Customer Reviews

Josh Groban In Concert (with Bonus DVD)

5 star:		(148)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

If you have heard Josh Groban's debut CD, then you know this is a kid [only 21!] with a remarkable voice. The CD in this package include 6 previously released songs performed LIVE, one live performance of a new track - Broken Vow - and a studio version of his chart busting Christmas single - O Holy Night. The DVD contains his Great Performances - Josh Groban in Concert video that has been airing on PBS. It was taped in Pasadena on October 3 & 4, 2002. Beautiful staging and lighting enhance all 13 tunes that were on his debut CD, plus a solo performance of For Always from the A.I. Artificial Intelligence soundtrack and Broken Vow. The DVD include guest performances with Andrea Corr of The Corrs, Rhys Fulber and Lili Hayden on Canto Alla Vita, Lili Hayden on Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Angie Stone on The Prayer, and John Williams conducting on For Always. The additional footage provided of backstage and various interviews with the guests is excellent. Josh's brother, Chris, also did a short backstage video with some interesting footage of rehearsals, backstage, and personal impressions.

I would highly recommend this CD/DVD for your collection!

How can I describe Josh Groban? His voice makes my spirit soar, rends my heart, and makes me weep. In the car, I sing along at the top of my voice. In the office, I enjoy hearing people ask "Hey, isn't that (insert your favorite opera tenor)?" and the look on their faces when I tell them the name and age of the artist they're hearing. I bought this package for the song "O Holy Night", but was completely blown away by the live concert on the DVD... what a wonderful show! I felt like I was right there in the front row, and now I won't be happy until I really do hear him perform in person! Last but not least, Josh Groban is so NICE - a humble and unassuming person. At first glance, he is a guy who just stepped off a train on a windy day. Then he opens his mouth to sing, and - poof!- he's an angel. Listen and find out for yourself.

Somebody at work introduced me to Josh Groban's first CD. They played one song for me and I thought it was the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. I went out and purchased his entire album and became an instant fan. Josh Groban has such an incredible voice he is truly blessed. This CD/DVD is amazing. O HOLY NIGHT is the most beautiful and powerful rendition of this song I have ever heard in my life. It will give you chills and bring tears to your eyes everytime you listen to it. The DVD is spectacular. His voice again is amazing and so powerful and to make it even better it is encoded in DTS sound so anyone with a higher quality home theater will be literally blown away by the sound of his voice. Josh Groban deserves more than 5 stars. I give him 10!

That's What This Cd/DVD Is!!! Josh Groban Has One Of The All-Time Great Voices, Rich, Warm & Romantic!! The Cd Contains Live Versions Of Songs Off His Debut Cd, As Well As His Solo Version Of "For Always" & The New Recording Of Lara Fabian's "Broken Vow". As An Added Bonus You Get Josh's Definitive Studio Version Of "O HOLY NIGHT"!!! The DVD Of His Concert Is Wonderful And Shows Not Only Josh's Vocal Talent But His Down To Earth Nature!! For Anyone Interested Josh Can Also Be Heard On The New Barbra Streisand Cd "DUETS" Singing "All I Know Of Love" With The Still Vocally Stunning Barbra!!! Their Voices Are Pure Magic Together!!!... Josh Groban Is The Most Talented Performer To Come Around Since 1962, When The World Was Introduced To Miss Barbra Streisand! What A Furture Mr. Groban Has In Front Of Him!!! A Fan Forever- David

"There is such a place in this world for your voice." ~ David Foster

Josh's voice is the purest of spiritual ecstasy. His voice is almost timeless in beauty and inspires hope, courage and compassion. "To Where You Are" was my introduction to Josh's voice and yet I didn't fully realize the complexity or the beauty of his voice until I found his "Closer" CD.

His very existence seems to raise your consciousness and the graciousness he displays on stage only made me respect him more. Josh seems as comfortable on stage as God must feel in heaven. His voice raises your spiritual awareness, drenches you in a tearful romantic high and at times can stun you into silence. At such a young age, he truly owns the stage. He even plays the piano in an impromptu moment amidst a conversation with David Foster.

I was impressed with how Josh allows the creative process to evolve around him and how he shares the stage with talent from near and far. Angie Stone and Andrea Corr sing duets with Josh in this concert.

The moment with Lili Haydn is stunning as she seems to appear as an angel and Josh looks on in wonder to where she plays her violin with a backdrop of special lighting/shadow visual effects that takes Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring to entirely new levels. Josh climbs stairs in "Let Me Fall" and then actually "falls." It is all planned and they show the details in the Making of the Special section. Rose petals swirl in the breeze in the background on huge screens as Josh sings Alejate.

I never felt so much love in my soul
And no one but you loved me
I laughed and cried, I was reborn...
~Alejate

Contents:

1 Bonus CD - Songs from the concert with the additional selection of O Holy Night.

1 DVD:

Play Show

Song Selection - Quickly locate any of the 15 songs from the concert.

Special Features - Making of the Special, Chris Groban's Backstage Footage and Weblinks.

Setup Options - The lack of song translations in the subtitles was slightly disappointing. I would have loved to read the words in English, as it would have added an additional layer of depth to the romantic Italian and Spanish ballads. Fortunately song translations for Un Amore Per Sempre and Alejate are readily available online.

Josh Groban in Concert is a highly collectable and romantic concert that not only displays Josh's breathlessly beautiful voice, it also displays the depth of his commitment to music and his spontaneous comedic side.

~The Rebecca Review

I have both this CD/DVD and his debut album, and I can't say enough about either. In this latest CD, you will hear improvements from his original renditions- and I thought it couldn't get any better! What's always blown me away is not just his incredible voice, but his ability to interpret songs. Not too many singers can do just what he does at age 21! Many of his songs are in Italian, one in Spanish, and the emotion that he puts into it makes you understand what he's singing- all without a translation! In this DVD are guest appearances from John Williams, Lili Hayden, Andrea Coor, David Foster, and Angie Stone. All of pairings are magnificent. One of Josh's most recent attempts- Broken Vow- is heartwrenching. It literally moves you to tears. A few other tearful ones are You're Still You, and To Where You Are. During those, you can't see the screen, you're crying so much. Un Amore Per Sempre, Alejate, and Alla Luce del Sole, are a few other non-English favorites of mine. The guitarist on Alejate is superb! Oy! And I nearly forgot- Vincent, or also known as Starry, Starry Night- written by Don McLean, is performed beautifully by Josh. Three artists are connected in that rendition by Josh- Vincent van Gough, Don McLean, and, of course, Josh Groban. The concert moves very smoothly, the songs seem to transition well. I can't say enough good things about this CD/DVD. It's one of those must-haves! You have to experience it for yourself. So get it, watch/listen to it, and then write about it!

I remember the first time I watched this concert on my PBS station. Surprised, delighted, transported. Josh Groban was at his best and I felt it was the best PBS concert of a young performer that I've ever seen. When I got the DVD and CD home, this quality was perfection. It was hard to believe that this was recorded live because the sound was so clear. My favorite, "Alejate," was beautiful. I just entered my review for Josh Groban's second live concert, "Live at the Greek," and it was very less than enthusiastic. If you've never seen Groban perform a full concert with perfect control over his gorgeous voice, I recommend that you get this set.

A voice of gold. Four very simple words. Four very strong words. But for me those four simple strong words are absolutely justified. This young man's voice is one of the most beautiful I have ever heard and he instantly attracts and captivates a listener. Why? Because the voice I mentioned has the power to touch a listener without overpowering the senses, as some operatic and classical flamenco recordings can. Instead of overpowering you, that rich smooth soft romantic voice carresses your senses and carries you along with the musical stories it tells.

I just got this CD/DVD combination package for Christmas and I absolutely love it. As others have mentioned above and before me, this package contains all the songs from his double-platinum debut recording, plus the previously unavailabe and LOVELY rendition of Oh, Holy Night (the best version I've heard of this song to date, and as it is my all time FAVORITE Christmas carol, I've heard a LOT of versions of this piece.). Also included is the very good piece "Broken Vow" and the heart-touchingly lovely tune "For Always" In this case it's a solo version of the tune originally sung as a duet between Josh and Lara Fabian on the soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's move A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). I love the fact that Josh does it solo here AND that John Williams comes to conduct onstage (a highlight for me to see on the DVD). Lara Fabian paired very well with Josh on the original version of the song but here Josh proves (as we fans already knew) that he has the power to make the song stand on his own and to me it is even MORE beautiful when he does it by himself because another singer doesn't "distract" you from listening to Josh sing the piece. Again, it is not that Lara Fabian was a bad duet partner for Josh, she was great, but Josh is great just by himself on this. :)

As to the other pieces on the album.... I do not mind that these are, by and large, the same pieces as the ones on his debut album. Why? Because I LOVE THOSE SONGS! Every single one of them!I could listen to them millions of times and not get tired! Josh is THAT good. I'm a guy and guys are not supposeed to show emotion, right? We're supposed to suck it up and "be men". We're not supposed to cry? Well, guess what? Josh Groban has many times had me in tears, and I love it, so there you have it! :P

In my humble opinion, the songs on this CD/DVD package are sung at times, not always, a little different than they were on the debut album by Josh. What do I mean by that? Well, this is my opinion, but while the tempo did not vary much, (the songs were sung at the same pacing, naturally) they seemed to at times be sung a little softer than on the original debut recording. Did this matter ultimately? No it did not, because each word and note was crystal clear and powerful. Even at a softer tone, each song still carries the same power to touch the heart and carress it and carry it along.

I do have one thing to say. Please be aware that this is not a complaint, but to me personally I did not like Angie Stone (Josh's duet partner on "The Prayer" here) as much as Charlotte Church. YES I'm aware that Josh overpowers Charlotte and stands above her, but to me Angie Stone, while having a good voice indeed, proved to be a distraction and I found myself wishing that Josh would have either done the song himself (as he did with "For Always" here) or found another duet partner for it. (He did it with Celine Dion once before this. I also happen to think that Anne Buckley (From Michael Flatley's Lord Of The Dance and Feet Of Flames would make an excellent duet partner for Josh. She has that kind of soft, elegant regal voice that would, in my own humble opinion, compliment and fit Josh's own warm and rich and powerful voice perfectly.) Not withstanding this, this version of The Prayer is still beautiful and does not take away from the power or integrity of this lovely and beautiful CD/DVD package.

I'm sorry for digressing a bit there in the above paragraph. In short I will say this. I do not give myself (yet) the title of a "Grobanite", but Josh Groban IS my favorite male singer hands down bar NONE! If you are a fan of his , you owe it to yourself to get this. If you are not a fan of his this package or his debut recording will make a fan of you very quickly if you give them even a fair chance to do that. It is a real treat to see him do the songs live which have earned him a devoted fanbase around the world, and a rightful place as one of the best singers and most beautiful voices of our generation. Peace and God bless you and yours. Always.

One last note. Rumors abound of a new Josh Groban album coming next year. On that I do have one thing to say. Come on, Josh! Hurry up! More! More! MORE! (Just kidding, take your time wth it, I'm sure it will be wonderful, and God willing I will be able to get a chance to get one and listen to it to my heart's content. :) And oh how content my heart will be to do just that. :) :) :) :)

This CD is, like every Josh Groban disc, but it doesn't feature too many songs. The extra DVD is also enjoyable.... before I continue to laud my favorite singer, I'd like to speak fo a few negative reviewers...
One- Josh Groban does not sound the same in every song. He conveys an amazing array of emotions from joy to heartbreak to love (the best in Italian, but good ina ll languages). You must have an untrained music ear to think this.
Two- The songs on these CDs arenot all corny, cheesy love songs. This isn't American Idol material but songs that truly flow with the lyrics.... well, for the most part. The English songs are somewhat run-of-the mill, but they're still pretty and easy on the ears.
Lastly- Not just 'anyone' could put out this CD. Josh Groban continues to amaze millions with his voice, and not just Celine Dion fans... his songs and (mostly) voice do not show an overdramatic singing puppet that is used by the media but a truly gifted singer.
Now onto the CD....
1) Un Amore Per Sempre- I like this song a lot.... it's in Italian and is somewhat dramatic... almost sounds intense. It is now, however, the best song in Italian.
2)Alejate- A generally good song, mostly because I know what he's saying in it (it;'s in Spanish). It's not the best, and if you look up the translation, you'll see that the meaning of the words are heartfelt but not amazingly original.
3)The Prayer- Many people say this song is weak, but it's an interesting duet. The woman who sings with him, Angie Stone, sounds quite different than Charlotte Church, however.
4)For Always- A good song with phenomenal music. The words are nice but not extremely original, again, but it would work well in a movie or if applied to a story. Overall, one of the better tracks.
5)Vincent- This song by Don McLean has very interesting lyrics... often beautiful words. Josh Groban does a good job with this song, but it's not my favorite.
6)Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring- This classical song by Bach features beautiful violin music/vocals by Lili Hadyn, and it sounds quite good... Josh Groban shines in this song.
7)Broken Vow- A sad song that doesn't try too hard to be melodramatic. It's refreshing to hear because at first, you'd expect it to be cliche. However, this is one of my favorite Josh Groban songs. (one of the better English ones, but "For Always' has better music).
8)O Holy Night- An amazing song, perfect for any season (not just the holidays). Josh Groban's vocal range here is amazing and not forced. This one may be the best on this CD.... (though my favorite Josh Groban songs are "Cinema Paradiso" "Alla Luce del Sole", and "Gira Con Me", all of which are on the wonderful DVD.

This CD is good if you missed the concert on TV or if you want to hear a few unreleased songs. It features some of the ones from the original CD, and one from the upcoming one (which i already have...). Overall, Josh Groban is an amazing singer who can sing nearly any song, but not all of the songs work for him, like on his new release "Closer". However, I am not just a fairweather Grobanite, and I enjoy all of his works. For the best CD, however, buy the original release "Josh Groban".

I haven't yet had a chance to see Josh Groban perform live, but this DVD concert is probably the next best thing.

Josh's voice is amazing; there is so much emotion there, especially during such numbers as "Vincent" and "Let Me Fall". Most of the songs are sung solo, but there are a few duets. "Canto alla vita", with Andrea Corr, is another highlight of this concert.

All the songs (with the exception of John Williams' "For Always") are on Josh's two CDs, but it's nice to see them performed in a concert setting. All of his original duet partners appear here, with the exception of Charlotte Church for "The Prayer" (Angie Stone was used instead). David Foster even joins in to play piano and banter with Josh.

As a bonus, the accompanying CD includes a lovely version of "O Holy Night", which is, as far as I'm aware, unavailable anywhere else.

This product is listed as being a CD with bonus a DVD, but I think it's really the other way around. The DVD is great. Supplementary features (including a "making-of" featurette and brother Chris Groban's backstage footage) are interesting to see, but are really just icing on the cake. The concert itself is enough, and well worth the price.