Artist Info:Discography Album length: 15 tracks: 57 minutes, 32 seconds Street Date: February 20, 2007
While re-releases have become taxing, the option to grab an enhanced version of a brand new disc on release day is the ideal option
for music fans. On February 20th, indie rockers Anberlin released their impressive third outing, Cities, along with a two-disc
Special Edition that includes three extra tracks and a DVD. While it may seem obvious which route to go in with choosing between
the two versions, let's take a look at the treats on Cities: Special Edition before you shell out the extra dollars.
*For a complete review of the original twelve tracks on Cities, see my full review here.
The audio portion of Cities: Special Edition includes three bonus tracks in addition to the original dozen. The first is
"Uncanny" (which is not a renaming of the iTunes EP-only release of "Haunting," which actually would have made a greater addition here
than any of these three songs), a distinctly more stripped down and upbeat romantic track for Cities.
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" is a rough demo-quality track, originally done by The Smiths, and lyrically delves into the bliss of love to the apathetic
point of not caring if the lovers were to die together that very night. The bonus tracks end with a perfect cover of When In Rome's
"The Promise," an 80's throwback that was most recently resurrected in the indie comedy Napoleon Dynamite. While none of the
new tracks really fit with the vibe of Cities ("Haunting" would have, however), they are great extras for diehard fans of the band.
The DVD disc for Cities: Special Edition may be even more of a highlight for some. The meat of the disc is a 29-minute
dockumentary on the making of the album, Cities, all filmed in black and white and presented in widescreen format.
The feature shows how much each member plays a part in the band and in the creativity of the recording process - from Joeseph Milligan's
intense writing techniques to Stephen Christian's honest, soul-baring lyrical process. We also get to meet producer Aaron Sprinkle and hear his
take on working with the guys. It's also quite interesting to watch the guys discuss different ways of having Stephen sing the melodies
for certain songs, specifically as they construct "Godspeed." The only thing that would have really made the making-of complete, however,
would have been a little more insight to the meanings behind the songs (although Christian does touch on it slightly), and maybe more background
on the production of the epic "(*Fin)." Apart from the half-hour feature, there are a few Bonus Features, including
a two-minute studio slideshow, the teaser trailer for Cities that could previously be seen online, two minutes of "outtakes" of
Joey goofing off in the studio, and a brief revisitation with drummer Nathan Young of the sidewalk where the cover of Blueprints For The Black Market was
photographed. Another bonus feature shows Stephen calling a few fans while in the studio to discuss the new record with them and get some ideas,
while yet another has Joey talking about the history of the studio where they recorded in. Finally, we're treated to a humorous but brief
look at the guys recording the "Whoa-ho's" and "Hey-hey's" for "Godspeed" (which includes Project 86 guitarist and Cities
engineer, Randy Torres).
Making a great, emotional rock record even better, and giving fans an insight into its production that will allow people to really
appreciate what the band put into the album, Cities: Special Edition is the definitive edition of Anberlin's Cities.
If you're a more casual listener of Anberlin, the trimmed version of the project will suit you just fine, otherwise Cities: Special Edition
is ideal and well worth picking up.
- Review date: 2/27/07, written by John DiBiase
Artist Info:Discography Record Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Album length: 2 Discs, 15 tracks: 57 minutes, 32 seconds
Street Date: February 20, 2007
Buy It:Amazon.com
Artist Info: 
