Customer Reviews

Live 1982-94

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
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This is as close as you can get to seeing Andreas Vollenweider live. Previously unreleased pieces blend magically with old favorites.
Mr. Vollenweider is one of the most gracious and kind people in the known universe, and you can hear his contagious joy in his music. Even if you have all the CDs, and this one can only add to the pleasure.

Selections from "Trilogy", "Down to the Moon", "Dancing with the Lion", "The Book of Roses" and "Eolian Minstrel", performed live by Vollenweider and his collaborators in concert tours from 1992 through 1994. This 2-CD set also includes an additional nine tracks of previously unreleased material done in a similar style to the cuts on the aforementioned albums--a wonderful bonus for fans of vintage Vollenweider. It's nice to hear the in-concert variations and improvisations of old favorites, and how gratifying also to hear all the live cheers and applause for this truly amazing artist and his repertoire of uniquely fascinating compositions. "The music on these two CDs represents the soundtrack of an unbelievably wonderful time I have shared with all the people listed ..." Vollenweider reflects on the CD insert. "Looking back, I see this as a kind of dream. When we started, it was an experiment, and none of us would have ever thought that this music could ever find so many friends around the world." How could it not? Well done! Thank you, Andreas and friends, for letting the rest of us share in your beautiful world of fantasy, mystery and imagination. Be sure to check out Andreas Vollenweider's many studio recordings, starting with the seminal "Trilogy".

I have been a fan for years and haven't ever purchased an IMPORT before - I decided to try it this time and it was well worth it. Of course, I have never been disappointed with any of andreas' albums, but this one has a mix of all, and added to it a mixture of artists. I would recommend this one for anyone wanting more andreas pleasure and a relaxing listen! :)

I thought I had nearly all Vollenweider's studio CDs, but I didn't recognise a single tune on the first of the two CDs that make up this album! This made me feel very inferior when it's clear that the appreciative live audience can name most of the tunes within a few strums of Andreas's harp.

As you might guess, this album is a collection of live performances over a 13-year period. The emphasis is on well-recorded, well-performed pieces rather than capturing any of the exchanges between performer and audience. (I assume that Andreas does talk to the audience at some point in each concert, but never having attended one, I cannot confirm this.)

The CD booklet nicely lists the different band line-ups and recording staff for each of the sections of the CD, but doesn't tell us where they were recorded. You have to assume that some of these performances were captured in Germany, where Andreas is pretty big. (Indeed any potential buyer from Europe should really look this album up on amazon.de for a very nice surprise.)

I like this album, and I like the improvisations that make this different from the originals. But the studio recordings are always more polished, and I don't feel that the keyboards are as clear as they could be here.

This is just music at it's best. Refreshing, smart, and a wonderful reflection of what's good and true about musical expression. (And just great for the holidays and the winter doldrums as well as the spring and summer!) The price may seem steep but well worth it. For anyone who likes listening to music for the JOY of it! This is THE antedote!