Live, Laugh, Love

Amazon.com
Clay Walker is an eminently likeable country singer who appears to have sold 6 million records largely on his likability. Not that he is without talent. He may look like a standard-issue "hat" act, but his voice is a cut above. With new producer Doug Johnson he has set out to place his voice front and center, a good idea with mixed results. On cuts like the rocker "Cold Hearted" and the R&B-style ballad "This Time Love," Walker cuts his considerable pipes loose in a way rarely heard in commercial country fare. Sadly, too much of the other material gives him little to do with this marvelous instrument, and the sound occasionally masks the subtle vocal twists at which Walker is so adept. Live, Laugh, Love isn't overproduced--steel guitars have replaced many of the pop keyboards present in his previous work and the record has an authentically loose and relaxed feel--but there are too many forced hooks and forgettable melodies. --Michael Ross

Live, Laugh, Love,Clay Walker,Giant Records / Wea,Contemporary Country,Country,Country & Western,New Traditionalist,Pop

Average customer rating:

Live, Laugh, Love

His best CD to date!

He did it again!

Great songs from a great artist!

Clay Walker's Live, Laugh, Love

Live, Laugh, Love
Clay Walker
Manufacturer: Giant Records / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music
New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music
General | Country | Styles | Music
Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Rumor Has It

Hypnotize the Moon

Clay Walker

Say No More

Clay Walker - Greatest Hits

ASIN: B00000IXUN
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

She's Always Right
Lose Some Sleep Tonight
Holding Her And Loving You
Cold Hearted
If A Man Ain't Thinking ('Bout His Woman)
Once In A Lifetime Love
It Ain't Called Heartland (For Nothin')
Woman Thing
This Time Love
The Chain Of Love
Live, Laugh, Love

Amazon.com

Clay Walker is an eminently likeable country singer who appears to have sold 6 million records largely on his likability. Not that he is without talent. He may look like a standard-issue "hat" act, but his voice is a cut above. With new producer Doug Johnson he has set out to place his voice front and center, a good idea with mixed results. On cuts like the rocker "Cold Hearted" and the R&B-style ballad "This Time Love," Walker cuts his considerable pipes loose in a way rarely heard in commercial country fare. Sadly, too much of the other material gives him little to do with this marvelous instrument, and the sound occasionally masks the subtle vocal twists at which Walker is so adept. Live, Laugh, Love isn't overproduced--steel guitars have replaced many of the pop keyboards present in his previous work and the record has an authentically loose and relaxed feel--but there are too many forced hooks and forgettable melodies. --Michael Ross

Customer Reviews:

Live, Laugh, Love.......2006-07-19

I like this cd. I love the song Live, Laugh, Love. It is a upbeat and fun song. It is the main reason I brought this cd.

His best CD to date!.......2001-11-08

While I've been a fan of Clay and his music from the first CD, Live, Laugh, Love presents a man who is obviously in absolute control of his voice and who he is as an artist.

While the song selection is even better than before, Clay takes his voice into territory that few male country artists even dare think about. Most importantly, it's not just for show. He uses his power when it fits the song. For example check out the way he keeps building "If A Man Ain't Thinking ('Bout His Woman)" and "Once In A Lifetime Love". Just when we think he can't take his vocal performance any higher, he effortlessly proves us wrong. And, in case you may be thinking this is "studio magic", we've heard him live. Have you ever heard an artist who is even better live? Clay hits his recent hits note for note and turns in even more powerful performances on his old standards.

Clay also demonstrates his knack for choosing love songs with a twist like "She's Always Right", "Lose Some Sleep Tonight" and "Woman Thing". And of course he's still able to teach a life's lesson with the heartfelt, "The Chain of Love." Overall, there is not a bad or marginal song on this CD. That's why we have renamed it "Greatest Hits 2"

Editor, eCowboy.com

He did it again!.......2000-10-13

As a country music fan, I started listening to Clay when I started listening to country in 1993. Each album tops the last. He's got a traditional sound with a great pop twist. His love songs are beautifully written, as well as performed. The more I listened to his music, the more I loved it. You can hear the heart and soul he puts into every song. He's the complete package. He loves performing, he's a devoted husband and father, and he is genuine. All of which makes him sexy. I spoke with the DJ in charge of events at the biggest country station in the mid-atlantic. He said out of all the music artists he spoke with and met, Clay was the easiet to talk to. He loves what he does, and it shows. If you love music with heart, Clay is definitely the way to go!

Great songs from a great artist!.......2000-10-06

If you love classic country like Alan Jackson and George Jones you will love this cd. The tracks are filled with traditional themes with a little modern flair.

Clay Walker is a great country singer and performer.

Clay Walker's Live, Laugh, Love.......2000-09-15

The one song "The Chain of Love" is worth buying the whole album. One reviewer describes it as amazing, and I agree. It is the most remarkable song about a man who is not selfish and helps people (whether poor or wealthy) in need, a man named Joe. It is very applicable to the modern world of car breakdowns, and yet it has an eternal truth from Biblical times whose parallel is amazing. I'd vote for Joe in the coming election, whether he's losing or winning in popularity, and I think that the chain of love will win in the only judgement that really counts.

Tracks:

Opening
Lesson #8
Another Hundred People
When?
Someone Is Waiting
Johanna
Green Finch and Linnet Bird
Pretty Women
Finishing the Hat
If You Can Find Me, I'm Here
Live, Laugh, Love
Live Alone and Like It
Everybody Says Don't
Rich and Happy, Part 1
Our Time
Broadway Baby
Rich and Happy, Part 2
Uptown, Downtown
Liaisons
Send in the Clowns
Live, Laugh, Love (reprise)
You Could Drive a Person Crazy

Tracks:

Free
Company
Waiting For The Girls Upstairs
Pleasant Little Kingdom/Too Many Mornings
Not While I'm Around
All Things Bright and Beautiful
It Takes Two
In Someone's Eyes
Beautiful
Losing My Mind
Take the Moment
Sunday

Amazon.com

Recorded live at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, this double CD is one heck of an extensive tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Backed only by Paul Ford on piano, Mandy Patinkin gets through nearly three dozen songs penned by the Broadway master. Some are obvious (excerpts from Sunday in the Park with George, in which the singer created the title role), others less so ("If You Can Find Me I'm Here" from Evening Primrose). Patinkin is often mocked for his shivering falsetto, but here, it's actually when his voice explores a lower register that it falters. What's more interesting is when he tackles songs usually sung by women, such as Follies' "Broadway Baby" and Company's "Another Hundred People" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"--the latter hammed up so much that you can hear the chewing of the scenery. A distinctively mannered interpreter, Patinkin remains an acquired taste, but fans of his will be in heaven with this set. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Sondheim recital.......2007-01-22

Probably the best way to approach these disks is to treat them like a recital in a concert hall. Rather as you would listen to a Schubert or Schumann song cycle. Taken together this way, we come to hear Sondheim as one of our finest composers, serious, comic, manic, depressive, always dead on target no matter what the subject matter. And Patinkin is perfect for these songs; he understands the meaning and value of every note and every word, just as a fine concert singer would do, and he makes his listeners understand, too. One of the most intriguing concept albums in recent memory, and a joy all the way through. Bob Finley, Palm Springs, CA.

Also a very dissapointed fan.......2003-08-22

I too LOVE Mandy and Stephen Sondheim and own just about everything both has ever made! I also have been to 6 of Mandy's live performances. This was truly a big dissapointment to me. Every concert I have seen Mandy in has been filled with emotion and his personality just grabs hold of you for an evening of wonderful escape-ism. This to me was very un-entertaining and I actually became irritated after awhile of listening to it. It seemed to drone on with out the wonderful feelings and emotions and soaring voice that Mandy typically puts into his music. I gave this as a gift too (since my friend and I had missed Mandy at his Sondheim review in DC last year) and felt badly that I had. There are so many other great recordings of Mandy...Kidults, Saturday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, Mandy sings Rogers & Hammerstien and Sondheim. This one has just sat on my shelf after I played it through twice hoping to warm up to it...while my other recordings are very worn out with years of playing!

Adequate performance; poor entertainment.......2003-05-04

I received this disc the same day a "Philip Quast Live at the Donmar". The Quast disc has its own flaws (and I dont wish to compare the two performers) but it has been strung together in a more thoughtful manner, with witty imagination and using a more dangerous in the choice of songs, which is really where this disc fails. The songs here are generally enjoyable though rather standard, and the lack of cohesion (running the songs together doesnt count) means I just dip into the discs listening to a few favourites, rather than enjoying the whole show.

a very disappointed fan.......2003-02-05

I have every recording Patinkin appears on, even if he's only on one track; I adore his voice, his flair, his emotion, his ability to deliver a song.

But (much of) this recording is disappointing, mainly because Mr. Patinkin's voice in the lower range sounds muddled and forced, as though he's lost ability to control it (however, the more falsetto sounds are as clear and sharp as ever).

And I don't care for the format of this performance. Live recordings should have live audience reactions: one (often unrelated) song after another without applause had me wondering when--if ever--was the audience was going to be allowed to react.

Also, while I've never had the privilege of attending a Patinkin concert, I imagined that--above all-- he would be passionate. Perhaps he was. But what (mostly) comes across on the CD is a somber--almost technical--performance.

I hope he's healthy, that mixed quality of singing on this recording was just a fluke, and that his next CD will be a Five-star as all his previous ones have been

What a train wreck!.......2003-01-15

Hate to join the chorus of neigh-sayers, but jeeeez! I have to agree that with the exception of a few cuts (such as "Hyphenated Harriet") Mandy is a vocal bull in a china shop -- what he doesn't shatter he ... on. What should have been a tribute (I love Sondheim, but do we need ANOTHER anthology recording of oft sung songs?)is more like a wake. Mandy seems intent on becoming the male Ethel Merman -- if you can't hold the note, belt it out with a misplaced vabrato and maybe no one will notice. I REALLY wanted to like this recording, but is truly horrible. If the pipes are gone, Mandy, I hope you get back to acting.

Average customer rating:

Abe Schwartz -- King of Yiddish Music
Old-Time American Roots Klezmer Music
Joy, Joy, Happy, Happy
Close your eyes and you're at a Jewish wedding
Time warp

Klezmer King
Abe Schwartz
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Jewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music

Klezmer | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The King of the Klezmer Clarinet
Yiddish-American Klezmer Music 1925-1956
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Klezmer: Early Yiddish Instrumental Music 1908-1927
From Avenue A to Great White Way 1914-1950

ASIN: B000066401
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Tracks:

Russishe Shehr - Abe Schwart'z Orchestra
Ch'Sidishe Nigunim (Hasidic Melodies) - Boibriker Kapelle
Die Reize Nuch Amerika (The Trip To America) - Abe Schwartz's Orchestra
Die Greene Cousine (The Greenhorn Girl Cousin) - Abraham Moskowitz
Russian Scissors - Oriental Orchestra
Dovid'l Bazetzt Die Kalleh (Little David Seats The Bride) - Dave Tarras
Gelebt Und Gelacht (Live And Laugh) - Phillip Greenberg
T'Kias 'Shofer Blosen' (Blowing The Ram's Horn) - Sam Beckerman
Hurra! Far Unzer Held Levine (Hurray! For Our Hero Levine) - Irving Grossman
Der Shtiller Bulgar (The Quiet Bulgar) - Jewish Orchestra
Roumanian Doina - Abe Schwartz & His Daughter, Miss Schwartz
Zorg Nit Mama (Don't Worry, Mama) - Abe Schwart'z Orchestra
Hora Midor De Romania (Roumanina Hora) - Unknown Orchestra
Nit Die Hagode, Nor Die Kneidlech (Not The Haggadah, But The Matzo Balls) - Abraham Moskowitz
Frauen Liebe (Lady Love) - Abe Schwartz Orchestra
Akdomes Un Af B'ri (At The Beginning And Daybreak) - Boibriker Kapelle
Roumeinishe Doina - Naftule Brandwein
Der Automobile - Morris Goldstein
Yosel - Abe Schewartz's Orchestra
A Galitzianer Tenzil (Galician Dance) - Sam Beckerman
Die Boibriker Chasseneh - Pt. 1 (The Boibrik Wedding) - Boibriker Kapelle
Russian Sher - National Dance - Russkij Orkestr 'Novinka'
Mameniu, Liubeniu (Mama, My Beloved) - Abraham Brandwein
Fihren Di Mechutonim Aheim-Tanz (Escorting The Parents Of The Bride And Groom Home) - Naftule Brandwein
Lebedig Un Frehlach (Lively And Happy) - Abe Schwartz's Orchestra

Amazon.com

It would be impossible to overstate Abe Schwartz's influence on the development of klezmer music in America. He was a fine violinist and pianist, an excellent composer, an arranger who added modern instruments like saxophones and banjos to the Old World sound, and a bandleader with a nose for talent who helped launch the careers of Dave Tarras and Naftule Branwein, among others. The Klezmer King collects 25 tracks from the 75 or so sides that Schwartz recorded for Columbia between 1917 and 1935. Schwartz was remarkably versatile, and the selections include traditional dance tunes like "Roumanian Doina," Yiddish pop tunes such as "Die Greene Cousine," which was later a hit for Benny Goodman as "My Little Cousin," and sly social commentary like "Der Automobile." Also here are three versions of the old melody "Russian Sher," which were recorded in 1917, 1927, and 1935. Listening to them, you can trace Schwartz's style as it evolves from its European roots to a more American version of klezmer. The sound quality of these rare recordings is outstanding; there are almost no clicks, pops, or hiss to mar the music. The Klezmer King is an essential recording from one of the pioneers of New World klezmer. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Abe Schwartz -- King of Yiddish Music.......2007-02-22

Abe Schwartz was an American klezmer pioneer who discovered such talents as Dave Tarras and Naftule Brandwein as well as inspiring the contemporary klezmer revival bands. Don't miss this collection of his original recordings.

Old-Time American Roots Klezmer Music.......2004-04-15

Abe Schwartz and his orchestra developed and defined klezmer music in America from the mid-1920s up until the 1940s and early '50s. If the beginning sounds of American roots klezmer music is of interest, this is the CD you want. I find that half-way through, my mind wanders. It sounds too schmaltzy for me. I love Central European and Balkan style music ... this CD has diluted versions of this styling. This CD contains Central/East European "cross over" music that is becoming Americanized. In reality it is not quite either, besides the violin, there is the requiste clarinet, other instruments are saxaphone, tuba, piccolo, alto sax, bass sax, drums, and other percussions. The music occasionally sounds like a Balkan Brass band ... fortunately the longing and nostalgia of the klezmer sound, the Jewish roots are evident in all the tracks. The 'sher', 'doina', and 'hora' are types of dance music played by this famous composer, bandleader, and fiddler. My favorite is "Escorting the Parents of the Bride and Groom Home" ("Fihren Di Mechutonim Aheim-Tanz') which features Naftule Brandwein on the clarinet. His improvisations and glissandos are brilliant. The famous klezmer clarinetist, Dave Tarras, is also featured on many of these recordings. "Hasidic Melodies" ("Ch'sidishe Nigunim") is one of my favorite examples of his playing. His command of the clarinet and the creative musical phrasing is phenomenal. "The Greenhorn Girl Cousin" ("Die Green Couisine") is famous for the music, lyrics, and message which brought to the public's attention the bad working conditions in the sweatshops, the first job of immigrants arriving in the USA. It is a catchy tune with Abe Schwartz featured on the violin and Abraham Moskowitz singing the vocals. Spin-offs of this song were written by many including one by Benny Goodman. Overall, if discovering and investigating early klezmer roots music is your goal, this CD will meet your criteria with highest expectations. Otherwise, give me "The Klezmatics", "The Klezmer Conservatory Band" or any modern klezmer group which expresses the music in a more explosive and exciting manner. For me, the modern sound is much more appealing than the early roots which is on this CD. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Joy, Joy, Happy, Happy.......2004-02-05

I came to Klezmer music via Izaak Perlmann's "In the Fiddler's House," which is one of my all time favorite CDs. I'm just learning about the genre, via other Amazon reviewers, so have just recently arrived at this and other "Klezmer roots" CDs (Dave Tarras, as another reviewer mentions, is also excellent). It's just exceedingly harmonious, well orchestrated, tightly knit music, transported from the old world to the new. The tradition lives on, and an increasing number of us goyim are coming to appreciate it. Sound quality, these can't compete with modern recordings like those of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, or the Klezmatics, but it will definitely give you an idea of where they learned from. Mazaltov!!

Close your eyes and you're at a Jewish wedding.......2003-03-31

If you've ever heard new groups like the Yiddish Cup Klezmer Band and The Klezmatics and marveled at how they got all those great old tunes, look no further. Abe Schwartz, the Klezmer King is now available on CD. Before this, 78 RPM records these were remastered from was the only place you could hear him.

The Klezmer King album is old, both in sound and style. But keep in mind that clarinet klezmer is more of an American thing. This music is a generation or two removed from the original originals. Songs called Russian Sher and Roumanian Doina indicate that, just like today, wedding musicians from the old country were jamming the hits of the day as well as the "Jewish" stuff.

But it was guys like Schwartz, Dave Tarras and the Musiker Brothers, whom the new wave learned from. But unlike the younger versions, these melodies don't seem to have jazz-like improvisation. They are straight ahead rollickers, heavy on catchy rhythm and melody. There are a total of twenty-five tracks on the album and most are short and fast.

The instruments employed are the violin, played by Schwartz, the clarinet and horns. The beat is so danceable that you forget there's no percussion. That's traditional, because back in the old country, if the klezmorim had any percussion at all it was just a bass drum.

For you Yiddish speakers, The Klezmer King is not all instrumental. There are tracks that start with lively shouts as well as straight singing pieces like Mameniu Liubeniu or the satirical Hurra Far Unzerheld Levine.

Then there's Die Bolbriker Chasseneh, which has Schwartz introducing a bride and groom in between slow music. He raises his voice, half speaking and half singing in rapid-fire Yiddish. Then he gasps out that the couple is now officially married and the band breaks into fast, bouncy jamming. Close your eyes and you can imagine you're one of the guests. That goes for most of the tunes here.

If you didn't know the difference between a bulgar and freilach and nigun before, you better start learning. Abe Schwartz taught long of young folks about what it takes to be a king of klezmer. Companion CDs of Dave Tarras and the Musiker Brothers are available from Legacy Recordings.

Time warp.......2002-08-11

Listening to the 25 old but timeless cuts on this set of remastered Yiddish greats provides many layers of enjoyment. In hearing these long-forgotten tunes, one enjoys clarinet and violin strains influenced by ancient melodies and traditions. And some will recognize varied renditions of old favorites. The 6th cut, for example, Dovid'l Bazetzt die Kalleh, is engrained into my memory from Jewish Music, a Benedict Silberman recording, circa 1955, of Yiddish orchestrations.

The music is all decidedly Eastern European. The Roumanian Doina, for example, played by Abe Schwartz (violin) and his daughter, strongly resembles the brilliant Rom music generated by the same region.

No wonder. Born in Bucharest, Romania, Abe Schwartz (1881-1963) emigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1899 and became the most influential composer, fiddler and bandleader to shape and define modern U.S. klezmer groups. He arrived in the musical establishment via an acquaintance from small jobs with David Nodiff, a part-time composer and so-called A&R (for artist and repertoire) man for Columbia Records, who helped bring klezmer and other ethnic musicians to record companies. Nodiff hired Schwartz in 1917 to find new Jewish talent and head up instrumental recording sessions.

This recording provides some of the time and style progression of Yiddish American music from 1917, when Schwartz recorded Russian Scissors for Columbia with the Oriental Orchestra. In 1927, he recorded the same tune again as Russishe Shehr, in a brassier rendition played by his own orchestra. Still a later 1935 version can be heard in Russian Sher National Dance, the 22nd cut, recorded with the Orkestr Novinka. (And that is the most recent recording here.) The musical and stylistic progressions from 1917 and 1918 through 1935 are admirably explained in an accompanying 8-page pamphlet.

This is not the jazzy stuff many will remember from the 1940s and 1950s. It came before the Barry Sisters, before Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras. Abe Schwartz was their mentor.

Tracks:

Live, Laugh, Love
Somewhere Under the Sun
Green, Green Grass of Home
On the Other Hand
Waltz Across Texas
Among the Wicklow Hills
Only This Moment Is Mine
All I Want Is You
Don't Say Love
One More Time
I Can't See Me Without You
Rosa Rio
I Will Think of You
Thank You for Loving Me
Roads of Kildare
Belfast - David Downes, Noel Kelehan, , Daniel O'Donnell

Album Description

The popular Irish vocalist's 2002 album features 16 tracks including the Curly Putman classic 'Green, Green Grass Of Home', along with 'Waltz Across Texas' (Ernest Tubb cover), 'I Can't See Me Without You' (Conway Twitty cover) & many more. Rosette.

Album Details

The Irish Tenor Presents Another Grand Collection of Easy Listening Favorites. His Fanbase is Homegrown and Expands at a Geometric Pace with Every Passing Year.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2002-09-14

My sister and I first heard of Daniel on PBS special. We feel he puts heart and soul into his music. He reminds us of the country singers we grew up listening to, like Ray Price, Don Helms, Sonny James, etc. My sister always stated no one could take Elvis' place with her until she heard Daniel, now she rates him above Elvis. We are planning a trip to Branson in November to see Daniel

Average customer rating:

Age breeds a shining moment
Nice but dismissable.
Disappointing by Quartet West standards
If you breathe and have ears, buy this record!
A Night and a Lonely Town

The Art of the Song

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Orchestral Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Haunted Heart
Now Is the Hour
Always Say Goodbye
Nocturne
American Dreams

ASIN: B00000JNMR
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Tracks:

Lonely Town
Why Did I Choose You
Moment Musical Opus 16 No.3 In B Minor
In Love In Vain
Ruth's Waltz
Scenes From A Silver Screen
I'm Gonna Laugh you Right Out Of My Life
You My Love
Prelude En La Mineur
The Folks Who Live On The Hill
Easy On The Heart
Theme For Charlie
Wayfaring Stranger

Amazon.com

Bassist Charlie Haden was an integral part of Ornette Coleman's pioneering avant-garde groups in the '50s and '60s and led his own equally forward-thinking Liberation Music Orchestra. His ensemble Quartet West, with tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, drummer Larance Marable, and pianist Alan Broadbent, revealed a sentimental side of his musical personality that surprised many. This recording, with string arrangements by Broadbent, sounds like a soundtrack to a Raymond Chandler film as Haden's sturdy bass tones make him a worthy supporting actor. But although Shirley Horn's ethereal voice sparkles on "Lonely Town," "In Love in Vain," and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life," and crooner Bill Henderson's towering pipes are radiant on "Why Did I Choose You," "Ruth's Waltz," "You My Love," and "Easy on the Heart," all of the material is in pretty much the same ballad tempo, which, compounded by the time length of the CD, robs it of the romantic resonance it could truly shine on the listener. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Age breeds a shining moment.......2003-11-20

The criticisms miss the point. This is an effort that does a rare thing - it brings together men and women who can put the experience of life to judicious use in their art. Unlike listening to the deterioration other performers have faced, in later years, at the hands of studio production teams that no longer know what to do with them, Charlie Haden has found a way to create a beautiful volume of space in which to let the years of these venerated performers shine through. It is in this space you shall hear the notes of lives lived and savored.

Nice but dismissable........2001-08-09

Haden's pleasant miscellany of neglected but deserving ballads is indeed a mixed bag, but somehow his focus, purpose, and method elude this listener. Neophyte writers are frequently enjoined to compose with a sharp, definitive, unified "thesis." Haden could have used a bit of coaching along these lines before producing this collection. Even drawing upon a common composer (as opposed to ranging from Kern to Rachmaninoff to public domain) might have provided the needed coherence to the project.

In any case, it's always a welcome experience to hear Shirley Horn; the revival of a touching ballad like "In Love in Vain" merits our appreciation; and though I was never a big fan of Bill Henderson (an acquired taste), he deserves to be recorded based on the evidence of this recording.

In sum, this album is more than anything else a "sampler" and should have been priced accordingly.

Disappointing by Quartet West standards.......2001-05-09

The outstanding Quartet West album is 'Always Say Goodbye'. On that CD, Broadbent demonstrates his skills at orchestral arrangement, and Haden deftly selects great oldies to intermingle with some of his own superb compositions. Haden also takes some historic performances -- such as Jo Stafford on vocals -- to bring a resonance to the new covers. The experiment was very successful.

You can see the logic behind this subsequent album: instead of using dusty old recordings, why don't we use today's state-of-the-art production to capture the voices of several current artists? And why don't we let Alan orchestrate the whole album?

The trouble is that the orchestration, beautiful though it is throughout, constrains the band terribly. And the vocals swamp the album. (Actually the Jo Stafford track on 'Always Say Goodbye' is one of the weakest on the album.) They say that the saxophone is the instrument closest to the human voice, and it is Ernie Watts who suffers most on this album, The sax is simply crowded out by all the singing. It is only on the stand-out track, 'Prelude en la mineur', an instrumental re-working of a Ravel piece, that Watts finally gets a chance to let rip.

Shirley Horn's vocals are fine, particularly on 'Lonely Town'. But I simply cannot listen to any of the tracks containing Bill Henderson's voice, and sadly, there are four of them.

The most touching song is the last one, where Haden himself bravely takes the vocal lead. It's a song his mother used to sing on the radio, back in the early 1940s, when the entire Haden family would appear on KWTO Springfield. It is a farewell to the dead, and also a reassurance that one day they will meet again.

If you want a quick survey of this CD, check out tracks #1, #9 and #13. It's a long way from the days of Haden's playing with Ornette Coleman and the Liberation Orchestra, and it's very mellow.

If you breathe and have ears, buy this record!.......2001-04-15

I first heard of Charlie Haden on Dublin's best radio music show - The Mystery Train presented by John Kelly on RTE Radio 1. I bought this CD and it has never been off my current play list. This is beautiful music that touches the heart. Listen to Wayfaring Stranger, Lonely Town, I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life, or Ruth's Walz after a tough day at the office or jammed in traffic and you will be back in touch with the good things in life. As someone who has evolved though Thin Lizzy, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Queen, U2, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, BB King, Grant Green etc, Charlie Haden is proof of my graduation. After since buying other and even better Haden CD's, I am looking forward to seeing him in concert with Quartet West here in Dublin on April 29. BUY IT NOW!

A Night and a Lonely Town.......2000-05-24

Despite its problems, I think this album still deserves a five-star rating. Seemingly inspired by the music of moody classic cinema, a listener might well envision a seedy nightclub in a fog-swept black & white San Francisco of the 1940s or a tearful Ingrid Bergman about to board a twin-propellor leaving Rick and Casablanca behind her forever.

Regardless of which side of the Atlantic you envision on your moody musical journey, this is definitely a lounging type of music, perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons, after-theatre drives around town on warm summer evenings, warm candle-lit baths, or romantic dinners for two. The beautifully romantic ballads range from the longing "Lonely Town" to the mostly-resolute "I'm Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life" to the quietly complacent "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Interspersed with these great standards, however, are wonderful instrumental pieces which frame the remaining vocals with stunningly dramatic moods.

The only flaw is the rather unappealing voice of Bill Henderson, who seems to be suffering from a weak set of lungs, if not from lack of enthusiasm. Henderson seems to strive for the vocal capabilities of Shirley Horn, who sings on 1, 4, 7 and 10, but is incapable of achieving those same dramatic pitches of his fellow artist. Nevertheless, he does an adequate job on "Ruth's Waltz" and "Easy on the Heart" even if "Why Did I Choose You" is downright painful to listen to. Haden, who sings on 13, seems similarly incapable of reaching Horn's heights, but "Wayfaring Stranger," the traditional song he chose to render, is capable of carrying itself with the slow somber tone it evokes in the listener.

Tracks:

Live, Laugh, Love
Somewhere Under The Sun
Green, Green Grass Of Home
On The Other Hand
Waltz Across Texas
Among The Wicklow Hills
Only This Moment Is Mine
All I Want Is You
Don't Say Love
One More Time
I Can't See Me Without You
Rosa Rio
I Will Think Of You
Thank You For Loving Me
Roads Of Kildare
Belfast

Customer Reviews:

Songs of Inspirationo.......2004-04-24

Not only this disc, but all of his discs are SUPER. I now have 7 discs and plan to order more as they become available and I also have 2 DVDs, 7 VHS and listen to some every day. His music makes me feel at peace world and I highly recommend any of his recordings.

Waltz Across Texas.......2004-01-14

All the songs on this CD are rated with 5 stars. I really can't pick just one song. It is just fantastic.

Wonderful Singer.......2003-08-24

We can't get enough of this wonderful singer. Eventually I hope to own all of his CD's. Easy listening anytime!

Never Tire of Daniel's Music.......2003-05-18

LIVE,LAUGH,LOVE, another desirable album by this personable Irish entertainer, was released in 2001. Daniel's fabulous voice is rapidly winning devoted fans in the U. S. as he has elsewhere. His easy-listening versatility is demonstrated as usual in this album with a mixture of country, pop, and Irish songs. I can listen to Daniel's albums often (I have most of them) and never tire of any.

Included are two lovely melodies which Daniel had a part in writing with Mark Roberts, ALL I WANT IS YOU and I WILL THINK OF YOU, both with lyrics that will touch your heart. I hope he writes more.

As usual it is difficult to pick favorites, but from lively LIVE,LAUGH,LOVE to lovely Irish BELFAST and AMONG THE WICKLOW HILLS, from WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS (I love waltzes) to the meaningful lyrics of ONLY THIS MOMENT IS MINE, Daniel's love of singing comes through his music. GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME is done as beautifully as anyone could do it. For country ballads all of them will surely please especially THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME.

For more about Daniel, please read my other CD reviews. He is a singer you will be hearing more and more about. If you like this kind of music, you will wish you had discovered him sooner as I do.

This the best!.......2003-05-06

This CD is one of the greatest ever it is easy listening.
Daniel O'Donnell is one of the greatest singer of our time.

Average customer rating:

Just for You/Congress Dances

Manufacturer: Dutton Vocalion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005UKDI
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
Bye Bye Blackbird
Tell Me Tonight
April Showers
Ain't She Sweet?
For Me and My Girl
Charmaine
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now?
Me and My Shadow
If You Were the Only Girl in the World
Beer Barrel Polka
Anything Goes
Radetzky March
I Kiss Your Hand, Madame
Live, Laugh and Love
When the Lilacs Bloom Again
In Grinzing
Thunder and Lightning Polka
When the Music Is Playing
Vienna, City of My Dreams
Annen Polka/Pizzicato Polka
One Lives But Once
Just Once for All Time
You Will Remember

Average customer rating:

Love, Laugh & Live
Various Artists
Manufacturer: One20
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00027JYLW
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

My Heart's Got a Mind of Its Own
It's You - Holiday Band
Wonderful Woman
What We Gonna Do About That - Casey York
Somebody Knew I Needed Love
I'm Gonna Love You - Band of Oz
Somebody to Love - Coastline Band
Can't Help Loving (The One Who Is Loving Me) - Jennifer Licko
Unchained Melody
Walkin' After Midnight
Down for Your Love
Love Laugh & Live
Body and Soul - Heart & Soul Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Live Laugh Love
Daniel O'Donnell
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000254HNE
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Average customer rating:

Earned It!
Ray Barnett
Manufacturer: Ray Barnett
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CA2LMI
Release Date: 2005-02-14

Tracks:

Thanks!
Intro/U.S.O.
Garbage T.V.
Parents
Mascots
Married
Poetry
Drinking
South Dakota
Midget
Potheads
Sh-Wreck
Psa
Sh-Wreck II

Music Album:

Music Album