Customer Reviews

At This Moment

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

 

 

Vera's 1981 live recording of "At This Moment" found fame six years later in an episode of TV's "Family Ties." It became both Vera's calling card of one-hit-wonderhood, and a shadow that obscured his diverse career of acting, music writing, and, as demonstrated here, fine live performances. This disc combines a dozen tracks recorded in 1995 (and previously anthologized on Pool Party's 1996 "Oh What a Night" release) with a half-dozen bonus cuts collected from various movie soundtracks.

The live tracks show Vera & the Beaters to be a potent, sax-heavy band with a flair for the Stax sound. Their take of Vera's 1968 hit "Country Girl - City Man" (co-written with the legendary Chip Taylor) offers a funky horn chart, and Vera's co-write with Lowell Fulson, "Room With a View" is a smokey blues, highly influenced by the singing of both Johnny Adams and Lou Rawls (each of whom have covered the tune). The bonus tracks include a previously unreleased studio take of "At This Moment," as well as rarities from the films "Blind Date," "Baja Oklahoma," "Rainbow Drive" and "Desperate For Love."

Though this disc seems primarily aimed at Vera's fans, it's a great spin for anyone who likes soul music (whether they've seen the Family Ties prom episode or not!). Vera's self-penned liner notes are informative in a way a third-party's could never be, and his music will please fans of the Stax sound and latter-day rock 'n' soul outfits like Wet Willie, the E-Street Band and Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.

3-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings.

This CD brings back great memories of when I lived in L.A. in the early 90's and went to a club in Santa Monica every month to hear Billy Vera and his band! This CD is every bit as magical as the live performances. I play this CD in my car constantly. The music is pure magic!

Billy Vera's been around the music scene in LA. The best of this collection, "At This Moment" is known by nearly everyone here. Not uncommon to hear someone talking in a group and start a sentence with "What would..." and then hear the rest of the group finish the sentence by singing Vera's most famous tune complete with air guitar. Fun to listen to... funner to see.

I thought some of the tunes were pretty good but on many of the tracks the sonics are not all that good. If you compare this CD to his greatest hits there is no comparison. Billy's big hit, "At This Moment" lacks any of the excitement found on the Greatest Hits CD--1/2 of the band/instrumentation was missing for this recording and the sound was just not there. Sorry Billy but it is just OK.

Billy Vera and the Beaters are AWESOME! I love everything they do. I have all the albums they have put out. I never get tired of listening to them. I have seen them in concert about 7 times. AMAZING - man and group. He(Billy Vera) writes his own stuff and music for many other famous people. Buy thisThe Best Of Billy Vera & the Beaters to name just one.

It's too bad that the original "Billy and the Beaters" album is not available on CD - I've been searching for years as my original LP is wearing. It's been one of my favorite albums since 1982 but is about worn out...

It's a good album and I am really enjoying it. Thanks for the quick service.

This CD was not even near what I expected. The original cassette tape of the same title has the original cut's including hopeless romantic (the CD DID NOT) the sound quality was no where the original. Very obvious a "dubbed" cut. Bad quality = bad purchase= returned item.

I remember hearing "At This Moment" for the first time on Saturday January 3rd, 1987. I was coming home from a drug store, and to be honest I was not enjoying life. College was a hard time for me since starting it 3 months earlier, and I was wondering what my future was going to look like, and I really didn't see a beautiful picture. The song was all romance which would mean the girls would eat it up; I remember we had just come out of a bad year in music, and with hearing this off the bat it didn't sound like it was going to get any better. I look back on this as partly my fault for not being more self-starting when I was in my teens-early 20's meaning I could've gotten a job while in college, or gotten involved in extra-carricular activities at school. My days pretty much were bleak, and uncertain, and I really regret having graduated high school early, but I feel that there could've been the same result had I stayed in high school the extra year. A change of heart is needed, and speaking of a change of heart this album definitely needs one. All of these songs sound like listening to JimmyZ Z One Man Band at the Iron Man Bar every night of the week, and believe me if that's the case I want to make sure there's a Dick Van Dyke movie on to keep me interested. I could find myself falling asleep at one of thier shows. It's bland party band music that just sits in stomach like a dead weight. Especially "At This Moment".