Customer Reviews

Live at Convocation Hall

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

 

 

When I first listened to this album I realized just how many great songs Hayden has written. It plays out like a greatest hits CD of his 7 years+ musical career. He is such a strong performer and the recording is intimate. And his in-between song bantor is hilarious. It's beautifully packaged in a foldout digipack and includes a booklet of lyrics with photos. Recommended for all fans of this remarkable songwriter/performer.

this is a great, great album. I'm so happy he put out a live album. I seen him live last year in Detroit and met him, cool guy. I was a fan before that concert so I was excited to see him. If you don't feel like getting his older stuff, which i HIGHLY recommend, get this. bob dylan, leanord cohen, hayden. another musician that has talent,no, a gift. just him, his guitar, piano and harmonica.

Hayden's 2-cd live album is, for the most part, simply breathtaking. As well as showcasing some of his best songs (Middle of July, Between Us to Hold, Stem, etc) it captures some cute and funny moments of singer-audience banter. I was at this concert and loved it, and now I have this album to keep forever. I highly recommend it!

I will admit, before I write this reveiw that I am a Hayden fan. Something about his music stirs my soul. It could be the simple, yet complex songs. It could be the beautiful, but sad songs he often writes. Hayden is an artist full of contridictions, his voice is scratchy and raw, and really not even that good, yet it fits his music perfectly.

As usual this album is warm. It reminds me of a flanel shirt you put on on a cold, crisp day as you warm up next to the hearth. The recording is good, and this is a live album, so it is not studio tight, but I think that is the point. It is a raw sound, that is often apparent in his studio releases, but here it shines through in all its striped-down glory. It is intimate and you can almost feel his breath in the microphone.

If you are a Hayden fan, I recomend this album. It has a collection of songs from all his previous albums and some tracks that are not easy to get in the states. It is a two disc album, and it would add alot to any music fans library. I hope this helped, and you find great pleasure in this artist's latest release.

I went to see Hayden the night he recorded this concert. He is not only a great artist, musician and songwriter but he thoroughly enjoys being with his audience. He engages with the audience, he tells goofy stories and jokes around (my personal favourite: the story of his cat, Woody and his wild carousing). There were hundreds of people there that night and he talked to the audience as if he were their good friend.

This album is not only a great live recording (two discs) but the best way to experience the best of Hayden. As far as I know, there is no "Greatest Hits of Hayden" (he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do that...) and Live At Convocation Hall highlights the best of his career in 2002. If you're new to Hayden start here and explore the rest. He is the great, unknown musican of our era (probably something he doesn't mind - and he'll probably never sell-out like some Canadian musicians have done in the past).

I love this album. It's one of the ways I can travel back in time to a great night and a great show.