Search - Beth Hart :: Live at Paradiso (Dig)

She's All About 'Live' and The Primal Scream

prisrob | New EnglandUSA | 03/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
"Yeah these are some of my favorite things

But doin' nothin' is my favorite one

& it's not the life I thought it would be

But I'll be alright

I know I will be

So long to circumstance

Cashin' in on the glory

of my biggest mistakes

I'm fadin' now at last

baskin' in sweet sunlight

Yeah these are some of my favorite things"

Beth Hart lyrics to "Favorite Things"



Beth Hart has been compared to Janis Joplin, a comparison she accepts but with regret. Regret that her idol wasn't able to meet her demons head on, as she has. Beth Hart sings the pain she feels as Janis Joplin did. Joan Jett describes her version of Janis Joplin best, and it fits Beth Hart seemingly well.



"I remember thinking that Janis Joplin sang like Mae West talked. When I first heard the primal scream in 'Piece Of My Heart,' I was hooked. 'Cheap Thrills,' Janis 'Live' with Big Brother And The Holding Company, was one of my all time faves. During the 'whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa's' in 'Combination Of Two,' I couldn't help but go to the mirror and pretend I was a wild woman like Janis, in a rock band." Joan Jett.



Beth Hart puts herself on the line, and this CD shows us where the line is drawn. From the first line of "Delicious Surprise" which describes her hopes and dreams, and her reality; to "LA Song" her only song that has made the big time, we learn that Beth Hart is determined to have a positive outcome.



"Delicious Surprise"- the lyrics are so sublime that it isn't until we wander with her we discover that, yes, she does

'Got me somethin to believe in

but all I really want now is

a handful of salvation'



"Leave The Light On" is her song of overcoming the shadow of those that are abused and left to fend for life in dark places. She wants to live.



"Mama" is Beth Hart's tribute to her own mama who tried to help her through her misery and darkness "she helps me shine

& she comes to me when there's nothing I believe & holds me so high'.



"L.A. Song" is the triumph of the times and a hit song and then the spiral downwards into true addiction and pain. She has since recovered, but we are left with this rhythm and rock of the time in her life that brought her down.



All thirteen songs are meant to bring us to a fever pitch and learn and listen. Beth Hart's band backs her up with verve and vibrancy but allows her gritty, determined voice to shine through.



Beth Harts says, "I'm all about live. The live show is always better than the recorded music. What I love the most about this CD is that it showcases all of what this new album project is about. It shows the hard side, the soft side, the cockiness, the honesty...it's very, very open". The Paradiso in Amsterdam was the setting of this fabulous CD. The fans roared and screamed at each set, and we can hear the back and forth between Beth Hart and her fans. She has learned how to survive. She knows it takes the support of those who love her, and particularly those who buy her CD's and those who are always there, her fans. The cover of this CD shows Beth Hart screaming out her songs in pain and love, and is remarkably similar to a Janis Joplin live album. A CD that speaks to us all, but delivers a different message each time we hear it. Highly Recommended, prisrob 3-05-06

"

Visually and Emotionally Stunning

William Wilcox | 11/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am 62 years old, and seen them all. I have NEVER seen anyone as visually and emotionally stunning as Beth Hart at the Paradiso! Simply the most powerful stage performance I have ever witnessed! She takes every single song to an epic level of entertainment, and just plain never coasts through a song. Some of the spectators in attendance looked almost scared by what they were seeing, and most were mesmerized by her on-stage and off stage sexually potent antics! She has been compared to Janis. I saw Janis twice, and Beth Hart would bury Janis in any category! I can't imagine how she can possibly maintain a level like that captured at the Paradiso for very long--it just doesn't seem humanly possible! I am so glad someone was there with so highly skilled a video crew to capture one of the most shattering evenings of music ever. Magnificent in its fury!"

She Lifts You Up Cos She Is The One!!

mulberry | Otago,NZ | 03/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pardon the use of two of songs on the cd.It's a tragedy that there are soooo few with good taste in music in Beth's homeland.Scandinavia,Netherlands & New Zealand have taken Beth in their hearts,and boy,she's earned it.She has such a fantastic voice!!!If she's ever doing a concert where you are,GO!If this live cd is anything to go by,it would be worth it.This live cd confirms that she is gifted with a great voice not just a good music engineer.'Guilty' & 'Am I The One'are amazing listening.She's been likened to Janis Joplin.At the risk of upsetting JJ fans she's better than JJ.Buy this cd and you truly won't regret it.She'll have you ordering earlier ones from Amazon!!"