Customer Reviews

Live '88

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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"Live '88" was the cassette tape that Shawn Colvin used to sell at her live shows before she landed a recording contract with Sony. It features eight of the ten songs that wound up on her fine debut album "Steady On," and when it finally saw a CD issue in 1995, it all but rendered that album obsolete.

The reason is fairly simple. The presentation on "Live '88" better fits that songs than the studio production of "Steady On." Here Shawn is accompanied by just her remarkable voice and her acoustic guitar. Call it Shawn Unplugged if you will.

As good as "Steady On" is, this is the CD on which you should hear these songs. The lone exception to the above rule is "Another Long One" which does benefit from the "pie tin" sounding production given it on "Steady On."

So, I guess the solution is to get "Live '88" first, and get "Steady On" when you can. Not only does "Live '88" have the superior version of these great songs, but it also has a breathtaking cover of Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song." If it were the only decent cut on the album, "Live '88" would still be worth getting for it alone!

"Live '88" was the cassette tape that Shawn Colvin used to sell at her live shows before she landed a recording contract with Sony. It features eight of the ten songs that wound up on her fine debut album "Steady On," and when it finally saw a CD issue in 1995, it all but rendered that album obsolete.

The reason is fairly simple. The presentation on "Live '88" better fits that songs than the studio production of "Steady On." Here Shawn is accompanied by just her remarkable voice and her acoustic guitar. Call it Shawn Unplugged if you will.

As good as "Steady On" is, this is the CD on which you should hear these songs. The lone exception to the above rule is "Another Long One" which does benefit from the "pie tin" sounding production given it on "Steady On."

So, I guess the solution is to get "Live '88" first, and get "Steady On" when you can. Not only does "Live '88" have the superior version of these great songs, but it also has a breathtaking cover of Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song." Even if it were the only decent cut on the album, "Live '88" would still be worth getting for it alone!

Perhaps the best unplugged album ever recorded. Shawn is a fabulous guitar player and a heart breaking singer songwriter. She played alongside the master, Richard Thompson, on a tour early in her career, and held her own. This is one of those recordings that improves the closer you listen. Put on the headphones and listen to every nuance of her voice. As a guitar player I marvel at the perfectly amazing and innovative accompaniment to her singing. If you like singer songwriters, this album is for you. Dito if you like acoustic guitar players or subtle emotive vocalists. If you already know you like this check out Eva Cassidy's "Live at Blues Alley"...a comparably truly great recording.

Most of these songs subsequently appeared on Steady On, but that album's production - too lush and sweet - runs counter to the meaning of these gems. Here we see the other side of the spectrum in terms of production - a woman singing great personal songs accompanied by just her own guitar. These are the best songs that Shawn Colvin ever wrote by far. You'd have to go back to Joni Mitchell in the 1960s before you found anything better than this for this genre of popular music.

Her voice is strong and plaintive, her picking on open tuning gives her a distinctive guitar style, and while I would prefer to have heard these songs done in a studio with a production that matched the mood, this is more than good enough. Very few people can go out on stage accompanied by just themselves and energize an audience. Shawn Colvin is one of those rare birds that can.

It's said that everyone has one good book in them. It may be that similarly most songwriters have one good album's worth of material in them. If so, then this is Shawn Colvin's one good album worth of songs. And it's more than good. It's wonderful.

There are some artists where hearing them sing their songs with just a guitar is not just a treat, it is the preferred mode of listening. My contention would be that Shawn Colvin is just such a singer. All you have to do to acknowledge the point is to listen to the first two tracks on his album, "Diamond in the Rough" and "Shotgun Down The Avalanche," and compare the "Live '88" versions with the originals on "Steady On." That should prove the case. This album contains a nice mix of songs written by Colvin along, as well as with her songwriting partner and producer, John Leventhal. My only complaint, albiet a minor one, is that there is only one cover song, Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song." Fortunately, Colvin has an album of cover songs.

Even with the publicity of her Grammy award-winning "Sunny Came Home" and her touring with the first summer of Lilith Fair, Shawn Colvin remains more of a cult figure in terms of both her reputation and the affection of her audience for her work. She is one of those artists that you can get people hooked on quite easily. "Live '88" is not the first Shawn Colvin album you would want to listen to, but it will become one of your favorites.

Prior to purchasing this CD, I was a lukewarm Shawn Colvin listener. Basically, I knew her from "Sunny Came Home" and "Polaroids", and although I liked her, I wasn't in a rush to buy her discography. Then I stumbled on an Amazon review titled "Renders Steady On Obsolete" or something like that. It was such a rave that I purchased "Live 88" -- NOW I'M A RAVING SHAWN COLVIN FAN! All that the aforementioned reviewer said is true, plus this: While Shawn Colvin isn't the guitar virtuoso of a Patty Larkin or the songwriting genius of a Dar Williams, this album will blow you away as much as Patty or Dar ever did. The "unplugged" format showcases Shawn's voice, which is heart-rending on "Shotgun Down the Avalanche" when she sings "I will raise up my voice/Into the void/For you have left me nowhere to go". If that doesn't raise the hairs on the back of your neck, demand your money back! "Kathy's Song" is a fave, and even though I recognize that the lyrics of "I Don't Know Why" are a bit trite, I still mist up when she sings "And everytime that you look that way/I would lay down my life for you". If you're ever forced onto a desert island with a solar-powered CD player, be sure to take this one. Ten years (and one bad sunburn) later, you'll still be happy with your choice!

Two months ago, I had never heard of Shawn Colvin. Then I saw her in concert with Mary Chapin Carpenter in London (a fabulous show) and I was hooked. This cd captures the essence of her live show. Warm, intimate with her beautiful voice and superb guitar accompaniment shining through. My personal favourites are "Shotgun down the avalanche", "Ricochet in time","Stranded" and "Something to believe in". A great album for listening to whilst sitting in the dark ...or am I the only person who does that?

I love this collection of songs. This is the record that inspired me to learn how to play the guitar. I hadn't gotten this excited about an artist since high school and Joni Mitchell. Her voice and guitar sound the best here - clear, strong and passionate, and IMHO this is the one and only version of "I Don't Know Why." I love all her records (except Whole New You) but this is the one I play the most. Try also to get your hands on her 1975 bootlegs. They're very sweet.

As a native to Austin, I find this album to be truly representative of Shawn Colvin. I am impressed with her talent as a singer and songwriter. If you like acustic albums, this is a must have! Not just anyone can pick up a guitar and entertain.

I first heard Shawn Colvin's Live '88 album on the public television station SBS in Australia. I had never heard of Shawn and ordered the album as soon as I had listened to two songs. Live '88 displays an artist at her best, just a singer and her guitar. It is a beautiful simple and moving CD. This artist has inspired me.