Spun: Arctic Monkeys

By Rhiannon Kirkland

At the Apollo is a DVD-CD combo from the Arctic Monkeys featuring two shows. The first is a CD recorded live from a 2006 show in Texas, shortly after their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, was released. The DVD was filmed in 2007 — the year the Arctic Monkeys released their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare.

The CD starts off slow. On the first song, “Riot Van,” the band’s music is lost behind cheers from the crowd and Alex Turner’s vocals overpower the instruments. The rest of the songs are well balanced, but sound a little washed out compared to a studio-produced album.

The DVD has rich footage of the Arctic Monkeys on tour. The live music does much better with visuals to keep it company. The At the Apollo DVD is more interesting and the recording quality is higher. It lets the viewer feel like they’re at a concert without getting out of their pajamas.

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