The Mars Volta must take a lot of pride in their live performances because “Scab Dates” is the second live release to come from the band, giving them almost as many live records as official studio releases. All in all, this album is pretty much what one would expect from the band. Their intense performances make their explosive songs even more explosive but their fondness for excess leads to some extensive noodling.

“Scab Dates” refers to the collage of songs recorded from dates over a period of one year of touring after the release of “Frances the Mute.” (This is very obvious after sitting through overtly self-indulgent “jams” that take up most of the album.)  However, the band manages to piece the songs together in a way that constitutes a believable set.  It seems odd that no actual songs from “Frances the Mute” appear here, but the band probably just wanted to stretch out some of their old songs giving them the treatment of newer material.      

The album is comprised of 12 tracks, but it features only six separate songs; “Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt” takes up three tracks and “Cicatriz” takes up five. At first this seems excessive, why not just make them all one long track, but after waiting through a 40-plus minute version of “Cicatriz” in one sitting, it turns out to be a nice feature. This isn’t to say that 40 minutes of jamming is all that bad; if you have the patience it can really pay off.

The album begins with the four minute introduction of pre-show talking over a loudspeaker, providing that authentic concert feel. The band then rips into a powerful three track, 13-minute version of “Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt.” Originally appearing on their debut album, this eight-minute track was extended with the long self-indulgent excesses the band acquired for the writing of their last record.  The middle of the song breaks down into long passages of delayed guitar that build and build into a final eruption and rocks tight on home.  This is followed by an atmospheric instrumental of eerie delayed guitars and vocals that erupt into a familiar version of “Concertina” off the “Tremulant EP.”  This track stands out because it is just like the original, clocking in at just over four minutes without even the slightest detouring.   Next, a five-minute power-jam, complete with Cedric Bixler’s arena rock-vocal stretching.  This rock-out leads up to the last five tracks, an exercise in excess.  

A 40-minute “Cicatriz” finishes up the album. The first track is pretty straight forward, as the remaining four drift off into jam/prog territory. These tracks are pretty fun as the band drifts away with blistering solos and a psychedelic organ. “Cicatriz Pt. II” though, is a bit trying as guitarist Omar Rodriquez-Lopez spends four minutes playing solo, delayed guitar licks (he really likes his effects pedal, which shows up on several occasions). The song eventually comes to an end with the 20-minute “Cicatriz Pt. IV,” which is dubbed over with field recordings of talking and footsteps recorded by Bixler during the tour.  The field recordings seem out of place, but help the band maintain their “weirdness” because the overdubs are unusual for a live recording. Luckily, they last only a few minutes before the music is raised in the mix again for the band to kick back into the song that just builds and builds to a sudden stop that ends the show to which Bixler tops off with a polite “thanks for coming out everybody” and “go home and take a bath;” a far cry from yelling “we love you,” something about how Detroit rocks and is the best city in the world.

This band is meant to be experienced live, and while it pays off a lot more by being present to get lost in the music, it is still possible to do so with this live recording, and it can even be quite fulfilling; you just need about 70 minutes to devote solely to this record. This is not an essential part of the bands discography but if you liked the long drawn-out passages of “Frances the Mute” then this is probably worth your while.