LCD Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye Review

What a revolting shock it would have been if LCD Soundsystem had forced itself to stay dormant. The Long Goodbye is certainly the best way to go out in style – but there was always something more lingering under the surface. James Murphy and the collection of musical stars that feature throughout this hypnotic, live masterclass, must have known that. It is not every band that can bleed All My Friends into an EP they made for iPod workouts and back into Sound of Silver. It is the early dawn of LCD Soundsystem that makes The Long Goodbye so intense. Murphy’s experiences as a DJ and electronic artist, paired with the strong form of Nancy Whang, Pat Mahoney, Al Doyle and Tyler Pope are incredible.

So incredible in fact that most of the live versions present here are arguably better than the album equivalent. A perfect run from You Wanted a Hit to the final track New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down is an hour-long stretch of proof. Losing My Edge pays tribute to Suicide and Daft Punk, while Home deploys a chorus-based choir that pushes Murphy’s vocals to the next level. That next level is something LCD Soundsystem strive for time and time again. Their live demonstrations of Ships Talking and Freak Out/Starry Eyes may be the lowest point, but they are the preceding, necessary breaks to build up to demanding double Us v Them and North American Scum. It is an album that does not suffer from its length. Each track is a treat, especially for that hardcore unit of LCD Soundsystem fans.

Plenty of range is on show, from covers of Suicide’s Bye Bye Bayou to the incredible, essential cover of Harry Nilsson’s Jump Into the Fire. Announcing a farewell and having it live up to the standard set by the band is a near-impossible task. Three hours of masterful performances of I Can Change, Get Innocuous! and Daft Punk Is Playing at My House present the quality, near-unedited presentation of this LCD Soundsystem live set. An absolute holy grail for those that find themselves exhausted by flipping their This is Happening record over and over again. Reggie Watts’ appearance is a dominating, soulful accompaniment. Arcade Fire feature as backing vocalists, immortalising that “shut up and play the hits” segment. LCD Soundsystem take that to heart and does what few bands can do, they convince the audience of their unknown pieces, and their ability to cover great songs and inflict some hefty emotional damage even though the retirement promise was thankfully broken six years later.

An essential, masterclass of a live performance that sees James Murphy and company dance themselves clean with a fond farewell. They dive deep into their backlog of tracks and pull out some strong covers, demos and essential album material to piece together a near-endless, layered collection of raw and genuine performances. This was their farewell and for much of The Long Goodbye, that finality is present. With the benefit of hindsight and the thankful hunger of the band, they are back, but listening in to The Long Goodbye marked their initial retirement as a permanent plan. They were coaxed out of that, but the quality they left behind, a final statement that releases their charms and influences on this five-LP set, is unquestionable. LCD Soundsystem may be back, but they left something on this album that they have since left behind. An explosive, unexpected, youthful fear lingers throughout.