Upon its initial release
A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar
contained a standard-issue bonus DVD, but what's more noteworthy is that the album was reissued nine months later with a new limited-edition bonus DVD, containing the group's appearance on
MTV2
's program
Album Covers
. The idea behind the show is an ingenious one -- get a modern band to cover an album they loved. Album-length covers have been in vogue since the '80s, when
indie rock
bands began deconstructing classic
rock
legends.
Pussy Galore
were the first to release an album, with their take on
the Rolling Stones
'
Exile on Main Street
, but it was nearly impossible to find. In fact, the album-length cover was more than anything the stuff of rumor --
Sonic Youth
's version of
the Beatles
White Album
was always seemingly at hand, something the group slyly acknowledged by titling their
Ciccone Youth
side project
The Whitey Album
, while
Camper Van Beethoven
's
Tusk
wasn't released until the 2000s -- but the idea took hold. In the '90s,
Phish
were famous for performing album covers on their Halloween concerts, and the concept slowly entered the mainstream, with
M2
debuting
in 2004.
Dashboard Confessional
kicked off the show with their version of
R.E.M.
's dour 1992 masterpiece
Automatic for the People
. This is a concept that holds promise for fans of either group, but the show itself is botched since the producers are never content to let the band simply play. Instead, every performance is butchered with subpar home-computer editing techniques, cutaways to
's promotional videos for the songs, or, worst of all, interviews are aired while the band is playing. It's an infuriating technique, but perhaps the producers thought that
Dashboard
were in need of a little visual flair since they're so steadfastly earnest and dull in live performances. It kind of works against them since the clip of
David Essex
performing
"Rock On"
-- the inspiration for
"Drive"
-- in 1973 is a more compelling performance than
. Which is kind of the problem with the show in general; the group's version of
, though it reveals heretofore unexpected ties between
and
emo
, pales to the original. Of course, it doesn't help that the group, at least on the televised show, doesn't cover all of the album. Those of you hoping to hear
tackle
"Ignoreland"
"Monty Got a Raw Deal"
are out of luck -- with the exception of
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight,"
they just tackle the dark
ballads
that form the heart of
Automatic
, and while that may be more
, it makes for turgid listening. It also reveals what a limited singer
Chris Carrabba
is; he admits that he doesn't have the "rich" voice of
Michael Stipe
, so he compensates by relying on the shrill, keening emotive yelp that's his stock-in-trade. It's a style that's appropriate for his own songs, yet does not suit
's songs, turning them all into dirges. It may not make for great music, but it is an interesting exercise, and it's a good bonus for hardcore
fans and curious
fans alike. Oh, the bonus materials are thin -- longer interview clips with the band and
, who guests on
's own
"Hands Down"
-- but having the full-length version of
the Clique
"Superman,"
which
popularized on
Lifes Rich Pageant
, is very nice, particularly since it's the only cover on this entire enterprise that's any fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine