Customer Reviews

Bite My Foot

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bite My Foot--This was John's sense of humor, was it not? Where did this title come from? For the answer to this you will have to listen to Intro to July You're A Woman.
This album is John in top form. Phoenix, 1973. He was a Super-Star (in Phoenix) my home. I am proud to know this because John, became one of my best friends over the years. Oh, we never met. But, what do you ask of a best friend? Someone who is there with you through thick and thin? Someone who understands your pains? Makes you laugh? Makes you cry? That was John. Through his music I found a constant companion. I found inspiration and such sweet beautiful music.
Thank you John.
As I mentioned, this album was recorded in 1973, several months before his famous recording, The Phoenix Concerts. I suggest buying the CD rather than MP3 downloads (if they are available). Why? Because the liner notes included are quite interesting with several quotes from John.
As for the songs, each are John in his prime. Strong voice. Also included, is an early rendition of Runaway Fool of Love, which was later included on Bombs Away Dream Babies.
Buy this CD, sit back, and enjoy. Cheers!

Wonderful precursor to the Phoenix concerts,among my favourites with 'Cannons in the Rain' and 'Airdream Believer'. Less polished than his subsequent 'Phoenix Concerts' but wonderfully entertaining and makes us realise what a tragedy his loss was especially as here in the UK he did not achieve the recognition he so richly deserved.

How can you go work with any John Stewart album. If you never got the chance to see John in concert, this is a wonderful album to purchase. It was recorded during the 70's and is a rare treat. Great song selection and great band. John's conversation between songs is also a plus. He was truly a great talent.

This CD should never have been released; in fact John himself refused three separate efforts to have it released during his lifetime; he disliked it intensely. Only after his death was it rushed out, using his widow's permission, to make a quick buck off his name. It is of inferior sound and recording quality, and should only be of interest to thorough-going completists. If you're looking for great John Stewart, choose just about any other of his releases ... and I stress HIS releases, because he would be furious to know that this was issued after he had repeatedly refused to do so over the years. The man himself, and his extensive work -- numbering well over 40 memorable albums -- comprised the essence of greatness. That an inferior product should risk his reputation at all is quite unfair to his wonderful memory and raises questions about those who sought a profit off this bogus production. I give it 'one' star because though shoddy it at least contains the great songs of a great artist. Could John register his opinion here, he would give it 'none.'

Like the other reviewers I'm a keen John Stewart fan and enjoyed the selection of songs performed in the concert (hence the four stars) but the sound quality is very poor. I got used to the sound after a few replays but in the cold light of day there are better albums to get. John is in good form and his banter is enjoyable but it isn't an album to turn up loud as the sound will irritate.

John Stewart is one of the criminally underappreciated American singer-songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout his long career he wrote great songs about the people and places of America, holding a mirror to this land in a way that brought insight into characters that populate this land. This is a recording from Novermber 1973, in Phoenix, AZ, recorded a few months before he came back through that city to record his classic Phoenix Concerts album in 1974. This is a good, tight performance with his band at the time at the Celebrity Theater, and does a good job of capturing his performing skills and songs of the time. This is a new release, released after his unfortunate death. There has been some discussion of the quality of the recording in the world of Stewartistas, but I found the sound quality to be fine for a live performance. John is always fun in concert, so if you want a good introduction to his early solo career this is a good place to start.

I have been a HUGE fan of the music of John Stewart for over 20 years, but I'm sad to say that we will most likely never hear another worthy release from this awesome talent again. The main problem here (in fact, the only problem) is that the sound quality of this recording is awful! This was probably taken from an old cassette tape recorded off the sound board, and the high frequencies fade in and out throughout the entire CD to the point where it is unlistenable. If the recording quality was only decent, I would bump this from a 1 star rating to a 5 star rating in the blink of an eye. This was recorded in the period when John was at his peak.....right after the "Cannons in The Rain" album. The performances are incredible if you can overlook the poor quality of the recording, but this should never have been released on CD at a premium price. The right thing would have been to share this vintage recording on one of John's websites for all of his longtime and loyal fans to hear. Whoever is responsible for putting this out on a CD should be ashamed....it really seams like they're scraping the bottom of the barrel to make a buck.