I think Hellcat needs to repackage this release as “instant party! now in optical format!” The concept of this disc is almost too perfect. This band a rarity in that they excel both live and in the studio. “Live on St. Patrick’s day” covers bits and pieces of all three shows that were held at the Avalon in Boston, and the end result is 26 songs, covering nearly 76 minutes of music. Besides this acting as close to a greatest hits disc as possible, the real benefit derived from listening is how well the band’s collective personalities and flair for the dramatic come across while performing for a crowd. As someone who’s seen this band nearly 10 times, the awe-inspiring control of the crowd is easily the MURPHYS strongest asset. Surpassing even a modicum of doubt, the overall quality here surely passes the test of what makes a good live album. A hearty production crew gives “Live on St. Patrick’s Day” a thick sound, but the crowd is always audible, and active in singing-along, especially on the favorites, “Barroom Hero,” “Boys on the Docks,” “Which Side Are You On,” (one of the best covers ever) “Good Rats,” and “Gan’s All Here.” I really dig the packaging on this, especially the back cover collage. Live discs are easy to review, because unlike new material, a live album generally speaks for itself – if you like the DROPKICK MURPHYS, you’re going to covet this like a newly born child, it’s as simple as that.

Hellcat/Epitaph

www.epitaph.com