The Murder City Devils – The End – The Final Show 2001

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C     Concert: B-

 

 

When we last met The Murder City Devils through their documentary (or is that Rockumentary) Rock & Roll Won’t Wait from 2001, it looked like a “band that could break wide if they grow with each new release” if given a chance.  By Halloween 2001, the band decided things were not going to work out and broke up! 

 

The Murder City Devils – The End – The Final Show 2001 is that concert captured for posterity on DVD.  As for this being the band’s swan song, that is a shame and another blow against the Rock genre, which has only suffered more since for the most part.  The songs here include:

 

1)     Bear Away

2)     I Drink the Wine

3)     One Vision Of May

4)     Midnight Service At The Mutter Museum

5)     I Want a Lot Now

6)     Rum To Whiskey

7)     Dancin Shoes Waltz

8)     Dear Hearts

9)     That’s What You Get

10)  Idle Hands

11)  Boom Swagger

12)  Dance Hall Music

13)  Cradle To The Grave

14)  Murder City Riot

15)  Press Gang

16)  Broken Glass

17)  18 Wheels

18)  Grace That Saves

 

 

It is a sad final concert because here was a band with some real talent and hearing and seeing them play nonstop outside of the documentary, though it feels like something is not being finished.  It feels like something is going unsaid.  Ryan Short directed this time, with up to four cameras being used and is a decent record of the next big thing that was not.  Showbox in Seattle, Washington makes for a good venue and this will hopefully not be the last time we hear from the members.  Rock fans will want to catch them if they have not already.

 

Like the previous documentary, the full frame image is shot on NTSC video and has all the usual limits, even if it is DV, which is still not High Definition.  Also like the documentary, the sound is remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 AC-3 while the audio commentary is Dolby 2.0 Stereo.  Besides a trailer for Rock & Roll Won’t Wait, there are four bonus “bootleg” tracks (Idle Hands, Press Gang, Bunkhouse, Johnny Thunders), stills and an audio commentary that is not bad.  That makes it at least the equal of the previous documentary, either of which is worth starting with.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo