Customer Reviews

Live At The Troubadour (CD +DVD)

5 star:		(138)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Blossom, smile some sunshine down my way
Lately, I've been lonesome
Blossom, it's been much too long a day
Seems my dreams have frozen
Melt my cares away...

It's not my favorite James Taylor song. Really, I barely remember it. But it's the first song on the DVD and CD package of Carole King & James Taylor: Live at the Troubadour, and just hearing that mellow guitar and moonshine voice pretty much unhinged me --- my face flushed, my eyes glistened, and there I was, face-planted into my past.

I'm not the only one of a certain age who will watch this intimate concert --- or see King and Taylor on their tour --- and have this reaction. Their music is mostly quiet, but it plays loud in memory; it's what we were listening to in that dump of a decade, the `70s. It's all those memories: Roe v. Wade. Kent State. Ms. Magazine. That endless war in Vietnam.

And, set against that, the soothing and consoling music of two crooners. In terms of records sold, they're a rounding error for Michael Jackson. But back then, for white kids astonished to find themselves struggling to make decent lives in Nixon's America, they were huge.

They were, as it turns out, huge for one another in the `70s. They first performed together at the Troubadour, a little LA club, in November of 1970. Look at the video, though --- King's playing piano for Taylor in what's clearly a very tentative collaboration. A year later, when they returned to the Troubadour, he had "Fire and Rain" and she had "Tapestry" and they had mutual, powerful magic. And then, in 2007, they returned to the Troubadour one more time to made a CD and DVD from six shows recorded over three nights.

These 15 songs, spread over 75 minutes, are impeccable --- the technology of recording, video and editing has advanced so dramatically that the early videos seem raw and awkward. Not that these performances are slick and cynical. What you get to see and hear is the intimacy of this relationship.

Carole King hearts James Taylor. It's all over her face as she harmonizes or just mouths the words to his songs. But then, she's hugely emotional as a signature. Her songs are hits in large part because she's brilliant at distilling deep feelings into simple statements --- "You've Got a Friend" is the gold standard --- and excitable as a musician. When she gets going, she's off the piano bench and playing standing up.

The news flash on James Taylor, who has always seemed too accomplished to break a sweat, is how intense he is as a guitarist. King looks at Taylor, Taylor looks down at his guitar --- that unbalances the film until you get used to it, and then you have a fresh appreciation for him as a musician.

It's the voices and harmonies that mattered when we first heard King and Taylor. The years have been kind to them. King's voice was always a little weathered, and that, for her, was a strength --- now, after failed marriages and whatever else life has slung at her, that roughness seems like the proof of experience. Taylor, a great singer in his 20s, is now a master; if you can hear a flaw, you've got better ears than I do.

The pacing of the show and the positioning of the songs are where this package achieves liftoff. Listening and watching, I felt a kind of peace that had eluded me all day. If you're young, this may sound stupid beyond belief, but if you've got miles and bruises, this is music that connects you to old dreams and affirms every hope you ever had for your generation, your country and yourself. These are, in short, lullabies for adults.

Just as I was thinking that, King and Taylor returned on stage for an encore. And, without the band, this is what they sang:

Close your eyes;
you can close your eyes, it's all right.
I don't know no love songs,
and I can't sing the blues any more.
But I can sing this song,
and you can sing this song
when I'm gone.
It won't be long before another day.
We're gonna have a good time.
And no one's gonna take that time away.
You can stay as long as you like.

If only.

Watching the DVD and listening to this music brings back a lot of memories of great music. The music of Carole King and James Taylor is timeless. I have never had the chance to see them perform at the Troubadour in Hollywood, but watching this CD and DVD combo is the next best thing. Their voices compliment each other well on the song "Up On The Roof". This is my favorite track because it really shows that they enjoy performing together. Carole King still has the ability to touch me emotionally on the song "So Far Away". This song can still bring tears to my eyes. "Smackwater Jack" and "I Feel The Earth Move" are two classic songs that sound as fresh and groovy as they did forty years ago. Danny Kortchmar lends his talents playing the guitar on the song "Machine Gun Kelly". Danny gives this song an energetic kick with his playing. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" is the perfect love song. Their voices sound perfect on this song together. "Blossom" is a song that puts my mind at ease. It is a song that I am not famillar with to be honest, but I love it after listening to it. Long time fans will love this. Younger people will love this music too. All of these songs are so thoughtful and moving.

This is not the current (2010) Carol King/James Taylor concert. This combo CD/DVD is from the November 2007 Los Angeles Troubadour concert. But no mind. The magic is there. The music is there. And the love is there.

As James Taylor said during the concert, Carol and James are pitching and the intimate Troubadour audience is catching. Backed by guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russell Kunkel--all stars in their own right--everyone has fun. Even with those oh-so-familar songs, no one phones it in.

The high point for me is the point and counter point between King and Taylor on "Up On The Roof." Both artists had hits with this Goffin-King song and both take turns singing verses in their own style. They both eventually join together for the song's climax. The arrangement is brilliant and very cool.

The camera work on the DVD is shaky at times and has focus problems. On the upside, the audio is encoded in both Dolby Digital and DTS. The 5.1 sound is excellent. Plus you have the uncompressed audio on the CD--a generous combination.

Nathaniel Kunkel is the recording engineer. I assume that he is related to Russ Kunkel. Peter Asher produced.

If you like James Taylor or Carol King--or just want to step back to the 1970s with two classic and classy performers, this CD/DVD is sure not to disappoint.

I pre-ordered this CD/DVD combo, and it arrived on its release date. I'm a casual fan of James Taylor & Carole King's music, and have an album or two by each of them. As a rule I don't like concert/music DVD's, and only ordered this set because the cost was about the same as buying a CD. I am SO glad I did! The DVD is a wonderful!

The Troubadour is a small intimate venue, which was the perfect setting for two old friends to get together, tell a few short stories, and sing some favorite songs. Carole King was glowing, and spent much of the concert seated at the piano. James Taylor was predictably mellow. They both sounded pretty darn good!

The video seemed almost like it was a couple of guys with a camcorder - with fans' heads sometimes getting in the way, some shots where they were a bit late and maybe didn't catch what they were aiming for, & a few oddly chosen close-ups of the fans. Those little imperfections, planned or otherwise, fit the mood of the concert quite nicely.

There aren't any extras on the DVD. James Taylor & Carole King (mostly James) have a brief discussion (audio only while scenes of the club before the concert are shown) prior to the actual concert footage. It seemed that the DVD ended rather abruptly. Maybe that's because I was hoping for a bit of post-concert discussion.

I listened to the CD, but not closely. It seemed that all the audio from the DVD were on the CD except for the opening discussion.

Like several other reviewers (and I am TRULY amazed there are not many more of them here), while the material here is classic, that leaves the sound quality and sadly, I find this recording almost unbearable to listen to. And no, I'm NOT a 'sonic snob' or 'expert audiophile,' or anything of the like. Fortunately, I DO possess good hearing, excellent audio equipment and happen to own over 8,000 CDs - many of which are live recordings and remasters of concerts from many DECADES ago - not only three years ago in 2007! It's not asking a lot to expect the sound technicians and engineers to do their job right and for the final release to sound terrific, but with this release, the exceptionally poor job that Peter Asher and Nathaniel Kunkel (!) did with the sound and audio engineering is an audio nightmare. I don't even know how this was released to the general public. For an example of what I'm talking about, the first few Led Zeppelin albums came out in 1969 and 1970, they're not even live, and with the final remasters, they all sound like they were recorded last month. Which is what this terrific reunion SHOULD have sounded like.

These phenomenal songs speak for themselves, and this should have been a superb recording of an excellent concert between two troubadours playing at their namesake. However, throughout the entire recording, there's virtually NO clarity, spaciousness or separation between the instruments, vocals and applause. So, if you're listening for sentimental value (and granted, there's a lot of it here among these excellent songs), and can equalize the sound to approximate something that's listenable, by all means, go for it.

I am hoping along with many others, I'm sure, with the next pressing and remastering of this recording (hopefully as soon as possible), the remarkably poor sonic issues will be corrected and ideally, an exchange be given for the original. Only then will all of Carole and James' fans have a lasting CD audio keepsake of a concert that sounds as great as their pairing at the Troubadour truly must have been.

I'm as particular as anyone I know about sound quality and can definitely recognize a recording that is sub-par. This concert is not one of them. The engineers have nothing to be "ashamed" about. First of all, this live recording sounds different from others because of the intimate setting. The Troubadour is a tiny club, not a 25,000 seat arena. The dvd is great too, very enjoyable.

It's obvious from watching and listening to this concert that these two great artists have great admiration and love for each other. Add some great songs and an excellent band and this package is definitely a five star show. My only complaint is that it's so entertaining and enjoyable that it seems to end too soon! This set belongs in the collection of any fan of James and Carole or anyone who loves great music that is timeless.

I've got to agree with others who have panned the sound quality of this CD. Even allowing for the fact that this is a live recording, the quality is terrible. It is so fuzzy that I first thought there was something defective about the CD or with my system. These are great artists and for the most part wonderful songs, but the poor recording quality makes it barely listenable. Unless you are a truly dedicated fan, don't buy this CD.

Carol King and James Taylor together at the Troubadour! I have to say that of all the artists, I can't think of two others that represent the 60's and 70's better than these two. There songs and voices are cornerstones to the era and have the power to propel us back to a momentous time when we felt empowered to change the world.

James Taylor performs most of his classics, Fire and Rain; Carolina on My Mind; Sweet Baby James, and others. Carol King likewise gives us her classics, I Feel the Earth Move; So Far Away and others. I also did not know that Carol King helped to write Up On the Roof and actually let James release it before she did. The benefits of live concerts.

Both the CD and DVD are well produced. Watch the DVD allows the producers to include the small banter and stories that are often left off a live CD.

If you're a product of the 60's and 70's and you listened to the music then, this is one purchase you'll want to make.

Bless us all and peace.

If you were into music in the 70's when singer/songwriters dominated it would be hard to escape the music of Carole King or James Taylor. This CD, DVD and Tour, looks to recreate the magic that was present at the Troubadour in the early days. Much is done well, veteran musicians that were icons of the era are backing up the duo, vintage instruments were used and seems there seems to be no post dubbing.

My problem is the sonic quality of the recording. James Taylor's recent works have been sonic jewels and even early works of both of these performers have a nice warm and dynamic quality about them. While nice to listen to, this CD sounds, well, flat. Much to much compression was used so you loose the dynamics of the performance. This is most notable in the louder performances such as "I feel the Earth Move." Another problem for me was the quality of Mr. Taylor's guitar. It sounded like they used some sort of internal pickup rather than a good quality microphone.

Yes I'm picky and yes, I'm the kind of person that pays way to much for stereo equipment and most listeners will probably never notice the issues. But I could hear the compression on the stereo in my old pickup. It sounded more like listening to an FM radio station than a CD. The thing that bothers me most is, with the technology available today, everything that is being produced seems to sound better and better. Why would a historic performance by such marvelous singer/songwriters sound so - well bad?

Next time pull in the folks from MTV Unplugged to do post.