Don't hold back the applause on this one. Portishead, together with a full orchestra, has somehow managed to produce what is absolutely the best live recording ever captured on tape. Who would have thought that Beth Gibbons voice, Geoff Barrows turntables and an orchestra would blend together so superb? The production on this record is so exquisite, were it not for an occasional murmur from the audience or the lull of the applause at the end of each ballad, it could fool you into thinking that this is a studio recording.

There is definitely a progression from their first album to their second and again to this live one. Dummy has the raw grainy texture of a work that still has some rough edges, but sounds better for it. Their self-titled second album does not depart from the truly original sound of it's predecessor until you turn your attention to the production--there lies a void where you'd expect to find the scratchy, antiquated, almost lo-fi hum present on Dummy.

With the live effort, again, we're missing some of the sounds we've been conditioned to expect. If you like your trip-hop melodic, dark and enigmatic, any of the Portishead albums you choose will most precisely fit the bill, but if you're in the mood for some fantastic live cuts from a band that sounds just as clear live as they do in the studio, Roseland NYC Live is definitely the one for you.