Soul on Ten

fantastic live cd
i got this cd and this is the way i like a live cd to be......i dont need a bunch of fake crowd noise pumped into the mix cluttering up the sound.....let me hear what the players are actually doing. well on this cd it is crystal clear and the playing is fantastic. there is not a single song that I dont enjoy listening to on this cd.....i just saw Robben live in Nashville a few days ago and listening to this cd is very reminiscent of being there which is what I think a good live cd should do for you.

This was recorded live in SF, right? (plus studio trax...)
I, like others, was looking forward to this release, but after a few listens,there is little that excites me (my title for this reveiw refers to the total lack of feedback from a live crowd). I couldn't help but recall my daughter's band recitals -- "Please hold your applause until the piece is finished." That may be ok there but this Live RF Cd to me could have benefited from some interaction... Let me please add that Robben Ford is one of my favorite guitarists and I own about 7 of his releases (a couple reviewed here @ amazon). Back to a review-- I liked the Wah work for the opening track "Supernatural" and really loved Robben's lead breaks (the first has the wah mostly rolled back abit and the lines smoked---no applause when he finished). The next track is "Indianola"-- OK, I am familiar with this track from the "Blue Moon" release and I wish it was later in the set list- I skipped it then and will now--maybe too chimey for me - I don't know. Maybe its the way the guitar goes against the drums in the verse-type parts. More wah work for "There'll Never Be Another You"--- Don't get me wrong. A Cry Baby is first in my effects chain. This track is also on "Truth", which I love dearly Next is "Spoonful"--- A bit of a "chinka chinka" percussion part (I think maybe Robben was going for the feel of the original Willie Dixon version), not bad but i was hoping for a stompfest like the cover of "Politician" from the Blue Line release "Mystic Mile" (or Cream's studio version of Spoonful--that never fails to slay me). Some excellent vol control (pedal?) use on "Earthquake". Couldn't help but think of Roy B here. I really love "How Deep In The Blues Do You Want To Go" (another tune from "Truth")-- No lead fills following the vocals (heck, who could blame him), but when the lead section arrives, I believe Robben finally completely cuts loose, playing the solos I had been waiting for. Unfortunately, its the last song of the set. There is some downloads available (too troublesome for me), some live in the studio tracks, but all in all I'd have to say I'm a bit dissapointed. I gave Joe B's latest (Ballad...) to the local library--this one will probably stick around. I might like it more after a few more spins.

+1/2 -- Blues, rock and jazz guitarist captured live
It's hard to believe, but guitarist Robben Ford is marking his 40th year as a working musician, having moved to San Francisco to form his first band in 1969. Stints with Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Tom Scott's L.A. Express eventually led to the founding of the Yellowjackets and a solo career. Ford's early work in the blues gave way to jazz sets with Miles Davis and the forging of a progressive sound that melds blues, jazz and rock. This latest release features eight tracks taped live at San Francisco's Independent, and two more recorded live in the studio. Ford and his backing trio of bass, drums and B-3 organ work through severa; catalog favorites, including the roaring guitar instrumental "Indianola" on which Toss Panos' drums drive as Ford brilliantly intertwines rock and blues leads with jazz chordings. Ford's guitar shows plenty of muscle on Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," and the straight blues medley of Elmore James' "Please Set a Date" and Jimmy Reed's "You Don't Have to Go" give both Ford and organist Neal Evans a chance to show off their licks. Ford revisits "Nothing to Nobody" here for a third time; originally released on 1999's Supernatural, and played live on 2004's Center Stage, this eleven-minute take makes room for some funky solos by Ford, Evans and bassist Travis Carlton. Ford recalls the rock-soul sounds of San Francisco's ballrooms with wah-wah pedal workouts on "Supernatural" and "There'll Never Be Another You." The two studio tracks that close the CD sound out of place, and could have better been replaced by more tracks from the gig. As it is, the titles only reach back to 1999, though the blues covers give a feel for Ford's earlier roots. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Excellent live recording by a true master
I've been looking forward to this "live" release for weeks now. Robben is outstanding on every track and the sound quality is superb for a live recording. A previous reviewer said Robben's playing was a "little uninspired" but I found just the opposite to be true. This is a guitar master playing for people who want to hear great music played on guitar. The B3 compliments nicely but I'm interested in Robben's playing first and foremost. If you play guitar or just love to hear perfect tone and execution, this is a great CD to add to your collection. If you've never seen him perform you will certainly want to after listening to this.

Disappointed
I'm a big Robben Ford fan. I didn't care for his CD Truth a couple of years ago, and I'm disappointed with this live CD. Two tracks are new studio recordings, and there are three other songs that Robben has not recorded before. There is a coupon inside that allows you to download 3 additional songs from his website. My problem is this: On the 3 songs that we can download, 2 are songs that have been released twice before: Too Much (Robben and Larry Carlton CD and DVD, and Robben's Truth) and Freedom (Tiger Walk, and a RF DVD). And on the live CD he gives us Indianola again. It was on his Blue Moon CD and on his Paris Morning DVD. Nothin' To Nobody is on the third-go-round as well. With all of Robben's CD's, I'm sure he can come up with some songs to do for a live CD or DVD that we have not heard before. (Suggestions: "Up The Line"; "Rugged Road"). Since Jing Chi hasn't done anything in a few years, why not do a song or two from one of their CD's? So when I listen to this CD, I find myself skipping over a couple of songs because I've heard them "too much." Robben's playing is a little uninspired on this CD as well. One last complaint: I understand Robben does a lot of gigs as a trio. But for a live CD, it would be nice to hear a "band." He does have a B3 organ player on some songs, but I personally am tired of trios. I like the fulness of bands. So Robben, next time you do a live CD or DVD, get a keyboard player or two and give us more of what the songs were intended to sound like. As for the positives: Robben's vocals sound really good. His tone sounds better than on his Truth CD. And there is definitely good playing on this CD. His 2 studio songs are good. "Spoonful" was nicely done. And his other songs I haven't heard before are a treat. So I can only give this 3 stars.