Customer Reviews

Live

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This live album just like being there in the audience. I saw Shawn Colvin's live concert in Stockholm 2007, with only her and her guitar - and it was one of the best concerts I've ever experienced! This album is like re-living the concert time after time. Goosebumps all over!
Almost all her best songs are there (but not Steady On) and also some great covers like Crazy (the best cover ever...!).

I love Shawn. I've seen her live concerts and she's terrific albeit it would be nice if she had some back up, at least for a few selections. Patty Griffin is a terrific live performer and she has both acoustic and back up to great effect so I'm at a loss on this live album. Her live album from '88 was great so why does she feel the need to include the same songs she's already played live? And some of the newer songs she plays could use the accompaniment not that she isn't a strong musician but they just don't carry the energy they need to have without it. Also, a couple of the songs are a bit offkey which surprised me because they could have used other versions recorded live. It's a good listen but not as full of energy and artistically pleasing as it could have been knowing her work.

I'm always amazed when a performer can captivate with just a stunning voice, virtuoso guitar and pleasing manner. Such is the case with Ms. Colvin, who takes us on a musical journey with old chestnuts and a few newer tunes along the way. What amazes this reviewer is that all the takes on the songs seem as fresh as when they were recorded (Check out "Twilight" and "Matter of Minutes". And the guitar playing: magnificent.

My first exposure to Shawn Colvin was before she struck gold with the song "Sunny Came Home" from her album "A Few Small Repairs". I was working on a friend's boat and "Live 88" was playing in the background. About the second time through it, I remember thinking "My God, this girl is brilliant - who is she?" Since that day, Shawn Colvin has been my favorite artist.

Shawn makes her living as a live performer, and has done so for a very long time. For much of her career, she has gone on stage alone, just herself and her guitar. She seems to prefer it this way, and many of her most ardent fans, myself included, feel she shines brightest by her own light. It is a sad fact that an acoustic guitar gets lost or relegated to a supporting role when played in a band setting. When played without accompaniment, however, we can hear all the subtle sounds a great musician can coax out of her instrument, and so it is here. It's just Shawn, her guitar, and us.

The 15 selections on Live are drawn equally from Shawn's 6 studio albums; 3 from her debut "Steady On", 2 from "Fat City", 2 from "Cover Girl", 3 from "A Few Small Repairs", 2 from her almost forgotten "Whole New You", 2 from "These Four Walls" and one previously unreleased track, her recent cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". The tracks were recorded during a 3 night stand at the famous jazz club Yoshi's in San Francisco in 2008. The sound quality is excellent, with the background so quiet we can hear the whine of the strings as Shawn's hands move up and down the guitar neck, especially on the second track, "Matter of Minutes", the world's prettiest post partum song. Shawn's voice, even after nearly 35 years of singing professionally, is sweet, young, and pitch perfect as always.

It is irresistible to compare "Live" with Shawn's earlier live release, 1995's "Live 88". Although not released until 1995, most of that earlier album was recorded during a single show in 1988 at the very dawn of Shawn's career as a songwriter. The selections on "Live 88" are all songs from her debut album (plus a cover or two) because that was all she had at that point. Her delivery was more energetic then, and her playing more percussive as she makes heavy use of the unique right hand string deadening technique that has become her signature. By contrast, her performance on 2009's "Live" is more polished and less urgent, and why shouldn't it be? Since 1988, she's put 22 years in the mirror, been married and divorced twice, become a mother, been through menopause, and won 3 Grammies. I find both albums a joy to listen to, but I admit that "Live 88" is still my favorite.

Shawn Colvin Live was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album of 2009, and although it didn't win, what we have here is the definitive live album of Shawn's career to this point, and the next best thing to seeing this great singer/songwriter in performance on stage.

I bought this for my boyfriend for Christmas. It was the only CD I could find with Crazy on it. Really good selection of songs.

I bought this cd for my husband and I liked it so well I took it over. I recommed this cd to anyone who likes foksie music by an excellent artist.

Shawn is an absolutely wonderful live performer. Great songs, the voice of an angel, and stellar acoustic guitar. I love her live shows, the passion that comes through, as well as her interplay with the audience, makes it an event not to miss. These are some of her best and well known songs, and she sings them with all of her heart and soul. She plays acoustic guitar better than anyone I've ever heard, and I think it's great that she does solo shows. She's quite enough all by herself. That's the CD. Shawn's shows are just like this CD.

I'd also like to comment on her cover version of Gnarls Barkley's song. I've heard the song "Crazy" many times-who hasn't? I never would have thought of that song as one for Shawn. I have to say, though, her version is fantastic. I've never heard it live until I had the pleasure of listening to it on this CD. If you're a fan, just go buy it.

I just love the way she writes and sings so I am not an neutral critic in this case. She, her voice, her guitar and an incredible quiet audience enjoying her music. I have saw some videos with her in a trio situation and that touch would be a plus, but don't mind...This is gold.

I had the pleasure of seeing Shawn Colvin perform at Brixton By the Bay in Torrance, California recently, and she performed a very similar set to the one that appears on this recording. Shawn is one of my favorite singer-songwriters of all time; I've always loved the way her music straddles melancholy and happiness. But I have to say, I was a tad bit let down by her live show. It was kind of blah. I mean, don't get me wrong; I love seeing Shawn on stage with just her guitar singing her songs, but this time around, she just seemed a little tired. The energy was way down. I have the same problem with this recording. All the songs are really slowed down, which would be cool for two or three of them, but almost every song gets the REALLY STRIPPED-DOWN treatment, and in a few spots it really sucks the life out of the song (and me). That said, this is still a really good live recording. Shawn's voice sounds great; there's an aged quality to it that makes her sound older and wiser, which is nice, and I love that she's still performing her cover of Talking Heads' "This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)," as it's one of my favorite covers of hers. And her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" is very interesting, but fans will no doubt most appreciate the pared-down delivery on tracks like "Fill Me Up," "Steady On," "Shotgun Down the Avalanche" and "Diamond in the Rough," among many other staples. The recording is very intimate and crystal clear, and there are a few surprises here and there (oft-underrated tracks like "Ricochet in Time" and "Nothing Like You" are nice treats), so if you're a fan of Shawn's, this is a must-have addition to your collection. Overall, it's solid, though as all the songs are delivered in the same quiet fashion, you might find yourself wishing Shawn had busted out something like "Another Long One" or "Cry Like an Angel" to get things moving. But I still really like this album. I can't help it; I love Shawn.

We saw these Yoshi's shows live, and the cd is almost as great as sitting in the audience. It took us back to one of the best shows ever!