With an excellent live album and DVD already behind them, another documentation of Dropkick Murphys’ beery Celtic punk should be utterly redundant. This set, recorded at their annual hometown St Patrick’s Day shows, swerves such accusations by repeating just one song from 2002’s Live On St Patrick’s Day from Boston MA.
Admirable as such a plan is, it’s also this album’s biggest downfall given that the songs are largely culled from the Murphys’ previous two studio albums. Though the band have lost none of their fiery passion or tight musicianship, the material isn’t representative of their best work. Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced and their Boston Red Sox anthem Jessie represent the band’s tendency to slide towards novelty, while Fields Of Athenry is one of their least imaginative Irish folk interpretations.
Given the brilliance of their shows, it’s no surprise that some of the album is absolutely exhilarating: I’m Shipping Up To Boston surpasses the version heard in The Departed, Worker’s Song is a near perfect snapshot of gritty punk, gang-call vocals and traditional instrumentation, while the demented duet The Dirty Glass erupts like a drunken wedding jig. As live albums go, this is ultimately of the green beer half-full variety.
