Player: Retrospective

David Bromberg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 12, 1998)
• Original Release Date: May 12, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000006O78
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,790 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sharon

2. The Holdup [Live]

3. Mr. Bojangles [Live]

4. Suffer to Sing the Blues

5. Mr. Blue

6. The Joke's on Me

7. Sammy's Song

8. Yankee's Revenge [Medley]

9. Wallflower [Live]

10. Statesboro Blues/Church Bell Blues [Live]

Editorial Reviews

Throw in a little blues, a little country, a little folk and a little rock 'n' roll-that's what Bromberg's all about. Among these 15 finger-pickin' tracks are stellar live versions of Bob Dylan's Wallflower ; Jerry Jeff Walker's Mr. Bojangles , and Blind Willie McTell's Statesboro Blues , plus two versions of the Bromberg/George Harrison composition The Hold Up . --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what the doctor ordered!, May 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Player: Retrospective (Audio CD)

David Bromberg The Player: A Retrospective Columbia / Legacy CK65263

Bruce Dickinson must have heard my prayers! Just when I was beginning to panic from not hearing anything from Bromberg in so long, Bruce put together this compilation of some of the player's early stuff for Columbia's "Common Chord" series! David is well and living in Chicago, building violins and venturing out only for rare, well-received concerts. Recorded from 71-74, this cd starts off with a rousing rendition of "Sharon", through a live cut with George Harrison of "The Holdup", and a beautiful live version of "Mr. Bojangles" (both previously unreleased on cd) that make you fall in love with this wooly-haired wild man all over again! Bob Dylan accompanies David on a soul stirring version of "Sammy's Song" that is also making its cd debut! "Suffer To Sing The Blues" is one of my new favorites, along with old standards of "Wallflower", "Statesboro Blues", "Mr. Blue","The Joke's on Me,"and more! The joke will be on you if you don't treat yourself to this disc! John Hathaway

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Folky, Funky Fun, February 25, 2003

By 

Bruce Kendall "BEK" (Southern Pines, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Player: Retrospective (Audio CD)

David Bromberg is one of those musicians that is tough to pigeonhole. His gumbo recipe consists of a touch of blues, a dab of funk,a dollop of old timey folk, with an off-kilter, slightly out-of-tune delivery thrown in for lagniappe . He's hung around the periphery of the music scene for quite a while now. With his unique blend of sardonic, off-the-wall wit and masterful song-styling, his has always been a distinctive voice in the cookie cutter landscape of contemporary music. Best known for his rendition of the Jerry Jeff Walker classic, "Mr. Bojangles," he's never been a big success commercially, but has always been one of those performers who truly deserve wider exposure.

For Bromberg fans, this CD will be familiar territory, as is the case with all "best-of" compendiums. As retrospectives go, however, this is particularly well produced, both in terms of sound quality and song selection. It provides as good an overview of a long and productive career as a 15 song CD can achieve. There are a few songs left off the album that I personally would have liked to have seen included in a true "retrospective," however. Bromberg's 1977 recording of "Child's Song," off his Reckless Abandon album, for instance, is the most bittersweet and poignant rendition of that song I've ever heard. Also missing: "Send me to the L'Ectric Chair" (1974, Wanted Dead or Alive), "Joke's on Me," (1975, Midnight on the Water), "Sweet Home Chicago" (1976, How Late'l Ya Play 'Til?). His '77 best-of release, Out of the Blues: Best of David Bromberg, is another possibility for getting a taste of his earlier recordings, but what is truly needed is a two or even three CD disc (Rhino Records style), to present a true compendium of this singer/songwriter's prolific career. Hopefully, fans will be rewarded with something of the sort in the not too distant future.

BK

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bromberg rules, April 19, 2003

By 

Daniel Geiger "WCCO Radio, Producer" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Player: Retrospective (Audio CD)

I first became aware of David Bromberg when he guested on a summer replacement series hosted by the late Bobby Darin in the early 70's. Here was this amazing musician with the unusal face and unusal voice to match. But could he play! I proceeded to see him in concert dozens of times since that day and anticipated each album release. I started my own band, named it the SOUL REVIEW after a comment of David's at the start of his first COLUMBIA RECORDS album. We played several of Bromberg's songs.
Hearing this album brought all of that back to me...and then some. It made me wonder....where is David Bromberg now? David if you stumble on this review....I would love to talk with you.