3 Doors Down Another 700 Miles CD

6song EP Incl.1 New Track & 1 Cover (Lynyrd Skynyrd).

3 Doors Down: Brad Arnold (vocals); Matt Roberts, Chris Henderson (guitar); Todd Harrell (bass); Daniel Adair (drums).
Recorded live in 2003.
Another 700 Miles is a holdover EP recorded at Chicago's Congress Theater during 3 Doors Down's summer 2003 tour. It features the band's three hit singles, a new song called "It's Not Me" (presumably to appear on their eventual follow-up to Away from the Sun), and a spirited cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "That Smell." The crowd is quite engaged throughout, cheering wildly during each break and reacting with raucous enthusiasm to frontman Brad Arnold's easygoing stage chatter. The EP makes a point of including Arnold's setup for "When I'm Gone." Sun's first single, it gained momentum in spring 2003, when lyrics like "Hold me when I'm here" and "Love me when I'm gone" helped make the bluesy rock number a sort of anthem for the blue-collar soldier. On Another 700 Miles, Arnold takes a moment to explain 3DD's position on the hostilities -- they're pro-soldier, not pro-war -- but it doesn't take much convincing, as he's soon cut off by rowdy chants of "USA! USA!" This passage is interesting, as it marks 700 Miles with an indelible timestamp, and records the grassroots reaction to and acceptance of "When I'm Gone" for posterity. All of this nationalism makes the subsequent by-the-numbers pound of the breakthrough hit "Kryptonite" fall a little flat, but that's only in a critical sense, as the Congress crowd sings along enthusiastically. It's unclear where the strings that fill in the ballad "Here Without You" come from; it's unlikely the band dragged a string quartet with them over those many miles. But barring this nod to accessibility, 3 Doors Down proves to be a quite capable live act. They even rip through a spot-on cover of Skynyrd's "That Smell," a move that solidifies their stance as Southern rockers for the 21st century, and not simply another Creed rip-off. ~ Johnny Loftus
Recorded live in Chicago in front of an enthusiastic crowd, ANOTHER 700 MILES strips away much of the production gloss of 3 Doors Down's studio albums, revealing a surprisingly earthy Southern rock band in top form. The big hits ("Duck and Run," "When I'm Gone," "Kryptonite," "Here without You") are all included here, and they benefit greatly from somewhat looser, bar band-esque interpretations. Lead singer Brad Arnold is a natural and engaging frontman, communicating with the large crowd as if he's out for a drink with some buddies. As a bonus, the disc includes a performance of a previously unreleased song and a faithful cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic "That Smell" (from STREET SURVIVORS), which--in the context of the group's swaggering, distinctly Dixie-fried live vibe--sounds completely appropriate.