alive 2007

before seeing them live:

I bought this record with a gift certificate I got from work, with the bonus disc and cool little booklet with photos of the pyramid, people making pyramid signs with their hands and such. I hardly listened to anything else in the weeks leading up to the concert, it was like love. To listen to Daft Punk is one thing, but to listen to them seamlessly mix their existing tracks so masterfully is quite the experience. To watch them do it live is mind blowing.

Initial reactions to the track progression was that of baited anticipation. Hearing nothing but staggered "hu-maaaan" "ro-booot" such as those that open both Robot Rock / Oh Yeah and Human After All / Together / One More Time / Music Sounds Better With You leaves you with a sense of longing which is quickly fulfilled once the bass kicks in and you find your limbs moving without you realising.

After quickly descending into happy obsession, I found that my favourite tracks were Television Rules The Nation / Crescendolls and Prime Time Of Your Life / Brainwasher / Rollin' And Scratchin' / Alive. I also found that I was constantly turning the volume up on my headphones while listening to this record compared to other artists.

after seeing them live:

Adding visuals to an already stellar live album is what sets this apart from other albums I own. The pyramid and light show is truly unparalelled.

While it can get repetitive and boring for some people, Daft Punk somehow manage to make you feel like something is building up inside of you, something waiting to explode in an orgy of eclectic and spasmodic dance moves, unbridled thrusts of fists and pointed fingers, lots of gurns and a light show that would make you collapse in a fit - with a smile on your face.

While my experience did not descend into that, I got out of there with my hearing and sanity intact - with some nifty masks and a tour tshirt - and made it home to sing the praises of Alive 2007. Truly one of the best releases for 2007, if not this decade.

(Official Website | Wikipedia)