Customer Reviews

Ellis Paul Live

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ellis Paul's latest album is a wonderful example of why fans go to see him. It includes a couple spoken word pieces and several stellar new songs such as "Martyr's Lounge" (a rocking & hilarious tune that features guitar playing by Don Conoscenti) and "Did Galileo Pray" (one of my personal favorites) as well as "Maria's Beautiful Mess". It also has definitive versions of "Conversation with a Ghost" (featuring vocals by Patty Griffin) and "3,000 Miles". If you're looking for the energy that comes only from a live performance, some truly beautiful harmonies & artists interacting with each other while performing killer tunes, this is the album for you.

This is a truly awesome double CD from one of the best songwriters around today. It captures the flavor of his mesmerizing live shows. The CD has seven completely new songs: When we begin; Seize the day; Did Galileo pray?; Changing yor name; Maria's beutiful mess; Martyr's Lounge; and Mrs Jones (I like to call thgis song rose-petal kisses, one of the lines, but its about a murder! ). Here's the Chorus to "When we begin": Tell me the story of all your past glories The lovers, the losers, the friends Spill all the magic, the good times and the tragic Tonight will this mystery end. This song is choc-a-bloc with images that will take you along the paths that these lovers take to convergence at one of their front door. This is a perfectly crafted song in ABABCB song format (A for verse, B Chorus, C Bridge). It's hard to believe Ellis can continue to churn out so many great songs year after year (Some of this new songs: such as "Everything's Broken" were squeezed out of this CD set. I give it 6 STARS! David Thompson, Olivet, Michigan

Ellis is among the best working songwriters and a terrific performer! That said, live recordings are tough, maybe impossible, to pull off. Stories which are entertaining the first time through quickly become stale on subsequent listenings. And, as an artist, you have to bring a new dynamic to your songs. Don Conoscenti (buy his Brilliant Masterpiece or Mysterious Light--both excellent), Chris Trapper, Patty Griffin, Vance Gilbert all help Ellis flesh these songs out, but in the end we as listeners don't learn much that we didn't already know from the studio versions. The real gems here are the newly released cuts--Change Your Name, Maria's Beautiful Mess, When We Begin...all pure Ellis magic. If you're already an EP fan, buy this CD. If you're looking for an introduction, try any of his other 4 CDs first.

Ellis Paul is revered by his many fans for his wonderful voice, thoughtful lyrics, and great melodies. "Live" captures the remaining essence of Ellis - his incredible live performances. No amount of production can improve what Ellis does best - sing and play beautiful acoustic guitar. This CD also finally makes available some of his best songs which were previously unreleased, such as "Seize the Day", and "Changing Your Name". This CD is a "must" for any fan of contemporary singer/songwriters.

I have to agree with Yapper on this one. I was putting off writing a negative review about one of my Favorite folksingers, but now feel compelled to. I was present at the Somerville shows that this disc was compiled from and must say that I enjoyed myself at the concerts. The album, however, is in my opinion too stale of a compilation. I would have liked to have seen more smaller venue recordings. These small venues are when Ellis really seems to come alive. I mean just liste to the recording of "Tornado Girl" here. It's very intimate and relaxed. The second disc with the new songs, which are not really "live" in front of an audience but "live: in the studio with just Ellis and his guitar are a waste of time. The new songs are OK in this setting, but the inclusion of "weightless" and "The World ain't slowing down" in this setting is pointless. These two songs should have been recorded in front of an audience. And where's "Paris in a Day?" This song has been a highlight of Ellis' live performance for years. It is also not unfair to say that Ellis need a new artistic direction. Patty Griffin for instance has managed to cover more artistc experimentation in only two albums then Ellis has in his combined 5. Maybe he's burning himself out. Maybe he need sto stop concerning himself with hiting the big time. Just be yourself dude!

This cd (and my Rufus Wainwright cd, *self titled*, highly recommended,) are two cds that I never, ever tire of! Ellis Paul was at a local coffeehouse recently (which we went to), and he just left us all in complete amazment. He is very sweet, and his rapport with the audience is half the fun of his work. His Live cd captures that very well, with a few hilarious monolouges/stories in between songs, it's fabulous. His lyrics are wonderful... they're fun, romantic, sweet, funny and thoughtful. His voice is very easy to listen to. I highly recommend sitting in a quiet room with a lava lamp on, and putting on this cd... it's soooo relaxing. :-)

You should sooooooooooooo buy this!! Highly recommended!!

Ellis Paul has already proven himself to be a talented, intelligent and evocative singer/songwriter. With 4 studio releases to his credit, Paul has positioned himself as one the most prolific artists of the genre. The release of Live he showcases his talents as a performer, which I think is the goal of a live recording. Those of us who have seen him in the venues he plays have had the luxury of experiencing the way Ellis relates to the audience through his stories and poetry. I will grant that a recording cannot capture this intimacy fully, but the message of each piece still comes through loud and clear. This is a great buy to initiate one into the world of Ellis Paul, as well as a nice departure from the studio versions of his songs for the already indoctrinated. Buy this!

This 2-CD live release captures Ellis Paul's stage acumen brilliantly ... It's also a great overview of his songwriting career to this point, highlighting his melodic and insightful songs right alongside his witty banter and soaring tenor vocals. Ellis comes from the storytelling school of songwriting, and, through his songs, we're introduced to characters as wildly divergent as a rambling beatnik bus-rider ("3,000 Miles"), a Colonial-era ghost ("Conversation with a Ghost"), Galileo ("Did Galileo Pray?"), and an earthbound angel ("Angel in Manhattan"). Ellis tours us through the bar in heaven ("Martyr's Lounge"), his home town ("Take Me Down"), and through a dozen or so lonely rooms full of whatever is left over when relationships break down. Backed up by guitar-whiz Don Cognoscenti on the axe and Christopher Williams on percussion, with guest vocals by the likes of Patti Griffin and The Push Stars' Chris Trapper, Live embodies some of the best rockin' you'll hear on an acoustic album, without any of the stale production that haunts so many folk artists' studio recordings. Start your Ellis Paul exploration here, then proceed quickly to his other releases!

I discovered ellis paul only recently, and this was a great addition to my cd collection!

I hate to be the negative one here, but this CD in my opinion just doesn't do it for me. I have seen Mr. Paul in concert at least 20 times over the years and while the performances on this CD are good, to me it just doesn't work. Personally, I feel that the most dissapointing aspect of this album are the new tunes. Why? Because it is Ellis continuing to be Ellis. He isn't changing anything at all. I'm tired of hearing about sidewalks and angels and all that other urban folksong stuff. The music is getting uninspired and frankly, just boring. He is regurgitating the same thing we have heard for years. Look at Dylan and Tom Waits, two often cited Ellis Paul influences. What makes them so great is that they change it up and push the boundaries of their music. Ellis has yet to do that. He has the potential to be brilliant, but still has a way to go. Sorry to be so negative, but the man is starting to become the Michael Bolton of folk music...