Customer Reviews

Gut the Van

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Dispatch was recommended to me by a guy I met at a Rusted Root concert so I looked them up here on Amazon. Some of the older reviews said that this album has poor quality and almost prevented me from buying it, as quality is very important to me. Luckily one of my good friends owns it so i borrowed it and fell in love with it. This album has exceptional quality for a red book CD. The stereo imaging is phenomenal and the midrange sounds of the guitars and vocals are very real and clear. The low end sounds of the bass guitar and bass drum are so authentic it makes you feel like youre there. The hightones are also completely satisfactory (and for me that is way above normal par).

Enough about the recording... the band is an exceptional mix of regae, jam, and soulful funk, rock, and acoustic with lots of great harmony. Don't compare these guys to OAR, Phish, or Dave Matthews either... Dispatch blows them all away lyricaly and musicaly. My favorite songs are Elias, Open Up, Flying Horses, Steeples, Questioned Appocalypse, and Water Stop. I can keep going but I dont want to end up just listing all the songs. Trust me, all the songs they chose for this compilation are incredible. If you dont believe me just download a few and then buy the CD.

In conclusion, this is a great album for those who know and love Dispatch from their Bang Bang and on to the first time listener. This is definitely a great intro to Dispatch. Don't waste your time any longer. Purchase this album!!!

There is no band that puts more energy into live shows. I personally am not a fan of live cds, somehow I don't feel like they are true to capturing the liveliness and energy and fun of a live show. But Dispatch's three members' amazing, interesting and distinct personalities still manage to shine through on this cd. If you are a Dispatch fan, don't think twice about picking this up. If you are just catching on to the Dispatch tidal wave that is taking this country's college and high school scene by storm, then I suggest looking into BANG BANG or WHO ARE WE LIVING FOR? prior to buying this disk. That being said, nothing surpasses a live Dispatch show. I just came back from the 11/17/01 show at the Orpheum, and Dispatch fans delight, they are making a DVD out of the two nights at the Orpheum. This will truly capture the eurphoria that is Dispatch.

When I first heard Dispatch they were nothing special. But since listening to their live material, and going to one of their shows, they are now my favorite band. And Gut the Van, and compilation of songs from various shows is no excpetion. Their electric stuff on the album is incredible, and the few acoustic ones are fabulous as well. The energy and flare they have is truly brought across in this double album. It is absolutely some of the most amazing music I have ever heard. I would recommend listening to Passerby, The General, and Bang Bang. The live album is absolutely amazing. If you are a fan already this will confirm how how they really are especially live, and if you have never heard them, or just started listening, this is a fine example of their work, which should inspire you to really like them

I can't believe I never heard of Dispatch until I heard them on Internet radio several months ago. After hearing the version of "The General" from this disc, I bought this album on my way home from work that night. "The General" is a great song to get people into the band, but only scratches the surface of this diversely-talented band. I still listen to this, and my other Dispatch albums, on a nearly-daily basis.

You can hear shades of many different influences in the music, from the Native African language intro of "Elias" to the reggae influences to jam rock, to what almost sounds like a "Dave Matthews/Tim Reyonlds" collaboration, to some pretty hard rock...it's all here. "Open Up" and "The General" are two of my favorite reggae-tinged songs here. "Time Served" and "Even" are great rock tracks, along with "Bats in the Belfry." "Questioned Apocolypse" and "Flying Horses" are great songs that showcase the acoustic abilities of Dispatch.

Honestly, I could go on for days about what is great about this album, but alas, I'm only limited to 1000 words, so the best suggestion I can make is: pick up this album for yourself and see what I'm talking about!

By the way, the "Under the Radar" DVD (comes with the 7-track "Patchwork" CD) contains some superb alternate live versions of most of the songs on this album, and allows late-comers like myself to see what this band is like live, just in case we can't make it to Boston to see their final show this summer.

This is my second dispatch cd and the first cd I have ever bought for myself. I am so ecstatically happy! This cd is amazing! I listen to it all the time. All my friends love it and whenever they are over we listen to it non stop and dance around the house. It gets you so worked up but then again its perfect to listen to if you just want to relax. I think 'prince of spades' is one of the most amazing songs along with 'elias', 'flying horses', 'passerby', 'the general' and all the other songs on these two amazing cds! There is not one wasted track!!! If you somewhat enjoyed any of their other cds you will love this! There is no way that($$$) you spend on this cd has been wasted. If you don't like it then give it to someone. Everyone I know who has listened to it loves it.

I bought this CD not really knowing what I was buying. A friend of mine played a song or 2 for me and it stuck in my head. Now that I have it I cannot eject it from my CD player. I LOVE it. I have always been a fan of live music. And this is one of the best I've heard. Another friend who I played it for said it sounded like a mix between Dave Matthews Band and 311 w/a hint of funk in certain songs. It is definitely relaxing but upbeat music. I am in love. Plus it reminds me a bit of Boston and the music scene up there (now that I'm in FL). Some especially good songs on the album are Open Up, Flying Horses, Bullet Holes, and Railway. One last comment how can you beat getting over 2hrs of music for [the moeny] It's a great deal on an AMAZING CD.

I've been slowly getting into Dispatch, and had downloaded a majority of their recorded stuff. But, never one to (completely) cheat the artist, I decided tp pick up their live CD. Good decision. The CD's a gem, tons of great stuff, of which (in track order) the most memorable is:

Open Up
Passerby
Prince of Spades
Bullet Holes
Bats in the Belfry
The General
Elias (especially awesome)
Cover This
Two Coins
Water Stop

I had to fight to leave quite a few out to keep this from simply being a track listing. Honestly, pick this up, especially if you're just getting into Dispatch (or are a die-hard fan, just get it), it's a fantastic overview of their work, both current and older. My only complaint is it doesn't include "Hey, Hey", but you can't have everything.

A hearty 5 stars.

Amazing, truly amazing are the only words that come to mind when i think about this new Dispatch CD. Dispatch being known more for theire AMAZING live shows, imangine all the classic dispatch songs, live on two cd's! With songs like Bang Bang, railway, The General, cut it ya match it, flying horses, open up, bats in the belfry! the list goes on! the cd makes you feel like you're at the show with them. i cant put into words how much i love this cd or the band! A must buy for true Dispatch fans!!!

One word can some up the quality of this cd. UNBELIEVABLE! You can't go wrong with a live Dispatch showing. I actually went to the FleetBoston Pavillion show. Lightning, Here We Go, and Bullet Holes are all from it. They give a shout out to Ray Bourque at the start of Lightning. They have an absolutely amazing intro to Here We Go. No one at the concert expected the song to turn into Here We Go, the intro actually had to be one of the best things i remember about the concert. And of course Bullet Holes is always just perfect. I must give my possibly biased opinion that these three songs are some of the best on the entire album. Well, that's enough of my rambling. You'll love the cd. Peace.

This is a good jam album. I don't think that the sound quality is that great, but the songs and the music itself makes up for that. If you listen to it real loud it sounds like you're actually at the concert. A few of the songs were recorded in Rhode Island at good old Lupos. If you like dispatch this is a must buy because it is a good collection of their music.