Customer Reviews

Live at the Legendary Paradise Garage

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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the anticipation for this cd was so high,i was worried it would fall under everyone's expectations.but instead we get a glimpse of one night in 1979 that is pure magic.all the elements are here that are larry's trademarks-the ability to mix older tracks("funk train" and"erucu") with current tracks and newer unreleased gems(change's "angel in my pocket"-not out until the next year!)listen to the way he introduces a snippet or a whisper of a song,building up the anticipation of the listener.my only disappointment was when the last track fades out,i felt this immense sadness-i wanted it to keep going.i also worry when the next chance will come-look how long this took to be released.but for now,we have a historical document of one night in the greatest club and the best dj ever-and that is a good thing.

As a former patron of the Garage I can honestly say that
Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage live on in this most
excellent collection of garage classics. I only wish someone would compile some of Larry's mixes from 80 to 83-84 which would
lay aside all doubt as to who is the best D.J of all times...

First, I'd like to remark on the sheer clarity and technical excellance of the transfer to CD of the original tapes. Hats off to the Strut UK label. I can only pray that they can get their hands on more classic disco tapes (more Levan from the 1980s would be a start) and make them available to the public in the same way. Now on the vibe: Pure Disco Heaven from the beginning especially with the likes of Ashford & Simpson, T-Connection and Stephanie Mills starting out the set. If you like 70s style disco music, this is for you. As essential a testament of the early New York disco scene as David Mancuso's "The Loft" put out by another Brit label, Nuphonic.

Anyone with the slightest intrest in the art of Djing and croud control needs to listen to this live recording of the inspirational Larry Levan at the peak of his powers. Soul seeps from every track, as Larry weaves in and out of prime disco gems. As someone who only wishes I could have lived through those extraordinary years in the Paradise Garage, this CD goes someway to justifying Larry Levan's reputation as the greatest DJ of all time. As the last tune kicks in after a wall of echo's and effects, Larry has you in the palm of his hand and begging for more. This CD is recommended to anyone with an intrest in house music history, I await volume 2.

If you ask just about any house DJ in NYC over the age of 30 about their major influences, chances are they'll mention Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage. Larry is infamous for his special vibe and his delivery of soul in the purest form. He pushed the boundaries of music and then broke right through them.

Those of us who never made it to the Garage or heard Larry play live now have a chance to get a little taste of what made Larry and the Garage so influential, with the release of "Larry Levan Live at the Paradise Garage" from Strut Records/West End Records. While this 2.5 hour CD can't capture the spirit of Larry's legendary sets it comes pretty damn close.

Sampling the likes of Cher to the Supremes to Jermaine Jackson with music ranging in genre from pop to funk to soul, this CD is truly a testament to the gifted ease with which Larry could move a crowd and deliver his expressiveness and heart through music. Larry is famous for creating the perfect environment for his guests at the Garage, combining the music with the Garage's legendary sound system and lighting.

Once, while in the middle of a record, he ran out of the booth, grabbed a stepladder and proceeded to clean all six mirror balls while the record spun around in silence for half an hour. All of the club goers waited patiently for the man many of them worshipped as a God to finish up so he could get back to doing what he did best - playing music.

Story has it that he knew his crowd so well that from the booth he could point to a crowd of people sitting down and proceed to put on a record that would have them all out on the floor dancing in seconds.

Larry was so careful about his programming that he would only play songs with similar lyrical themes back to back and always put in some sort of break when switching from one lyrical theme to another. As a fair representation of Larry's unique style of mixing, the quality of beatmatching on this CD various greatly. Some mixes are absolutely flawless - a difficult feat when playing live music, especially without the steady tempo of a drum meachine, while other mixes sound slapped together. But this CD isn't about beatmatching - it's about taking the listener on a musical journey which glides above the guard rails of genre.

This CD is required listening for every house music fan. For those lucky enough to have been a part of the original magic at the Garage it just might recapture some of the energy that we miss so much. For those who never made it this CD is even more important. It's a piece of history - one of the few remaining relics of an artist credited by many fans and contemporary DJs as the best DJ ever.

Larry was instrumental in the creation of modern Djing and DJ culture, and this CD shows just how he did that - by not paying attention to the technical details and always keeping his eye on the big picture. This CD is a welcome break from the current wave of technically precise DJs who are more concerned with doing a perfect mix than with moving the crowd and imparting their sets with soul. And soul, my friends, is the one thing this CD has aplenty.

A grand collection that will take you back to the heyday of the "G" to two parties, Thanksgiving Eve and Memorial Day in 1982. Not to be missed by anyone claiming to love "Garage music." This is the real stuff. Sure, it's a little "gay bar-esque," but don't forget that the G was first and foremost a gay nightclub.

I brought this to a party attended by many ex-Garage hounds, and it was a BIG hit.

Don't expect to have heard most of these songs before (it's not an overview disco collection). As Larry Levan collections go, this one is a little more gay-bar-esque than the others, by which I guess I mean thumping and upbeat. I just got this one and it hasn't grown on me yet; I really like his Taana Gardner songs, which aren't included. Still any Larry Levan is good in my opinion so if you feel the same you should get this one too.

I am not sure this is the correct image for the album, the artwork shown is from the strut release. The West End release that this is shows a picture of Larry Levan on it. Anyone else agree?

Larry Levan is nowadays acknowledged to be one of the great and more influential dj's of the 70's. This 2cd mix just ads to this. Although his beatmatching skills might be a little less than contemporary dj's, but today almost al beats match, which wasn't the case in his days. The electricity sparkles from the cd's. The only down point I can come up with, is the second cd only last less than 40 min.

When I first listened to this live tapes a couple of years ago, it just blew me away, the only thing I would like to know, why don't they bring out some more of this DJ mastermind (and please...let it be the 70's)