This 31-song live set was recorded during a pair of 2005 shows in the band's native Texas.
LABEL:
New West
RELEASE DATE:
20 September 2005
DISCS:
2 discs
GENRE(S):
Alt-Country, Live
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
90
Junkmedia
If you're an Old 97's fan you've been waiting for this. If you're not, you just might be when it's all said and done.
90
PopMatters
What is great about this set is that one disc feels like enough, but once you hear the second you know it's necessary.
80
Prefix Magazine
Hardcore 97’s fans may be disappointed by a few omissions (only two cuts from Wreck Your Life?), but Alive & Wired is a pretty complete package.
80
Slant Magazine
What Alive & Wired does best is reconcile the considerable charms of the band's studio output with the immediacy of their live shows' energy, and the Old 97's captured on this essential double-album is a band that lands at the midpoint between Wilco's high-minded songcraft and the ball-busting rock swagger of Drive-By Truckers.
80
Uncut
A sweatstorm of strum and twang. [Dec 2005, p.106]
80
All Music Guide
Quite simply, Alive & Wired captures a great band on a great night.
70
Pitchfork
By culling from early releases and rescuing tracks from last year's tepid Drag It Up, the band showcases a surprisingly deep and ridiculously rich canon of loser anthems ("Wish the Worst"), dark ballads ("Salome"), odes to romantic doubt and suspicion ("The Other Shoe"), cowboy calls ("West Texas Teardrops"), and frenzied barnstormers ("Doreen")-- all written and played with generous humor and genuine exhilaration.
50
Austin Chronicle
While the lack of onstage banter is welcome, Alive & Wired would have benefited from fewer songs and more space.
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Kris B gave it a9: Are they out of their freaking heads? Where's "What We Talk About"? Whatever. They're an amazing band with great Americana tunes, and the album is great (they new it was gonna be a live album and they still couldn't play...) sorry. It was still great without it.
Melissa B gave it a9: I only give this a 9 and not a 10 because i would have like to hear more banter.. Rhett is funny :)
Rob A gave it an8: This band rules. These CD's don't quite capture how awesome their live shows are, but if you like great Americana, go ahead and pick this up. Some of the catchiest songs ever written.