Skunk Anansie – ’25Live@25′ (Album Review)
I’m not normally a big fan of live records. With so many literally moving parts, and an almost endless list of things that can go wrong, a truly awesome live recording is a rare thing. With 25Live@25, Skunk Anansie have cherry-picked no fewer than 25 gems from across their entire career, and assembled them into a compilation structured as if it were a single live set.
Of course, Skunk Anansie have something of a reputation for great live shows – and so this collection’s quality is a little less surprising than usual. That observation naturally does nothing to detract from the sheer impact of 25Live@25 – and it certainly doesn’t affect this experience itself as an achievement. This record is the kind of career landmark that most bands dream of incorporating into their back catalogues. It’s not something that anybody can take away from Skunk Anansie, and it’s not a release you could seriously dismiss in any respect whatsoever – unless you’re dead set on being wrong.
Skunk Anansie fans have been clamouring for a proper live album for many years – and 25Live@25 is sure to satisfy everyone. It also acts as a fantastic introduction to a band whose career now spans a full quarter of a century. Obvious inclusions like Hedonism, Weak, Selling Jesus, and Little Baby Swastikkka are delivered with scintillating energy, while rubbing shoulders with a slew of fan favourites.
Personally, I’ve ended up putting Charlie Big Potato, Intellectualise My Blackness, Charity, Love Someone Else, Spit You Out, and Yes It’s Fucking Political on repeat alongside the four songs listed above, while also getting to grips with just how monolithic 25Live@25 actually is. Skunk Anansie have a song for every mood, and this live set captures each and every one. If you consider yourself a serious fan of alternative music, you need to add 25Live@25 to your collection.
LTK RATING: 10/10 (Essential Listening!)
Pre-order 25Live@25 on iTunes.
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