Leftover Salmon, Live

By Peter Hemminger

Live albums have two main purposes: to prove that a band has the chops to pull off their sound without a studio, and to convince the listener that a band is worth their ticket price, so they can make money off of a tour.

Keeping that in mind, Leftover Salmon’s live album, cleverly titled Live, is a success. This is undoubtedly a talented group of musicians who feed off each other’s energy. Being a part of their live show would likely be a thrill. Unfortunately, the album sounds less like a collection of songs than a collection of chord progressions, allowing the band to show off just how good they are with their instruments. When lyrics enter the mix, it’s fairly flat stuff about drinking and thinking, and turning darkness to light. This is a shame, because if a group like this pushed the boundaries of music instead of simply following its conventions, their CD might be as worthwhile as the concert.