Live From The Women's Club Vol. 1

Great performance from the Jayhawks

I have to say that I recently discovered the music of The Jayhawks but they've quickly become one of my favorite bands. Great melodies, great vocal performances and a lot of feeling. This is a great live session (there's a second volume) of a selection of their perfect songs.
If you like the Jayhawks or just well done music, you'll love this one.
Enjoy. July 6, 2008

SONG LIST

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
Nothing Left to Borrow
Drivin' Wheel
Crowded in the Wings
Say You'll Be Mine
Save it for a Rainy Day
Two Hearts
Smile
Trouble
Bottomless Cup
Tailspin
I'd Run Away
Break in the Clouds
Blue
Waiting for the Sun
Sound of Lies
Sister Cry
Desperate Serenade (unreleased studio demo)
Someone Will (unreleased studio demo)
June 21, 2007

I love this album

I know it's not perfect, but it is such a pleasure to listen to.I have had it for 2 years and it has never strayed far from my car or office, as I listen to it so frequently. I am a fan of live recordings in general, so the minor blemishes or occasional poorly timed harmonies are not a problem to me. Perhaps my review is tainted by the fact that I purchased the cd after seeing them from the front row in a small club in KC. That was such a great show, and I may be reliving that night through the disc, but I think it is outstanding. I think the stripped down version worked really well, especially compared to some of their studio efforts that can seem overproduced at times. I am looking forward to the second disc. April 21, 2006

JAYHAWKS LIVE UNPLUGGED

i've listened to this recording for the fourth time today. It
gets better each time. Having never seen them perform live, i had no idea that Tim O'Reagan was such a good harmony singer. When i look at the notes on a recording and see "backround vocals" next to a drummer's name, i think, yeah right on one tune probably - not so, this guy does all the high harmony, kind of like Don Stevenson of Moby Grape, the great high harmony singer of that wonderful band from the late sixties.
Hearing these tunes stripped of their more rock arrangements and overdubs is revealing, like seeing the songs naked, unadorned. It shows to me that the tunes are well written, and when taken to the studio these guys do a great job fleshing them out. The talent here cannot be hidden. These guys have it.
This is a disc mostly for fans. It's not a masterpiece. But it's enjoyable listening, and to sing along to. And maybe figure out the chords.
i know there's a volume two of this live recording. When i'm done typing this review, i'm going to buy it. See ya. April 3, 2006

An off-night in Minneapolis

I think it might be a benefit to the customer if one were to explain more than just the fact that the Jayhawks rock, plain and simple. 'Rock' is the last word I would use to describe this CD.

This is an "official" bootleg, an acoustic show recorded in Minneapolis in 2002, between "Smile" and "Rainy Day Music." The band itself is reduced to three members: Gary Louris, Marc Pearlman, and Tim O'Regan. And since the Jayhawks have always excelled in rootsy Americana folk, or whatever you want to call it, you would think that an acoustic set would be a fresh and satisfying adaptation for their songs. But for strange reasons, it doesn't gel that way on "Live from the Women's Club."

To be sure, this is not an album to hate, especially if you are an unconditional fan. But so many missteps are made in the shadow of a bigger potential, making this live album such a frustrating listen. It's a bit like pulling teeth because while these are all very good songs, you know they can be performed better because you've already heard them performed better.

Gary Louris and drummer Tim O'Regan team up for the vocal harmony duties with varying results. Sometimes they're on the mark. And other times, well, let's just say they tried. Often times Tim O'Regan will set down the sticks to strum the guitar a little, which doesn't do anything to butcher their already delicate instrumentation, but it does create a feeling of same-ness throughout the night. That's a shame because your attention turns away from what is most likely a first-rate song. Their initial power weakens in this light, and that's discouraging.

Marc Pearlman takes up the mandolin on several songs too, giving it a numbing effect on the music rather than an enhancing one. This might be due to the fact that he strums the same types of chords over so many different songs. And someone really should have told Gary Louris NOT to play the guitar solo to "Trouble." The value of that solo decreases with each note he plays.

I'm not going to knock the set list, though. They gave ample exposure to "Smile" with "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," "Break In The Clouds," and "Smile." They even give the crowd a glimpse of what was to be their next album with "Save It For A Rainy Day" and "Tailspin." And my own personal favorites get their chance in the spotlight like "Nothing Left to Borrow," "Two Hearts," "The Sound of Lies," and "I'd Run Away."

But it's dumbfounding how sloppy such a veteran live band can sound, even after giving their stamp of approval to this bootleg and selling it on their website. So approach with caution. There is supposedly a second volume of "Live from the Women's Club," but I'm not very interested in hearing it at this point. It would have to be a substantial amount better than this. September 30, 2005

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