Franz Ferdinand - Live

The songs are faster live. Most weren't all that slow in the first place. If Franz Ferdinand couldn't play, this might be a liability, but the Scottish quartet has got the chops. And Alex Kapranos sure can sing. (Plus, he always looks genuinely happy to be on stage.) That said, the format of this double-disc set takes a little getting used to in that it's more of a greatest hits package than a traditional concert release. Granted, two full shows are included--plus "Tour de Franz," an amusing look at the band on the road--but the first section is a patchwork of songs recorded throughout Europe and the States. The band is famous for their high-energy gigs, but each number features a different venue, crowd, lighting, etc. There's an unavoidable lack of consistency. On the plus side, the sound quality doesn't vary much and the tracks are strung together with care, so there are no jarring segues. Of course, the four-piece performs the expected hits, like "Take Me Out" from their Mercury Prize-winning debut, but the best known songs don't always make for the best performances. B-side "Van Tango," for instance, gets a particularly intense workout in its San Francisco incarnation--with Kyle MacLachlan look-alike Nick McCarthy taking the spotlight on guitar--while the glam-rock "Shopping for Blood" stomps like "Ziggy Stardust"-era Bowie in Belgium. And in case you ever wondered what "Auf Achse" was about, Kapranos explains to his London audience: "It's about a lonely German trucker." --Kathleen C. Fennessy