Live at Benaroya Hall With The Seattle Symphony

Brandi Carlile | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 3, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Columbia
• ASIN: B004NCOQBK
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,984 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Curtain Call

2. Sixty Years On

3. Looking Out

4. Before It Breaks

5. I Will

6. Shadow On The Wall

7. Dreams

8. Turpentine

9. The Sound Of Silence

10. The Story

11. Pride And Joy

12. Hallelujah

Editorial Reviews

Culled from two incredible sold-out shows in November 2010 at the prestigious Seattle concert venue, Brandi Carlile - Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony features the acclaimed singer-songwriter-performer and her band -- Tim Hanseroth (guitar), Phil Hanseroth (bass), Josh Neumann (cello) and Allison Miller (drums) -- performing a finely drawn selection of original songs and well-chosen covers accompanied by a full thirty-piece orchestra.

Brandi Carlile - Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony showcases arrangements created for Brandi by Sean O'Loughlin (who's worked with Chris Isaak, Feist, Belle & Sebastian, Blue Man Group, others) and the legendary Paul Buckmaster (Elton John, David Bowie-"Space Oddity," Miles Davis-"On The Corner"). Buckmaster, who won a Grammy in 2001 for his arrangements on Train's "Drops of Jupiter," first worked with Brandi in 2009 on Give Up The Ghost, her third studio album.

Brandi Carlile, winner of Seattle's City of Music Breakthrough Award for 2010, sold-out her Benaroya debut in 2008. Returning to the Hall for the first time last November, after touring more than a year in support of Give Up The Ghost, Carlile treated her fans to an expanded road-polished repertoire, performing an exquisite set-list of original compositions and covers including Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" and Elton John's "Sixty Years On.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there, and this CD will make you feel like you were, too May 3, 2011

By Thomas E. Davis TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

This concert made for an exhilarating evening. Now everyone can experience it.

Last night at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, Brandi, the twins (Tim and Phil Hanseroth), and their cellist, Josh Neumann, held a CD release party. Brandi said that of all the discs they've put out, this is the one they are proudest of, the one that best captures their live sound. She gave a lot of credit to her many exuberant fans, to her arrangers (including Paul Buckmaster, who worked with Elton John, one of Brandi's heroes), to her recording engineer, and to the Seattle Symphony, whose professionalism both challenged and inspired her.

Hearing the band with full orchestral backing elevates their music to an entirely new level. The album was recorded at the symphony's primary venue, one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world, giving the songs majestic settings. The contrast between the roar of a rock band and the sweep of a symphony orchestra is exquisite. Every note is pristine and vibrant.

Brandi's emotionally powerful voice, quavering and cracking with passion and heartbreak, is front and center on all tracks, with the exception of the twins' excellent cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." There are several other beautiful covers on the album (it opens with Elton John's "Sixty Year's On," closes with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and includes a hidden bonus, Alphaville's "Forever Young," with only piano and cello accompaniment), but most of the hour-long CD is devoted to originals by Brandi and the twins, who are great songwriters in their own right.

The disc includes numbers from Brandi's eponymous debut, her popular sophomore album, "The Story," and her most recent release, "Give Up the Ghost." All are standout tracks, but "Before It Breaks," "I Will," "Dreams," "The Story," and "Pride and Joy" are especially strong. "Turpentine" includes an audience sing-along, which I don't usually like, but let me tell you: singing with Brandi and 2500 other people in a room where one normally sits in respectful silence was a gas! My only real complaint is that this album could have been just a bit longer and included a few more songs from the concert.

If this is your first Brandi Carlile purchase, you will be completely blown away and immediately want to order all of her previous CDs. But if you, like me, are a longtime fan, this is a summation of all the wonderful things Brandi and company have accomplished to this point in their young careers. And if you were unable to attend this concert (my condolences), you can now rectify the error in some measure. Emphatically recommended!

By the way, Brandi mentioned at the release party that she and the band have been busy in the studio. They have 18 new songs, many of which will be featured on their next album and on a national tour that starts this week and continues throughout the summer. Check out their schedule at the brandicarlile website, which has several videos to whet your appetite, and catch them in a city or town near you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A glorious live disc that leaves you wanting more May 23, 2011

By Jon Eric Davidson

Format:Audio CD

It has been a joy to follow Brandi Carlile's career to date. Her youth belies the amazing sense of a well-traveled life that is found in her vocals, her songwriting is strong and poignant, and she proves that nearly anything from a wide swath of musical genres is completely within her grasp. Her musical stylings would certainly appeal to rock, alt-rock, country, and other fans alike. So, it is an added bonus to have - so relatively early in her career - the release of "Live At Benaroya Hall" to showcase her talents.

This is apparently a compilation of the best of her performances from last year's stand with the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall. I personally feel that they probably could have taken a complete live performance without having to cherry-pick; regardless, the production makes it sound seamless. The production also phenomenally captures the breadth of sound in the wonderful acoustic environment of Benaroya Hall. Ms. Carlile, her backing band, and the symphony can all be heard in near-perfect balance and richness.

The track selection leans more heavily on Ms. Carlile's two most recent discs - "The Story" and "Give Up The Ghost" - which is just fine, especially for the tracks she chose. They also included a few choice covers, including a remarkable version of the John/Taupin classic "Sixty Years On" that opens the show, Cohen's oft-covered (to the extreme) "Hallelujah", and a completely eerie version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound Of Silence" (performed by the twin brothers - Phil and Tim Hanseroth) that sounds as if the audience was transported back to the late '60's. As with her studio recordings, Ms. Carlile's vocals can make the listener feel at once uplifted and filled with heartache. Her vocal talents have never been displayed so vividly.

If there is any drawback to this disc - and what keeps me from giving this disc a full five-star rating - is that the disc is almost too short. By the time the bonus track - a cover of "Forever Young" - fades from the speakers, you are left craving more. Often times live discs can drag on and on, but this one felt like it could have been enhanced by the inclusion of just two or three more tracks. Regardless, it is a disc you will listen to time and again, and as a fan, I hope this is indicative of the stunning music that Ms. Carlile has yet to unveil on the scene.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brandi Live May 4, 2011

By C. Win

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a fantastic live concert with clear sound and excellent songs. The symphony and Brandi are so exceptional, you hardly even notice it's live. Brandi sings the songs that we know her for, as well as classics that she adds a whole new dimension to! If you've never heard "The Story" or if you have, you will be rocking out to the live version with the symphony orchestration and Brandi's unique voice!