Rating: NN
Oh, live albums – with the rarest of exceptions, how mediocre and unnecessary you are. The Mars Volta only have two albums under their belt, so the idea of putting out a live CD seems a tad premature, but that doesn’t stop the former members of At the Drive-In from releasing a bloated monster of an album. Already known for their musical rambling, the Volta risk losing all the immediacy and energy of the original songs in long-winded and pointless segues that sound like they’re conjuring the acid-laced ghost of old Santana. If the band showed more restraint, it would make for a tolerable listen, but as it is this is the kind of thing you’d enjoy under the influence at a planetarium laser show.
