Search - Jennifer Knapp :: Jennifer Knapp Live

Jennifer Knapp's "Live" is Raw, Gritty, and Real!

Susan Prince | Humboldt, TN United States | 01/25/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Edgy, raw, energetic, playful, still, intense, creative, literate, amazing, are a few adjectives that come to mind after a couple of listenings to the new release from Jennifer Knapp, "Live".



Jennifer Knapp was a "rocker chick" sold out to Christ who offered her listening audience amazingly literate, poetic lyrics and folk-rock, guitar driven music which she delivers with emotion and grit in this "Live" release.



Mark Lee Townsend (guitarist/producer) has this to say in the liner notes of the CD:



"I'll never forget Jen at the press conference sitting there after Sheryl Crow made some comment on the Reverend Falwell and then a reporter asks Jen if she was taking heat for being at the festival (Lilith Fair). She simply said that every artist there was asked to play and share their beliefs through their music, so why should she be any different, even if she sang about Christ. It was a simple and poignant statement that hit home with everyone there, myself included."



This "Live" CD came to be in a rather unique way as Townsend explains that he was himself in the process of moving from being a guitarist to producing during the spring of 2001. During the "Back Forty Tour" Knapp headlined that spring, Townsend recorded a handful of shows with the intention of mixing in his studio for the band members as a memento. After the tour ended and he returned home, he had left the tapes behind with the thought that he'd catch up to them later. However, when he returned, the tapes were missing. It was no great loss because they were only intended for private use so nothing much was made of it.



In the fall of 2005, as God would have it, the tapes were found buried under cartons of t-shirts in a storage facility. Townsend then went through the tapes, picked the tunes out that he thought best represented that tour and fans of Jennifer Knapp can now enjoy the energy, enthusiasm for God, and gritty music of "rocker chick" Jennifer Knapp.



This reviewer was blessed to see Jennifer Knapp perform as co-headliner with Jars of Clay later that year, in the fall of 2001, so hearing this CD brings to mind those moments of excitement and zeal for God that is amplified through the music Knapp wrote and performed so well. I also was able to meet her and talk with her, and that is a moment I won't ever forget.



The CD contains all the radio hits and fan favorites: "Romans","Lay it Down", "Whole Again", "When Nothing Satisfies", "Usher Me Down", "The Way I Am", "His Grace is Sufficient", "Martyrs and Thieves", "Fall Down", "Refine Me", "A Little More", "Into You", "Undo Me".



The songs on these CDs were not taken back and worked up in the studio. What you hear is what was played at the show. Sometimes things are a little "off", little intonation problems most likely only noticeable to a trained ear, and at times you can hear that Knapp is a little out of breath, but this is LIVE music...warts and all! I like it! You get to hear her work the crowd and their response to her performance is enthusiastic and even in venues that had thousands in attendance, the songs like "Refine Me" could quiet them in prayerful reverence. This CD really takes you there, to that place, to that time, to that moment.



Another thing I do like about the production of this CD is that these tunes are snatched from recordings of a number of different shows and dates, yet they are woven together in such a way that there is consistency and it is almost as though what you are hearing is all from the same show, and you are there. The segue between tracks is smooth and hardly noticeable.



A favorite for me is "Undo Me" because the band added something new and creative to the beginning and end of this song. It is a psychedelic, blues-rock vamp, heavy with lead guitar that Knapp improvises verses of "Undo Me" over. "I messed up again" is what she cries out in desperation, in a Janis Joplin style. It is heart-wrenching, literally.



When Jennifer Knapp walked off the stage at her last performance years ago, she left a gaping hole in the hearts of her fans and in Christian Music in general. Fortunately, her music is her legacy and for now, we are all still able to enjoy it. I can't deny that this "Live" album has stirred up more curiousity in me as to where she is, and what is she doing. Fans have been praying for her, praying she is living in God's Grace, because "His Grace is Sufficient" with the hope that someday we will hear a new melody, a new verse from this talented "rocker chick". I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to see her perform live in 2001 and got to meet her face to face to tell her "you rock!".



Currently Knapp is still signed with Gotee Records and is officially on sabbatical."

Something to tide you over...

David Lerner | Columbia, MD USA | 01/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jennifer Knapp seems to have disappeared from the music scene, but while her fans wait expectantly for her possible return, Gotee Records has put together this solid live CD from her first, and so far only, headlining tour in 2001.



It successfully captures the energy between Knapp and her bandmates, and while there are no new songs on the CD, the interplay between the band keeps each song fresh. Jennifer's vocal abilities translate well in a live setting, which is a feat that many recording artists can't lay claim to, and the band that was put together for this tour is a relaxed and talented group of folks.



Some artists don't have the ability to pull off a live album, but this is one of the better live albums that I've had the privilege of listening to. The album notes claim that no overdubs were recorded for this release, which usually means that there were no glaring mistakes. It makes for a raw but still excellent performance, with Jennifer and the band leaving nothing on the table.



This CD may be the closest to a new release that we ever get from Ms. Knapp, but it is well worth the price. For ten bucks, you still get an hour's worth of music, so this is no EP. I highly recommend it, although I continue to hope that her career is not over yet, and that she will grace her fans with some new material in the not-too-distant future."

..love Jennifer Knapp, buy this CD!

Wade Bloom | Fargo, ND USA | 01/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have listened to Jennifer Knapp at any point in the past 7-8 years you won't need much encouraging to purchase this Live CD.



This is a suberb collection of live songs from her "Back 40 Tour" from 2001.



The thing I love most about live versions of songs is in most cases it is very hard to duplicate the "studio" experience on the road.



In many cases that means no strings, more acoustic and you get true sense of who an artist is.



That is certainly the case here. Hop out to www.jenniferknapp.com and read a summary about each song written by Mark Lee Townsend. Mark was the guitar player for Jen's band on the Back 40 Tour.



The band did some fun things on this tour and it comes through on these live version of Jen's songs.



If you haven't listened to Jen's stuff check out her other CDs (Wishing Well, Kansas, Lay It Down, The Way I Am, 8 Great Hits and The Collection)



Jen is currently on an extended leave from the CCM music scene. Only Jen knows if she will ever return.



Until then "Live" helps ease the pain of her being gone a little bit.



If you love Jen, buy this CD. If you've never heard of Jen, buy this CD.



Enjoy!"