The Leaving Trains--Amplified Pillows
Steel Cage 2004
For close to twenty years, the Leaving Trains have been chugging along as a band. Through countless lineup changes, Falling James has kept the band rolling forward, a perpetual force that has always produced vital music. After all this time, fans finally get a document of the band onstage with Amplified Pillows. More than a great album in its own right, live or otherwise, this slab proves the ultimate vindication of the band's undying sense of perseverance.
One of the main things making Amplified Pillows such an interesting listen is the fact that the live setting really accentuates the subtle quirks and crevices of the Leaving Trains sound. Where the band's psychedelic slant is at its most obvious, it's even more pronounced. During the moments of pure punk rock abandon, it gets so venomous and razor sharp nothing else can compare. The dark undercurrent that has always flowed through the Leaving Trains' music takes sinister shape several times on these field recordings, culminating into a decidedly dangerous listen. Basically, Amplified Pillows features the band you've always known and loved, only with their most attractive sonic attributes..well...amplified.
Culled from four different performances over three different lineups and featuring a diverse selection of songs from the band's backcatalog, Amplified Pillows gives diehard and newcomer alike a fairly comprehensive look at the Leaving Trains. Yes, the main show of this disc, delivered by the 2002 Emotional Legs roster, boasts an evil, spare take on that album's best track "My Lost Danielle," near the verge of derailing at any second. As well, a seven song set from '89 stands out for a pair of previously unreleased tracks, the funky Talking Heads style clunk of "We Don't Have A Vote" and the super acidic "The Doors." This older glimpse also accommodates the inclusion of such manditory classics as "Temporal Slut." Beyond all the killer songs, and they are all killer songs, it's ultimately this contrast of eras that proves the most valuable gift of Amplified Pillows. By getting to examine and consume the Leaving Trains at two points substantially removed from eachother, their sustained quality and impact as a band becomes confirmed beyond any shadow of a doubt.
Regardless if you're just hopping onboard with the Leaving Trains or not, Amplified Pillows might provide your best shot at managing to grasp the true essence of their music. Of course, the studio albums are great too, but this disc is alive in a way they can't be. With these folks, you need it all, so make this score as soon as you can. Somehow managing to be even better than expected.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE
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