THE USED ā€“ Berth (Reprise)
Original release date: February 6th, 2007
Released a few months prior to Lies For The Liars, The Usedā€™s third studio album, Berth proves ā€“ if nothing else ā€“ that the emo-rock outfit are good at creating plenty of product from relatively sparse musical output. This is their second CD/DVD stopgap release (together with 2003ā€™s rarities collection Maybe Memories) after only two proper albums, which is a ratio few bands would dare aspire to.
The CD alone certainly doesnā€™t make for a worthwhile purchase, featuring a mere nine live tracks (the majority drawn from second album In Love And Death) that, while energetic, are for the most part very close replications of the studio recordings (with the exception of the uncredited interpolation of Refusedā€™s New Noise into final encore Maybe Memories), to the extent of including the strings and samples of some songs via DAT tape. The fade ins/outs between several tracks also ruin the feel of a live concert.
The DVD, on the other hand, is a strong selling point. Divided into three sections, it begins with Berth, a documentary looking at the band on tour and in the studio which reveals frontman Bert McCracken to be less an emo tragic and more like a long-haired and skinny Jack Black, and bandmates Quinn Allman and Jeph Howard to be equally boisterous. Itā€™s more compelling than many such docos available on DVD without extras. But this one also comes with the bandā€™s complete live Vancouver concert of September 25, 2005, filed under Rock. This is the same gig documented on the audio CD, and it becomes clear that the fades were made to remove stage banter and pauses between songs, which is understandable, although Iā€™d prefer less obvious edits. Two songs from the set (and the intro featuring Street Drum Corps) also failed to make it to the CD. And like Berth, Rock fails to credit former drummer Branden Steineckert, who departed in 2006.
Finally, Junk contains three music videos and a patchy Q&A session that suits the section title.
One for hardcore fans, but the 2Ā½ hour DVD ensures theyā€™ll get their moneyā€™s worth.
Owen Heitmann
