Customer Reviews

Certified Live

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dave Mason's "Certified Live" album is one of his best, and certainly one of the best ever live albums by any rock/pop music artist. I bought the vinyl in ancient times. The 12-string guitar pieces are awsome, especially "Every Woman" and "Give Me a Reason." THIS ALBUM NEEDS TO BE ON CD!!!

Certified Live is a perfect throw-back to that special time when concerts were just jammin' music, that never seemed to stop. Remember when bands would kick your ass for 2 hours, take a break, and come back and kick your ass for another hour? This album reminds you of that era. Dave Mason's original work is transcendant, but his covers are great too. "Show me Some Affection" and "Along the Watchtower" nearly drive me off the road, as Mason's bell-like electric guitar work simply soars. There's an outstanding acoustic interlude featuring Mason's rich and absorbing 12 string, as well as his signiture vocal "Growl". "Take it to the Limit" and "Gimme a Reason" are standouts here. A great treat is the 4 part harmony on Sam Cook's "Bring it on Home". And finally, 30 years later, I can't stop "Goin' Down Slow" from popping back into my head all the time. Mike Finnegan takes out the back wall on this blues foundation-shaker.

Mason toured and recorded for several fantastic years with this great band made up of Jim Kreiger on guitar, Mike Finnegan on keybboard, Gerald Johnson on base, and Rick Jaegger on drums. These pros are tight but natural, technically excellent but fluid. In the concerts I saw on that tour, they really seemed to enjoy playing together, and that feeling is captured in Certified Live. It is a must-own for blues-based guitar solo heads from the 70's. I've been playing it since its release and I still keep it in the car to power me down the last leg of my 4 hour trip from Vermont to New York City. Mason just lifts the spirits and fuels the body!

ps My other favorite 70's Live album is Clapton's "Derek and the Dominos, In Concert". You can't have one without the other.

pps We desperately need a new blues-based album from Mason; that guitar just rocks!

Certified Live is one of the more memorable releases I've ever heard. I first heard it on vinyl when it hit the street in the seventies. I had been looking for it on CD for a long while. Like others, I don't understand why it is not being produced by the U.S. label... I didn't have any particular faith that it was going to be (re)released anytime soon, so I decided to buy the import. The 34.99 price seemed high, but I figured what the heck. I received the CD quite promptly. My concern was that I noticed the price on the Japanese label. It reflected 1800 yen. That converts to $16-17 in U.S. currency. It may have been that the seller had to pay a premium to get the import, but somebody is making an awfully large markup.

I was introduced to Dave Mason through this disc and I was instantly captivated. This is a very well produced Live album. It one of the best live albums and belongs with the likes of the stones get you ya's ya's out and little feat's waiting for columbus. I am equally irritated as the previous reviewer that it is still out of stock after all these years.

Having started with Steve Winwood's Traffic Dave Mason learned how to rock without blasting the audience out the back door. This concert was recorded back in the late 1970's (before his big hit "We just disagree") and during his road warrior days. Backed by a sharp back-up band he blends his own music with covers of classics. The highlite of this CD is his cover of Dylan's "All along the Watchtower", which received a fair amount of airplay on FM rock stations. Other great cuts are "Look at you, Look at me" and "Only you Know and I know", both Mason originals. This CD matches up with the 1970's music scene in general. Very good music but doesn't take any chances. Overall a good addition to any collection.

If yah likes heavy metal, don't look here. Sure, Dave rocks, but he does it with a folksy touch. Back when I drove long-haul semi-truck, I'd slap this critter in and let it play through several times. Almost every song is a winner, and those that aren't, are still toe tappers. Of every live album I've heard (from around 1964 on) this one rates as my #2 all-time favorite. I think ya'll just may like it, too!

Bought this album back in the 70's. It is awesome!!! Sure would like the CD!!!

dave along with jim kreegar on 12 string accoustic are excellent. too bad "certified live" is not on c d. would love to have it. would love to have cassette of it, also.

I am mad because you are out of it. I have been looking all over Europe and just returned to Houston - to find that you are out of it!

I heard the album in full while in Belgium and it torks me that you do not have it.

My only comment is that a Dave Mason concert without him playing "We Just Disagree" is a pretty poor Dave Mason concert. Thank you.