Customer Reviews

Live

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not many performers come around that have the talent and the voice that Mr Gaines has. Although he has not become a household name, this release should help him become one. Having seen him perform with just a guitar and a mike and blowing away the audience with his performance, you should run not walk and purchase this release. It will not let you down. Do yourself a favor and support a truly talented artist that deserves a listen.

This is a first of it kind a hy-bird cd with both audio/video on the same disc each having it's own side, I've been a JG fan since early '93,I've seen JG live 29x, and yes I do have bootlegs 'vhs' tapes and audio, but nothing beats the crispness of DVD, seeing him live with the raw emotion and feeling he portrays in his music,it's a diamond in the rough, to find such honest, real depth in his lyrics, you can feel the pleasure and pain, of what it was to go through, to capture the ups and downs and seeing thru it all, your just glad that it wasn't you, but I'm sure you been there or know someone who has, now to the review of the disc, I was lucky to see him @ TLA in Philly that night recording the material for this disc, he played just under 4hr to gather the songs and video for a cost of only $10.00, that night the music was out of this world the aura of the lighting, the sound and the audience,the moons were all in align, from the opening of 'Falling Apart' [off his latest cd-Toward the Sun]to the close of 'Always Be'[off the the same titled cd] and playing most of his catalog that night,to his never ending surprise covers, but only one cover made the disc[trk 13]a Sam Cooke cover called 'A Change Is Gonna Come' all on the audio portion of the live cd, the DVD side[note: songs that appear on the audio don't all appear on the DVD, and visa-versa] takes you back to that night on November 6th '03, the roaring and response of the crowd to the smoke,lighted candelabra to the pin spots shining down, that special night was captured,now it's available to all, not just fans of JG, but to all you really want to see a talented singer/songwriter named Jeffrey Gaines...on a personal note one favorite of the DVD disc is 'Over and Over'[from the latest cd] the way he grabs you, and takes you in on this selection, has to be the highlight of this disc, see it to believe it, trust me on this.......after seeing this disc you really should experience JG live @ local venue in person, and I'm sure you will count the days when he's playing in your area[by the way # 30 for me will be @ Harry's Roadhouse 06/11/04 in Asbury Park, New Jersey...thanx

I was hooked ten years ago when I first heard Jeffrey Gaines, and have bought all of his cds ever since. This CD/DVD is his best because the live aspect adds even more raw, genuine depth to his music (I should subtract one star from the rating for the cheesy and lame "In Your Eyes" video at the end. But this release is still really worth 5 stars!)
And yes, you can sing along! It is truly awesome.

Although I love love love Jeffrey Gaines, I was a little disappointed with the live CD. He made a lot of changes to the songs that make it hard to sing along, even more so than in a usual concert. Still get chills with his voice though!

Jeffrey Gaines is one of those rare performers that bridges genres and appeals to a diverse audience. He is able to transcend the usual expectations that we have for rock, soul and folk artists because his lyrics focus on the experience of being human and convey his thoughts and feelings to us on such a personal yet universal level that we feel we are looking into a mirror. This cd is exceptional in 2 ways. Whereas most live albums are collections of songs from various shows along the tour, this cd was recorded all in one magical night at the TLA in Philadelphia, my hometown. It's like a moment frozen in time. And after listening to the cd on your portable player you can flip it over, pop it into your dvd player and watch the show! How awesome is that? The beautiful vocals and compelling lyrics will make you want to play it over and over. JG Live is a must for any music collection. If you never get the opportunity to see him play live, you're really missing something special but JG Live is definitely the next best thing.
-EJ

This album shows that JG is a great performer live and in the studio. He is one of the few truly genuine performers. I am a devote JG fan because his music is so personal. Not only does he write his own music but he performs his music all by himself with no other guitar player or backup vocalist. It's just him an his guitar. His voice blows me away. My family members are all JG fans and have all of his albums and they have all seen him in concert. I also like his other albums.

I recently attended a Jeffrey Gaines performance at the Crossroads in Garwood, NJ. While I've heard of Mr. Gaines before, I did not know his music or anything about him, I decided to check him out. Needless to say, I was impressed enough to purchase "Live" after the show.

Gaines has a awesome, soulful voice that compliments his introspective songwriting. He appreciates his audience and he enjoys playing for them. Listing to this CD in my car, I got chills from songs like "I Know a Man"; smart ,but not vague songwriting, with no pretense.

After the show, Jeffrey signed my CD and I thanked him for being an admitted, unabashed KISS & Cheap Trick (Two of my favorite bands!)growing up as many of his peers would not be so forthcoming. He shook my hand and said "That's great stuff!".

A nice person and talent performer. Glad to be a new fan.
Join me in adding his back catalog to our collections!

While I am not a big fan of this two-in-one component for CDs/DVDs (preferring to get separate discs in one pack in order to reduce scratching), the work itself is remarkable.

This is a wonderful collection of live songs performed with much grace and passion. This seminal artist really knows how to connect with his audience, creating rapport and the sense that each song comes alive uniquely each time that it is played. Gaines is an excellent raconteur (by telling hilarious stories between songs), which really must be experienced first hand by attending one of his shows. I had the good fortune of catching his recent show at Satalla in NYC. David Bowie once wrote, "Ain't there one damn song that can make me break down and cry?"

Seeing Gaines live will fill your eyes with plenty of tears of joy. He is a master of songwriting and conveying true emotion.

Almost as good as being there, and hey, Im on here! The only thing that could be better would be the dvd recorded start to finish. This of course would be 5 hrs long then. But hearing Jeffrey speak inbetween each track is a treat unto anyone who witnesses him live. The background musicians lend a bit of atmosphere to the raw vibe of Jeffrey live and alone. They were there for half the show, so if you are still only into Jeffrey alone, that sound is also captured. For anyone who nly knows Jeffrey from the cd's, see him live. This is where the true emotion and life is breathed into his words. What a great night is was.