Collective Soul Home. Release Date : February 7, 2006. Label: EI Music Group. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. So Collective Soul re-emerged. Tours, album, etc. And now this has popped up - a double-live album of the band with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. It's a pretty massive undertaking, and sounds pretty nifty. But I just think it's amazing that after all these years, the band is still riding on the success of their heyday. Most of the songs that appear here aren't new songs - they're classics from the 90's and early millenium that the world grew to love. I can't decide if this album is a bit overkill. I think it might be. Two discs? Plus a media component? Goodness. Anyhow, that spark from the older songs seems to be carrying through, and I think a big chunk of that is that we're starting to see the new generation roll over of grown up fans of a band from their high school days. The people who are popping up to cavort with Collective Soul are increasingly married, parents, business people - all the kids who you went to high school with who were all "Loverboy? Who the fuck is Loverboy?" But that's just idle analysis. And besides, if they can get away with it, so be it. I'm sure I'd be doing the same thing. While their rockstardom level may no longer warrant such showiness, they are still very competent musicians who have the experience to know what works on a stage and what doesn't. People always like seeing their favourite stars do something "special," and a full-blown classically-backed concert with huge stages, huge lights, huge acoustics and probably huge posturing definitely suits the bill. I sound like I'm being kind of scathing, but you know, I'm one of those former high-schoolers who grew up with Collective Soul as well. And as much as I want to pretend I'm way cooler than this now, I must admit, dammit all, I still have a really big soft spot for these guys. And therefore, I too get a bit giddy at hearing lucious strings and gentle horns draped across the standard electric guitars and big fat drums. Song of choice : Filled with classics, don't make me choose! -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Collective Soul website Published : April, 2006.