Tame Impala - Live Versions EP

True to its name, Live Versions is a collection of nine live cuts snipped from a set at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre in October of 2013. The EP contains songs spanning back to their 2006-debut Tame Impala EP, as well as one previously unreleased instrumental track titled “Sestri Levante.” More specifically, frontman Kevin Parker and co. selected songs that, since their initial recordings, have been notably changed for live shows.

It’s not at all uncommon for that to simply mean elongated jam sessions with gut-busting solos over cyclical rhythms, but here, the roughly eight-minute romps through “Half Full Glass of Wine,” “Be Above It,” and closer “Apocalypse Dreams” are really the only noticeably elasticized cuts. “Wine” and Tame Impala‘s “Desire Be Desire Go” are perhaps their best suited songs for such a treatment, as they’re essentially funk-fueled jam sessions to begin with, guided by groovy licks and commanding rhythms. But the latter is elongated by only a single minute. Still, these elaborate grooves are certainly a record-defying experience that really adds visceral connectivity to a live performance.

While tracks like “Mind Mischief” and “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?” have had ample time to evolve, it’s the cuts from 2012’s Lonerism that see the least dramatic transformations. “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” takes on new life in a different way, as it, above all others, is the best translation of the room’s energy onto the recording for its occasional capturing of some background voicing as the crowd sings along. “Be Above It” remains as kinetic as it is on record. Stretched to seven and a half minutes, its long spans of repetition and flits of vocal interjection leave ample room for playful riffing. Lastly, the elongated rendition of “Apocalypse Dreams” establishes itself as a fantastic closer, growing ever larger before capsizing without ever veering too far off of the established paths, rhythms and riffs of the album version.

Record Store Day is great for record stores and music enthusiasts alike, but I’d wager that it’s tailored to none quite as much so as it is to the collectors, and RSD releases often ring in tune with that. Live Versions isn’t much different in that regard. It’s a great superfan addition to your Tame Impala collection that, while it doesn’t quite make you feel like you were there, does do a fine job of translating their live experience, at the very least, well enough to make you wish you were.