Furthermore: From the Studio/From the Stage

Jars Of Clay

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: February 4, 2003
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Essential
• ASIN: B000084TTM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #69,972 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Jars of Clay are well established as one of Christian music's pre-eminent bands. In less than a decade, Jars have racked up numerous awards and sold millions of CDs, and prompted musicians of all stripes to marvel at the group's magical guitar interplay. But can they pull it off live? Furthermore answers that question with a riveting live-performance disc curiously paired with a less-than-riveting studio disc. From the powerful opening riffs by Stephen Mason and Matt Odmark in "Disappear" to Dan Haseltine's dramatic vocal in "Worlds Apart," the players prove that their master musicianship carries over to the live setting. The band even rocks out hard in the raveups "I'm Alright" and "Revolution." The studio disc is highlighted by the beautiful "Valley Song (Sing of Your Mercy)" and the poignant "Needful Hands." Unfortunately, the rest of the studio set is filled with rather uninspiring versions of previous Jars hits. --Michael Lyttle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What have I been missing?, March 12, 2003

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ok, I confess, I'm not a Jars of Clay fan. Or at least I didn't think I was. I've enjoyed a couple of their songs over the years, but given a choice, I've stayed away from their CDs. I bought this one because I got a really good deal on it and I knew I liked some of the songs. When I stuck it in, however, I was blown away by the songs presented here.

The first CD (from the studio) is a rerecording of some of their best known songs in a more acoustic style. Not being a huge fan before this CD, I'm not used to how the songs used to sound, but they sound wonderful here. This CD also features three (I believe) new songs recorded especially for this best of.

The second CD (from the stage) is a recording of even more classics at a concert. From a newbie's standpoint, this CD is slightly disappointing when the band cuts out to let the audience sing the words. Since I don't know them, I miss what's going on. But this is a minor irritant.

I've really been impressed with the group's lyrics and musical skills. I'm going to have to give other CD's a try now and catch up on what I've been missing.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Giving us reasons to buy, March 21, 2003

By	Alex B. Parrish (Lexington, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am not a fan of greatest hits albums. I figure, if I like the band well enough, I am gonna get all their albums anyway, leaving me with no reason to want the hits at all.

So then bands started putting new songs on their greatest hits. That's all well and good, but I kind of feel like that's sort of an irony... putting a song that nobody ever heard before on a collection of songs that everyone supposedly loves.

Jars of Clay has given something in this 2-disc set that revives new hope for greatest hits albums. Instead of asking you to buy this collection for basically the 3 new songs and the occasional need to play the whole CD if you are too lazy to load the other albums in your CD player, they have re-recorded the old stuff in a new way. It's acoustic, a lot; it's evenly balanced throughout the whole album... it feels good. Then they give you a live disc, again something not offered before... it's like a whole different experience. It's current, too... Jars' style has evolved over the year and is much cooler than it was when they started. I loved "liquid" when the debut came out, but this new, coffehouse-ish version really gives a different twist on the song.

Good job, guys. You have taken care of your fans. And I must say... the 3 new songs certainly could qualify as future greatest hits.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD, but don't expect their first album, May 3, 2003

By	ko98td97 (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This CD is an amazing project from an amazing band. It is also affordably priced for a 2 CD set. Almost every track on the studio CD sings. The high point of that CD are the back-to-back Dig and Redemption combo (both of which are first releases). Redemption is by far the most beautiful song I've heard in a long time...reflective and soulful. Dig has a really gritty feel to it, both lyricly and musically. Dan Haseltine's suger-sweet voice can't quite pull it off the gritty feel the rest of the song required, but he somehow managed to make it work anyway. The stage CD contains all of the old favorites, drawing on songs from their 1st, 2nd and 4th albums (If I left the Zoo is strangely absent). The high points of this CD are the Darwin Hobbs Choir accompaniment of I'm Alright and Revolution, along with their classic Worlds Apart which always sounds great live.

All in all, a great CD to everyone not expecting a repeat of their first album. Their first album was an inventive and unique mix of classical instruments, techno tracks and modern acoustic instrumentation. However, it was released in 1995, and any band who is doing the some thing for 8 years is artistically stagnant. What makes Jars such a great band is that they are always doing different things with their music, while retaining and refining the poetic lyrics that are clearly written from their Christian point of view, yet manage to avoid cliche and remain accessible to people who are outside Christianity.