The Moshville Times - Review: Bowling For Soup – Acoustic in a Freakin’ English Church (CD and DVD)

We got our paws on both the CD and DVD releases of this interesting acoustic performance which, for reasons relating to stuff, has taken over three years to surface since recording. Once an annual event, the BFS acoustic tours stopped at the same time that the band took a break from travelling around our green and pleasant isles (this was their last performance of all before the recent return), and it’s a hell of a shame that they’ve not restarted as I’m sure anyone who saw a show will agree.

As well as great music from one half of the band – Jaret and Erik – there was the kind of banter you just can’t manage in a full-on show. On the DVD version of this release, that’s all present and correct. Indeed, there’s not a second missing from the 2-hour performance from the moment the guys walk onto the stage to the time they leave it, including the bit where the fat guy fucks up… nobody tell Jaret. The CD version, unfortunately and undoubtedly simply for space reasons, contains every song but drops the chatter. However, you can’t pop a DVD on in the car (well… we’d advise against it) so there’s still a reason to go audio-only.

The audio recording in both formats is great, and the video on the DVD is top notch. I started with that one and “backed up” onto the CD for travelling to and from work. I’m rather glad that the first time I heard “Almost” (track two) and started waving my arms in the air, I was sat at my PC and not careening into the Clyde Tunnel at 30mph, overjoyed but out of control. The first big segue comes at the end of this song – some minor heckling, a birthday greeting and Jaret proclaiming that he’s randy as a rabbit – before the pair introduce “Asshole”. There’s a songs-length of fun here that doesn’t make it to the CD version.

Musically, there’s a cracking cross-section of songs and without an exception, they come across well acoustically. One or two could have been written with a non-electric scenario in mind, others are just bloody well converted. The only big improvement would be to include Ryan Hamilton and Patent Pending’s sets because they’re awesome as well.

The crowd interaction always makes a BFS show and it’s not missing here. Even with the extended segments removed on the CD, you have the crowd ing in with songs and their applause which really adds to the live “sound”. The camera picks up a lot of the people there, too, so if you had a ticket for the show you can try tagging yourself on the DVD. Then realise you look like a tit and just tell your mates where to fast forward to instead. Credit has to go to the staff at Capture Entertainment International who did all the fancy-dan stuff with cameras and editing software to manage a perfect balance of shots – of the band, of the audience, of the band from the audience…

Can’t decide between the CD and DVD releases? Get ’em both. It’s Christmas soon – ask someone else to buy them for you.

I it I’m a huge BFS fan, but this is a great release – possibly their best for some years simply as it’s different and because I miss the acoustic shows. Come back, guys. I promise we won’t throw batteries.

Oh, and yes – that is our Amy in the credits.

Acoustic in a Freakin’ English Church is out on December 16th and you can get it from Amazon (which s our site): [amazon text=CD&asin=B01KIP3PL2] / [amazon text=DVD&asin=B01KXHW2IM]

Tracklisting: