Search - At the Drive in :: This Station Is Non-Operational/Anthology

Tim H. (TurnItUpTim)
Reviewed on 3/2/2011...

This cd is a FANTASTIC compilation of the groups best material. You would spend quite a bit more having to track down the older releases, so give this one a try instead. You will not be disappointed.

Did I mention that the bonus DVD is friggin' awesome?!? Has all sorts of cool videos, band interviews, concert footages, and pics of the band. Can't go wrong with this double disc from sorely missed At the Drive-In!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Marred Voltage

The Wasp | Australia | 03/22/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"With the brain-melting lyrical overload, elongated musical style and impenetrable concepts of The Mars Volta getting more overwhelming with each album, it's getting harder and harder to conceive that Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez once fronted an inciting and insightful punk outfit that generally got to the point in three minutes bursts. Back in the late 1990s before At The Drive-In splintered into the divisive acts The Mars Volta and Sparta, the El Paso outfit acted as a saving musical grace amongst a sea of scripted popstars and nu-metal lunks. While short on proper `hits', This Station Is Non-Operational contains At The Drive-In's explosive peak in the form of One Armed Scissor, rarities such as the quiet moments of Doorman's Placebo and cover versions including Pink Floyd (the Syd Barrett tune Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk) and The Smiths (This Night Has Opened My Eyes). Unsure specifically want it wants to be, This Station Is Non-Operational teeters between rarities round-up and record company cash-in, although the sea shanty sounds of Napoleon Solo, the ghostly Relocator and the Suzanne Vega-tackles-reggae sounds of Rascuache show an interesting flipside to the normal At The Drive-In twists. The final ATDI studio album, Relationship Of Command, saw the flashpoint of insurrection serendipitously cause their musical formula to fall into place, with three of the album's tracks and some video clips from the record also making it to the DVD included here as a bonus. Varied and atmospheric, This Station Is Non-Operational is an ominous yet fascinating (final?) addition to the defunct Texans' back catalogue."

One thing to keep in mind...

CBZ | Pittsburgh, PA | 02/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, I think it's important that you sepperate the fact that yes, At The Drive-In has split into two different bands. If you have heard either Sparta or The Mars Volta's work, you should regard At The Drive-In as a complete and seperate band, because it is. While it's important to know that they started with ATD-I, it's hard to hear it as a new sound if you've already heard the new work.



I think "This Station is Non-Operational" is great for people just getting into ATD-I or that want to learn about a band that inspired another band or if you want to hear previous works from members of Sparta or The Mars Volta. Everybody says "Relaionship of Command" is their best work, but I disagree. It's just a continuation of their previous album, "in/CASINO/OUT".



All and all, this album is great and a good listen. It DOES leave out some of the best songs and tracks from other albums like "Acrobatic Tenement" (except for the BBC session of Iniatiation), but I think it's worth it - especially if you're a first time listener of the band."