Dry your tears, emo kids, because The Used will finally be coming out with their third album this spring. In preparation for the newest record in April, a DVD and CD compilation called Berth has been released, complete with nine live tracks and more than two-and-a-half hours of video footage of the band.
But, as is the question with all non-album releases, is it actually a worthwhile addition to every Used fan’s collection, or is it merely an insignificant spin on the same old stuff?
Before you get excited, the CD contains no new tracks. Instead, it features nine of their more popular songs from past albums, such as “All That I’ve Got” from 2004’s In Love and Death and “Taste of Ink” from 2002’s self-titled debut album The Used. The only change is that they are all live recordings that unfortunately leave much to be desired. Not that there is anything glaringly horrific about the collection, but there isn’t anything particularly impressive that stood out either. The Used’s reputation as being electrifying in concert definitely doesn’t come across on the CD, as can often be the case with live recordings.
The DVD section consists of three different parts, entitled “Berth,” “Rock” and “Junk.” “Berth” serves as a documentary of sorts, featuring each band member and their lives on the road, but also contains a short section that features the first single from the upcoming album, “Handsome Awkward.” The section also labors to remove all doubt about just how “rock-and-roll” the band members’ lives are, as it felt like half the footage was various shaky camera angles of swimming bright lights, wild antics and/or seemingly intoxicated band members. Ever wondered what the guitar player looks like while vomiting into a trashcan? Look no further.
“Rock” picks the pace up a little bit, with footage of 11 different songs being performed in concert. Here you can finally get a glimpse of just how potentially exciting this hard rock band could be in person, though watching live performances on my laptop is still a long way from “electrifying.”
The final section, “Junk,” consists of three music videos and a brief question-and-answer clip from the band. While the inclusion of old music videos wasn’t particularly innovative, it is convenient to have them together. The question-and-answer merely showcased the fact that music is definitely the right industry for this band-comedians and actors they are not, though I give them credit for trying.
My conclusion? If you are a die-hard fan of The Used and just finished marking off another day on the calendar, counting down the days till the next album release, then go for it. There is enough random information, interviews and live footage of the band’s old material to tide you over till their 13th album. But for those lukewarm fans who haven’t progressed to the calendar-countdown stage and aren’t planning to camp out in front of Best Buy the night before the release, I’d say probably not-it’s not groundbreaking enough to warrant the money. For those of you who don’t even like The Used, the plastic casing is almost impossible to light on fire and just isn’t worth the hassle. Though this album has some good attributes with the preview of a new song and an in-depth, personal peek into the lives of the band members, in the end, it seems to be more of a publicity stunt than worthwhile musical addition to their collection. Instead, spend the money you would’ve spent on this album on a ticket to their actual show. Having looked over the entire compilation, my final stance can be summed up by some of their own “Maybe Memories” lyrics-“I’m not going to look back.”
