Say what you will of their flat-ironed haircuts, wordy song titles, and relationships with exasperating Hollywood starlets, but the boys in
Fall Out Boy put on a fairly tight show. Still, is that enough to save
Live in Phoenix from being dragged underwater by its own weight? Recorded during the
Infinity on High tour, this CD/DVD package features both sides of the band: the talented emo-rock outfit headed by vocalist
Patrick Stump (displayed on the audio disc), and the flashy, image-conscious group with
Pete Wentz at the center (as evidenced by the DVD). The video portion is enjoyable enough, particularly if you're a dedicated fan, as the pyrotechnics and confetti cannons add a bit of spectacle to the band's performance. At the same time, it's all too easy to overlook
Patrick Stump's presence when you're given those visuals, and his contributions are the real meat of
Fall Out Boy's sound.
Wentz may be the most famous bandmember (even if his agenda seems to center on three things here: screaming into the microphone, introducing songs with unintentionally hilarious speeches, and wearing a fashionable hoodie during the height of summer in an Arizona nightclub), but
Stump proves his worth as one of the most competent emo vocalists around, nailing the high notes in
"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and plowing his way through series after series of tongue-twisting melodies. He deserves more recognition, and the fact that
Pete Wentz so easily hijacks the spotlight shows why many critics dismiss this band. Then again, perhaps the CD's messy cover of
"Beat It" is to blame.
John Mayer makes a brief appearance on the song's guitar solo, but his presence only heightens the realization that we're listening to
Fall Out Boy and
John Mayer, not the celebrated partnership of
Michael Jackson and
Eddie Van Halen. When the bandmates stick to their talents,
Live in Phoenix shows them to be competent musicians who've been irrationally slandered by those outside the emo circle. But when
Fall Out Boy overstep their boundaries, this album threatens to capsize, regardless of the strength of the performances. ~ Andrew Leahey
![Kings [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0731383695124_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Kings [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
