Customer Reviews

Bisco Lives 2

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Tracks 8 and 9 (Crickets>Splattums) show what this album could've been...good jams, with solid techno, a few overdubs, and great flow. Track 2 (Strobe lights and Martinis) is a little choppy, but also pretty solid and in the same vein. The rest of the album, however, is poorly produced, most notably in the Dance of the Sugarplum Faeries, the poor endings of the songs (they either fade in/out or just drop out entirely), or Yo Sammy!, which is most definitely the most annoying Biscuits track ever put to any tape. Track 10 is cute, because they basically thank people for 2.5 minutes straight over a somewhat interesting jam, but it really doesn't do anything musically because the voice is so present. Digital Buddha is a bit better because the vocals are more subtle over a jam which obviously came from the same material as Track 2 (the infamous 09/01/01 Mindless Dribble -> Above the Waves -> Mindless Dribble, I believe). The concept for this album is very cool (though a little borrowed from the New Deal and others) -- take some of the best live jams and spruce them up in the studio. The focus on the most electronic aspects of the Biscuits sound is a definite plus, and is a good contrast to their early albums, as well as the upcoming Senor Boombox. But really, this album was thrown together filler before their upcoming release, with pretty abrasive non-flow (lots of quick fades on open-ended jams). If they ever take this idea seriously, though, watch out. Until then, though, the listener must cringe a little bit at the end of each song, just enough to kill the flow.

It really bothers me when I feel like a little more effort and care here and there would've spruced up this CD, because Bisco Lives 2 is certainly a very promising disc. It just doesn't quite come together, though, which is too bad. If you're into electronica/techno, however, and have heard of the Biscuits before, this is a great introduction to this band, showcasing how they jam live, something They Missed the Perfume definitely did not exhibit.

The sound is very muddy, but several of the tracks on this CD merit its purchase. The "Crickets" jam (split into the tracks "Splattums" and "Hoppin") is especially good. This is a novel approach to a live album: it catches most songs mid-jam, taking the music away from its organic development and serving it up in vignette form. To hear what the Biscuits really do sound like in concert (pre-early 2005, when the original drummer plans to leave the band), visit their Web site and purchase some concert downloads or the crystalline, perfect TranceFusionRadio CD series.