Bode Miller and Jason Anderson share three things in common: they’re both from New Hampsha’, both do what they love, and both work their asses off when no one’s looking. Long before Bode botched the 2004 Olympics, Anderson was running races of his own, putting his blood, sweat, and tears into hundreds of live shows from basements to concert halls. This raw enthusiasm had become a storied pact between Anderson and his concert-goers, and until now, had not been cataloged on compact disc. It’s also been hard to ignore this prolific songwriter in the studio. If you’ve already put aside 2005’s The Wreath, let me remind you of the subject matter. According to his website, Anderson still will, and I take this to be legally binding, “play anywhere.”
Perhaps this outlandish promise is really a clever promotion for his latest album, Tonight. Recorded in a studio with a gigantic sing-along audience, Tonight is a brave attempt at recreating Anderson’s frenetic live show anywhere you’d like it to be. To his credit, this is not an “anytime” album. Flipping on one of these seven-minute monstrosities during work, like “On Vacation” or the title track, is not going to do this record justice.
No matter when or where you listen, the fatal flaw in this record is the lack of the spontaneity found in his actual live shows. I’m sure most of the “live” aspects weren’t planned, but the hoots and hollers from Jason and company still seem forced, especially on “July 4, 2004,” which would be a lot cooler without the silly theatrics. On this track, it’s hard not to roll your eyes at the Rent-like build up, utilizing (not surprisingly) repetition to build tension. Once you get past the energy on this song and this record, the compositions seem to fall apart at the seams. By the time “Jonesboro” rolls around, the once satisfying build-up to a predictable chorus has turned completely stale. Weary sax solos don’t do much to help the cause.
There are a few times when Anderson does break up the form, particularly in “So Long,” a song so corny it becomes brilliant. An inside source has suggested that Love Actually 2 has already bought the rights to use “So Long” as its theme song. The song begins with vocals emo enough to make Stalin suck his thumb before heading into a solid four-and-a-half minutes of brainwashed chanting. Jason proclaims that “the best thing in the world/ Is to love someone/ And they love you back,” until my scream for mercy turns into a scream of sympathy. Anderson’s chant is raw, painful, mindless, and consuming enough that by the time the track dissolves into the chorus’ final shouts, I’m fried enough to kill for tickets to the next Jason Anderson show.
It’s a shame Anderson decided to try replicating his party-hard live show on an album so lacking in composition and execution. Although I’ve never been a huge fan of live albums, Anderson can do and has done a lot better than this.
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