e.p.

by

Matchbox Twenty

Edit

If you aren't a huge fan of matchbox twenty's music, this EP probably isn't the place for you to start listening to MB20. However, if you are a big time fan, then you will enjoy this EP as a little collection of previously unreleased recordings (in the U.S. at least).

Crutch

The version of Crutch on the EP is a jazzed up version of the song by the same title that appeared on "mad season by matchbox twenty." The song is also available on the DVD of MB20's VH1 Storytellers appearance. You get saxophones, trumpets, and the band playing in a style that would make you think you were in a jazz club. An argument could be made that this arrangement is better than the original album track.

Push

This is a live cut from the bands upcoming show of the MTV series "Hard Rock Live." The song is similar to the original version, except with crowd noise and Rob making a few comments before and after the song ends. It seems like the tempo might be a little faster than normal.

All I Need

Again, a track that is pretty true to the original album cut. Guitarist Kyle Cook mixes things up a little bit, but not enough to change the overall flavor of the song.

If You're Gone

On the packaging, this is listed as a live version, but it is actually an acoustic studio version with Rob Thomas on vocals and guitar. At the end Kyle Cook comes in. Overall a pretty good acoustic version of one of their biggest hits.

Disease

A stripped down acoustic version that features Rob Thomas and his guitar. I personally feel like this version is a little boring compared to the rest of the album. Not nearly as hard sounding as the album version.

Suffer Me

This one is the real gem on the EP, and probably what most of the true MB20 fans bought the EP for. 'Suffer Me' was recorded during the "Mad Season" sessions, but it didn't make the album. For people who enjoy Rob Thomas' work with the band Tabitha's Secret, you'll really love this song. If I had to compare it to other MB20/TS songs, I would say it is a mix of "Tired," "So Sad, So Lonely," and "The Difference." Great Lyrics

The enhanced live video is pretty entertaining, but some of the camera work is pretty shoddy. Parts of the video pixellate pretty bad, but overall it is good quality video. The five songs that appear in the live video are "Push," "Long Day," "You're So Real," "If You're Gone," and "Hand Me Down." There are also band member and fan interviews included.

As a casual fan of MB20, I picked this up really cheap, and while this is not a bad collection, it certainly is not essential either, except prob for the avid MB20 (which I'm not).

"EP" (6 tracks, 23 min.) is a collection of live, in-studio live and unreleased tracks. The best include "If You're Gone" and "Disease", both finding Rob Thomas essentially by himself with his accoustic guitar, and reworking well-know tracks quite effectively. I also liked the live version of "All I Need". The new song is "Suffer Me", a leftover of the "Mad Season" sessions; it is a good, up-tempo song, and makes me wonder why it didn't make the final "Mad Season" album tracklist. In all, "EP" is aimed for the MB20 fans, and in that sense delivers.