Out West [LIVE]

Gomez

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 7, 2005)
• Original Release Date: June 7, 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live
• Label: Ato Records
• ASIN: B00097DY34
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,840 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Gomez must think of themselves as a live juggernaut to release a double live album as their fifth release (and first for Dave Matthews’ ATO label). Recorded over the course of a three nights at a sold-out Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in January 2005, the British six-piece plays a bluesy, psychedelic pop that’s breezily anthemic. And yeah, they are great live. Among the highlights is a spirited and spaced-out cover of one of Nick Drake’s best and least-covered songs, "Black Eyed Dog." Some of the songs are a bit lazy (the bloozy "Fill My Cup," the stoner anthem "Get Myself Arrested") but here’s a band that’s clearly awesome in their element. They might mix up genres, but unlike their Mercury Prize-winning debut, they rarely do so in unexpected ways. That is not a diss, either; this is very smartly done, shake-your-hips-and-make-out-with-the-cute-person-next-to-you party music. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

2 CD plus DVD (PAL/Region 0) set, recorded over the course of 3 sold out shows at the legendary Fillmore theatre in San Francisco in January 2005. The set also includes fan favorites like 'Whippin Piccadilly' and 'Bring It On', as well as covers of Tom Waits 'Going Out West' and Nick Drake's 'Black Eyed Dog'. Independiente. 2005. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Way to Experience Gomez, July 31, 2005

By	Katherine M. Strebin (Kokomo, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Gomez really is the best band you have never heard of, but chances are you have heard them in the backgrounds of television commercials, TV shows, or in movies. The fairly small, but ferociously devoted band of Gomez fans knows a little secret that few others do. Gomez puts on one of the very best live shows out there. If you haven't heard of Gomez, "Out West" is a great introduction to the live Gomez experience which I have witnessed turn casual fans into raving fanatics of the band after seeing them in concert. Hearing Ben, one of the three lead vocalists, sing "Get Miles" live is nearly a religious experience for me, but that is the feeling oftheir concerts as a whole. "Out West" does a good job of reproducing the vibe of their concerts. Many of their songs have evolved through their relentless live touring, and for current Gomez fans, this cd offers distinctly different versions of their songs than are heard on the original albums.

Gomez approaches the live concert experience as an opportunity to win over new fans one person, one song at a time. They put it all out there on the stage in such a powerful and seductive manner that by the end of the show you have no choice but to love them and their music.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gomez delivers on "Out West", June 16, 2005

By	Anthony R. Harrison (Nampa, ID USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having relentlessly toured the U.S. and much of the rest of the world for the last several years, the bluesy, psychedelic British pop-rock five-piece Gomez is renowned for its exceptional live shows. The band's latest release, "Out West," confirms that rep is well deserved.

The sound on this two-disc, 20-song collection -- culled from three sold-out concerts I attended at The Fillmore in San Francisco this January -- is stunning. It only gets better the louder you play it, capturing a band at the top of its game in front of 1,200 enraptured fans.

The career-spanning track list begins with "Get Miles," the trippy, synthesizer-laced first song from their 1998 debut, which won the Mercury Music Prize -- the U.K. equivalent of a Grammy -- for album of the year. From there, Gomez catapults into "Shot Shot," an eerie, frenzied, Theremin-heavy rocker.

"Get Myself Arrested," "Whippin' Piccadilly," "Here Comes the Breeze," "We Haven't Turned Around," and other favorites are included, plus more recent tunes like "Ping One Down," "Nothing Is Wrong," and "These 3 Sins." Big Tom Waits fans, they cover his "Going Out West," and their take on Nick Drake's "Black-Eyed Dog" segues into Gomez's own "Free To Run." Demonstrating the band's penchant for playfully altering arrangements, "Fill My Cup" sharply intensifies the differences between the studio recording's verses and choruses, stripping down the former and transforming the latter into explosive, distorted funk-metal stomps.

The group's three singer-guitarists -- Ben Ottewell, Ian Ball, and Tom Gray -- have wildly distinct voices and often trade leads within a song or explore epic, effervescent jams. Bassist Paul Blackburn and drummer Olly Peacock are unfaltering, bolstered here by frequent Gomez collaborator Dajon Everett on percussion, who also trades off with Gray on keys.

"Out West" does justice to this inventive ensemble's transcendent live performances, providing a solid overview of -- and, for new fans, an introduction to -- its output to date. If you've never listened to Gomez before or haven't been lucky enough to catch them live yet, now's a perfect time to hear what you've been missing.

(Originally appeared June 10, 2005, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reflection of their live performances, June 14, 2005

By	Westphalia (nowhere in particular) - See all my reviews

Anybody who has had the opportunity to see Gomez in concert knows these guys from the UK rock. More interesting, inspired, timeless, and arguably more talented than many of their Britpop cousins, Gomez are the perennial 'best band you've never heard of'. Out West provides a great showcase of their diverse studio recordings, and includes a few classy covers in a double album that captures how awesome, energetic, and infectious Gomez are live. This recording will make you dance, sing, and want to learn how to play guitar. If you've been interested in seeing what these guys are all about, definitely get hold of Out West. And if you're a seasoned fan, here's a fix to tide you over till the next tour.