TRON PACK. Already well-loved for their three albums, YouTube mega-videos and ecstatic concert tours, OK Gos new 180/365 presents their latest breakthrough. The first album to be wholly released by the bands newly established Paracadute label, the 19-song, 74-minute live collection reinforces the Los Angeles based quartets status as a bleeding edge, blockbuster outfit for the internet age.
Let's face it: live albums are usually not worth buying. At best you tend to get a collection of songs that sound similar to, but not quite as good as, the studio versions. And they're punctuated by segments of generic applause that seem to last longer than the songs themselves.
180/365 is not like that at all. OK Go brings something new to the songs in their live performances. Instead of being simply less polished than the studio versions, they're different. The audience participation parts are fun and make me wish I were there, and they add to the songs rather than obscuring them. Some songs I like better in the studio version (In the Glass is more haunting in the studio), and some better in the live version (Needing/Getting has more raw energy live). And the live version of Skyscrapers blows me away.
As a plus, the applause between songs is short and not drawn-out. Obviously, OK Go trusts that we know the audience loved the songs.
There is so much to like about this band! Live versions of their hook-laden pop is just one more. A must-have CD for the music or video fan. More please.