Editorial Review

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Reviews (97)

The Living Room Tour
Fantastic!!! I wish she was still on tour so I could see her in person.

Extremely Annoying Clicking Sounds Throughout
Now that everything's been said in praise of this Living Room Tour double CD, isn't it about time at least one person mentions the extremely annoying clicking sounds at the end of several tracks which indicate the song's been cut short for the next one? Listen to the end of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman: Even before Carole's voice is finished, there's a clicking sound and we're onto the next track. Do we blame Rudy Guess for this (Mixed by him) or Engineer Brandon Miller? More sensitivity, please guys!

Musical magic by a true legend
I saw Carole King on the Living Room Tour, and I am so glad I did. It was just her, the piano, her longtime guitarist Rudy Guess, and Gary Burr, a very talented guitarist, singer and songwriter in his own right - in a "living room" kind of setting. That's it - just the three of them. This CD brings it all back - "Where You Lead," with Carole's daughter Louise Goffin, the rocking acoustic "Jazzman," the "Gerry Goffin/Carole King Medley" (LOTS of wonderful songs included - some I didn't know they had co-written), a great acoustic version of "Smackwater Jack," and a haunting "Now and Forever," which makes me cry every time I hear it. The only one missing here is "Been to Canaan," which she played the night I saw her, but otherwise, it's wonderful. No matter what some of the other reviewers here say, this is a great way to hear and see any musician - without the full band, in their living room, where it all begins. Thanks, Carole, for sharing this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Soft Rock   

Editorial Review

The surviving members of the Fab Four spent much of the 1990s belatedly reuniting to document, promote, and occasionally awkwardly burnish their unparalleled pop music legacy. This double-disc anthology of live-in-the-studio performances originally recorded specifically for the BBC during the most frantic years of early Beatlemania was the first chapter in that effort and the first issuance of previously unreleased Beatles recordings since the late '70s. In many ways, it remains the most artistically revealing. Capturing them at their early '60s live-performance peak, these recordings pay homage to both the band's eclectic musical influences (including Chuck Berry, Phil Spector, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Larry Williams, the Coasters, and the Shirelles), and to the enthusiastic and generous sense of musical discovery and the pop proselytizing that accompanied them. A number of the Fabs' own '62-'65 singles and album tracks are also featured, but they mostly take a back seat to the generous collection of previously unreleased cover songs included here. The band's brisk, often irreverent sense of humor also comes to fore in the intros, interviews, and between-song banter. An indispensable part of any true Beatlemaniac's collection and a superb introduction to the roots of a musical legend. Read more

Features

• Live
• Original recording reissued

Reviews (54)

forgettable
This double album really passes me by, as a bit dull. I can find one really good rare track, written by Macca, 'I'll be on my way', that is the only original that is not on another album, this should have been polished and put on the album that is closest to it, time period wise.
"What about my book?!"
This CD should settle once and for all that the Beatles were fine performers live.It would be hard to prove that on copies of broadcasts from Shea Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl.With the exception of one obvious edit on "Hard Day's Night" (though to rectify it, they play the ending fadeout riff ad nauseum at the end of the song "Here's proving that they're playing live!" says the BBC emcee), this is the Beatles live (and usually without the fanfare of screaming teenage fans).
Sometimes I play the fool.
Between March 1962 and Jube 1965, the Beatles were featured performers in fifty-two BBC radio programmes and sang eighty-eight different songs, thirty-six of which they never recorded for a record.The reason that they made so many "live" appearances on radio is, the Musicians Union had a deal with the BBC, so that a certain percentage of airtime each day had to feature live musicians.In other words, they couldn't just play records all day.This collection features 56 songs that the Beatles recorded especially for radio, including 29 songs they never commercially recorded.There are also a few bits of chat between the Beatles and the radio hosts.But the highlights, of course, are the otherwise unrecorded songs.Almost all of these songs are covers of other artists' songs, although there is one Lennon-McCartney original.The most covered performers are Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Little Richard.They also cover other legends like the Coasters and Buddy Holly, plus some very obscure artists that you probably never heard of.The BBC didn't save many of these shows, so some of the songs are taken from home recordings that people made off of their radios.Consequently, the sound is a bit sketchy on some of the songs.Regardless of that, this is an essential collection for any Beatlemaniac. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. British Invasion    2. Merseybeat    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop    8. Rockabilly   

Editorial Review

Ravi Shankar planted the seed, but it was George Harrison who turned this historic benefit concert into reality. The publicity-shy former Beatle could've easily written a check and forgotten all about the matter--impoverished East Pakistani refugees stranded in India--but instead recruited some of his most talented and compassionate friends and created an event remembered as much for the quality of its music as the purity of its intent. (The two-part engagement itself raised $250,000.) The players include Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and Bob Dylan, while the backing band includes Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, and the up-and-coming Apple band Badfinger (Phil Spector and Harrison produced). The concert took place on August 1, 1971 at Madison Square Garden and was released as a triple-album boxed set that December and a feature film in 1972. That year, it won the Grammy for best album. The program begins with Shankar and his trio ("Bangla Dhun") and ends with a song Harrison wrote for the occasion ("Bangla Desh"). Highlights include Billy Preston's rousing "That's the Way God Planned It" and Dylan's heartfelt five-song set, starting with "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." The remaster adds an additional Dylan track, "Love Minus Zero/No Limit," from the afternoon show. Although the cover art has been changed to a picture of Harrison, the original iconic image of a sad-eyed child remains prominent in the CD and DVD packaging. As with previous versions of Read more

Features

• Live
• Original recording remastered
• Soundtrack

Reviews (29)

A Bunch of Music Stars Get Together to Do Something Good
"The Concert for Bangladesh" is the live CD from a famous and important 1971 concert led by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. It was a fundraising effort for the incredibly suffering poor country of Bangladesh. Among the stars who showed up to perform in Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971 for the concert were Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, and Leon Russel.
Suggestions for a one-disc "highlights" version
Don't get me wrong. I love "The Concert for Bangladesh." However, a single disc version would be nice. Here is how I see it:
THIS CD IS WORTH THE COST JUST TO HAVE THE 6 DYLAN TUNES
Sitting in the movie theatre many years ago, glued to every note that Dylan sung. What an spellbinding performance! Seemingly so simple, yet so timeless. As I listen to them all these years later, these 6 numbers are what make this album worth all of the other songs. Masterful performance by Mr. Dylan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Country Blues    3. Country-Rock    4. Crossover Jazz    5. England    6. Experimental Rock    7. Folk-Rock    8. Indian Classical    9. Instrumental Pop    10. Political Folk    11. Pop    12. Pop/Rock    13. Psychedelic    14. R&B    15. Raga    16. Rock    17. Rock & Roll    18. Rock/Pop    19. Singer/Songwriter    20. World Fusion   

Features

• Live

Reviews (1)

My secret guilty pleasure
Although I typically prefer my music to come for the 60's and 70's, I have to say that Hootie and the Blowfish are my secret guilty pleasure.I just love this band.Love the songs, the members, the voices - just the whole package.I also prefer Live recordings versus studio recordings.I have everything I love in this CD.Thanks guys for a great show! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Trad Rock    3. Jam Bands    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

A criticism that has long dogged Billy Joel's career involves his songs' direct, heart-on-the-sleeve emotional sentiments and a musical approach that often revels in pop music's past glories instead of reacting against them. Ironically, those are the very strengths of Twyla Tharp's dialog-free pop ballet based on Joel's infectious canon of music, including his recent forays into the classical realm. This live cast recording is fueled by the piano and vocals of Michael Cavanaugh, who, backed by an ensemble handpicked by the songwriter, gooses every last drop of drama from Joel's already theatrical songs with a verve worthy of the legend himself. But divorced from Tharp's always kinetic choreography, and despite angular reworkings of "We Didn't Start the Fire" and other Joel standards, it's a collection that sometimes sounds akin to Joelmania: not really Billy, but an incredible simulation. Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (58)

Saw the show - what a memory
I love Broadway and grew up on the Piano Man (no I am a Chicagoan and haven't yet seen anything on New York's Broadway).This show did justice to both an now I listen to the CD to re-live the event!

Interesting Concept, But Originals Outshine
In anticipation of seeing this show, I picked up a copy of the cast cd.The orchestrations were crisp and Michael Cavanaugh's voice was quite good as the "piano man".Best Tracks include:
Movin' Out CD: Why?
Who is this recording for? Surely not for Billy Joel fans, who would undoubtedly prefer Billy doing the actual singing. For that matter, why would anyone want to listen to 60+ minutes of Billy Joel covers? This is the most pointless cast album since Contact. Movin' Out is a similarly visual show the appeal of which lies not in Michael Cavanaugh's admittedly distinctive performance. It's no wonder you see used copies of Movin' Out is used records stores everywhere. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cast Recordings    2. Pop    3. Showtunes / B'way    4. Soundtrack   

Features

• Live

Reviews (28)

"Mr. Crapdock on the kickoff......"
When I initially heard this the moment it came out I loved it having seen Cream in '67&'68 and following Sir Eric through his many changes since 1966.This is the best you can get mixing the country/blues styles of Delaney & Bonnie with the rock/blues/soul of Clapton.And Bonnie can really belt it out as she does on many of this CD's numbers.I love that the backing band are the Dominoes who hadn't officially formed yet.I wish that this could be remastered and re-released as the entire show and maybe even a DVD because I have a copy of the Denmark show which is fantastic!!

A Holy Relic of the greatest era of Rock
So many people have discovered this album by accident, usually attracted by 'with Eric Clapton' under the title. Some great raunch and R&B on this album, it's a blast to listen to. A little sloppy at times, but that's what live shows were like before everyone copped an attitude and shows became choreographed and epic fireworks displays.
Why don't more people know these guys ?
D&B were the preiminent white R&B singers. They counted as fans Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Joe Cocker, Dave Mason, etc. etc.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Popular Music    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Soul   

Editorial Review

Originally released as a 10-track live album in the late 1970s when live albums were all the rage, Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Live
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (32)

One of the best live cd's you'll ever own!!
Back in 1977, Cheap Tricks management wanted to release a cd that would hold them over until the new release was finished. Dream Police was almost ready to roll, but it just needed a little extra time to be fully completed before it was released to the world. Up until now, Cheap Trick had not had much success in North America and they were counting on the Dream Police release to put them on the map. When they recorded Live a Budokan it was to help get things rolling and to be a stop gap measure to fill the void until the new release was ready. It was also only supposed to be released in Japan. Well as it turned out, it was one hell of a stop gap. Live At Budokan became the anthem in North America and broke the band big time. It was a tremendous success that helped propel the band to new heights. Songs like I Want You To Want Me became overnight hits. They had reached massive successalmost overnight or least it seemed. Cheap Trick was a hard working band and this over night success so to speak was well earned.
Finally, the entire show!
Like The Who, Cheap Trick utterly dominates the stage as a live band. Unlike The Who, however, Cheap Trick has never really put out a truly extraordinary studio album (good albums yes, but not extraordinary). I think these are the reasons why Live at Budokan has always been a favorite of critics and listeners alike.
One of the best live performances I've ever heard - it's a little cheesy but you'll still love it!
Cheap Trick is essentially a minor guilty pleasure and a little cheesy, but if you can get past that then you will find that they are an AMAZING band! Their strengths lay in their live performances, and this album especially proves this point (they were more of a "show" than an artistic, political or poetic group, and they knew this). What's so fascinating about "Cheap Trick At Budokan: The Complete Concert" is that it's so well-produced for a live show - you can hear everything clearly! The drums are especially easy and fun to listen to. The songs are all essentially cheesy-but-fun power pop songs with a hard rock twist, and even if they aren't the deepest songs in the world lyrically, you will still probably love them. Not all of the songs here are great, unfortunately (the original album only had 10 songs, but this has about 25 - that could explain it), but the album's length and the amount of good ones it DOES have more than make up for it. "Hello Kiddies", "Big Eyes" and "Surrender", for example, are all classic power pop songs from the early seventies. Singer Robin Zander does an excellent job with the vocals as fits perfectly as a power pop/hard rock vocalist - I'm pretty sure that most people will love him. The lyrics aren't all that interesting by themselves, but Robin definitely adds much needed energy to the mix. Like I said, the only downfall to this particular verson of the album is that some of the extra songs aren't that good (the original album wasn't the whole concert, but this is). Basically, if you're into power pop, the history of rock or if you're looking for an amazing live album, then "Cheap Trick At Budokan: The Complete Concert" is one of the best you buy! Absolutely recommended!
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Arena Rock    3. Hard Rock    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Popular Music    8. Power Pop    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Live
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (44)

Pure Musical Genius
This album is one of answers to if you were stranded on a desert island... what albums would you want with you. This is a 34 year old album that is a relevant today as it was then. The man could write, sing and entertain. One of his last performances before a couple year vacation, he went out on top and then reinvented himself as a romantic adult crooner as he grew out of the hippie aged songwritter. He has put out numerous live albums, (Love at the Greek, Hot August Night II) and while his original live album "GOlD" was a solid late 60's attempt, this is the album to own and hit the "continous play button."

Diamond at his very best
Not many artists are able to perform live as well as they do in studio.Of the top of my head I can honestly only think of Bruce "the boss" Springsteen who may even be better live than in studio.Many live albums are available with Neil Diamond and he's never bettered this exceptional performance.It's like here everything fell completely in place; Neil's vocals are top-notch, the band sounds great and even the audience contribute alot.Diamond classics such "I am, I said, Play me, Stones, And the grass won't pay no mind" sound even better here than originally heard.Upbeat songs such as Sweet Caroline, Holly holy and especially You're so sweet sound MUCH better here than in their studio incarnations.
Shattering The Hot August Night
Simply put, the best live album I've ever heard.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Pop    3. Pop Vocals    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Soft Rock    7. Vocal   

Features

• Live
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (51)

Elton RAW
It is the raw sound of this album that first attracted me to it when I first bought it ages ago in Europe (under the heading 17-11-70 because of the different date headings they use). This was a concert Elton performed with just his bandmates, drummer Nigel Olson and bassist Dee Murray at a record studio in New York City. This is an electrifying set capturing the intensity of Elton's early performances, circa the famed Troubadour performance in LA in 1970.
Fans can never be objective...
From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...Elton live is rarely a good thing. This CD is no exception and if it weren't for his better than average version of "Take Me To the Pilot" this wouldn't even get 2 stars.

Jaw-droppingly good
I'm always stunned when I see this record treated as one of Elton's weakest efforts, because I think it is BY FAR the most exciting, explosive record he ever put out.As a professional pianist/singer/songwriter, this is easily the most influential record I own.(I've also heard that fellow piano-basher Ben Folds has said something similar.)All live records should be this good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter    9. Soft Rock   

Features

• Live

Reviews (25)

Classic pre-Parrothead JB
I went to high school in South Florida in the late 70's and JB is the soundtrack from that part of my life. My love of the ocean, Caribbean and sailing is all tied up in this music. I owned this album on vinyl and it is still one of my favorites. I haven't seen a JB concert in some years but this captures the concerts I used to attend in Ft. Lauderdale with my buddies. I agree with the other reviews that say this is his best live recording. It is very intimate and although I own the studio versions of all these songs I prefer the live versions of "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home", "Tampico Trauma" and "Grapefruit, Juicy-Fruit". The cultural references like the "Holiday Inn full of Coneheads" take me back to long summers and the "Yankee Clipper" beach...

I Remember This Guy!
Having grown up in south Florida I can testify that the conversation between Morris and his Mrs. in the gem "Morris' Nightmare" is an authentic, annual rite every time the snowbirds fly south. I can also comfortably state that this is how Jimmy sounded before the party moved from the stage to the parking lot.
better than his originals
After listening to this its hard to listen to studio versions.
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Subjects:  1. Country-Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Jimmy Buffet has become better known for his roles as a bestselling author and seafaring adventurer than as a songsmith, which is why this 15-song live collection could not have arrived at a better time. Recorded in Nantucket, it revives all the charming, affable elements that launched a legion of Parrotheads, a Hawaiian-shirt-wearing following that's come to rival Deadheads for fanaticism. The songs are lush, humorous, and frequently reference the props we've come to expect from Buffett--bikini-clad women, rum drinks, and low-slung hammocks. While not exactly the world's best vocalist, the one-time college cheerleader uses a deft, antic hand to create witty scenarios and sling light-handed barbs aimed at everything from mall culture to his own foibles. The results are curiously captivating. Besides, who can really resist another round of "Margaritaville"? Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Live

Reviews (98)

Still Love Buffett, But Key West Blows This Away
I'm a tried and true Parrothead for more years than I'd like to count and I've owned this CD since it was available. But I was listening to it tonight along with "Live At Fenway" and I have to admit that with Jimmy keeping repeating himself like he has been for almost a decade now that I took it off. What was once so fresh and original now is starting to sound so mailed-in and tired and old, and like Stevie Nicks wrote "I'm getting older too" and really don't need to be reminded of it all the time.I gave myself a break and put Bubba's fishing bud Bill Jabanoski's "The Key West Party CD" and then "Key West, Florida ...Island Of Dreams" on instead. What a difference. Jabanoski is more raw than Jimmy but he kicks your [...] into gear to have fun, get crazy, get angry, and get back to kicking yourself into having the best time you can. Guess it was just finally time for someone for Jimmy to pass the throne onto, But he picked really well.

Parrotheads Unite
This album is great for the car or for anywhere.It is a collection of several different shows but it still flows great.This CD has a good balance of some of Jimmy's latest and some of his greatest hits.Some of my favorites include Cheeseburger in Paradise, Come Monday, and of course the classic Margaritaville with the lost verse.I personally like this album better then some of the best of albums that have come out.I would highly recommend it to parrotheads and non-parrotheads alike.

are you kidding me?
dude.Read more

Subjects:  1. Country-Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

This is how a live album should sound--full of irony, crackling energy, and stellar guest pairings. Those who looked askance when Sheryl Crow--never a girl's girl--joined Lilith Fair for 1999 may develop a different perspective after hearing Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (73)

Sheryl with Rocks royalty
Sheryl Crow and friends live from Central Park is an outstanding live album.
One of the Greatest Live Albums Out There
This album is by far on the greatest recent live recordings.Sheryl Crow demonstrates her influence and talent by putting on an all star show with some of the biggest names in music history.Sheryl shines on her own, singing some of her great hits, but it's the duets that really make the album.My least favorite has to be the Dixie Chicks just because I can't appreciate the country flare they bring to "Strong Enough" but it's still a great version.Chrissie Hynde, one of the album's highlights, brings intense attitude to "If It Makes You Happy", still one of my favorite Sheryl songs.Stevie Nicks remains Stevie Nicks, giving more than enough emotion and flare to her own "Gold Dust Woman."Sarah McLachlan's usually soft voice comes out strong on "The Difficult Kind" and compliments Sheryl's quite nicely.My favorite rendition has to be Eric Clapton and Sheryl together on Cream's "White Room", the rock-out moment on the album.The show is complete when all the guests return to belt out Bob Dylan's "Tombstone Blues" and close the show with a definite BANG.

with friends like these....
Clipped, petite and looking more like a leather bar Anne Murray, Crow drags out the hits and the `friends' for this all-star live bash. Half the album is standard issue and straight ahead stage sweat with the morning beer-buzz afficiando going it alone without a little help from her friends (All I Wanna Do, Everyday Is a Winding Road, A Change Would Do You Good, Leaving Las Vegas). With only slight variations on these overplayed originals (a sychopantic crowd and some tinkering with the rhythms) Crow's solo chores rarely rate more than a grudging ho-hum. The rest of the album is a parade of snap-on tools (Dixie Chicks, Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton, Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde) who easily steal the spotlight from their downhome hash-slinging waitress/host. Reduced to the role of supporting guitarist, Crow butters the toast from the sidelines as femme contemporaries like Nicks (who unravels admirably on Gold Dust Woman), Hynde and McLachlan flounder about the mike in a haphazard hit (Hynde's If It Makes You Happy)-and-miss (McLachlan's The Difficult Kind) headbutt at Crow's hits. But it isn't until Clapton's suspendered, cigar-chomping husk is rolled out to update Cream's White Room that the sour stench of monstrous micalculation reaches it's devastating climax. Fresh from watering the daisies and still in his jammies, Clapton's return to the electric psychedelics of his Paleolithic pastis a fumbling bumbling fiasco unleashed with the grace and finesse of a diarrhetic Brontosaurus. It's horrifying to think that this is what Cream would have sounded like if they hadn't broken up. Thank God for egos. It's almost a relief to hear Richards mindlessly croak his way through the old Stones Exile-era toss-off Happy, as if a cadaverous ex-junkie with the durability of a cockroach and nine lives would be anything but. Besides, Richards provides wonderful comic relief and criticizing his artistic capacity is as futile as pointing out the flaws in the bandages on an Egyptian mummy. The wrapper finds the entire gang, from Spanky Nicks to Buckwheat Clapton, joining hands for a bizarre entreaty with a kindergartenrendition of Dylan's Tombstone Blues - a fitting finale if there ever was one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Trad Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Features

• Live

Reviews (57)

this is the best live album ever. period.
Knopfler's smooth textures mix with sheer rock make every song a winner.

Simply put, the best live album I know.
Just compare the live version of "Sultans of Swing" to the original (from the first Dire Straits album), and you'll get my meaning.

Great live performance from a non-fan
I'm not a big Dire Straits fan but when I first heard this album in the eighties it left such an impression. A less cleaned up version of a "live" album; it is not annoying, but adds to the great feel of the album. The cheap sounding sound system or recording is a big help too. The tune selection, vocals, and a touch of blues bring it all together. You will wish you were there.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock    5. Rock & Roll    6. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Live

Reviews (26)

If you say Bobby who?-You need this.
No review this time. Incredible is all I'm going to say.
Excellent!
"Bobby Darin's premiere at the Copa went down in the Copacabana history books ad one of the standouts. Darin received to many wires of congrats that Western Union told him "you hold the record for telegrams in one night" - Walter Winchell, New York Mirror.
i was there
i was sitting ringside at the copa when this was recorded.in fact our pictures are on the cover it was one of the best shows i have ever seen.its really so hard to understand why he was taken at such a young age.his music is ageless,it will live on ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brill Building Pop    2. Pop    3. Pop Vocals    4. Popular Music    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal   

Features

• Enhanced
• Live

Reviews (19)

Jimmy Buffett.... nothing but the best
All you parrotheads will understand this....
Like Listening to Your Parents' Beach Party
This is a solid career overview of Buffett's music, and a perfect souvenier for anyone who's ever attended one of his concerts. You get all the hits played very well, plus some surprises like "Jolly Mon" and "In the Shelter." The steel drums give the music a tropical dimension, and the oustanding musicianship shows Buffett and Company are well-deserving of their rabid following.
Jerry Garcia he ain't
I really hate to give such a low rating to any Jimmy Buffett album.His music has brought a lot of happiness into my life and made some of the hard times easier to deal with, and I love almost all of his songs.But his recent series of "Live in..." CDs really doesn't make the grade.Why not?For one thing, he already had three terrific live albums, which encompassed different points of his carer and did a great job of it.That alone made the new ones unnecessary unless he did something unique with them, which he didn't.Also, the performance on "Live in Hawaii," at least, isn't that impressive.He hits quite a few wrong notes and often sounds downright bored, and most of the songs sound awfully thin compared to the original versions.I can't speak for whether the other CDs in the series are any better, because after listening to this one, I have no intention of buying them.
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop/Rock    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Nevermind that Alanis Morissette's career spans back to her early teens and she has four prior CDs to her credit. It's just too early to go unplugged. Performances like this are better done in the privacy of one's acoustically appointed bathroom. An expressive, emotionally naked singer, Morissette bares a little too much on this outing. Recorded at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music and produced solely by Morissette, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the carefully wrought songs and slices of her inner life, but there's little to be said about her shrill, thin delivery. Included is the never-before-released "No Pressure Over Cappuccino," which shedebuted on her Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (174)

Great addition to the Collection
I bought this upon release, have played it a lot. It's not my favourite ALanis album, but I like Alanis' music a lot, and I must say that this live album is very nice indeed. The live versions of Head Over Feet, You Learn, I Was Hoping and That I Would Be Good are a joy for the ear, and especially You Oughta Know is wonderful on this album. As for the new songs, I especially enjoy Princess Familiar. The only two songs I do not enjoy as much here are Ironic and Uninvited. I love the originals, but the live versions lack "something". But in all, a great purchase, and a nice addition to her best of CD The Collection!

Unplugged But Strong
That's not my first review about this album.
Excellent!
As a 40-something man, I didn't expect to like this CD this much. What an original singer.Alanis has her own style and nobody can come close to copying it. She is brilliant, and I'm sure her searching lyrics speak to the hearts of millions. Some language may be offensive, she doesn't hold back on bluntness and direct messages. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Post-Grunge    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Singer/Songwriter   

Features

• Live

Reviews (33)

Fans can never be objective...
From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...Elton has never been good in concert because he isn't able to put a new spin on his music when played live and when it doesn't have the lush production it falls flat. Kudos for employing a symphony, but it still doesn't make it memorable.

TheDefinitive Elton John Collection
This album to me is the definitive Elton John collection. The choice of songs is impeccable. Mostly made up of songs from the early years of the John-Taupin relationship, it is the definitive way Elton should be heard. The older songs such as "Sixty Years On", "The Greatest Discovery", and "The King Must Die" are rare nuggets that reveal a time when the writing styles of the duo was very raw. In my opinion, the version of "Tonight" is a lot richer sounding than the version on "Blue Moves". "Tiny Dancer" and "Burn Down the Mission" are Elton concert staples, but are given added luster with the addition of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. And of course this is the album that brought "Candle In The wind" back to the masses. Released as the single from the album,it brought Elton back to the Top 10 after approximately 4 year absence. True Elton fans know that right after this album was recorded, Elton had nodules removed from his throat. Knowing this adds to the rawness of his vocals and the emotions from the recordings.(Elton did not know the severity of his throat problems at the time.) Given all of this, "Live In Australia" defines Elton John's career and is a cornerstone of his catalog that all fans should have. If I am introducing someone to Elton John, this is the album I would buy them.

I got connections
This is by far my favourite Elton John album, because my Dad's on it!!! He was 1st cellist in the Melbourne Symphony at the time. He doesn't get a mention in the liner notes sadly, but he is on the video many times. And call me liar if you will, but I did meet the man after the concert, I was 8 though (damn). His signed photo is hanging behind me. Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Album Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter    8. Soft Rock   

Features

• Live

Reviews (20)

a great album
this is a great album: great songs, lots of energy, and a band that sounds like it enjoying playing.It's a good mix of classic songs with fun jams (think Paul Simon meets String Cheese Incident).It fun weekend/Summer music which will have you dancing and singing along.

****1/2 - great live album and a fine career overview
Equipped with the unwieldy handle of "Paul Simon's Concert In The Park, August 15, 1991", this double CD finds Paul Simon backed by most of the New York session musicians and the native musicians from South Africa and Brazil who had accompanied him on "Graceland" and "The Rhythm Of The Saints".
The title says it all!
On August 15,1991,nearly ten years after recording THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK with Art Garfunkel,Paul Simon taped another concer