As I posted about yesterday, there were some pretty major releases coming out this week, and while I was very excited about all of them, there was none that I was more excited about than the release of Sara Bareilles’ live CD/DVD, Between the Lines – Live at the Fillmore. When I first heard that she was going to be releasing a live album, I was immediately ready to plunk down the cash as soon as it hit shelves, because if there is one thing that is true about Sara, is that she is not only an impressively talented musician, but she completely delivers live (not to mention that I am a HUGE fan of hers).
Now, I have traditionally not been a fan of live recordings. I don’t feel like they maintain the quality of the show, and fail to capture the energy and presence of the artists; at least, that has been my experience in almost every recording that I have come across. However, with regards to Sara, the very first time I saw her live, I bought her first independent release, and on it, there were several live versions of her work, and all of them were impeccable. In fact, you could say that almost all of those songs were indistinguishable from her studio work, other than the clapping and audience involvement. I’ll say it again: she really delivers live. Having seen her many times over the past few years, and thoroughly enjoying each show, I became very excited at the prospect that she would be capturing one of the most amazing parts of her talent, her live performance, for me to listen to at any time I chose.
Well, after a couple of listens to Between the Lines – Live at the Fillmore, I can definitely say that she has managed to capture something beautiful, and wholly Sara in this recording. If you close your eyes when you listen to this CD, you get what I really believe is as close to an experience of seeing her live as you possibly can without actually being there. The emotion, the talent, the fun; it’s all there. On this disc, she has delivered a brilliant live performance, and has provided fans with an album that she should be very proud of for making.
If you have seen Sara live, then you already know about the raw power she has in her vocals, and the sincerity that she portrays in her performance, and I am pleased to say that it is present on this recording. I am very impressed with this album, and I am extremely happy that it came out as well as it did. Having the accompanying DVD is definitely the best icing on an already amazing cake, and it makes it impossible for me to find anything negative to say about this release. This album/DVD set is a solid five out of five stars (
), kids, so run out and pick it up today. This is definitely one of the best live performances I have ever heard recorded, and it has definitely made me think that there is hope for live albums after all.