Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo: Live Summer Vacation (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pat says she's much happier with her career NOW than she was back when she felt tied to the fast-track -- and her happiness shows in this high-energy concert with only a few flaws. First off, she looks great -- trim and defined at the age of 50(!). Second, she sounds incredible and her band does too -- delivering as much heat and energy off of songs like Hell Is For Children and Promises In The Dark as they did 25 years ago. The only difference is that she now delivers her anthems with a nod to how fun they are to belt rather than taking them too seriously. The flaws? The concert looks as if it were staged just for the production of this video (so it feels somehow less live and spontaneous) and the occasional new song (Out of the Ruins) is just not my cuppa. Nitpicking, really. Enjoy the show -- she still out-hollas anyone. :)

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Stage Review

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(More customer reviews)Aside from the fact that this tour recording captured Bowie at his finest "stage" of his career (with his best touring band by far), it also should serve as a blueprint for further re-releases from singers or bands of the era.
The re-mastering is extraoridnary and blows the old RCA vinly and even the Ryco reissue out of the water. Restoring the original running order of the songs is also a bonus as is the two tracks never before released......Dennis Davis was an extraordinary drummer and Adrian Belew was so far advanced for his time it's truly remarkable to listen to his playing now; he was proof that you didn't have to recycle blues riffs endlessly in order to be in the spotlight.
In short this is like a time capsule which allows you to go back in time to 1978 and listen to one of the worlds most influential artists at arguably his creative peak backed by one awesome and compelling band......all in state of the art digital sound circa 2005.
I can't say enough about this album. Simply the best.

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Australian exclusive which was original released in 1978, 'Stage' has been restored to feature the original running order of the concert and now includes two previously unreleased tracks, 'Stay' and 'Be My Wife'. EMI. 2005.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Out of the Blue Review

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(More customer reviews)You know those desert island discs people talk about? Those top 10 lists? This CD is one of those for me.
In 1977, I was a teenager, just graduated from high school, working the lightweight job. ELO's previous album "A New World Record" was in the 8-track deck in the Pinto a lot. I adored everything about that project and like a lot of ELO fans anxiously awaited the next release. When I heard it was going to be a double album I was prepared for the worst. After all, how many double album packages were great? OK, the Beatles white album was pretty good but I was afraid Jeff Lynne would produce a mess like the John Lennon "Number 9" thing at the end of the white album. (OK, you can direct the hate mail to me.)
But I was not prepared when I went to the record store in 1977 and plopped down almost four hours wages at the time to buy the 8 track on the day of release. I didn't open it up then, I went immediately home and relaxed a bit, put on the headphones and listened. Holy moley! I listened again. And again. I remember I listened to it 6 times that night. I couldn't get over the fact that there was nothing wrong with this album. Starting off with the single "Turn To Stone" and ending with the fantasy "Wild West Hero" I couldn't find fault. I instantly thought "Sweet Talkin' Woman" was one of the finest singles ever. "Jungle" a song about ALL the world and its inhabitants having one big party, the four song "concerto", "The Whale" one of the finest songs with whales singing the lead.
Each song evokes a different emotion and strong memories for me. This IS Jeff Lynne's masterpiece. I'd recommend buying a greatest hits package if you want ELO's biggies, but if you want to dig a bit deeper and get a sense of what a great composer and producer Jeff Lynne is (hey, he wasn't a "Traveling Wilbury" for nothing), then this 4 sided record on 1 CD is the to buy. Since that initial 8 track, I bought it on LP and now on CD, where it sounds as bright and crisp as the LP and of course 100 times better than the ol' 8 track. Where is that thing anyway?

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Live & More Review

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(More customer reviews)This was the first Donna Summer album I acquired back in '78; The music, while a faint-bit dated, has aged quite well. For anyone who purchases the c.d. release will be greatly disappointed by the deletion of MacArthur Park Suite. It is ironic since MacArthur Park was Summer's FIRST #1 single to hit the U.S. pop chart and fans would buy the double album for that 18 minute track/suite(the "More" part of the album)! True, the lyrics which were once performed previously by Actor Richard Harris back in the 60's, are either cryptic or corny (or both)to some. Yet, Summer's cover version was tastefully done with colorful orchestra/symphonic intstruments and electric guitars; This sounded pretty good without having a tacky symphonic,synthesized disco-feel of the era. Also, her vocals were astounding. Donna can sing any corny lyrics and yet put a lot of passion and depth behind them (sing-the-phone-book theory). The only way to complete the Live and More c.d. is to purchase another Summer compilation entitled The Dance Collection which will contain the original full length MacArthur Park Suite as originally released on the double record album. Otherwise, the c.d release has a track from a 1977 movie-thriller called The Deep (Deep, Deep, Down Inside). I think Ms. Summer probably cringes as well when remembering doing this campy disco-tune for the soundtrack. The vocals sound as though they were coming out of a megaphone or old victrola.
The second deletion is the original photo cover as released on the album of Donna's famous headshot as she is holding the microphone with her head tilted back and eyes closed. Now, I realize why some music collectors miss the original album releases from back in the days of vinyl; The c.d. s are convenient, but the l.p.s had great artwork, photos and other cover details not re-issued on c.d.s !
As for the Live side, side one borrows heavily from her Once Upon A Time album tracks; The live tracks and vocals are actually better sounding and more dramatic since she drops her studio falsetto and has an actual live crowd applauding and cheering as each new track begins. The only slight drawback, as one previous reviewer stated, is that the speed or tempo is a little rushed for the first 6 tracks. I remember thinking that maybe the pitch on the turntable was incorrect.
Aside from the technical negatives, this is the definitive beginner's Donna Summer album for even young or new listener's. Remember, she was here before Maria or Whitney !

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: SUMMER,DONNATitle: LIVE & MOREStreet Release Date: 02/06/1990

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Look to the Rainbow Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me be up-front about this. I bought this album when it came out in the late seventies (heard "Take Five" on a local jazz radio station and "had" to have the album) and have played it probably five dozen times each year, every year since. In my extensive collection of jazz albums and CDs, there is not a single album I enjoy more (although there are others that vie for second place, including John Coltrane and Milt Jackson's "Bags and Trane," but that's another matter). The fact that Jarreau tried to recapture the feel of this album on his 1990s work "Tenderness" is a testament to what a pivotal work it was in his own career. But it is much more than that. I recall a review, back when the work was originally relased, that talked about the nature of European audiences, which were both appreciateive and respectful--maybe that explains why this album works so well; like one Amazon.com reviewer has already said, there is an obvious, beautiful connection that Jarreau made with those crowds in Europe, the same sort that he makes with the listener at home. Jarreau sings to his listeners like few recording artists can, with a feeling and intensity that he himself has never been able to rival. If you like pop Jarreau, you owe it to yourself to listen to the "real Al," the one who scatted, who oozed emotion-- the one whose parting words to his audience at the end of "We Got By" still sends a tingle down my spine (this is not hyperbole). Not a single album before or since has ever been able to make me feel what I feel when this disk is on--probably one of the reasons the disk is "on" (in my house, anyway) so much of the time; I am confident it will have a similar effect on you. The only complaint I have is with the record company that produces this work: In their effort to fit what was a two-record set on a single CD, they edited a few of the songs, including a little from all of the last three (whcih happen to be the best three songs on the CD). You'll never know it if you didn't listen to the album version, but for those of you trying to recapture such things as that wonderful bit of business that occurs before "Take Five" (cut 10), forget it--its gone! I wish the original could be remastered in a two-CD set that would restore this work to its original release condition--the album of the century deserves nothing less.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: JARREAU,ALTitle: LOOK TO THE RAINBOW-LIVE EUROPStreet Release Date: 09/20/1988

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Welcome to My Living Room (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Carole King clearly shows the huge difference that exists between some songwriting legends and most of today's pop stars. The difference can be summarized in a few words: true talent versus none.
From "Song of Long Ago" until "Locomotion", this show is a non-stop delight, with Carole in a great voice, an easy command of all the colors she can extract from her Yamaha piano, and music and lyrics that are a reflection of her soul. Gary Burr is a pleasant surprise, with wonderful vocals, great guitar playing, and nice songs of his own.
This a DVD you will watch again and again, for years to come.
A final note: no sane person can explain why legends like Carly Simon and Carole King are not yet inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while so much garbage has been there and is added every year.

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Filmed in Southern California in 2005, 'Welcome' offers an intimate, unadorned glimpse into the 'living room' of one of the greatest songwriters in history. The set features twenty-nine songs - nearly two hours of music in all - from King's sold-out 2005/06 Living Room World Tour, including an astonishing twenty-one Top 40 hits, seven #1 singles, and eleven songs that weren't on her best-selling 2005 'Living Room Tour' live CD. 'Welcome' also boasts extensive bonus features. Fans will get an unprecedented look into King s pre-tour rehearsals as she works out harmonies and arrangements for some of her biggest hits. The DVD also includes footage from the fan-favorite 'Songwriting 101' portion of King's show. Every night, King and bandmates Gary Burr (guitar/vocals) and Rudy Guess (guitar/backing vocals) composed and performed an impromptu new song from the stage, completely unrehearsed. This DVD is the only document of those one-time-only performances, and it also features an interview with King discussing the inspiration for and execution of 'Songwriting 101'. Then there's the 'Making of the Living Room Tour' featurette which includes additional interviews with King about how the tour was conceived and crafted, and some of her favorite memories from the road. CAROLE KING 'WELCOME TO MY LIVING ROOM' TRACK LISTING: 1. Song of Long Ago 2. Welcome to My Living Room 3. Beautiful 4. Where You Lead, I Will Follow 5. Say Goodbye Today 6. Now and Forever 7. Been to Canaan 8. Nobody Wants to be Lonely 9. Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me 10. Smackwater Jack 11. Medley (The Right Girl, Keep Your Hands Off My Baby, Every Breath I Take, I m Into Something Good, Go Away Little Girl, Hey Girl, One Fine Day, Will You Love Me Tomorrow) 12. Loving You Forever 13. Up on the Roof 14. It's Too Late 15. (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman 16. Hard Rock Café 17. Chains 18. Pleasant Valley Sunday 19. I Feel the Earth Move 20. So Far Away 21. You've Got a Friend 22. Locomotion

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