The Cat Empire "Live on Earth"

Highly unusual at this stage of my musical appreciation/collection for me to go backwards in a new discovery's catalog.  That calls for some seriously impressive tunes, and honestly, I can't recall the last time I did so.  I stated in the post about their ARIA nominated "Cinema" that I was going to get this 2009 live record instead of previous studio LP's.  Well, I finally pulled the trigger a couple of months ago and recently settled in for several spins.  "Live on Earth" is available in the States and well worth the $10 price tag.  As a double CD, there's over 120 minutes of music, all of which was new to me (except for a version of "Hotel California" in French, which I guess is new to me as well).  On the initial spin, I thought the horn section might have been overused somewhat, but subsequent listens calmed that fear.  As the record played, I found myself drawn to about 75 minutes worth of tunes, perfect for a Mad Rocker single CD edit.  And believe me, my edit is a full-blown smile maker, a head-bobbing/shaking hour plus of unconditional joy!  My music program labels it Hip-Hop, but there's no reasonable explanation for that.  The music is eclectically rhythm-based, with electric piano and keyboards dominating, along with the previously mentioned horns.  At one point I thought it could be a Jamaican Supertramp, another an Indian one.  With the occasional white-boy rapping and the employ of a scratchin' DJ, the playful banter from the stage and the joyous audience reaction, another comparison could be an Australian Barenaked Ladies. 

It's safe to say that whenever the next Cat Empire record drops, I will get it without delay.  No sampling required.  I hope they return to America for another tour and stop in Florida.  I would be their oldest field marketer...