Album Description

Capitol's From the Hungry I/Kingston Trio combines thegroup's first two albums on this excellent single disc.Among the highlights are Bay of Mexico, Tom Dooley, FastFreight, Hard, Ain't It Hard, Scotch and Soda, Wimoweh(Mbube) and New York Girls. 27 tracks in all. Collector'sChoice / 2001 release. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Original Folksmen
When my mother was in high school she joined the record club where they automatically sent you that month's selection unless you told them not to by sending back the selection card saying 'not this month.' Because of this, when I was growing up there was a strange melange of records in our home: Elvis Presley, the Ventures, John D. Loudermilk, Bobbi Gentry, Homer and Jethro, and the Kingston Trio. I listened to every one of them, and some so much that they have left catchphrases in my vocabulary that can be traced directly to certain recordings.

The two live albums in the collection were most responsible for this, not solely for the bits where the artists chat with audience, but because they come from the era of intimate settings when you could actually experience the camaraderie of the performers (something MTV's Unplugged and VH1's Storytellers series tried to recapture). From Homer and Jethro at the Country Club I picked up sayings like, "You're blackballed! Put on your shoes and go!" long before I understood the sorry history of racism and elitism that the two, supposed, hicks were playing on in their club setting and "You don't look mad," right after badgering someone into anger and forcing them to admit their ire.

It's not too surprising that a comedy album might provide memorable lines, but the other major influence was The Kingston Trio's ...from the "Hungry i". From that album, I acquired, "You're all alone, you know," from the novelty tune "Zombie Jamboree," as well as some of the general cynicism of "Merry Minuet" best expressed in the line "...and I don't like anybody very much." Those two songs do represent the more humorous portions of the album and lend themselves to quotation, I admit.

For those not familiar with the Kingston Trio, they burst onto the music scene in the early 1950s with a coffee-house update to traditional folk music, paving the way for the folk-rock movement. (The faux trio, The Folksmen, from the recent mockumentary A Mighty Wind, is a parody of the Kingston Trio, matching their instruments, voices and musical style if not their lives.) Prior to this live album, they had released two albums and had a major radio hit ("Tom Dooley"), but those studio albums just don't do justice to their easy camaraderie onstage and their imprompto musicianship, which does come through in this recording.

Unlike modern live albums, which tend to showcase the band's hits, every song here had yet to appear on a Kingston Trio album, although some are traditional songs ("When the Saints Go Marching In"). Most of the songs are taken from the pre-Dylan folk idea, where ancient texts or melodies were updated. Songs like "Wimoweh" (aka "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") and "Gue, Gue" are modern adaptations of African and French folk songs, respectively. The songs switch between light-hearted, amusing songs such as the opener, "Tic, Tic, Tic," the up-tempo "New York Girls" and the aforementioned "Zombie Jamboree" to the morose story-song like "South Coast" and the biblically-inspired "Dorie." My favorite song on here is the haunting "They Call the Wind Maria," with its fascinating opening lyric, "Way out here they have a name / for rain and wind and fire / the rain is Tess, the fire is Joe / and they call the wind Maria."

Unlike other, more popular albums from the late 1950s, ...from the "Hungry i" doesn't sound very dated at all, although other Trio albums from the time period do due to the production. There's something timeless, however, about three guys on a stage with acoustic instruments and great harmonies, a trend that popular music has embraced in each decade since the Kingston Trio's heyday, from Crosby, Stills and Nash to last year's Thorns.

I would call it "definitive"
They are both great albums, but ...From the "Hungry i" defines this group and their broad appeal. Great rapport with the audience, great topical wit, and outstanding preformance. A very talented group indeed. Each song from this set is just pure gold.

The beginning of the folk revival.
The Kingston Trio was instrumental in making the 60's folk revival take place. Their first album "The Kingston Trio" provided enough authentic folk material to satisfy the purists and allow the Trio to begin to introduce new material. And any song sufficiently popular ("John B") to make the Beachboys cover it has to be all right. Terry Gilkerson's modern folk classic "Fast Freight" is covered better (and with improved lyrics) that the original. "Scotch and Soda" is original Trio (Dave Guard) material that should last forever.
"... from the 'Hungry i'" is a very good for a live recording from those days, though sometimes the weakness of the pick-ups on one or more of the Trio is distracting. It is hard to beleive that Lerner and Loewe's "They Call The Wind Maria" was written by a Russian emmigrant for a Broadway play; it is more authentic folk than most of the real things and while the Trio can't quite do the justice to it that John Raitt did on Broadway, they are superb.

This is where the Folk Era begins....
The debut album from The Kingston Trio is one of the best debut records ANYWHERE by any artist in any genre of music. It's that good. Not perfect (mono sound quality is okay, but not as good as later Trio albums would be), but half of the songs here are still featured in Kingston Trio concerts to this very day.
"Scotch And Soda" is folk-lounge at its very best, and possibly Bob Shane's greatest and best-loved vocal of all time. "Fast Freight" is Dave Guard's equivalent, and was a song that completely captivated me at age 6, when I inherited this album from my father. Very haunting. "Three Jolly Coachmen" is witty and rather British-sounding. "Bay of Mexico" is a tad bit shrill, but has interesting key changes and percussion. "Saro Jane" features a unique kind of banjo picking (fingers instead of picks?), "Sloop John B", while not as polished or intricate as the Beach Boys hit 1966 remake, remains an influence on the BBoys (let's not forget about the striped shirts either!). "Coplas" is.........well, a good example of what life was like in the pre-politically correct era of the late 50's, when apparently Mexican-bashing was considered hillarious, but I still like it.....

Every song is great, ending with the banjo-thumper "Little Maggie" . Then this cd continues with the 2nd K Trio record, the "Live At The Hungri I". This album, in my opion, excells at showcasing the personalities in the Trio, from Dave Guard's sarcastic, 'intellectual' leanings, to Bob Shane's good-old-boy routine, to Nick Reynolds' enthusiasm. Highlights include "They Call The Wind Maria", a worthy follow-up to 'Scotch & Soda', the calypso "Zombie Jamboree", and the pseudo-ethnic "Dorie". The material is not as strong as the debut record, but the humor and personality carry the day. Combined, this set is the blueprint for their entire career to come.

Wonderful, wonderful
...From the "Hungry i" was a favorite of mine since I found it in my mom's LP collection many years ago, but I actually had never heard the first of the two albums on this CD, "The Kingston Trio," in its entirety, just some songs on other albums. It is just as great. Scotch and Soda is a beautiful song. But the real gem, I think, is the "Hungry i" portion of the CD. Gue, Gue is eerily beautiful; The Merry Minuet continues to be funny. I still chuckle at the commentary between songs ("For those of you who speak Creole French, it's Northwestern Creole French...as spoken in perhaps Utah").

If you like the harmonies of this album, you MUST buy their "The last month of the year", the greatest Christmas album ever written (now on CD). ... Read more

Amazon.com

A sweeping, 30-track career retrospective that leaves almost nothing out, Live is a much more filling meal than the two-part Best Live series, each of which contains 12 tracks. Fans will want one or the other of these packages, and will need no further elaboration on their merits. But those who just want a sampler of Taylor's hit songs might want to check this out as well. The best greatest hits package, Classic Songs, is an import, and costs a premium. The domestic Greatest Hits was compiled in 1976, and misses later tracks. It also features rerecorded versions of some of its songs. This is a better value than the import and offers a better selection than the domestic sampler. --Gavin McNett ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Saw the Concert - Got the Album
We (a married couple) saw James Taylor in Providence (Performing Arts Center) during this concert tour. As he has done for years, James tours with seasoned professional musicians and singers.

The musical arrangements on this album, his voice, the voices of the background singers, the (minimal) audience banter...make for an entertaining - perhaps even joyous - listening experience. We have worn out both cassettes (the double set) and are now purchasing the CDs.

Although the concert was in 93 and we bought the album in 94, we continue to listen to it right up until today. "Walking Man" is a perfect autumn song. "Shower the People" includes phenomenal singing by one of the male back-up singers. The arrangement for "How Sweet It Is" is better than the original Motown version. If you are in the car, you will probably pull the album out of the stack when you're in gridlock just to hear "Traffic Jam."

This album is as close to a live performance as you can get, yet the sound quality on it is superb. "Five stars" is not enough - it deserves ten!

Fabulous flow of energy between JT and audience
There are those who are naturals for live albums and ones who aren't. James Taylor has to be one of the naturals.

Of course, if you want perfection, you probably want to stick with the studio recordings. But if you want to hear a truly electric performance, go with this live album.

From the first cut, "Sweet Baby James", you can sense the perfect rapport with the audience. The live version of "Mexico" is quite enhanced by the life atmosphere, and by the time you get to "Fire and Rain", you can sense a flow between the singer and his audience. The energy reaches its zenith on "Shower The People" and "How Sweet It Is".

Cut after cut is notable here. The pure country sound of "She Thinks I Still Care" is a highlight. "You've Got A Friend" and "That Lonesome Road" close a truly exciting experience. If you prefer the best in the spontanaity of a live performance to the cool and perfect studio recording, or even if the two are equal in your mind, then you deserve to have this in your collection.

Simply Awesome!!
I am a new fan of James Taylor. My step mom got me hooked! Out of all the albums I've ever herd of James Taylor, I think this would be the best one. I could spend all day listening to it. I never get tired of the songs. The little speeches he gives in between the songs make the CD funny. The back up singers make the music timeless. Truly a great album, no questions asked!!

College Student Review
I enjoy this album very much. My family has owned this two disk set for a couple of years now and even though I am now in college, I never tire of hearing these songs. The songs in this set all have a great deal of energy behind them, and they are all enjoyable to listen to. All of the songs on this album are good, although some are better than others. I enjoy how the songs actually do flow together despite what many people think. For example, in the first disk, we move from medium paced songs, to fast paced songs, through a couple of jazz songs, on through some of his well known songs. It seems that everything fits together in this album. I would strongly encourage people to buy this album, whether you are a seasoned fan of James or just a new listener. Once you buy this album, you too will be able to enjoy the song "Traffic Jam" when stuck in traffic on the way to or from work. If I had to pick a favorite song from this album it might have to be "Shower the People", which is truely a gift. I hope this review was helpful.

In His Element
So I left My Job at 5 O'Clock, fifteen minutes to go three blocks
Damn! That's a good song!! If you don't know it, it's Traffic Jam, and it's one of MANY great songs on this double set. And although, I don't want to take anything away from the music because it is EXCELLENT, I also have to add, JT's comments between the songs are another reason why this album is so good. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars, is because I wish it was longer! Try, "Sun On The Moon" "Slap Leather" and "Millworker" They're great songs, not as familiar as "Fire & Rain" & "You've Got a friend" But just as good. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The mannered vocal style that has always been the most off-putting element of Ani DiFranco's music is still present on this two-disc live set, but for some reason it doesn't matter anymore. Maybe it's the way you can hear DiFranco using her breaths to accent a rhythm section that's downright merciless with its circling, pulsing, scary grooves. Or maybe it's the way, with an audience screaming, she pours heart and soul into "Unforgettable Face" and the story song "Gravel." Whatever, Living in Clip is the album where DiFranco begins to deserve her hype. And "Amazing Grace," backed by the Buffalo Philharmonic, is where she surpasses it. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (120)

Oh, I adore, you.
A good friend of mine turned me on to Ani sometime last year. So here I am, listening to 2 Little Girls off Little Plastic Castle, and I'm falling into this deep fascination with this voice. So, I go to find an Ani CD of my very own to start off with. I see Dilate, Not a Pretty Girl, Little Plastic Castle, and Living in Clip. My good friend had everything there except LIC. So I bought this one. Thank goodness. This album, twisting in every emotional direction feasible, is a tribute to Ani's musical genius, her live act, and her phenomenal writing. To list a few trully noteworthy gems: "Hide and Seek"--Beautiful in it's haunting lyrics and almost tribal beat. "Napoleon"-- It's sooo much better live! "32 Flavors" Alana Davis (Is that who covered it?) gave it no justice. "In or Out"--Dynamic and stirring, unlike the studio version. "Amazing Grace"--Mmmhmm.;) Also, be sure to wait until the last song on disc 2 reaches 7:00 for about the most giggle worthy display of audience/band interaction I've ever heard!

Ani's good, but only as good as Ani wants to be
I dont dought the talent of Ani Difranco. I just started listening to some of her stuff and i was very impressed with her talent, but i really do think she could reach a new level of excelance that she appearently has no intent to reach. Her live double cd, "Living In Clip" showcases Ani's talented Dave Matthews like guitar work in combination with a Alanis Morisette type attitude that she sings with. Alot of the tracks on this disc sound great and she has proven to me that she is definately a very talented and original voice in the womens music bussiness. My biggest problem with Ani is that it seems to me that she has to grow up alittle, not only in a mature sense, but also in a musical sense. She has the talent to become among the elite women singers in the bussiness, but it seems to me her attitude and her lack of maturity is holding her back. I like her music on this album, but i have to say i really dont like and cant relate to some of her comments inbetween songs, it is almost a musical turn off to this listener. Overall i enjoy her music and do recomend this album, its just a shame to see such a talent limiting her self to mediocre song writing and little imagination.

One Of The Best CDs of All Time
Ani seems to touch every feeling a person can have on this CD. She goes from subtle and soft, to yelling, screaming and laughter. This is the best CD I have ever bought. I suggest it to anyone who likes folk music or has a an open mind towards new things!

Living in clip
Ani Difranco is one of the few artists who has made a successful career out of her do-it-yourself ethics. She has bypassed the conventional career path most artists takes by not signing with a major record label and by doing that, she has a greater percentage intake in the profits from her music as opposed to being in debt for years to a major record label. I always have and always will respect Ani for taking the high road and do things her way. I was a big fan of Ani Difranco when I was a college student in Wisconsin nine years ago. I first heard about her in a magazine (I think) and decided to check out her music. "Dilate" was my first Ani Difranco cd. I was hooked. During the next few years, I would buy her latest cds religiously on the day they were release, one of them was "Living in Clip". I rarely buy live cds but in Ani Difranco's case, I was willing to buy a live cd of her music. Besides there were a bunch of songs at the time I hadn't heard before like the gorgeous "Both Hands" (my all-time favorite Ani Difranco song) and "Sorry I Am". "Living in Clip" is definitely one of the best live cds that I have ever heard. Although each song was recorded in different cities, you would have never guessed that they weren't recorded at one performance. The occasional banter with the audience gives the listener an intimate insight of an Ani Difranco performance. One of the most stunning performances on the cd is Ani's rendition of "Amazing Grace" with the Buffalo Philharmonic. It simply took my breath away. That alone makes this cd worth listening to. Although I am not nearly the fan that I am of Ani's music any more, I still enjoy throwing in "Living in Clip" every now and then. This is a good representation of Ani Difranco as an artist as well as a performer.

The Rocked Folk album of the Century!!!
Living In Clip shines as Ani's most versatile and amazing album yet, out of her 25 five or so. This album covers some of her most classic songs such as the unforgettable Both Hand, Adam And Eve, In and Out, Out of Habit, and Out of Rage. Combining folk rock punk and poetry, Ani definitely delivers in this piece of musical art. With only a three person band with ever so lovable Sara Lee on bass and Andy Stochansky on drums we are given even a bigger treat, but the double album really shines when Ani sings solo only with her guitar. Me being an original Ani fan from the early 1990's I have seen her music evolve and change into something amazing, which is shown through this classic album. If you are interested in becoming an Ani Difranco fan for the first time I strongly suggest this album. Also if you ever get to actually see her live that is the True Ani expierence! I was also given a treat of meeting her, quite an expierence!
Enjoy!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on past form ol' Neil should have been about ready to kiss off the sizeable audience he recaptured with Harvest Moon with an amp-shredding noisefest. Instead he aims to please here with vintage repertoire, the debut of a 1976 gem ("Stringman"), some tasty departures (the pump-organ "Like A Hurricane") and a heart-tugging "Helpless". The Unplugged backlash does not begin here. Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Acoustic Young
Neil Young was unplugged before the MTV show become a phenomenon, so it was only natural that he make an appearance on the show. As usual, Mr. Young mixes up his set, playing new songs like "From Hank To Hendrix" and the sweet "Harvest Moon" to old chestnuts like the Buffalo Springfield's "Mr. Soul" and "The Old Laughing Lady" from his first solo album. While many of the songs like "The Needle & The Damage Done" & the brilliant "Pocahontas" were acoustic to begin with, there are songs that go under some radical transformations. "Like A Hurricane" was a fuzz guitar heavy, sonic blast, but here it is propelled by only Mr. Young's voice and an eerie pump organ. The results are outstanding. "Transformer Man" is from his electronic album, Trans, and the vocals were distorted by a vocoder. In it's acoustic form, it takes on a weird perspective with its futuristic lyrics. "Helpless" is absolutely gorgeous with lush harmonies led by old Crazy Horse member and current E Streeter, Nils Lofgren. Unplugged is one of the better album taken from the show and shows Neil Young's chameleon like ability to transform songs into different styles.

Emphasizing the Mellow
Neil Young appeared on MTV's "Unplugged" series after the release of his "Harvest Moon" album. Like that album, "Unplugged" definitely puts firm emphasis on Neil's mellow side, which in this case yields beautiful results. The material spans the artist's whole career, from Buffalo Springfield (a haunting, stripped-down "Mr. Soul") to his early solo triumphs ("The Old Laughing Lady," "The Needle And The Damage Done"), from CSN&Y ("Helpless") to the mid-'70s "dark" period ("World On A String"), from the Crazy Horse guitar hero days (a radically reworked "Like A Hurricane") to the then-current "Harvest Moon" period (several tracks). My personal gripe is that there's no material from 1974's "On The Beach" (tell me "Ambulance Blues" wouldn't have made this a five-star disc), but the beautiful acoustic reading of the previously electronic "! Transformer Man," from the much-maligned "Trans" album, makes up for it: the performance casts a familiar song in a refreshingly new light, always a neat trick if you can pull it off. (The previously unreleased "Stringman" is also a nice bonus.) Neil is alone for part of the show, until he is joined by pals including Nils Lofgren, Ben Keith, Tim Drummond, Nicolette Larson, and Young's sister, Astrid Young. All do quite well, especially during a take of "Harvest Moon" that is actually more beautiful than the album version (which is saying a lot).

Unique Artist..That's for Sure!
Neil doesn't disappoint. I would love to see him in concert and do the national anthem Hendrix-style. That would be interesting.
From "Mr. Soul" to "Hurricane" this is a great collection!

Alot of us in our 40's are still very fond of Neil.

The Brilliance of Depression
This album is probably the best acoustic performance Neil has done in awhile. Everyone knows this is a great album. I just want to clarify that the version of "Mr. Soul" on this album is the way he ORIGINALLY wrote it. He did not remake this song...the Buffalo did that in the 60's. So there's a little more incentive for you to buy this record.

Wasn't he unplugged already?
Given Neil Young's huge catalog and its inclusion of so much acoustic material, you might think that 'unplugging' him would just amount to his doing a show of his acoustic songs. Well, that certainly would have been the easy way. But if Neil took the easy way, he wouldn't be the Neil we've come to know and love.

In fact, although there is a generous helping of material on this CD that was originally released in 'acoustic' form, there are also a number of surprises. For this show, Neil took several highly non-'acoustic' songs and converted them.

One of my favorites is his bluesy, wailing version of 'Mr. Soul'. Originally a Buffalo Springfield tune, this time it's just Neil with his guitar and harmonica. I also like the stripped-down, countryfolkified performances of 'Old Laughing Lady' and 'World on a String'.

And wait until you hear what he's done with 'Transformer Man'. Even if you didn't like it before, you may like it now.

There's also 'Like a Hurricane', a blistering rocker originally released on _American Stars 'n' Bars_ (which, incidentally, is now available on CD at last!). Here Neil performs it solo, accompanying himself on pump organ.

This show took place not long after the release of the magnificent _Harvest Moon_, so there are a couple of selections from that album. And the rest is what you'd expect -- a set of solid performances of old and new favorites, some well-known and some obscure, from all stages of Neil's long career. "The Needle and the Damage Done', 'Look Out for My Love', 'Long May You Run' -- this stuff is never going to wear out its welcome.

One last highlight: Neil also does a fine tune called 'Stringman' (which I suspect is about Stephen Stills); I don't believe I'd ever heard it, or even heard _of_ it, before this release. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

If you like Dylan, you'll love this!
Growing up being a big fan of the Bryds, how could one not enjoy listening to Dylan played by some of the worlds finest musicians. There has never been a better rendition of Mr. Tambourine Man. My Back Pages with Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison is also something special.

Stevie Wonder gets carried away with his intro to Blowing in the Wind, but fast forward 2&1/2 minutes and you will miss the only misery of this CD. The end of this double CD has Dylan singing. It makes you appreciate how special his music is when sung by these top performers. It also shows off what Dylan does best - song writing.

Wanna hear Dylan with an Irish accent? Buy the CD. I can't think of a better way to spend 2 hours in the car. I own over 500 CD's and this one is my favorite.

Something For Everyone
I'd give this 5 stars, but there are a bunch of tracks that force me to hit the "skip" button on my CD player. The rest is good enough to boost the rating back up to 4 stars.

Perhaps the best thing about this grouping of performances is the fact that everyone has a different favorite part. After reading all the other reviews, I'm left amazed that nobody has pointed to the Eddie Veder/Mike McReady rendition of "Masters of War" as the highlight of the set. To me, this is hands-down the reason to own this set. The amount of feeling poured into the words and the preformance is astounding and a true credit to the genius of Bob Dylan. It provides a case in point that any and all Dylan songs can be made into the performer's own heart-felt masterpiece. Sure the performances by Neil Young, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, etc. are outstanding, but one likes to think that would go without saying by now. If after listening to this you can't feel the anger, emotion and scathing attack behind the lyrics to a song like "Masters of War," you simply never will. The lyrics ring just as true today as they did the day they were written --- if not for knowing better, one might think this song was written for George W. Bush and Dick Chaney. Only the Vedder version delivers the anger and emotion that are conveyed in the words themselves...this is what a protest song is meant to be!

Uneven Dylan
Sorry, but the best performance is Johnny Winters ripping through Highway 61 (revisited)- a lot of the other performers (including George Harrison and Ronnie Wood pale by comparison). Why can't I get it on DVD?

Fascinating
"Archie M" seems to have rather missed the point of this album, when he complains that many of the song versions here "have no resemblence to the original". That's the WHOLE IDEA OF INTERPRETATIONS! He seems to like McGuinn's "Tambourine Man" because it sounds just like the record. What's the point of that?

Sure, nobody is going to like *everything* here (I could do without Mellencamp for example), but there are a few absolute stormers - Lou Reed, Richie Havens, Tracy Chapman, and - especially - Eric Clapton. I'd go so far as to say that EC's performance of "Don't Think Twice" is not only the high point of this show, it's the high point of his *career*. If you're a fan of the "Layla" album, and have been disappointed with the mostly soporific stuff he's done since then, listen to this - it's *blistering* - right up there with "Have You Ever Loved A Woman". Great, great music.

One Fine Tribute Set
I really liked this double CD, found it worth every penny, would recommend it highly. There is some stuff on these two discs that is just simply too good to describe. Tracy Chapman's rendition of the "Times They are A-Changin'" shoots straight to your soul. Richie Havens version of "Just Like a Woman" gives the song a whole new dimension. Eric Clapton's two songs are eerie. Mr. D performs admirably on "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," and surpasses himself on "Girl from the North Country." But the real outstanding song on this set is the version of "Absolutely Sweet Marie," performed by the late George Harrison.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Unlike a lot of live compilation albums, this one really works. All I can say is that I think you should own it. Five Stars. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Limeliters, Another Great Memory Trip
Having been employed by The Brothers Four at one point in my life I decided that it would be nice to put together a small collection of great folk music from days gone by. In deciding who I wanted in my collection The Limeliters did not enter the thought process (it's true, brain cells were lost during the 60s)until I ran across a "Those who bought so and so also bought The Limeliters" note on one of the selections.

How could I have forgotten The Limelighters and what a blessing to see this album in particular available on CD. Nothing beats Folk Music in live concert form and this particular album while it certainly shows off individual talents, humor and creativity, is enhanced with some great audience participation. That's what folk music was all about and The Limeliters were great at their craft. So chalk up some brain cells restored by The Limeliters and some great folk music to listen to and remember.

Marvelous Music!
This CD presents music that was recorded over 4 years before I was born (the music was recorded on July 28, 29, and 31, 1960). And, although a listener can tell the recording is from this time period, the music is not dated... it's breathtakingly refreshing ... My favorites on this CD are "Molly Malone," and "Seven Daffodils," respectively.

To my mind in the Limeliters' repertoire, this album (and it is one album re-mastered into a CD) is second only to the album entitled, "The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters," which is available as part of a two-album-CD.

I recommend this CD to any folk music lover, any Limeliters fan, or any lover of beautiful vocal harmony. Gorgeous, lush harmonies !

MEMORABLE
As a child, I grew up listening to the Limelighters as my parents had seen their nightclub acts and purchased all their albums. Their songs, which are ballads from across many lands, consist of hilariously funny audience group participation as well as tender songs of love. The Kingston Trio was a fantastic group, but in my mind never held a candle to the genius of the The Limelighters. Lou Gottlieb's quick witted ad-libbing was genius in itself and Alex Hassiliev was the quiet baritone. But Glenn Yarbrough, my favorite, has a clear splendid voice that when accompanied by his beautiful whistling brought forth great tenderness to his ballads of lost loves. This album consists of some of their most memorable songs. My son, also, grew up listening to this tremendous group and now three generations of our family have loved the Limelighters!

SENSATIONAL!
In the early 60's, my Dad hated Folk groups. UNTIL the day Ed Sullivan introduced these guys. And almost overnight, he started BUYING their records. That really says something to me! The Limeliters became a big part of my early years, and I'm sure Lou Gottlieb had a huge influence on the way I think. It's probably hard for today's music listeners to comprehend, but before The Beatles, this singing group was possibly the MOST exciting thing on the American music scene! And to put them in their proper historical context: when they appeared on the same bill during the 70's, The Kingston Trio was the WARM-UP act!

TONIGHT:IN PERSON was their 1st Live album, and their 1st with RCA. There's so much I love here-- great melodies, amazing singing, sharp intelligence & humor. While I ran across this one comparatively "late" (1970!) it's been a favorite of mine for over 30 years now. So many highlights: "There's A Meetin' Here Tonight" (rousing), "Molly Malone" (romantic & tragic), "The Monks Of St. Bernard" (dramatic & hilarious at once), "Hey Li Lee Li Lee" (Lou's "audience-participation" song), "Headin' For The Hills" (one of my favorite historical ballads, about the American Revolution), "Rumania Rumania" (perhaps the most exciting-- and funniest-- on the album) "Have Some Madeira M'Dear" (would this be out of place on Monty Python?) and "Proschai" (the multi-lingual "farewell" song).

The strongest statement I can make about this-- is I feel TONIGHT: IN PERSON is one of the greatest live folk albums EVER recorded. And it's NOT even their BEST one!! (Also check out their Elektra debut, THE LIMELITERS, recently reissued in its entirety on CD by Collector's Choice Music!)

Welcome Back
Thank goodness this marvelous old LP has resurfaced via CD.Of all the folk groups of the 60's, The Limelighters are by far the best---from harmony to humor. It's almost as if I'm there in concert with them again! Glenn Yarbrough's melodic voice shines in "Molly Malone" and "The Far Side Of The Hill".A well done album which I highly recommend to folk music fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It was Dylan himself who said "the present now will later be past" and there's no better proof of it than this bizarre live collection of his old hits performed in big band versions where nothing seems to mean what it originally did. There's something going on here and even Dylan doesn't know what it is. Following the success of Cheap Trick and Neil Diamond--who both scored with Japanese live albums--Dylan took his Las Vegas revue with him and handed up "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Shelter from the Storm," and even "The Times They Are A-Changin'" without the vehemence that made them anthems for a past generation. Weird. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Dylan's least interesting live album by far
To me, "Bob Dylan At Budokan" is Dylan's least interesting live offering. That doesn't make it a horrible album, and it does have its moments, but it certainly doesn't live up to landmarks like "Live 1966" or the intense and powerful "Hard Rain".

The arrangements are much too keyboard-heavy for my taste, and the constant synthetic swirls ruin an otherwise excellent "Mr Tambourine Man" a little (fine vocal performance, though). "Shelter From The Storm" isn't too good, though. Dylan delivers it in a monotone chant with barely any hint of a tune, and "Ballad Of Thin Man" suffers a somewhat similar fate, ruined by annoying backup vocals and saxophone breaks(!).
"Love Minus Zero / No Limit" fares a lot better, though, and it's sort of a relief to hear Dylan's familiar harmonica at least try to compete with the awful keyboard noises.

A heavily syncopated "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is better than feared, but the Las Vegas-arrangement doesn't suit "Maggie's Farm" (horrible horn section!), and the same can be said for "Valley Below".

"Going, Going, Gone", "I Shall Be Released" and "Like A Rolling Stone" aren't half bad, although I'll never learn to like that horn section, and the excellent "Is Your Love In Vain" is a nice inclusion, horns or not. Still, there is more bad than good on CD I.

The second CD opens with "Blowin' In The Wind", complete with a chorus of female backup singers and tinkling piano fills. I don't have to tell you what I think of that, do I?

Well, then comes "Just Like A Woman", and you breathe a sigh of relief. The low-key rendition is quite pleasant and relatively uncontaminated, except for annoying backup vocals on the chorus. "Oh, Sister" is unreconizable, however, and not in a good way.

"Simple Twist Of Fate" is very good, though, with an excellent vocal performance by Dylan, and even the saxophone is bearable here.
A very slow, re-arranged "I Want You" is actually quite interesting, but "All Along The Watchtower" and "All I Really Want To Do" have been given the full Vegas-treatment, which is a shame, since Dylan's vocals, particularly on "All I Really Want To Do", are very good.

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is bearable, in spite of the weird keyboard fills which sound nothing like "real" music, and the backup singers. "It's Alright, Ma" is heavily altered, and had Dylan been backed by a decent band, and left the chorus at home, it could have been pretty good.

Fortunately, the album ends on a high(er) note, with a good rendition of the lovely "Forever Young", and a fairly good "The Times They Are-A Changin'", but "Bob Dylan At Budokan" is ultimately a forgettable album, mainly due to the horrible arrangements.

That's a matter of taste, of course, but I think it's safe to say that this album completely lacks the nerve of most of Dylan's other live releases, and I don't think too many Dylan-fans can listen to this record and honestly say that they prefer the Vegas-arragments to the originals.

Greatly Underrated
This isn't dylan's best live album, but it certainly has that great live feel that he always generates. As far as I know, this was early in the '78 tour. I've heard a couple of concerts from later on that year, and the band does sound a little bit more cohesive. But the versions of "Mr. Tamberine Man", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," and "All I Really Want to do" are all as exciting as their original versions. i love the old songs sung with his late 70's voice, but that's my personal opinion. I can see people not liking this album, but I feel it doesn't get any better than live dylan...from any era. When he's reinventing himself and his songs, he's always on the edge and at his best. And not only does he recreate his sound on every album, but he sounds different on every tour and at every show. This isn't a dylan must, but i wouldn't pass it up.

The are Dylan fans and Dylan fans
In the old Buddhist axiom 'life is change'. It seems many reviewers cannot cope with this album. Well it's petty good. Flutes, violins, saxes and organ all rocking along. Be open minded and listen to Dylans' genius. It is different. But thats the nature of life. But he's vocally at his peak and there are some great renditions. Added bonus is the recording is really hifi quality. Don't listen to the pseudo Dylan fans. Buy this!

Raise it like the Respect Sextet
Some classic performances on this CD. Not all wear well, but a classic "Shelter from the Storm" and a fascinating re-working of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" in full reggae regalia make this a welcome addition to the compleat Dylan fan's library.

Sure It's Interesting, But Even That Wears Off
I bought this album on vinyl when it was released, at the same time as I was exploring some of the classic Dylan albums. For some reason, I could never bring myself to play the second LP--I just got bored with the whole thing halfway through. There are some good moments scattered throughout--I like "One More Cup of Coffee" and its sax solo; "Love Minus Zero" is catchy; "I Want You" is a beautiful reading of what was a throwaway "pop song" (tho' still one of my favourite Dylan tunes)--and there are a few other highlights. But it's hardly an album to run out and buy, unless you're very interested in how Dylan reinvents himself in all his stage shows. This time out, the big sound obscures the lyrics, without the glamour and myth of the Rolling Thunder shows. This album was a mistake, and it's probably no accident that he ended up veering completely in another direction ("Slow Train Coming") after this. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Unforgettable.
No one who saw Stan Rogers perform will forget the sight of this huge man from the great north singing songs of the sea and of Canada. I saw him several times, including one enchanted summer eve in 1982 at Penn's Landing in Philly, singing "Mary Ellen Carter" while tall ships glided silently up and down the Delaware, showing only their running lights. At the time, not having heard him before, I was astounded that so many in the capacity crowd not only knew the songs but sang along with the chorus. Hear this album and learn why. I never met the man personally, but I was pained when he and many others died in an Air Canada fire (there's a reason why smoking is forbidden in airplane lavatories). IMHO, one of the best live albums, of any genre, ever recorded.

Stan Rogers Own Living Memorial
I drove my wife crazy playing The Mary Ellen Carter over and over again back in the '80s. I'm so pleased that Rogers' albums found their way to CD and can be enjoyed by future generations. His big sweet voice is unique as is the musicianship on this album. Listen to the riffs between the verses. One of the guitarists is Grit Laskin whose career is resurfacing and none to soon. This album should be in the nucleus of anyone's folk music collection along with Joan Baez's early recordings, the original Guthrie Folksay (not Folkways), early Josh White, Cisco Huston, and Logan English's interpretations of Guthrie. This one is deservedly a classic.

Still the Best Introduction to Rogers' Music
This is the Stan Rogers album I heard first, back before his death, and all things considered, I think this incredibly spirited live set is still the best introduction to Rogers' music. Included are the definitive versions of "Barrett's Privateers" and "Mary Ellen Carter," the haunting "First Christmas" (ever a contender as the saddest song ever written), and the thought-provoking lament "Harris and the Mare." And that's not all...

The songs on this album represent Rogers' songwriting talent at full flower and the band is snapping with energy. My only complaint -- gee I wish they'd used a better vocal mic. It's not awful, but fairly typical of the late 70s.

If you like Gordon Lightfoot ...
you will love Stan Rogers. His music runs along the lines of 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'. Beautiful and haunting folk songs mostly about the hard life of sailors (The Flowers of Bermuda and Rolling Down to Old Maui). This CD has a unigue track on it - "The White Collar Hollar" - which is a modern 'blues' rant by computer programmers from the time of punch cards. I love it. Also, Harris and the Mare is a great tragic song about a peaceful man who's wife is attacked in a bar and none of his friends came to his aid when the attacker pulled a knife on him. I can't come up with the words to express it's eloquence.

Between the Breaks
What can I say, I love all of Stan Roger's music! ... Read more

Amazon.com

There was a time when Dar Williams flubbed her chords, forgot herlyrics, and could only make it through a set due to the enthusiastic support ofher fans. Now she's a seasoned and poised folk-rocker and a mesmerizing liveperformer, although this recording fails to reflect it. Sadly, her magneticpersonality and energy seem lost here. Recorded during her 2000 tour behindThe Green World, OutThere Live too often falls short of both her lush studio recordings and hervibrant stage performances. Although upbeat numbers like "As Cool As I Am" and"Are You Out There?" nearly summon the patented Williams charm and verve, hermore plaintive, quiet songs, such as "February," "End of the Summer," and "WhenI Was a Boy," sound exhausted and flat. No new songs or covers are included,most arrangements vary only slightly from existing studio recordings, andWilliams frequently sounds downright bored. Her endearing stage banter iscaptured in a few song introductions, but it is not enough to carry an albumthat will please only die-hard fans. --Sally Weinbach ... Read more

Reviews (25)

excellent album
I first encountered the music of Dar Williams in college. I was flitting around looking for new music in the shared directory and ran across some Dar songs. I was very impressed. I like the folk sound to her music and I ran across some songs that became some of my favorites: "As Cool As I Am", "The Christians and the Pagans", "What Do You Hear in These Sounds," and "Are You Out There". I wanted to buy one of her cds, but the songs I loved were all on different albums. Then I found the live album that works like a greatest hits album. The songs that I love were on the album...and I also got a chance to experience some more great songs, including "The Babysitter's Here". I've never seen Dar Williams in concert, so I can't comment on the live experience compared to the live album....but I'm very glad I bought this.

For diehard Dar Williams fans
I personally really enjoyed this live album from Dar Williams. I haven't seen her live yet so this album is a real treat for me. All the songs on this album are my favorite Dar Williams songs like "After All", "Spring Street", "As Cool as I Am", and "End of the Summer". Hearing those songs live added a rawness to the songs that I just didn't hear on the studio versions. I thoroughly enjoyed the intros to "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono", "Are You Out There", and "The Babysitter's Here". The intros almost reminded me some of the dialogue off Ani Difranco's "Living in Clip" which I found to be quite eery. I thought the intros added a nice touch to the album. Normally I don't care for live albums with the exception for "Living in Clip" and now "Out There Live". Although there isn't a song I haven't heard before by Dar on this album, I honestly enjoyed listening to it. Not a single dud on this cd.

opened my mind...
Dar Williams...beautiful strong feminine voice. This album moved me more than almost anything else that I have listened to in the past year. Hearing her live is exciting because it is raw and beautiful, not overlayed with unwanted information. It is true, honest and beautiful. This album truly brings across the idea of live performance. It is crisp, yet not overdone. I can honestly say there is not one track on this album that I do not like.

She's amazing, but...
I first discovered Dar at a concert in Snowmass Village, near Aspen Colorado. I had never heard of her in my life, being from Australia, but I went along anyway and was completely mesmerized! From "Iowa" to "What do you hear in these sounds" I couldn't believe her cool, honest lyrics and voice. I got "The end of the summer" and love it, but the live album wasn't so great--I recommend her others, as each wonderful song is given more clarity in her other albums.

just TRY not to cry!
A good friend of mine is obsessed with Dar's music, and burnt me this CD. I didn't think I'd enjoy it, but I gave it a try anyway, just to be polite. What followed was one of the most haunting and harrowing musical experiences I've ever had. Ms. Williams is perhaps the finest songwriter in modern music, and I'm not forgetting giants like Rob Thomas and Tori Amos. Her lyrics touch me so deeply, and she forms such strong melodies, that I sure that while she isn't so popular now, in a hundred years she will not be forgotten. In my opinion the standout track is "February," but "Iowa," "Are Your Out There?" and "The End of The Summer" are almost as brilliant. I will never tire of Dar's music, and tears will never fail to jump to my eyes at this lyric in "February":

"And I tried to remember,
But I said, 'What's a Flower?'
You said, 'I still love you.'"

I would give this ten thousand stars if I could. What an experience! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Nanci Griffith first built her audience through intimate, well-timed, and energetic concerts. This live set, recorded in August 1988 at the legendary Anderson Fair in Houston, contains her best performances of originals like "Workin' in Corners," "The Wing and the Wheel," and "Love at the Five and Dime," as well as songs by Bill Staines, Eric Taylor, and Julie Gold, songs she helped bring just shy of fame: "Roseville Fair," "Deadwood, South Dakota," and "From a Distance." Griffith learned her craft and got her chops down at Anderson Fair, and her gift for narrative shines brilliantly in her (often hilarious) between-song stories, and her unaffected, twangy whisper. She's backed by the subtlest and most sympathetic of bands, the Blue Moon Orchestra, and there's nary a misstep, a rare thing for a live album. --Roy Kasten ... Read more

Reviews (32)

This CD will leave you spinning...
This CD will leave you "Spinning on a Red Brick Floor" (the final track, and my personal favorite on the album). There is a nice mix of styles and speeds...covering a wide range of emotions. The live performance of favorites is simple and heartfelt. The introductions to each song make me feel like we're having a conversation as Nanci entertains a small group of friends. Nanci's voice is unique...and may need to "grow on" unfamiliar listeners. But this is the album to buy whether you're trying her for the first time or find her to be a familiar friend.

One of my top three
I was first exposed to Nanci Griffith when I stumbled upon her music videos on CMT many years ago. This prompted me to buy a cassette of 'One Fair Summer Evening', and I liked it, but lost interest. Years later I stumbled on it again, and the fire was rekindled. Now I have almost all her works on CD, including several imports and a pirate CD or two.

This album is delicious in its mix of songs, made all the more delectable because it is a live album. What's interesting is how much Nanci's stage presence had developed by that time, and how much more it has done so since. Here she still has that timid little-girl voice during the conversations between songs. This has gone away in the proceeding years as she has matured.

Nanci has a huge following in the genre, most probably because of the depth of feeling in her songs, and the warmth that comes through.

This album would rate third or fourth on my list of her albums, preceded by 'Sound Of Loneliness' (a live-concert import from England) and Blue Roses From the Moons. However, I agree with a previous reviewer that I would be hard pressed to choose between them if I could only choose one.

I, too, have several copies of the album, managing over the years to acquire it on LP, CD, and cassette, as well as the video of the concert.

I must disagree with several of the other reviewers in comparing this album to 'Other Voices, Other Rooms'. While OVOR is an important work, and does contain excellent performances, 'One Fair Summer Evening' as a whole is a better reflection of what Nanci is about; where she comes from and where she is going. OVOR is not in my Top Five, and definitely would not be on my list for a desert island. '

Live Nanci is a Triumph
What a wonderful recording. It is full of gems like "Roseville Fair" and "I Would Give You Ireland."

This CD gives you a good feel for the unpretentious, soulful way of Nanci. What you see is what you get and what you get is beautiful.

How good is she?
This one is a gem. This is what a live album should be. Especially the acoustic sound of "Trouble in the Fields" is sensational! It is a must buy!

A BIG FAN
I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF NANCI GRIFFITH SINCE SHE DID " FROM A DISTANCE" I LOVE HER PLAYING AND HER ABILITY TO WRITE SONGS. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HER MAKE MORE DVD'S. I HAVE PURCHASED MOST OF HER CD'S AND HER ONE DVD. PLAN TO SEE HER WHEN SHE COMES TO HUNTSVILLE, AL. THANKS, JENNIE SCOTT ... Read more

Amazon.com

The accomplished Smither, after 30-odd years of performing and recording, has carved out a distinctive musicality and a close relationship with his audience. This live record makes letter-perfect use of both attributes. A far cry from 1999's excellent but instrumentally diverse Drive You Home Again, this is a spare, intimate recording featuring just guitar and voice. But what a guitar, and oh, what a voice. Gravelly, light, and tuneful, with a plaintive nasal pinch that bleeds wisdom and salvation, he rhymes his storylike lyrics around effortless guitar twangs and a simple tap meter, entertaining very lucky and appreciative live audiences with guile and an astute sense of observation. Songs like "Cave Man," from 1997's Small Revelations, find an easy soulfulness in their unadorned settings, and show off just how skilled Smither's songwriting has become. Other tunes leave an endearing impression of hopeful whimsy, as tracks like "Winsome Smile" trace a lover's almost pathological grip on his precious melancholy. Smither's deserved popularity has landed him in larger and larger venues for the last several years, but this disc reveals the musician's heart is still grounded in those intimate coffeehouses, bars, and sidewalk cafés, where acoustic songcraft has always flourished. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (16)

the man with the blue guitar
Chris Smither live is amazing. Just one guy with an acoustic guitar, apparently. But the way he plays that guitar! Over many years he has honed a truly accomplished folk-blues style that has more density than many bands I've heard. Plus, you notice that board under his feet? He pounds out a rhythm with both feet, adding drums! Of course his songwriting is up there with the best, and his singing is intense and affecting. And funny? He had the crowd cracking up between songs just about every time when I heard/saw him at USU in Logan last fall. This album is the next best thing to Smither live. It also brings together a great sample of his recent work, pointing the listener to his series of 90s Hightone albums (my favorite is "Up On the Lowdown," and "Happier Blue" is marred by synthesizers). What do you miss from his live show? The stories, for one. You get one, just a taste, the story of the New Orleans produce man. You also miss some of his great covers -- Lowell George's "Rock and Roll Doctor," and John Hiatt's "Memphis in the Meantime." So check out this awesome live album, and go see/hear him live the next time he's within 100 miles of you!

THE BEST LIVE SOLO ACT AROUND
You really haven't heard Chris Smither until you've heard him live. He's simply an amazing artist, and one of the best solo acts performing today. The best way to describe his music is it pretty much straddles the fence between folk and blues. All done with acoustic guitars and his two tapping feet he uses as a rhythm section. Believe me when I say, this is all this guy needs. He is a full sounding one man band. Some of my favorite songs off this album are the bluesy "LINK OF CHAIN" and "CAN'T SHAKE THESE BLUES", along with "UP ON THE LOWDOWN", and one of his best songs "I AM THE RIDE". All these songs come from his studio album "UP ON THE LOWDOWN", which I'm partial to because he had a cd release party for this album the night he came through Oklahoma City back in 1995. I got to hear all these songs for the first time in a live setting, which made it that much more special. There was a lot of electricity in the air that night, and that was a concert I will not soon forget. Smither came through the city again in 1996 for the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Concert. Although it was a sad ocassion, when Chris Smither came on that big stage with just him and his guitar, he played the most inspirational set of any of the big name acts that appeared that night. And it made everybody who walked out of the Civic Center Music Hall that night, feeling a little bit better about everything. Everyone should get to see Chris Smither live at least once in their lives. In the meantime, I highly recommend getting this new "live" cd. This guy is a great songwriter, and there isn't a bad tune on here. And it's the next best thing to seeing him live.

Live Smither...sort of
As almost any of the other reviewers will say, you haven't truly experienced the full genius of Chris Smither until you see him live, but "Live As I'll Ever Be" is very much what the title sounds like: an excellent live disc of the living, toe-tapping wonder with the blue guitar. With no intention of prejudice, one might ask in jest, "A middle-aged white guy playing the blues? It can't be!" But Chris Smither's brilliant lyricism and sturdy voice certainly extend beyond all boundaries. Song lyrics that strive for (and acheive) an ethereal sense of grounding glide between the harmonies of fingerpicking that defies comparison. Few recordings can delve as deeply into the psyche as Smither's "Cave Man" or his moving cover of Roland Salley's "Killing the Blues."
Smither himself states it best in his song "Help Me Now": A one man band to the bone.

Concert in a box
My wife introduced me to Chris Smither via his studio albums a number of years ago, but it wasn't until 2001 that I got to see him live. I was absolutely blown away! Although I disagree with the reviewer who doesn't like his studio albums, the live experience is definitely better. A man, a mike, his blue guitar, and his tapping feet - that's all you need!

As someone who grew up on rock rather than blues it really struck me how much better a musician Chris Smither is than anyone else I have seen live (which includes Rush, Primus, and AC/DC as well as Moxy Fruvous, Eddie From Ohio, and Janis Ian - all of whom I like!) He is very charismatic, but what I found most amazing is that while playing these incredible licks he totally ignores his guitar, as opposed to the stereotypical rock guitarist who looks like he is examining the grain on the neck of his guitar during a solo. It's as if C.S. is just twiddling his thumbs, so much is the guitar a part of him.

Do yourself two favors: buy this album, then go see him in person (or vice versa!)

Seems So Dumb to Get So Excited
I've been a fan of Chris Smither since his 1972 "Don't It Drag On" LP. When he blasted "Statesboro Blues" and "Friend of the Devil," it was like having an old friend I never met in my living room. I went back and picked up his "I'm A Stranger Too" from 1970, then he disappeared as a recording artist until 1984 with "It Ain't Easy." These were albums to which I continually returned. If I understand correctly, he was battling his own personal devils with alcoholism. Then he returned in 1991 with his live CD "Another Way to Find You" that covered his recordings to that point. Throughout the 90's he consistently put out excellent CDs, followed recently by the classic "Train Home" that came out this year. "Live As I'll Ever Be" was my #1 CD for the year 2000 on my "Class of 2000" list here on Amazon, but I never reviewed it. I also had never seen Chris live, until last Friday night in Chapel Hill. Chris is the quintessential live performer.

What comes across so amazingly live is the great humor in his songs. When he sings, "Seems so dumb to get so excited," on "Can't Shake These Blues," it's not that it's a comedy song, but just that you get the humor of his great spirit. His facial expressions contort to often express a humble self-effacing guy with wry wit. On Friday he related singing at prison where the inmates were a little wary of him at first. Then after a couple of songs "they figured I just hadn't been caught yet."

This disc is a great representation of his live show. All of the songs on this disc are so strong that it's hard to pick highlights. "Hold On" is a great opener. When he did "The Devil's Real," he said his friends showed up at his concert worried that he'd gotten religion. He assured then he hadn't; and they all left. His closer in Chapel Hill was "Link of Chain" which is a great song with his great penchant for lyrical twists, "Fly me like a kiteline smilin' like a goldmine, I don't need to be right." "No Love Today" with its intro about the vegetable man makes you think this will be a funny song about a street seller until the song hits its great pathos, "I could not love to save myself from lonesome desperation, everything I thought was love was worthless imitation." "Cave Man" boasts a gorgeous melody about the supreme loneliness. Chris' guitar on "Small Revelations" is about as expressive as a guitarist gets balanced by his wistful vocals, "Passion is feeling in motion, compassion is standing still." When Chris adopts a song like Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom," he encompasses it so completely that it's hard to tell that it from his self-penned pieces. There is also a great universality and worldly wisdom that comes through in Chris' songs like, "I'm not the passenger, I am the ride." One of my favorites is "Up On the Lowdown" with its insistent beat and they great rise in melody when Chris sings "That's what's so surprising."

Chris' set "Live As I'll Ever Be" is a great recording of a man in his element. His guitar is so distinctive that just like I can recognize James Taylor's or George Harrison's guitar as individual as their vocals, so too is Chris' guitar unique. I thought this was the best recording of 2000. Enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of the best and most timeless.
Great album. It makes you want to get up and get those happy feet going. I saw him at St. Bonaventure University in the late 70's. One of the best concerts I have ever seen.

Why only four stars? Not only did the nitwits break up a great double album, but Amazon doesn't let you sample the songs added to each of the cd's. It makes me think that I should just buy the software that allows me to copy vinyl LP's to cd instead of trying the additions.

bromberg's best !!
this is easily David Bromberg's best album
which has something on it for every musical
taste. The versatility of the musicians is
amazing and their skills are very apparent on
a great mixture of acoustic/electric country, folk,
blues and rock tunes.I have seen David Bromberg about
3 times; the first as an oppening act for Dicky Betts.
This was easily one of the BEST concerts I ever heard
and seen.... must of been true for Dicky too!! He was
so drunk (Bromberg probably scared the pants off Betts)
he couldn't play at all. As a matter of fact, he couldn't
even tune his guitar. To sum it up... GET THIS CD !!

Why did they split the album up?
How Late'll Ya Play Til? was my favorite Bromberg release on vinyl, but I'm still mystified by this particular release. Half of Bromberg's discography is now being released on CD with 2 albums combined on one disc. But here we have Bromberg's only double album, and lo...it's released as 2 discs.

Somebody SHOOT the marketing department.

Now you know why I only gave it 4 stars. That being said, tho', everyone do what you must in order to own a copy of "Will Not Be Your Fool". Worth the price of admission. Even when you have to pay twice.

Good but...
To really experience the David Bromberg Band you would have had to have seen one of his concerts in the late 1970's and early 1980's when he really put on some show. I have seen nearly every great guitarist live except for Eric Clapton and I still remember two of the four times I saw Bromberg as being two of the best concerts I ever attended.

How Late'll Ya Play 'Til?, Vol. 1, Live [LIVE]
This piece is dated by language and references but remains constant in the display of versatility and range of style that Bromberg has mastered. His rendenitions of traditional blues tunes with a Dixieland treatment or a simple slide guitar demonstrates his comfort with himself, his material, and with a variety of musicians capable of leading him or being led. The man is the master of a variety of stringed instrument and very few musicians compare to him. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Unplugged albums are frequently corny, but this was an important artistic move for Dylan in 1995, when many fans had given up on his incomprehensible singing and lackluster concerts. With sympathetic backup musicians, including organist Brendan O'Brien and guitarist John Jackson, Dylan returns the coherence to his originals ("All Along the Watchtower," "The Times They Are A-Changin'," "Desolation Row," "Like a Rolling Stone") and rearranges them just enough to freshen their sound. The previously unreleased "Dignity" is one of Dylan's best songs this decade, and it fits nicely with the rickety versions of "John Brown" and the finale, "With God On Our Side." --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Great live Dylan
This live album marked the beginning of his latest comeback. His band is great and his performance is inspired. I just wish they had released the entire concert; Hazel and I Want You were performed on the show, and they are magnificent versions. My Brazilian CD has an extra song, Love Minus Zero/No Limit, also wonderful. However, the released songs are great, my highlights being Tombstone Blues, John Brown, Dignity and With God On Our Side.

An incredible perfomance--Dylan never sounded better
Dylan's more than deserving resurgence in recent years traces its birth back, in my opinion, to this incredible live performance. This album has it all, mixing old and new music that more than satisfies longtime fans like myself and appeals to the younger generation, many of whom would know Dylan only by name had MTV not provided the medium for Dylan to prove his genius and longevity to them. Dylan's tendency to be reclusive and mysterious has made him inaccessible to some listeners in the past, but the appreciative audience is an important part of this recording, and you can tell that Dylan really enjoyed the whole performance.

The older songs on this CD are great, but they do have a different sound from their originals; this may disappoint some fans, and I admit it took me a while to appreciate this version of "The Times They Are A-Changin,'" but the soul of the songs remain the same, no matter what kind of modernized or different interpretation Dylan decides to go with on a certain night. I love "Tombstone Blues," and it does start the CD out with a great kick. It's always nice to hear Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," if for no other reason than to let people know the song didn't originate with Jimi Hendrix. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" has never been a favorite of mine, but this version is a enjoyable splash of fun in between a couple of slow, serious songs. "John Brown" is a significant track, dating back to the 1960s but never having been released. It truly reflects the anti-war feelings Dylan expressed so forcibly in his formative years. As great as the classic tracks are, the tremendous newer songs only build on the musical momentum and prove that Dylan's great songwriting days have yet to come to an end. I was a little surprised to see "Shooting Star" from the Oh Mercy album, but it sounds great and fits right in here. "Dignity" is another recent song that showcases Dylan's songwriting and singing.

Three songs particularly stand out on this CD for me. "Desolation Row" is a truly incredible, meaningful song that only Dylan could write and perform. Lasting more than eight minutes, I still always hate to hear it end. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," a song which some listeners may not enjoy as much as I do, really starts building the momentum that reaches its crescendo with my favorite Dylan performance ever of his greatest song, "Like a Rolling Stone." Having wowed his audience for close to an hour, he is definitely "feeling it" when he gets to this trademark song. Its length is matched only by its powerful delivery, and I get the feeling listening to it that even Dylan is a little surprised at how great a show he is putting on. "With God On Our Side" is an interesting song with which to end the CD, but it reflects the heart and soul of music's greatest songwriter. Following on the heels of a rocking performance, it reminds listeners that the old Dylan so many have loved for decades is still there, even if his classic songs have been given a fresh overhaul.

This is by far my favorite Dylan CD. Having a rather small audience so close to the musicians makes this live performance a true personal triumph, and the sense of intimacy between Dylan and his fans is powerful and palpable. Dylan has never seemed happier or sounded better than he does here.

"Vomitific"(Dylan's term)
I'm not one to get too nostalgic and linger in the past because the present is much to exciting However every now and again I listen to some Dylan. There is something to be said for longevity. This outing from 1995 finds Dylan in a loose mood with a fine nasal vocal tone that ducks and peeks while his strong lyrics jab and punch your sensibilities leaving your brain feeling like silly putty. Created for the superlative accoustic MTV series, Dylan is right at home with his folksy pre-electric roots. His harmonica playing adds luster to the folksy sound. He displays an impassioned vocal range that you will either hate or love but you have to give him his props for his poignant songwritting. Actually he is singing on "Knockin on Heaven's Door"in a very uncharacteristic style that indicates he can actually carry a tune! More at home in his delivery of barely understandable slurring and distorting in his vocal phrasing is more the norm on this disc. This cat was the original white rapper sans urban beats. His poetical lyricism is superb. This collection of songs are timely some 35+ years later. Of particular interest is "John Brown" about the soldier who goes off to war and sees the enemy "whose face looks just like mine" and returns to see his mom after being wounded . In these days that finds our country once again at war the words, reality and horror of war are very relevant. "Desolation Row" is one of those classic Dylan songs that paints surreal imagery with words that still reads like a modern epic tour de force. There are several other songs from the excellent 1965 "Highway 61 Revisted" including the unofficial 60's anthem "Like a Rolling Stone" that begs the question "how does it feel to be without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone"? Further along in the song Dylan states, "You said you'd never compromise, with the mystery tramp, but now you realize he's not selling any alibis as you stare into the vacum of his eyes and ask do you want to make deal"? These lyrics might make baby boomers choke on their lattes and cause them to wreck their Lexus suv's now days as they reflect on their rebellious youth. Another "Highway 61" song is the mind blowing "Tombstone Blues" with which he opens the set as he makes reference to the everything from the "commander in chief, John the Baptist, Gaileo, MaRainey, Beethoven, Deliah and the Phiilistines." In these times of world trouble and tension, heightened by terrorism, Dylan's exploration of war is very timely today. He ends his song and set with the words"If God's on our side He'll stop the next war." Even though "The Times TheY Are A-Changin'" some concerns remain the the same. This is as important music today as it was originally in the 60's and when this 1995 MTV version was released. Buy it especially if you don't have any Dylan, it is a nice introduction to the poets music. Every song is a winner.

unplug tha hoarse voice!
props to all yu Dylan fan-atiks! dylan is in tha house and it aint pretty. tha same guy who is sooo poplar in tha 60's jsut can't hold up in tha 90s whut with good charlotte and blinkity 182 wuich the COOL peeps lissen to! I mean, this guy must be areal muzician! he actually writes his own songz! dat is more than Avril can say fur herself, but AVRil has chart topping hits! dat is more than dylan can say dese days! peece out dylaholics! see ya at tha morgue!

He Does This On Purpose
Man...this guy's been messing with our heads for 40 years.
Ya gotta love him!

I've seen Bob Dylan 3 times in concert, and only once did he give 100% The other two times, Bob barely played the harmonica...hurried through classic songs and cut verses out of the longer songs.

My point?

This brilliant poet/folkie and pot-head has been putting us on ever since he came along in the early 60's. When he feels like giving you his best, he gives it to you! But when he doesn't feel like giving you his best....he puts on the "too burnt out" act.

Bob knew that this was a concert for MTV and the critics, so he purposely just threw out a bunch of effortless numbers. He's Bob Dylan, and will always do what HE wants...not what others want.

Surprisingly...the critics loved this show. Bet ya Bob was shocked.

Still love ya, Bob! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

In addition to being an activist icon, Pete Seeger is also a singularly ingratiating entertainer whose effortless charm and gentle humor give him a natural rapport with children and adults alike. This expanded edition of the much-loved Children's Concert at Town Hall adds nine songs not on the original 1962 LP, and includes such favorites as "Skip to My Lou," "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal," and Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Seeger's easygoing charisma is in force throughout, making this refreshingly non-condescending fun for all. --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pete Seeger is Great
A Pete Seeger concert is a special moment in time. This recording does awonderful job capturing such a moment at NYC's Town Hall 1962.Here we find Pete Seeger at his best, playing songs for children and theiradults friends. . The charm of Seeger is that he entertains and teaches atthe same time. Whether he's chopping wood on stage, singing about frogs
(Foolish Frog ) or monsters (Abiyoyo ) Pete is great .Like a child ,Seegeris honest, sincere and real. In a world that offers very little in the way of recorded music for children Pete at Town Hall is a must have recording for children of all ages.

hard to believe this is four decades old!
This is the only Pete Seeger CD we have, so I can't compare it to other ones, but I can assure you that this one is GREAT! It's got a lot of songs, some familiar, some not, some short, some long, all delightful. Pete's banter with the audience is gently humorous, very engaging and frames the songs nicely. This isn't exactly a "lullaby" CD and yet my son (almost 3) loves, loves, loves to fall asleep to this at night. I think he finds Pete's talking and singing very comforting -- perhaps because this is a live CD, the experience of listening to it is more human and intimate than it would be with a studio recording. Another thing that makes this CD appealing to children is that Pete makes funny (and not irritating) animal noises, vehicle noises (depending on the song) and other kinds of noises as well -- he uses sound like a prop, making each song vivid for his listeners.
Enjoy!

Fabulous, I grew up on this!
Pete Seeger's voice is warm and pleasing for kids. Album includes a raft of classic American folk tunes, the ones I sing to myself and also use to lull the kids to sleep. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The passing of folk-music pillar Woody Guthrie was fresh on the minds of the participants in the first of the two concerts that make up this live tribute recording. Guthrie had died of Huntington's disease in the fall of 1967; the following January, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, and several other Woody apostles gathered to perform the folk legend's songs at Carnegie Hall. In September of 1970, a second gathering convened in the Hollywood Bowl, this one headlined by Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, and others. Originally released separately on two records, this CD brings both concert recordings together on one brimming CD. Highlights include Dylan and the Band's rowdy reinterpretations of "I Ain't Got No Home," "Dear Mrs. Roosevelt," and "The Grand Coulee Damn" as well as Jack Elliott's "1913 Massacre," Odetta's "Ramblin' Round," and Tom Paxton's "Pastures of Plenty." Readings by actors Will Geer, Robert Ryan, and Peter Fonda from Guthrie's prose link the two concerts into a cohesive whole that Guthrie aficionados will find irresistible. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (4)

In 20th Century America, folk singing meant Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie was America's troubadour, plain and simple, the man whose picture goes with the encyclopedia entry on "Folk Singer." Like the poets who recited Homer in ancient Greece, Guthrie recreated his songs as he performed then, changing then as occasion demanded and memory allowed. As performed by those who came in his formidable wake, such as Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Odetta and Joan Baez, the songs of Woody Guthrie probably sound better than they ever did before, but their authenticity still rings through and that is what makes them powerful. The concerts from which these performances were taken were intended as celebrations of Guthrie's work. The program was developed by Millard Lampell, who had been a member of the Almanac Singers with Guthrie, and who created a script from Guthrie's songs and writings (narration is provided by Will Geer, Robert Ryan and Peter Fonda). Lampell also wrote the liner notes about Guthrie, "A little guy sloping down a dusty road, looking for something he couldn't name."

Guthrie wrote so many songs that I have no doubt there will be many tracks on this album you have never heard before. My favorite is Tom Paxton's version of "Pastures of Plenty," although I also like the section on the Pacific Northwest, where Bob Dylan sings about "The Grand Coulee Dam" and Judy Collins leads the audience in "Roll on Columbia," while Robert Ryan's narration fills in the gaps. Plus, of course, there is something fundamentally enjoyable about hearing Arlo Guthrie sings his father's songs. This 2-record set on highlights from concerts at Carnegie Hall in 1968 and the Hollywood Bowl in 1970 was condensed to a single CD by eliminating three songs, all of which were written by the artists who performed them rather than Guthrie. All this means is that nothing important was lost in the transition. "A Tribute to Woody Guthrie" is a necessary part of any serious collection of American folk music.

incredible superstar gathering
Amazing! Baez, Collins, Dylan, Paxton and so many more folk rock icons, all in one fabulous concert recording. The singing and playing are uniformly impassioned and excellent, with some of the greatest performances of Woody Guthrie songs ever, in particular Judy Collins singing Deportee so movingly, Tom Paxton brilliantly performing the mock epic Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done, a great Grand Coulee Dam by Dylan himself, and the list goes on and on. The sound quality is pretty good, but the performances are in a class by themselves. Strongly recommended for all lovers of folk music.

must-own cd!
This cd is excellent and makes a wonderful gift for any music lover. I have played and bought this cd for many friends and all who heard it loved it. The cd contains songs and narrative written by Woody Guthrie but performed at two tribute concerts after his death by artists including Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Country Joe McDonald, and more. The background music is provided by The Band. Woody Guthrie's songs on this album, while not all happy by any means, bring out a sense of pride in the listener for our country, for the workingman, for injustices and tragedies suffered and survived. He sings and speaks of many sorrowful things such as the sufferings of migrant workers, miners, hoboes, and the "poor and downtrodden" but the overall message is one of pride and hard work, and love and compassion for your fellow man. I can put on this album when I'm sad or frustrated, or sense myself letting the petty every-day problems of life get me down, and the soul-wrenching folk music of Woody Guthrie never fails to put things back in perspective and a smile back on my face. This is one of my all-time favorite albums that I believe everyone should own!

diverse voices bring alive Woody Guthrie's dustbowl songs
One of my favorite albums. Woodie Guthrie wrote true folk songs. The diverse voices of currently-celebrated folk singers honor his impact on American music. You get a folk sampler of these many talented voices, plus a whirlwind tour of depression-era history, workingman sentiment, politics, etc. The songs are emotionally powerful, spanning a full range from joyous celebration or playful humor to righteous anger or heartbreaking pathos. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One may never be able to go home again, but that hasn't kept Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel from trying every other decade or so. This double-disc live set (recorded in December 2003 at the Meadowlands and Madison Square Garden) shows their musical chemistry has transcended the years--and no small amount of acrimony. But while their '80s live reunion was marked by an aura of celebration, this one floats on an undercurrent of bittersweet resolve. There's no mistaking the elegiac tone of the title track, while stark readings of "Hazy Shade of Winter" and "Sounds of Silence" can't help but evoke the scars of 9/11. A musical circle is completed as the Everly Brothers step in for a joyous "Bye Bye Love," while elsewhere Simon's musical restlessness inspires a subtly jazzy reworking of "Slip Slidin' Away" and Garfunkel adds his stately grace to his partner's "American Tune." The album concludes with S&G's first new studio recording in 30 years, the plaintive, irony-studded plea, "Citizen of the Planet." --Jerry McCulley

Recommended Simon & Garfunkel Discography

Bridge Over Troubled Water	Sounds Of Silence	Bookends
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme	Wednesday Morning, 3am	The Columbia Studio Recordings

... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Pete Seeger, who began recording in the early 1940s, is perhaps the most influential figure in the American folk revival, a walking repository of song who's had an immense influence in popularizing folk music with mainstream audiences. The 2 CD We Shall Overcome is an expanded version of a classic 1963 live album that offers an excellent example of Seeger's activist passion and good-humored humanity. This expanded edition contains the entire 40-song concert, making it almost three times longer than the original vinyl incarnation. The typically eclectic and heartfelt program, encompassing civil-rights anthems and anti-war pleas, along with tunes from England, Russia, Brazil, and the Caribbean, provides an excellent introduction to the artist. --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (6)

There's room for this in everyone's CD case
Pete Seeger is a mirror: you see yourself in him. If you're a child, you latch onto his easygoing voice and the humor evident in tunes like "A Little Brand New Baby" and "Little Boxes." If you're a teenager, you cling to the drama in "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Who Killed Norma Jean?" If you're an adult--younger or elderly--you can appreciate the joy in life evinced by Seeger on every song on the album. It brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I listen to "Tshotsholosa," a Rhodesian road worker's song. Seeger's gift is to make every song a proclamation of the beauty of life and the wonder of other people. He is endlessly curious and polymathic--songs on this album include the traditional and the new, the English and the Portuguese, the German and the Spanish, the despairing and the overjoyed. Think of this album as a wistfully lovely time capsule in the few months before the 1960s finally exploded. It was recorded just five months before the assassination of JFK (one of Seeger's Harvard classmates) and just five years before the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. It simultaneously bears the innocent stamp of the 1950s without that decade's plastic falsity--and the righteous indignation of the 1960s without the tang of defeat that accompanied so many other things from that era.

Time Capsual
Wow. 1963. Pete Seeger. According to "Music Hound's Guide to Folk", Seeger was in his prime when he performed this concert at Carnegie Hall. I'll say he was. He finds the emotion and fun in every song he sings and lets his voice soar. If he hasn't completely blown you away before, this recording will. This is the entire un-cut concert with audience applause, Pete's introductions (and mistakes), and it runs for over 2 hours. It's not the same as being there but it's pretty darn close. Listen to it on the best system you can find, make your self comfortable and transport back in time to 1963. This is why Pete Seeger is the Father of modern Folk.

The Best Folk Singer Ever!
Pete Seeger is the most essential folk artist ever. This album proves that. It starts off with Seeger and his banjo, but moves quickly to the songs that made him popular. He also does a few Bob Dylan tunes, including a wonderful version of "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall." The second disc includes many familiar songs, including "This Land Is Your Land," "We Shall Overcome," and his signature song "Guantanamera." It also includes a number of introductions and conversation with the audience. The original album only had a small portion of this concert. Having the whole show enables a person to hear the magic. Simply one of the best folk albums ever released.

excellent compilation of various folk music
This is a classic folk music album. With Pete Seeger (the best folksinger ever created), Seeger's integrity when he sings, the entire concert (the original album was about 35 minutes) and a compilation of 60's folk songs, traditional folk, civil rights songs, and music from other countries, this album is a compilation of great music. There is also spirit which is enthusiastic for both Seeger and the integrated audience. This is Pete Seeger's all-time best album. A classic.

One of the all-time best folk albums
I've loved this album since a friend introduced it to me in ninth grade, nearly fourteen years ago. It's a great mix of Seeger classics: audience participation songs like "Sweet Potatoes" (with surprisingly good harmony), anti-war songs, civil rights songs. One of the best things about the live-in-concert aspect to the album, besides the vitality that comes through the sometimes shaky recording, is that you hear Seeger giving some credit to the people who wrote, sang, and suffered these songs before he popularized them. That acknowledgment does a lot to boost his credibility as a civil rights advocate. A few of the songs sound dated, but most of them still resonate. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Sad shadows, golden light..
Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Don Alias, and the one and only Jaco Pastorius. Even for those who aren't Joni fanatics, the list of musicians alone makes this album worth a good second look. How often do you skip live solos because they're basically exercises in self-indulgence? Fear not, Pat and Don pull it off here without overreaching or pretentiousness. The original solo by Jaco would have been a welcome inclusion as well but, as someone else already pointed out, it had been done previously on Weather Report's live 8:30 - an album which complements this one nicely, I might add.

How much you'll enjoy Shadows & Light probably depends on how much you like jazz. Joni's storytelling voice and folk roots show through, but the whole album is settled into a pure jazz mood that still blends perfectly with her distinct style. "Free Man in Paris" is given a new life with Jaco bouncing all over the place. "Dreamland" flows hypnotically. The title track is one of Joni's most peaceful, beautiful moments on record. What are you waiting for? Click and order; if you don't like it, chances are you know someone who will.

Review of Shadows And Light
This is the reason I started listening to jazz. I was about 14 years old when I first heard this record, listening to bands like Parliament/Funkadelic
and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. But when I heard this live recording it changed my life.
This is one of Joni Mitchell's best recordings.
This album also contains some of the best work I believe Jaco Pastorius has done. Here he plays exactly what's needed
for this kind of pop/jazz-ballad music. Beautiful fills/solos throughout the record, and at times extremely complicated but suitable bass lines.
Pat Metheny also plays on this record. There's a separate track where he plays a nice solo accompanied by Lyle Mays on keyboards (who now plays
in the Pat Metheny Group). On the Charles Mingus classic "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", Michael Brecker solos fast, but it suites the ballad very nicely.
Joni sings, not only the melody originally written for the song, but also the melody from the original saxophone solo recorded on Mingus Ah Um in 1959.
The other Mingus composition, "The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines", which really lifts the album at the right point, ends with an amazing 3-minute
jazz-jam where Michael Brecker really "let's it all out", and Jaco grooves like never before.
I gave this album 5 stars, but I must point out that this album is also available as a double-cd. On this one they have left out "Free man in Paris", "Black Crow" and "Don's Solo" (percussion solo by Don Alias). If you're about to buy this record, I recommend the full version, which probably costs a little more money, but it's worth it!

Topnotch Jazzmen Playing Mitch's Powerful Music
This concert album represents the culmination of Mitch's "art" period. Although we get a song or two from such transitional works as "Court and Spark" and "The Hissing of Summer Lawns", most of the material is drawn from "Hejira" and the then-current "Mingus" album. By eschewing the older part of her catalogue, she avoids duplicating songs that were released on her previous live effort, "Miles of Aisles". Fans from the early days should be forewarned that by this time Mitchell was seriously flirting with jazz, so there's little old-fashioned rock'n'roll on this release, but never fear - this isn't the sort of music you put on while you're watching a ball game, or talking on the phone. This is a mature work by a brilliant songwriter, backed by what some have dubbed the greatest band ever assembled.

The selections vary between Joni's impassioned, quietly intense, deeply personal folk-based material ("Amelia", "Furry Sings the Blues", "Edith and the Kingpin"), and the rollicking exuberance of the band's full-tilt jazz explorations of "In France They Kiss On Main Street" and "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines". On lead guitar we have virtuoso Pat Metheny (whose talents are somewhat underutilized on this set, sad to say), with his longtime compadre Lyle Mays playing keys, but Jaco Pastorius' bass-playing is super-phenomenal throughout; you really get a strong feel of how he's revolutionized the instrument, and Michael Brecker gives what must have been the performance of his career, especially on "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" and the impassioned cover of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat".

This is not your father's (or your mother's) Joni Mitchell album. The power of the performances makes this a must-have recording for Mitchell's fans, even though they already have studio versions of all of these songs. For folk fans, Mitchell's haunting voice and introspective lyrics (albeit less distinctly personal than previously) still deserve attention. Progressive jazz fans will probably yearn for more Metheny, but Pastorius' bass works so effectively with this material that you can't fault the arrangements. Moreover, there's probably never been another album that so successfully merges progressive jazz with pop sensibility. Even more highly recommended is the vinyl version, which contains recordings of "Black Crow" and "Free Man in Paris" that are so incredible that it boggles the mind that they were cut from the CD.

COMPELLING CONCERT, LEGENDARY BAND SUMS UP JONI'S 70s WORK
I will always reflect back on "Shadows & Light" with tremendous fondness for two important reasons: it introduced me for the first time to Joni Mitchell's late 70s jazz-oriented body of work and also prepared me for the true greatness which was soon forthcoming from the team of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays (who play guitars and keyboards respectively on the concert album.)

"Shadows & Light" is a collage of Mitchell's various musical expressions throughout the years: rock, folk and pop ballads blended with her own unique and often quite eccentric style of jazz. The album kicks off brightly with "In France They Kiss on Main Street" with Mitchell packing in the words to this rapidly traveling and lyrically nostalgic pop tune. The crowd is enthusiastic from this very first song, which adds to the excitement and electricity of a very memorable evening at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl.

From there it is a fascinating journey through the most recent Joni Mitchell works preceding this release...from "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" she performs the mysterious "Edith and the Kingpin" and the beautifully acappella title song with background vocals courtesy of The Persuasions. Mitchell's selections from her then recent collaboration with the late Charles Mingus are the focus of her most hard-core jazz performances including "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" and the finger-popping "God Must Be a Boogie Man" which feature the late Jaco Pastorius on bass and Michael Brecker on saxophone.

Most lyrical and haunting though are her beautiful and often ethereal selections from her album "Hejira" including the rolling and humor-laden "Coyote", the melancholy "Furry Sings the Blues" and most notably the absolutely monumental "Amelia"...a confessional tale full of loss and wanderlust with its focus on the life, dreams and death of Amelia Earhart. "Amelia" concludes with a visionary Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays duet, which is a fine early example of the incredibly melodic and prolific work these two composers and instrumentalists produced together in subsequent years (such as on the album "Pat Metheny Group: First Circle").

There are a few old favorites covered on "Shadows & Light": a lively rendition of the old rock and roll classic "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?", and performances of two older Joni Mitchell classics "Free Man in Paris" and the legendary "Woodstock."

While the concert DVD of "Shadows & Light" now appears somewhat dated, the CD of this concert is every bit as entertaining and emotionally charged as it ever was upon its initial release. Truly a unique live classic.

Why?
I hate to say negative things about Joni, but man-this album is far from decent. I'm not the type who gets freaked out about "change", but I truly wish she would have just kept Max Bennett and John Guerin (even if they did divorce). No offense to Jaco, but his "fretless" sound can get out of control. Especially on sweet tracks like "In france" and "edith and the kingpin". It really doesn't fit. The whole sound just kinda makes me sick. If you want a good live Joni album, get "Miles of Ailes". ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Very underrated
If you sometimes find yourself shouting "Judas" at the radio when Bob Dylan comes on playing something band-backed, this record is probably not your thing.
Me, I love it. It's too short by far, but Dylan and the Rolling Thunder band rock like never before or since. In my opinion, the intense "Hard Rain" is just as great as the fabled "Live 1966" (the so-called Royal Albert Hall concert from the Free Trade Hall in Manchester).

Bob Dylan and his band play some of the hardest, rawest and most ragged rock n' roll music of his entire career - just listen to him tearing through a spiced-up "Maggie's Farm" and a melodious folk-rock interpretation of "One Too Many Mornings".
But the highlight of "Hard Rain" has to be the closing ten-minute rendition of the venomous "Idiot Wind". Dylan sneers and shouts his way through a magnificent version of his most memorable song - that one cut alone is worth the price of admission.

Underrated live album
The lone official document of the Rolling Thunder Revue, this may be skimpy on song selection, but what is here is immaculate. Opening up with a powerful version of Maggie's Farm (Dylan's long-time concert staple), it then leads into yet another incredible re-invention of One Too Many Mornings. The set continues with the always fun "Stuck Inside of Mobile..." before going into Oh, Sister, another staple of the Rolling Thunder tour. Lay, Lady, Lay comes up next, which gets a big response from the crowd (it was requested earlier.) I Threw It All Away has a nice rendition here as well. However, the true standouts on this album are the re-workings of three songs from Dylan's masterpiece, Blood On The Tracks. Shelter From The Storm is the first of these, more of a raging version here, and every bit as profound. You're A Big Girl Now is an excellent, excellent re-make... featuring numerous instrumental sections, and some particularly agile guitar playing. Still... the closing version of Idiot Wind is worth the price of the album itself. Long one of my favorite Dylan songs, this powerful song lends itself well to a raging live performance, and Dylan puts it across convincingly here, putting some real grit and emotion into the song. It's almost like a mantra; it's power is undeniable. While I don't reccommend this for your first live Dylan album (Live 1966 and Before The Flood both serve the casual fan better), it is certainly a must-own for fans.

Essential Live Dylan
My god, what can I say...I'm listening to this album for the first time in about ten years....finally replaced the casette from my college days. Sounds as incredible as ever. While not the most polished of live recordings, this album makes up for that in that it represents the true essense of a Dylan show. To me, this is Dylan's best live recording. I agree with some of the previous reviews in that the song selection could have been better, but not much better, as the mix of songs does work extraordinarly well. I think the tempos are perfect, from the opening of the record with with Maggies Farm to the final Idiot Wind. Great album by a great musician. Can't miss with this one.

The First Rolling Thunder Record
"Hard Rain" came out right after "Desire" in 1976 and Dylan did the "Hard Rain" TV show to kick off the record. Curiously enough the songs on the video were different than the ones on the record. And no "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" on the record. How dumb was that. He performed the song all over on that tour, but left it off the live recording of the tour of the same name. And the great stuff he did with Joan Baez, included on the video, but not on the LP. Who planned this record anyway? He should be shot. Fortunately those mistakes were corrected when "Rolling Thunder" the last one out in the legal Bootleg series was released. To bad it took 'em over a generation to figure it out. Only three stars for this one, and that's sad.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Not what I expected.
Okay Dylan album. If your hard core you would want it, if not stick to the basic Dylan stuff. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, and the Kingston Trio were youngsters next to the Weavers, but without these acoustic elders, the aforementioned artists may have never found their folk voices. The Weavers were the main catalyst behind the folk explosion of the '50s and early '60s. This album captures the spark that led to that detonation. Certainly the foursome was responsible for the leftist political bent associated with folk music to this day. The Weavers were one of the few musical entities blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings in 1952 after a witness named them as Communists, probably a result of members Lee Hays and Pete Seeger's labor-union activities. In 1955 the quartet reunited for this historic show--and you can still hear the triumphant spirit in the air that night as the group (and audience) delight in the Weavers' brand of eclecticism, moving from Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie covers to old English ballads, African music, New Orleans spirituals, and songs that would soon influence rock & roll. --Bill Holdship ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Weavers Forever!
I was given this album in the late 1950s when a young teenager. Since then I of course became a Bob Dylan disciple, then became heavily addicted to the best British rock and pop music, through The Who, The Beatles, Kinks, Animals and all the other members of that extraordinary 1960s caravanserai.

And amidst all that was the explosion into my consciousness of great classical music, experienced through the likes of Oistrakh and Richter, Giulini and Klemperer, Schwarzkopf and Popp.

I still love ALL types of great music. And I still regularly return to The Weavers and still marvel at their art and their commitment. And of all their recordings I have heard since they first impinged on my young consciousness, this 1955 concert at Carnegie Hall is still the freshest, thumpingest, foot-stomping best. Buy it now. No matter what your age, it will enrich your musical life forever.

I DARE YOU NOT TO SING ALONG
I never saw/heard The Weavers live, but I have many of their albums and have played this particular one, literally, hundreds of times. No, I am not a big folk music fan. In fact, I cannot think of one other so-called folk album in my collection of CD's.

The first thing one notices about this live concert, recorded in February of 1955, is that the sound is so terrific-- as if recorded in that great concert hall yesterday. At the same time, the sense of pure joy coming from the stage and then back from the audience is palpable.

The four voices that make up the group are individually so fine & so idiosyncratic: the big, booming bass of Lee Hayes, the sweet baritone of Fred Hellerman, the totally unique sound of Pete Seeger and, best of all for me, the warm alto of Ronnie Gilbert whose every note is just about perfect and whose enunciation is superb. You understand every single word she sings on every single song.

From Ireland, Africa, Indonesia, the American South, Israel, etc. every song is chosen perfectly and matchlessly performed....and I promise you that you'll never listen to "Greensleeves" ever again, without slyly smiling. It is easy to hear that the audience is having the time of their lives. The Weavers are a national treasure. I dare you not to sing along. Highly Recommended.

An essential piece of Folk Music!
This is one of the best Folk albums ever and definately the place to start your collection of Weavers material. When you hear their version of "Sixteen Tons" you'll quickly forget the one by Ernie Ford. "When The Saints Go Marching In" is also great. And, of course, "Wimmoweh" and "Goodnight Irene" are excellent. Add "Rock Island Line" and "Follow The Drinking Gourd" and you have a classic album. But, there are 20 cuts total, so this just barely scratches the surface. The songs, Seeger's instrumentation, and the harmonies of the four is simply outstanding. Definately get this one and enjoy some of the finest Folk Music ever recorded. ... Read more