584. Therapy? / We're Here to the End. 2010. 3.5/5

It has taken over 20 years for Therapy? to put out a live opus, but when they did, they crammed it full of every song imaginable - all 36 of them stuffed onto 2 CDs. Quite an amazing feat. And whilst I was looking forward to the album, I wondered how the material was going to hold up under a stern examination.

On my first listen I admit I was disappointed. Many of the songs seem to have been played at a slower tempo, and just don't live up to anger and angst that the studio versions emit. In essence, pretty much all the live versions of songs off Troublegum still just don't match up to those original versions, and that's after having seen them live, and having the live DVD Scopophobia and various webcasts and bootleg videos of the band playing live. This was another test of their performance, and they still can't bring the magic of Troublegum to a live setting.
OK, so stop harping on that and get over it. Listen again. Take in the performances. Feel the energy of the crowd, and how the band are feeding off that. Listen to the song streak of "Die Like a Mother Fucker", "Stories" and "Meat Abstract". Revel in the joy that is the live version of "Diane" without cellos! Sure, you can cringe through songs like "A Moment of Clarity", but be redeemed by "If it Kills Me" and "Knives" and " The Head That Tried to Strangle Itself".
The audience reaction/participation is at the forefront in this recording, and that does add an authenticity to it. Some bands these days try to remove the audience from live recordings - why? I don't know. On this live album the crowd is a member of the band and a vital part of the recording. They in fact enhance this release, because they are singing what you are singing while listening to it.

The band sounds great. Andy's vocals do not always withstand the clinical environment of listening to a live album in the home. When in attendance at the gig, his vocals blend with the crowd and thus sound great. Without the crowd in my living room, some songs are unable to withstand the sometime off-key vocals. But that's why live albums are never as good as actually being at the gig, because they can never completely recreate the live experience. Once again, I try to stop harping on it and just enjoy it.

This is a good live album that covers twenty years of the band's history. Fans will love it, detractors will not. I still sit on the positive side of the fence in the middle.