Leo Kottke - Leo Live

Leo Kottke has peppered his oeuvre with live albums, which is befitting since his extraordinary instrumental technique and droll humor make him a natural (albeit low-key) audience charmer. This 15-song set from a 1995 Boulder, Colorado, concert finds the guitarist focusing on late '80s and early '90s albums. He draws from 1986's A Shout Toward Noon (check out his cover of Duane Allman's deceptively intricate "Little Martha"), '88's Regards from Chuck Pink, '89's My Father's Face, '90's That's What, and '94's Peculiaroso. Kottke reaches deeper into his song bag to pull out "Bean Time" (from 1972's Greenhouse), but it's refreshing to hear him reexamine a particularly fertile period in his career while the original recordings are still fresh in his mind. The clear-as-lake-water audio quality also deserves kudos. As usual, Kottke's playing is beyond reproach and his between-song remarks are winning. --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

What to say besides "It's great"...

I have many Leo Kottke cds. This is first all live recording, though. It is such a treat! The tracks are seperated into speaking and playing so you don't have a full minute of speaking with a song. I appreciate that.

As for Leo, he plays and sings then begins to tell a story. He gets back to playing and singing and then another story. I really enjoy hearing him be intimate with the audience as well as tear up his guitar like only a handful of people can do.

I would not get this as your first Kottke disc; buy the best of Capitol and Chrysilas discs. If you already have a disc or two, then get to know the man and understand that he can play just as well or better on stage as he does in the studio. March 8, 2006

Hits the mark in so many ways

I once read a write-up that said something along the lines of "the one advantage to this live album from Leo Kottke is you get to hear his stage banter." And that's all it said. Take it from me, and others on this page, that there are many advantages to hearing this live album. I could try and explain them all, and I think that's what I'll do. So if I get windy, sorry.

For one thing, I have finally figured out what keeps me from loving "Peculiaroso," Kottke's latest album at the time of this concert. It was Rickie Lee Jones production. Her influence was like a thick quilt that was thrown over the sound, muffling everything to a uniform level and keeping some of the tighter, more rhythmic elements of the songs at bay. Here on stage, they finally get to breathe. The feel of his playing is more loose, yet his precision is as tight as ever. It's the wonderful paradox of his playing that has kept his career afloat for so long.

Nowhere is this more clear than on the songs from "Peculiaroso": "Peg Leg," "The Room at the Top of the Stairs," "Parade," "Arms of Mary," and his much appreciated cover of "Twilight Time."

And as much as I regularly salivate over the album "My Father's Face" from 1989, his newer renditions of "William Powell" and "Jack Gets Up" do nothing to diminish their initial power. In fact, "Jack Gets Up" sounds better here. I still don't have an inkling what the song is about ("Your kid has a face like a walnut from the ice cream/from the ice cream" ?), but the reduction in instrumentation leaves Kottke to do the quiet segues on his own. This mostly consists of a single note line that he swiftly, yet effortlessly, plays with one stroke and glides his finger to the other note.

It's also a treat to hear "I Yell At Traffic" and "Oddball" without the harebrained studio additions that no doubt scared potential fans away. For me, the absence of the synthesizer from the jazzy "Oddball" is worth the price of admission.

And a new song is introduced, "Flattened Brain," and has yet to find a home on a studio album. It's another showcasing of Kottke's concise rhythm coupled with his usual highly impressionistic (or nonsensical, depending on your opinion) lyrics. It's a bit like "Driver" from "Great Big Boy," only faster.

And yes, this CD contains stage banter. Two tracks are dedicated to Kottke's off-the-wall yet hilarious stories. I've seen him play several times, and it is typical for him to tell a story that has nothing to do with the songs of his set, making "Combat" so shamelessly funny. The crowd helps him indulge in said quirks.

The sound quality of this CD beats Leo's "Live in Europe" album by a mile. The guitar and voice are crystal clear. But all of the hollering and applause from the audience is just as clear, and never does one overshadow the other. The whole experience is successfully captured for you on this little package, helping you feel the atmosphere of what had to be a very positive and satisfying evening.

So there are the advantages. You don't really have to be a Leo Kottke fan. If you like instrumental music or the sound of an acoustic guitar even, this is a wise buy. Gee, just thinking about it makes me like it more. October 1, 2005

Of the top two Kottke albums

Leo Live is tied with My Feet Are Smiling for the two best Kottke albums in my opinion. It's a verasitile CD with sadly only two stories told by Leo, but it's better than none. It also includes the song Flattened Brain, which is oddly one of my favorite Kottke tunes, and hasn't been recorded on any other album of his. A must have CD. September 10, 2005

simply the best

too cute for words and the picking is phemonenal as to be expected from the master of 6 and 12 string-a must have for any fan! August 9, 2002

Even tho I was in Boulder at this taping, I'm not biased. .

This is an incredible CD! Yea, I was in Boulder at this show, and it was worth trudging through the snow to get to and from the performance that Easter evening. His musical talent is vast, and that talent comes shining through on this CD. His story telling between songs is a wonderful insight into who he is as a person. Without those between song stories, Leo's talent makes him seem other-worldly. Hearing the personal side of this performer is a warm and welcome addition, and is why this CD is one of my favorites. January 2, 2002

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