Album Review: LCD Soundsystem - The Long Goodbye: Live At Madison Square Garden

“I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent,” claims James Murphy in the 24th song on this quintuple vinyl soundtrack to LCD Soundsystem's 2011 ultimate farewell. With a clutch of noughties albums and accoutrement releases, Murphy's collective were the music nerds for music nerds, extolling the virtues of an encyclopaedic record collection that proudly boasted Daft Punk, Gil Scott-Heron, Suicide and A-Ha as residents. So over the course of 28 songs (representing almost all the big hitters devoted LCD-philes crave), you will lose yourself to dance.

Being stripped of the opportunity to watch teary meanderings around the stage means The Long Goodbye channels all attention onto the music. It's all reconstructed lovingly by a throbbing orgy of DFA bedfellows with a delicious mix that Murphy assures is all the more richly served on the intended vinyl format. The middle section sees the 45:33 EP played in its entirety in cahoots with Shit Robot. It's brilliantly executed, showing an astonishing quality control that remains high even when the hits are taking a breather. By inevitable closer, New York, I Love You… , you don't need the visuals to sense a fleeting doubt as to whether he was right to give it all up.
The best way to enjoy this fondest of swan songs is in high definition courtesy of last year's Shut Up And Play The Hits Blu-Ray release, making this vinyl box-set an opulent indulgence, albeit a perfectly executed one.