Customer Reviews

Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational (W/Dvd)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At The Drive-In was an utterly enthralling and influential 90's act from El Paso that caused a musical revolution in my life.
However, this collection, whose title is taken from a lyric in "One-Armed Scissor," is a little iffy.
For one thing, my favorite ATDI album, Acrobatic Tenement is completely unrepresented.
This collection feels like it was compiled predominantly by Paul, Jim and Tony (the "Invalid Litter Dept." video looks like it was put together post-ATDI, for instance) and since they could only use the songs all three co-wrote, Acrobatic material was out of the question (Cedric, Omar and Jim were the only members in the band from '96 to their breakup.)
However, I feel that Acrobatic Tenement was their most raw and exciting album, so without any of the material (besides a hamfisted version of "Initiation") it is missing a key era in At The Drive-In's history.
In/Casino/Out is definitely well-represented, which also goes with the compiled-by-Sparta theory.
Relationship of Command-era tracks are split between rare tracks and album tracks.
It feels like they maybe should have put some more RoC songs on This Station like "Pattern Against User" or "Cosmonaut," but they probably didn't want to over emphasize their most well-known CD.
Vaya is slightly represented, and that's cool.
The rare material is interesting and varied (except for the hideous Rascuache remix) but there isn't enough rare tracks/covers or live tracks (much to the chagrin of people who never witnessed them live) to give die-hard fans anything new.
The CD is varied, but in my opinion, it doesn't represent some of their best material (Proxima Centari, Arcarsenal, Star Slight, Porfirio Diaz, Heliotrope, etc.) so I don't know if it's the best choice for new fans, either.
Really, if you want to hear ATDI's most raw CD, get Acrobatic Tenement.
If you want to hear their most trippy/varied CD, get In/Casino/Out.
If you want to hear their more catchy/intense CD, get Relationship of Command.
The DVD is the only thing that makes it worth the money, but it only makes me salivate for a huge DVD set of live material.
I'm glad Fearless made an effort to promote At The Drive-In besides reissuing all their old CDs, but I just feel like this collection is uneven and put together in a rushed manner.
But hey, it remasters their rare tracks, highlights their strong points, and gives their music videos and the rare EPK in DVD form, which makes it worth shelling $15.
Get it if you already love these guys and want all the rare material of ATDI you can get your hands on.

First and foremost, I must extend massive kudos to Fearless Records for seizing control of the ATDI musical empire from the defunct Grand Royal company and continuing to enhance the band's legacy. Their catalog is too influential to be unceremoniously buried in a dusty vault somewhere.

Like most hardcore ATDI fans, the thirst for ANY uncovered or remastered material is undeniable, irrefutable, and insatiable, despite the fact the band has dissolved and forged ahead with Sparta and The Mars Volta. As the old adage explains, the sum of the parts is not greater than the whole, and I believe ATDI fits that statement like a full five-finger glove. This sonically pleasing compilation is evidence of that.

Just taking a quick gaze at the tracklist would make most ATDI fans salivate. You get tantalizing selections culled from *most* of their albums, rare compositions previously only available on vinyl (or in illicit mp3 form), and a bonus DVD featuring long forgotten videos and the treasured "Relationship of Command" documentary / press kit. These is no doubt this release will be pleasing, even temporarily soothing, to the ATDI fan that is perpetually yearning for more. But will it be enough?

A four star rating seems trifling, despite the fact this compilation will be taking up residency in my CD player for an extremely long period of time. There is something intrinsically unsettling about this release that leaves me still unsatisfied and unable to drive the final nail in the ATDI disbanded coffin once and for all. I believe this confounded sensation stems from the odd inclusions and, more critically, exclusions. The fact there lacks a single representation from "Acrobatic Tenement" ("Initiation" here is the Lamacq version) is disconcerting. The omission of "Invalid Litter Dept." is downright perplexing, especially if this CD was released purportedly as a career retrospective.

However, despite these minor grievances, I covet this CD for many reasons, most notably the previously unreleased "This Night Has Opened My Eyes." Who knew that ATDI could pull off this uncanny Smiths cover with such ease, grace, and (...gulp...) authenticity?! The other rarities are tasty treats, allowing me to replace the inferior mp3 versions I once had to download due to lack of turntable ownership. Finally, the mastering is impeccable, especially with the some of the older material. All the tracks are normalized to a consistent volume, making the disk a coherent, pleasurable listen from start to finish.

To truly capture the visceral essence of ATDI, I would have suggested a few ideas to Fearless during the planning phases. While the DVD is an exercise in nostalgia, I would rather see a 2-disk set with disk 1 encapsulating additional album material and disk 2 exclusively devoted to the rare gems. This way, disk 2 could include some of the tracks that simply could not make it due to space limitations, such as "Catacomb, "Catacombs", "Extracurricular", the remaining Lamacq tracks, as well as some other live material.

Now that Mars Volta and Sparta are gaining the widespread popular notice that At the Drive-In deserved but never received, the time is right for a career retrospective. Kudos to Fearless Records for consolidating the band's far-flung material, from who knows how many indie labels, split discs, B-sides, and limited editions. This compilation should probably be viewed more as an introduction to ATDI rather than as a summary for longtime fanatics, due to its focus on the band's variety. Wisely, ATDI's most semi-famous album, Relationship of Command, is not over-emphasized, though the absence of any tracks from Acrobatic Tenement is a real mystery. The rarities are true revelations for those without the patience for tracking them down in the indie wilderness, especially the late-period items "Incetardis" and "Autorelocator" which show the band making intriguing forays into loose grooves. However, this package's focus on variety does reveal a few of the band's missteps, as the avant-garde remix of "Rascuache" and the cover of Pink Floyd's "Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" are stylistic dead-ends. But in any case, ATDI's influence on vast segments of the indie rock community will continue to be felt for years to come, and this package is an excellent starting point for an exploration of their original material. [~doomsdayer520~]

Perhaps it's a little bit refreshing for a normal album to significantly overshadow a greatest hits compilation, but that doesn't mean it should happen.

Simply put, Relationship of Command is a far better, and far more listenable, cd than this greatest hits compilation. There's just something missing from most of the songs on this cd (save the ones from Relationship of Command); that edge and distinctive sound that's so prevalent with the mars volta and (to a significantly lesser degree) sparta just isn't there with most of these "hits."

Do yourself a favor if you're just getting into these guys: Pick up relationship of command, then forget this hits compilation ever existed. Repeat if neccesary.

First of all, I think it's important that you sepperate the fact that yes, At The Drive-In has split into two different bands. If you have heard either Sparta or The Mars Volta's work, you should regard At The Drive-In as a complete and seperate band, because it is. While it's important to know that they started with ATD-I, it's hard to hear it as a new sound if you've already heard the new work.

I think "This Station is Non-Operational" is great for people just getting into ATD-I or that want to learn about a band that inspired another band or if you want to hear previous works from members of Sparta or The Mars Volta. Everybody says "Relaionship of Command" is their best work, but I disagree. It's just a continuation of their previous album, "in/CASINO/OUT".

All and all, this album is great and a good listen. It DOES leave out some of the best songs and tracks from other albums like "Acrobatic Tenement" (except for the BBC session of Iniatiation), but I think it's worth it - especially if you're a first time listener of the band.

With the brain-melting lyrical overload, elongated musical style and impenetrable concepts of The Mars Volta getting more overwhelming with each album, it's getting harder and harder to conceive that Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez once fronted an inciting and insightful punk outfit that generally got to the point in three minutes bursts. Back in the late 1990s before At The Drive-In splintered into the divisive acts The Mars Volta and Sparta, the El Paso outfit acted as a saving musical grace amongst a sea of scripted popstars and nu-metal lunks. While short on proper `hits', This Station Is Non-Operational contains At The Drive-In's explosive peak in the form of One Armed Scissor, rarities such as the quiet moments of Doorman's Placebo and cover versions including Pink Floyd (the Syd Barrett tune Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk) and The Smiths (This Night Has Opened My Eyes). Unsure specifically want it wants to be, This Station Is Non-Operational teeters between rarities round-up and record company cash-in, although the sea shanty sounds of Napoleon Solo, the ghostly Relocator and the Suzanne Vega-tackles-reggae sounds of Rascuache show an interesting flipside to the normal At The Drive-In twists. The final ATDI studio album, Relationship Of Command, saw the flashpoint of insurrection serendipitously cause their musical formula to fall into place, with three of the album's tracks and some video clips from the record also making it to the DVD included here as a bonus. Varied and atmospheric, This Station Is Non-Operational is an ominous yet fascinating (final?) addition to the defunct Texans' back catalogue.

Review by Tyler Wagnon:

There can never be enough praise given to At the Drive-In. They were probably the most influential indie band since... I don't know maybe The Pixies or Pavement.
With that being said, this collection/greatest hits is completely inadequate. It is basically a few tracks from each release, a couple rare tracks, and a DVD with music videos. It's an insult to ATDI's legacy if you ask me. However, trying to sum up their career in 18 tracks would be basically impossible unless it were a complete discography.

At the Drive-In is an amazing band and deserve to be in every music fan's collection, but please buy the albums instead because each track is indispensable. Sorry Fearless, you can't just release some half-a$$ collection with ATDI's name on it and expect it to be worth anything.

Now, I am a HUGE ATDI fan, but fans alike will agree this product is missing the magic of ATDI.

Curious as I was, I popped the DVD in fist. The DVD contains music videos for "One Armed Scissor" Invalid Litter Dept." and Metronome Arthritis". Now, I've seen the first two music videos before, but what they've done with the "One Armed Scissor" video is that they totally redone it, consisiting of entirely of rare live performances, so that was a treat. "Metronome Arthritis" seemed like a boring b-movie student film. It was nothing but recycling symbolism at a slow frame rate.

Also on the DVD was a selection called "Operations Manual" which was a very short behind-the-scenes look of the guys recording their albums and their El Paso legacy. The music during this selection consisted of annoying RoC loops. There was no real insight on the band, and no real interview, just quick little saysings"

Also there's a discography.....not even worth selecting that. All togeter, The DVD will only entertain you for about 20 minutes or less. Th


The CD though is medicore in selection. It does feature live, rare and cover tracks, but this CD's main goal was to highlight the band's diversity and sheer rawness, and didn't show their melodic side (honest to a fault, give it a name, winter month novelty, schaffino to name a few) in fact, i don't think there are any "el gran orgo" tracks on this cd...except for fahrenheit.

Overall, what this CD needs is more polish, more bonus content, and a couple more tracks to make me grin when I hear it.

This album is a must for any ATDI fan or anyone just wanting to hear some of the best music ever!!! I would recommend this to almost anyone, no matter what they listen to. This is music that you feel, not just hear.

If you were a radio sucker like I was back in the 90's, you more than likely missed out on great bands like Modest Mouse, At the drive in, among countless others on the indie scene. Well ATDI is now Sparta and The Mars Volta (for the music noobs). This is an outstanding tribute which holds some of their best elements that helped them craft their relentless sound. Any fan or introductee of ATDI should pick up this prverbial aural encyclopedia of the silohuette of one of the best things that ever happened to rock.