Rhythm & Booze

Authority Zero | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Suburban Noize
• ASIN: B000EWBMXS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,800 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great acoustic release, June 29, 2006

By 

Rick Michael Gebhardt (Rochester, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rhythm & Booze (Audio CD)

Authority Zero had a hit on MTV a few years back entitled "One More Minute", but other than that, they pretty much dropped off of the collective radar of the music world. Sure, they released a record in 2004 (Andiamo), but it went predominantly unnoticed by almost everyone. Oddly, instead of fading out into obscurity, the boys in Authority Zero have decided to come back around with an acoustic live album.

Considering that both live albums and acoustic albums are usually reserved for bands that have a large back catalog or have sold well, it was very surprising to see a combination of the two used to showcase the first recorded material from Authority Zero in more than 2 years. Oddly, though, it works. The band's music, which was a refreshing blend of Sublime and NOFX back in the day, translates very well to the laid back, acoustic performance caught on tape here.

With most live releases, the biggest complaint from fans is that the recording or mixing comes off badly. Not so here, as the mix seems to be just perfect with the sing-a-long vocals at the top of the mix, but not too high up so that all of the instruments are drowned out. On the other side of things, some fans complain about the overproduction that makes a live show sound like nothing more than a studio recording with some cheering added in. No worries about that here either as this show comes complete with flubbed lyrics, small mistimings, and other small tidbits that make a live performance different than what a band puts out in the studio. This isn't to say that the band sucks live because they most certainly don't. It's good to see some of the small imperfections make it into the recording.

This release is undeniably and simultaneously laid back and fun. The acoustic renditions of their reggae flavored songs come off best, as the transition from electric to unplugged wasn't much of a stretch, but the faster paced punk numbers also made a mostly seamless changeover.

Listening to fan favorites such as "One More Minute", "Super Bitch", and "A Passage in Time" in an acoustic setting is actually a hell of a lot of fun. On top of the classics, you have the amazing "Paddy on the Railway" which is a song very similar to the last track on A Passage in Time in that it manages to combine a soulful melodic verse with a fast paced, almost impossibly quick, chorus, much to the crowd's delight.

Seldom are there many good live reggae flavored discs hitting the new releases shelves, especially of the acoustic variety. Heck, this is probably the only disc of its kind, at least to see the light of day within last few years. For that aspect alone it at least warrants a little attention. Thankfully it's also pretty good.

Rick
www.rickgebhardt.net

5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition, July 25, 2011

By 

Leah (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rhythm & Booze (Audio CD)

Arrived quickly, in great condition and good packaging. No scratches, and the cd case was in perfect condition. Opposed to when I usually buy cds and the case is broken from mailing. I will be using this seller again.

4.0 out of 5 stars What he said, November 10, 2009

By 

Patrick Bark (Perry, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rhythm & Booze (Audio CD)

Rick below me here pretty much said everything I could. I love Authority Zero and the acoustic renditions of their songs come off very nicely. Even a few songs that were fast and crazy got toned down into some groovy cool tunes. It's def. a good buy if you like the band. Check it out! You won't be disappointed.