The whole concept of a live album is a dated one. What with streaming sites, and apps, it seems rather quaint to consider just what an event a live album could be back in the old days. Part of the reason was the immediacy the format provided, especially for those who were not at the show. The new Arctic Monkeys record, Live at the Royal Albert Hall, out now via Domino, re-affirms the vitality of the format, while serving a charity (proceeds go to War Child).
Opening with "Four Out of Five" from the band's superb 2018 release, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino sets a tone here, with Alex Turner and the band revealing yet again the enormous progression their sound has made. The sleek numbers from that 2018 record are well-served here on this 2018 performance recording, with the Nick Cave-isms of the title cut and "One Point Perspecitve", with its John Barry-by-way-of-Barry Adamson-slink perserved even in a live setting. But it is the lush "Star Treatment" that reveals itself as a real masterpiece here, Turner nearly turning into Jarvis Cocker on this one. The players keep their paces behind him, but the glories are all his. This is the rare case where the live version is nearly the better of the studio version.
And while 2013's AM was well-received, it's not over-represented here on Live at Royal Albert Hall, with "Knee Socks", "R U Mine?", and "Do I Wanna Know?" being the real stand-outs in their live versions. Earlier favorites "Brianstorm" and "Crying Lightning" get work-outs, while "Cornerstone" still confounds with its odd loveliness. And though I've never been a huge fan of "505", it lends itself well to the epic treatment here in front of an appreciative crowd in London. Similarly, the most audience noise comes during "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" and a rousing "The View from The Afternoon", an early, yet enduring, burst of cathartic energy. Wisely, Arctic Monkeys don't try to re-shape their earliest numbers in the style of their Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino gems, preferring instead to run at those first stabs of greatness with real fervor. The dichotomy between those classics and the band's contemporary stuff serves this record well. Live at Royal Albert Hall maintains an odd intimacy, even though the band's a hugely popular one, with Alex Turner commanding every moment here, and guiding these musicians through territory that's familiar and still affecting.
Live at Royal Albert Hall is out now via Domino.
More details on Arctic Monkeys via the band's official website.
[Photo: Zackery Michael]