD from Boston's local rock station, 92.9 WBOS. Live From The Archives presents 16 exclusive live performances recorded either at the WBOS studios or at concerts within the past two years. All proceeds from this mix CD will be donated to The Genesis Fund, an organization which provides support for New England area children born with birth defects, mental retardation and genetic diseases. Live From The Archives appears to be a real find, as the CD features familiar artists such as Pete Yorn, Ben Harper and Jason Mraz, as well as classic hits such as Guster's "Amsterdam" and The Wallflower's "How Good It Can Get." However, if you are not a fan of live music, buying this CD could literally only be deemed an act of charity.

Though WBOS prides itself on playing "world-class rock," judging by the artists featured on Live From The Archives, the station most likely considers first-rate rock to be any non-pop music with clean lyrics. That singles from not-quite-mainstream newcomer artists Jason Mraz and Gavin DeGraw could already be hailed as "world-class rock" seems to be a considerable embellishment. WBOS simply included names that would sell soundtracks despite the lack of longevity and prominence of the various artists' career.

The problem with buying a CD featuring only live songs is that you never know the quality of the performances you are going to get. When performing live, artists too often saturate their songs with excessive amounts of angst and superfluous improvisational runs that retract from the essence that made the track a hit in the first place. A prime example on the WBOS CD occurs in Gavin DeGraw's live rendition of "Follow Through." Performing with a piano as his only musical support, DeGraw's live performance of his first single on Live From The Archives comes off sounding whinny instead of whimsical like the version on his debut album, Chariot. A similar scenario unfortunately occurs with Howie Day, an incredibly dynamic singer and innovative songwriter. Day disappoints in his almost six minute, live performance of "Ghost" with the song's overly repetitive chorus and breathy vocals.

The WBOS CD just also features some downright lousy songs that can't even be blamed on their live status. Jack Johnson's "The Horizon Has Been Defeated" is so monotonous that the listener is already asleep after this first track. The mostly spoken piece "I Am Not The Only Cowboy" by the Josh Joplin Group gives the Live From The Archives CD a closing track just as dreadful as the CD's tedious opening from Johnson.

Despite the negative aspects of the CD, live performances from seasoned artists redeem Live From The Archives from the fate of becoming a solely charitable purchase. The Wallflowers impress with their respective soulful performance of "How Good It Can Get." Love ballad specialist Edwin McCain oozes with unrequited emotion in his haunting, live rendition of his song, "I Want it All." In addition, Pete Yorn's upbeat version of "Life On a Chain" and Guster's lively rendition of "Amsterdam" demonstrate the passion and energy that is key to a captivating live performance.

Live From The Archives also features some surprisingly strong performances from several less prominent female rockers. Aimee Mann captures the appropriate amount of urgency and heartache in her in-studio performance of "Save Me." In Jonatha Brooke's "Linger," her Alanis Morissette-like vocals make her track truly enjoyable to listen to. The two women's naturalism and raw emotion in their live performances really testify to each of their full musical talents.

With the varying quality of the performances on Live From The Archives, the only guaranteed positive is that all proceeds will go to charity. Being able to successfully perform live on the spot reveals true the artistic ability. Without studio equipment or the chance to do retakes, the artist must feel comfortable enough with his own vocal abilities and quality of his song to generate a quality live performance. Thus, Live From The Archives isn't really a presentation of the best in WBOS rock. Rather, the CD is simply an experiment of how an artist will react when all he has to fall back on is his own talent.