# Scabdates

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2005 live album by The Mars Volta

Scabdates Live album by The Mars Volta Released November 8, 2005 (2005-11-08) Recorded May 2004–May 2005, Various live performances Genre Progressive rock experimental rock Length 72:54 Label Gold Standard Laboratories Universal Strummer Producer Omar Rodríguez-López The Mars Volta chronology Frances the Mute (2005) Scabdates (2005) Amputechture (2006)

***Scabdates*** is the second official live recording from the band [The Mars Volta](/source/The_Mars_Volta). It was released on November 8, 2005 and features music recorded between May 2004 and May 2005 during the tours in support of *[De-Loused in the Comatorium](/source/De-Loused_in_the_Comatorium)* and *[Frances the Mute](/source/Frances_the_Mute)*. In 2011, *[NME](/source/NME)* magazine named it one of the 50 greatest live albums of all time.[1] The "And Ghosted Pouts" section of "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" was used in the film *[Get Him to the Greek](/source/Get_Him_to_the_Greek)*.

## Overview

Only three of the band's songs are represented on *Scabdates*, which mainly comprises expansions on musical themes which appear elsewhere in their work, or entirely new segments altogether, such as the lengthy exposition on "Cicatriz"; which, when combined with its introduction "Haruspex", accounts for over 48 minutes of the album. Its lengthy [jam](/source/Jam_session) incorporates themes which would later be used in "Cassandra Gemini" almost a year later on *Frances the Mute*. By contrast, the *Scabdates* version of "Concertina" is shorter than its studio counterpart released on the *[Tremulant EP](/source/Tremulant_EP)*. The album ends with Cedric thanking the audience by telling them to "go home and take a bath."

Portions of the album include overdubbing and tape effects that were not part of the original live recordings. "Abrasions Mount the Timpani" features [field recordings](/source/Field_recording) of mewling babies and [airliner](/source/Airliner) announcements that Omar recorded on the road, while "Cicatriz" incorporates an eight-minute [psychedelic](/source/Psychedelic_music) [sound collage](/source/Sound_collage) of other Mars Volta live performances (notably performances of "Eunuch Provocateur" and "Cassandra Gemini"), alongside field recordings of the band and others talking and laughing. The album, like many live albums before it, was also mixed to sound as if it came from one performance.

Rodriguez subsequently commented on the compilation of the album that:

I listened to my favorite live records, and said, "Okay, that's nice. What would I want as a fan?" When I was a kid, I always wanted little moments about the band on tour, so I could imagine them in my head. You hear our live record, and it starts with sound check and our technicians speaking about what's wrong with the microphone. And then there's us backstage, and then it goes into the concert, and then in the middle of a song, I put in some conversations we had on the tour bus. All these things are really appealing to me. A lot of people who were upset said, "This is not a live album. It includes all this other bullshit. And it has overdubs!" It has no overdubs, it was just mixed in a creative way.[2]

## Reception

Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Metacritic (58/100) [3] Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [4] Entertainment Weekly B [5] IGN (5/10) [6] Paste (4/10) [3] Pitchfork (3.5/10) [7] PopMatters [8] Punknews.org [9] Rolling Stone [10] Tiny Mix Tapes [11] Ultimate Guitar (8.4/10) [12]

The Mars Volta have freely encouraged the trading of [bootlegged](/source/Bootleg_recording) live performances, but *Scabdates* was lauded by many fans for its superior [sound quality](/source/Sound_quality) and for being the first official recording that captured the Volta's lengthy experimental workouts during live performances. Some critics were not impressed with the band's jam sessions, with [IGN](/source/IGN) describing the album as "sonic meandering which some regard as genius and others find to be a futile exercise in pretentious instrumental masturbation."[6]

The album scored a 58/100 on [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), indicating "mixed or average reviews".[3] Some reviews were positive: *[Under the Radar](/source/Under_the_Radar_(magazine))* gave it a score of seven stars out of ten and called it "One of those rare live offerings: a document that actually complements the band's catalog."[3] *[NME](/source/NME)* gave it a score of seven out of ten and called it "marvelous".[3]

Other reviews were pretty average, mixed or negative: *[The Austin Chronicle](/source/The_Austin_Chronicle)* gave it three stars out of five and said: "Seventy-three crack-in-the-earth's-crust minutes liquefy into the same basic miasma as the sophomore LP that inspired them, yet more streamlined, less apt to wander into the ambient dead zones like 'Caviglia,' a problematic disconnection of the disc's overall forward thrust."[13] *[Uncut](/source/Uncut_(magazine))* also gave it three stars and said, "Your appreciation of *Scab Dates* will be predicated on a high tolerance to long bongo solos and songs called things like 'Abrasions Mount The Timpani'."[3] *Prefix Magazine* gave it an average review and said the album "does an adequate job of capturing what is best experienced in the flesh."[14] *[Blender](/source/Blender_(magazine))* gave it two stars out of five and said, "The songs get lost in waves of wah-wah long before a long, slow fade into random-noise oblivion."[3] [Pitchfork Media](/source/Pitchfork_Media) gave it a score of 3.5 out of ten and said it was "neither a concession nor a step forward, revealing inclinations that feel half as indulgent as they should when following a record like *Frances the Mute*, and about half as interesting to listen to."[7]

As of February 2007 it has sold 64,000 copies in United States.[15]

## Track listing

Like *[Frances the Mute](/source/Frances_the_Mute)*, portions of *Scabdates* were cut into separate sections for the [CD](/source/Compact_Disc) pressing. "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" was spread along three tracks, while "Cicatriz" was spread across five; the fifth section, "Part IV", begins with the sound collage mentioned above. On vinyl, "Cicatriz" was split along three sides: "Cicatriz" ended side B, "Parts I-III" on side C, and "Part IV" taking up Side D.

### Finalized track listing

No. Title Length 1. "Abrasions Mount the Timpani" 4:07 2. "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" (Gust of Mutts - And Ghosted Pouts) 13:23 3. "Caviglia" 2:46 4. "Concertina" 4:17 5. "Haruspex" 5:24 6. "Cicatriz" (Cicatriz - Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV) 42:58

### CD pressing

No. Title Length 1. "Abrasions Mount the Timpani" 4:07 2. "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" 5:57 3. "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt A. Gust of Mutts" 2:34 4. "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt B. And Ghosted Pouts" 4:52 5. "Caviglia" 2:46 6. "Concertina" 4:17 7. "Haruspex" 5:24 8. "Cicatriz" 8:16 9. "Cicatriz A. Part I" 2:34 10. "Cicatriz B. Part II" 7:39 11. "Cicatriz C. Part III" 4:29 12. "Cicatriz D. Part IV" 20:01

## Source of recordings

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

**05/12/2004 – [Wiltern Theatre](/source/Wiltern_Theatre) – Los Angeles, CA**

- "Haruspex"

- "Cicatriz"

**05/13/2004 – Wiltern Theatre – Los Angeles, CA**

- "Caviglia"

**05/05/2005 – [Roseland Ballroom](/source/Roseland_Ballroom) – New York City, NY**

- "Abrasions Mount the Timpani"

- "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt"

**05/06/2005 – Roseland Ballroom – New York City, NY**

- "Gust of Mutts / And Ghosted Pouts"

**05/10/2005 – Avalon Ballroom – Boston, MA**

- "Concertina"

## Personnel

### The Mars Volta

- [Omar Rodríguez-López](/source/Omar_Rodr%C3%ADguez-L%C3%B3pez) – guitar, field recordings

- [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](/source/Cedric_Bixler-Zavala) – vocals

- [Juan Alderete de la Peña](/source/Juan_Alderete) – bass guitar

- [Jon Theodore](/source/Jon_Theodore) – drums

- [Isaiah Ikey Owens](/source/Isaiah_Ikey_Owens) – keyboards

- [Marcel Rodríguez-López](/source/Marcel_Rodr%C3%ADguez-L%C3%B3pez) – percussion, synthesizers

- [Adrián Terrazas-González](/source/Adri%C3%A1n_Terrazas-Gonz%C3%A1lez) – wind instruments, percussion (2005 dates only)

- [Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez](/source/Paul_Hinojos) – sound manipulation ("Concertina")

### Recording personnel

- Jonathan Debaun – recording, engineer

- Omar Rodriguez-Lopez – mixing

- [Howie Weinberg](/source/Howie_Weinberg) – mastering

- Roger Liam – mastering assistant

### Artwork

- Danielle Van Ark – photographs

- Sonny Kay – design, layout

- Omar Rodríguez-López – art direction

- Cedric Bixler-Zavala – art direction

## Charts

Chart performance for Scabdates Chart (2005) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 87 US Billboard 200[17] 76

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Pictures of The 50 greatest live albums of all time - Photos"](http://www.nme.com/photos/the-50-greatest-live-albums-of-all-time/207806/1/1#12). Nme.Com. March 9, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hyden, Steven (January 29, 2008). ["Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta | Music | Interview"](http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/omar_rodriguez_lopez_of_the). The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 8, 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-metacritic_3-6) [Critic reviews at Metacritic](http://www.metacritic.com/music/scab-dates/the-mars-volta/critic-reviews)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [AllMusic review](https://www.allmusic.com/album/r805959)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Entertainment Weekly review"](http://ew.com/article/2005/11/14/scab-dates). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090425144407/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1128512,00.html) from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ign_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ign_6-1) ["The Mars Volta - Scabdates"](http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/01/14/the-mars-volta-scabdates). *[IGN](/source/IGN)*. January 14, 2006. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095030/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/01/14/the-mars-volta-scabdates) from the original on March 4, 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pitchfork_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pitchfork_7-1) [Pitchfork Media review](http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5119-scab-dates/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [PopMatters review](https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/marsvolta-scabdates/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Punknews.org review](https://www.punknews.org/review/4965/the-mars-volta-scab-dates)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Rolling Stone review](https://web.archive.org/web/20071111203328/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/marsvolta/albums/album/8684575/review/8798724/scab_dates)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Tiny Mix Tapes review](http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/mars-volta-scab-dates)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Ultimate Guitar Review](http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/the_mars_volta/scab_dates/index.html?no_takeover)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [The Austin Chronicle review](http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2005-11-25/313576/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [Prefix Magazine review](http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/the-mars-volta/scab-dates/14816/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Mitchell, Gail (February 10, 2007). ["The Rock Roster"](https://books.google.com/books?id=cRIEAAAAMBAJ&q=Brian+Eno+nielsen+soundscan&pg=PA72). Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Ryan, Gavin (2011). *Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010* (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 177.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_Billboard200_The_Mars_Volta_17-0)** "[The Mars Volta Chart History (*Billboard* 200)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/The-Mars-Volta/chart-history/TLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved August 24, 2022.

## External links

- *[Scabdates](https://www.metacritic.com/music/scab-dates/the-mars-volta)* at [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic)

v t e The Mars Volta Omar Rodríguez-López Cedric Bixler-Zavala Eva Gardner Marcel Rodríguez-López Leo Genovese Linda-Philomène Tsoungui Juan Alderete Deantoni Parks Isaiah "Ikey" Owens Jeremy Ward Blake Fleming Jon Theodore John Frusciante Linda Good Flea Ralph Jasso Paul Hinojos Jason Lader Adrián Terrazas-González Thomas Pridgen Lars Stalfors Dave Elitch Studio albums De-Loused in the Comatorium Frances the Mute Amputechture The Bedlam in Goliath Octahedron Noctourniquet The Mars Volta Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazón Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacío EPs Tremulant Live albums Live Scabdates Box sets La Realidad de los Sueños Archival releases Landscape Tantrums Singles "The Widow" "Wax Simulacra" "The Malkin Jewel" Related articles Articles Discography Tours Gold Standard Laboratories Bands Antemasque At the Drive-In Big Sir Bosnian Rainbows De Facto El Grupo Nuevo Free Moral Agents Killer Be Killed The Memorials Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group One Day as a Lion Queens of the Stone Age Red Hot Chili Peppers Sparta Suicidal Tendencies Zavalaz Zechs Marquise

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Scabdates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabdates) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabdates?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.