Jose Feliciano - Live at the Blue Note, New York

As the Seventies dawned, the Jim Morrison fronted Doors made Light My Fire one of the seminal rock anthems of the age. But while many record buyers might have thought that Morrison's original could never be topped, a certain José Feliciano not only made a cover but sent it soaring into the charts. While the blind Puerto Rican born singer may never have achieved the iconic status of Mr Morrison, many, especially those for whom the music is more important than the image, would argue that he had a far better voice.

While his heritage was decidedly Latino, José, though not a soul singer, most decidedly sang from the soul, as even the most cursory listen to this collection will attest. A major artist in the American mainstream, in Britain and much of the rest of the world, he has been a long-time superstar in the Spanish-speaking world.

Live At The Blue Note was recorded in New York and features a set including Jose's best known numbers. Album Description

SOULFUL & MESMERZING~BRAVO JOSE!!!

Jose Feliciano is a magnificent guitarist and a great soulful singer and this collection of classic performances from the legendary singer is timeless & peerless...while not as incorrectly labeled a live set, it is a tremendous Import compilation of remakes that sound like they are probably from the eighties as Jose sounds more mature (not a bad thing but a positive as his voice has developed a more soulful edge over the years) than original recordings from the sixties so this collection will be enjoyed by anyone who wants a collection from Jose doing his classics in peak form! Sound is superb and arrangements are first rate with Jose's stellar guitar work featured brilliantly throughout...that soulful voice is awesome!
Bravo Jose!!! April 8, 2008

Misleadingly Packaged

I've had the pleasure of hearing Jose Feliciano live in the spring of 2006 and I eagerly bought this CD. Despite the title, there's very little evidence that this is indeed a live recording. There are no crowd noises on the CD, the songs often fade out rather than come to full stops, the performances are identical to those on Jose's earlier albums, and there's no mention of the CD being recorded live in the liner notes. Furthermore, authorship credits aren't given on the sleeve. This nornally isn't a big deal but when so many of the songs are cover versions, one might assume that all the songs are the famous compositions you've heard of. They aren't. "Stay With Me" isn't the Faces hit, for example, and "Time After Time" isn't the Cyndi Lauper song. I was very disappointed with this because Jose Feliciano often surprises his audience with unlikely covers such as "Knockin on Heaven's Door" and "Sunshine of Your Love," so virtually no song is beyond his range.

That said, almost anything Jose Feliciano has recorded is worthwhile and I'm a loyal fan. I don't doubt that you will enjoy this CD, as it is an excellent sampler of his poppier side. But it sure isn't live. March 11, 2008

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