Stereophonics - 'Live From Dakota' (V2) 03/04/06

The title says it all really. It’s a live album and it’s recorded in Dakota. Ok, ok, a little more information might be helpful. Well, about time: love em or hate em, The Stereophonics are undoubtedly one of the best live acts around. Some might have expected a live album to have been served up sooner, but a quick listen tells you that this is the right time. Capturing the boys out on the road in the USA in 2005, the two CD album covers the full span of their career. Even better, it skips over some of the more painful moments (namely that Rod Stewart cover), includes forgotten gems such as ‘Carrot Cake And Wine’, a B-side from ‘Word Gets Around’ and hints at their sound to come with a previously unreleased song ‘Jayne’.

CD one is decidedly rockier, opening with a double barrel shot gun loaded with ‘Superman’ and ‘Doorman’, flattening your speakers like a tank driven by Darth Vader and bristling with foreboding brilliance. Kelly Jones’ gravel-pit snarl is on top form as he sneers “all I wanna do is get close to you, all I wanna do is make a mess out of you” over a snaking bass line. Old favourites like ‘A Thousand Trees’ and ‘Local Boy In The Photograph’ are trotted out and delivered with brute force.

The second disc is calmer and smoother however, beginning with a watered down ‘Hurry Up And Wait’, possibly the only low point of the album: all the rough edges taken off and sounding something akin to a Busted cover. ‘Traffic’ diverts slightly from the well known version with the help of an organ and an army of twangy American voices chorusing along. It all ends predictably with ‘Dakota’ which like everything else, is joyfully received.

It has to be said that this is a live album as it should be: picking up on the crowd’s jubilant bellowing but not in an obtrusive way, just a smattering of between song banter and most importantly, it lets you hear every thundering track crisply and dripping with energy. 'Live From Dakota' gives you every reason to forgive the ‘Phonics for their dodgy dad-rock phase and reminds you what you liked about them in the first place.