Search - Taj Mahal :: Live & Direct

Taj and steel drums; an excellent adventure

08/19/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Taj Mahal with a steel drum band. What else could anyone want on a warm summer night? I picked up this album while in college (early 80's). Loved it then, and I highly recommend the CD. The soundtracks Reggae No. 1 and Suva Serenade are added to the CD (they were not on the original album), which is a nice touch when one must buy a CD when he/she already has the album. It is one of the more distinct of Taj's outputs; I know I have no other Taj music quite like it. Little Brown Dog is one of my all time favorites. Take a Giant Step, while on several other Taj albums performed in a variety of ways, is truly unique and superb here. It has such a different feel than the other versions. Highly recommended."

Gems Make it Worthwhile for Hardcore Fans

07/24/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Taj Mahal, you probably don't need much convincing to buy his live reggae album. That being said, the steel drum work on this album sounds a bit like that you'd hear on the deck of a Carnival cruise ship and the "Do You Think I'm Sexy?" tease on track three will make anyone under the age of 35 blush in shame (say it ain't so, Taj!). Frankly some of the cuts are downright silly (#7 and the aforementioned #3, especially).
Cavilling aside, tracks two and five are stellar cuts. #2 is an instrumental which exhales restrained funky breaths -- as hard as you'd be able to shake it while surfeited on beer-and-spliff under a 100-degree tropical sun. #5 is thicker, starting as a lullaby and dropping into a slow, earthy groove. The backup singers do their best work here, as well."

Taj in his element

09/18/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Live albums can be a risky venture; the recording can be poor, the pressing can be cheap, the concert may be bad. None of these are a concern with this album, it is superior on all counts and reggae flows out of Taj Mahal as easily as the blues do."