Live! At the Desert Inn [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
On a cool February night in 1971, entertainer Bobby Darin gathered the friends, associates, and VIPs he'd flown in for the occasion to a sort of summit meeting in the Crystal Room of Las Vegas' Desert Inn. There and then, Darin again staked his claim as one of the most accomplished, versatile, and creatively unpredictable pop singers ever. Despite having traded his early teen idol incarnation for that of mature and ambitious saloon singer a decade earlier, Darin displays his uncanny knack for recasting contemporary rock and pop in his own image repeatedly here. The show may feature a loose, swinging rendition of "Mack the Knife" near the top of the set, and close with the spare, jazzy bonus version of "Beyond the Sea," but they bookend masterful takes on everything from James Taylor (a blues-charged "Fire and Rain") and BS&T's "Hi De Ho" to the Beatles (a medley of "Hey Jude"/"Eleanor Rigby"/"Blackbird"/"A Day in the Life" whose drama shames most contemporary pop covers) and a warm, elegant version of Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." His hit version of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter" is shrewdly paired here with the poignant, Darin-penned anti-war anthem "Sing a Simple Song of Freedom" (which Hardin covered successfully), underscoring the willful genre-bending that made Darin so intriguing. -- Jerry McCulley

Tracks:

Intro. Monologue
Save The Country
Moritat (Mack The Knife)
Fire And Rain
Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)
Monologue
Hey Jude/Eleanor Rigby/Blackbird/A Day In The Life
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Monologue
If I Were A Carpenter
Simple Song Of Freedom\
Finale Band Introduction
Chain Of Fools/Respect/Splish Splash/Johnny B. Goode
Work Song
Beyond The Sea

Amazon.com

On a cool February night in 1971, entertainer Bobby Darin gathered the friends, associates, and VIPs he'd flown in for the occasion to a sort of summit meeting in the Crystal Room of Las Vegas' Desert Inn. There and then, Darin again staked his claim as one of the most accomplished, versatile, and creatively unpredictable pop singers ever. Despite having traded his early teen idol incarnation for that of mature and ambitious saloon singer a decade earlier, Darin displays his uncanny knack for recasting contemporary rock and pop in his own image repeatedly here. The show may feature a loose, swinging rendition of "Mack the Knife" near the top of the set, and close with the spare, jazzy bonus version of "Beyond the Sea," but they bookend masterful takes on everything from James Taylor (a blues-charged "Fire and Rain") and BS&T's "Hi De Ho" to the Beatles (a medley of "Hey Jude"/"Eleanor Rigby"/"Blackbird"/"A Day in the Life" whose drama shames most contemporary pop covers) and a warm, elegant version of Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." His hit version of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter" is shrewdly paired here with the poignant, Darin-penned anti-war anthem "Sing a Simple Song of Freedom" (which Hardin covered successfully), underscoring the willful genre-bending that made Darin so intriguing. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Bobby Darin delivers one of his best live concerts ever recorded.......2007-02-28

Bobby Darin stunned many of his contemporaries with his energy and his singularly remarkable passion. Bobby Darin found adoring crowds wherever he went; and his voice could be potent, masculine yet sensitive and electric all at the same time. His audiences loved his versatility and his concerts included surprises that amazed his fans.

I agree with the reviewer who writes that "Save The Country" is indeed a stirring introduction for this live concert recorded on this CD. There is some minor surface noise but the number still shines magnificently. Bobby's solo is flawless as he proclaims that "we can build a new world on love." Booby expresses his anti-Vietnam war sentiment in this ballad. His audiences loved every minute of "Save The Country." The Jeannie Thomas Singers are superb on backup vocals all throughout this album, too.

The concert then moves into one of Bobby's greatest hits, "Moritat (Mack The Knife)." Bobby sings this with a certain intimacy that I never heard him use for this number. It just may be that Bobby truly WAS in his prime even though he would suffer a premature death only two years later. The musical arrangement complements Bobby's vocals flawlessly. Moreover, Bobby performs `Hi-Di-Ho" with such energy and strength that he lifts this production number to new heights. Bobby doesn't waste another opportunity to express his distaste for the then current American foreign policy in Vietnam. The musicians play with the strength of a big band even though The Carleton Hayes Orchestra was small. The band consisted of Terry Kellman on guitar; Billy Aiken on piano; Quitman Dennis playing bass guitar; Tommy Amato on the drums.

Other memorable numbers on this live album include a sensitive and rather slow paced rendition of James Taylor's "Fire And Rain;" a "Beatles Medley" of "Hey Jude;" "Eleanor Rigby;" Blackbird" and "A Day In The Life;" a passionate rendition of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher." "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" rocks hard and pretty soon you find yourself moving to the music even as you listen to this CD for the very first time. The strength of Bobby's voice echoes the world over as he sings. Impressive!

The official concert recording ends with an excellent rendition of "Simple Song Of Freedom" which again protests the evils of war and boasts an electric finish; Bobby then introduces the band members to give them the credit they so richly deserved. The band proves they can jam well, too!

Bobby performs an encore medley to the delight of his ecstatic audience. We get "Chain Of Fools;" "Respect;" "Splish Splash" and "Johnny B. Goode." The audience goes wild when Bobby begins to sing "Johnny B. Goode;" what a strong finish!

A huge plus of this CD is that after the encore we get two previously unreleased bonus tracks from this concert: "Work Song" and another signature Darin song, "Beyond The Sea." This gives us well over an hour of high octane performing on a single album--excellent!

The liner notes include an essay about the concert by Ken Smith and the song credits are provided, too.

Bobby Darin left us all too early; but his legacy remains a bright star in all the heavens as well as on Earth. His music still entertains countless numbers of people and he will never be forgotten. Bobby's fans will love this great CD because it is one of his strongest live recordings available; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals will also love this CD.

Excellent but not Darin at h is best!.......2006-07-23

I recently purchased this CD, Bobby Darin Live At The Desert Inn. I love the CD but it is not currently my favorite out of all my Bobby Darin CDs. This is though my favorite out of his more mature performances. Dispite Darin's horrible heart condition during this performance, he deleivered an exceptional performace. 4 out of 5 stars.

A review for the reviewers.......2006-06-24

After reading the reviews on this CD, I purchased it. My goodness, how much more I enjoyed each track after reading the descriptions of the songs. I don't know how you all know these stories, but THANK YOU for sharing them. My parents were musicians in an orchestra and when I started piano lessons, the first song I learned was "Mack the Knife". I was a little young when Bobby Darin passed away and am just now becoming acquainted with his music. This CD is so fun to listen to in the car, all alone. I love his banter...you feel like you're there. I first went to Las Vegas in 1974 when it was just a big town. The fun part after watching headliners, was to go sit in the lounge of whatever casino they were performing, and they would come out and sit and have a few drinks, often times right next to you. I did see Frank & Dean perform...never saw Bobby. Thanks again reviewers...

One of the great live albums from the greatest entertainer........2006-04-15

I love this album, and it stands on it's own as a quality recording by a wonderful performer regardless of his physical condition. But I do have to second Barry Pasini's remarks that take issue with Lawrence's statement that Bobby's voice was past its prime.

As Barry pointed out this concert was recorded just before Bobby's first heart surgery. This is very literally true. Directly after finishing his last show of his Desert Inn engangement, Bobby left through the back door of the casino and climbed into a station wagon equiped with a bed. It drove him directly to a hospital in LA for open heart surgery (after spending just a few hours with his young son since Darin didn't expect to survive).

Bobby was in no condition to even perform at this point but felt it was essential to his career to keep this engangement, and he therefore insisted on doing it in spite of what his doctors told him. He could barely even breath or stand up by this time due to extensive heart damage from childhood rhuematic fever, and survived only by gasping oxygen backstage and by frequent cardio-conversion procedures to try to shock his defective heart into beating like a normal one.

So his voice was fine, but he was deathly ill. After his successful surgery he was again able to meet the physical demands of performing, albeit briefly until his death. And we can hear in subsequent performances how very fine his voice really was.

His voice quality was tied directly to his health and not to declining abilities. Regardless, his talent shines thru in this album in spite of everything. And people needn't even know this back story to enjoy it and to marvel at this exceptional performer.

One of Darin's best and most mature live performances........2005-11-12

Though I have always liked Bobby Darin, I became a real fan with this CD, re-released in 2005. Recorded in 1971, two years before his premature death at 37, it shows Darin at his peak--sophisticated, versatile, brilliant in his choice of material and presentation, and totally in control, whether he is letting it all hang out in his Medley of "Chain of Fools," "Respect," "Splish Splash," and "Johnny B. Goode," or quiet and subtle in his tribute to Bob Dylan, "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight."

"Save the Country," his stirring opener, sounds like a big Vegas show-stopper, with the Jeannie Thomas Singers in the background and what sounds like a huge band, though it actually consists of four musicians--Billy Aikens on piano and keyboards, Tommy Amato on drums, Terry Kellman on guitar, and his conductor/arranger Quitman Dennis on bass. Beginning with a gospel/revival sound, Darin then switches to an intimate a capella presentation in which he declares, "We can build a world on love," before taking the song to a wild conclusion. "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher" also has a powerful gospel/rock sound, and as Darin puts more and more energy into the song, and you begin to think he cannot possibly get more any more impassioned, he does, while never missing a note.

His tributes to other musician/composers--James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" and Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"--by contrast, sound folky and intimate, beginning quietly, almost a capella, with Darin accompanied by guitar, sounding confidential and personal.

The "Beatles Medley," an incredible, seven-minute tribute depending primarily on "Hey, Jude," reflects his extraordinary talent with ballads, sung almost without accompaniment, with notes held so long that it difficult to imagine any health problems or his constant need for oxygen, backstage. "Hi-De-Ho," Cab Calloway's trademark song, is also one of the many high points. Bluesy, with a Darin harmonica solo and the sound of tambourines, he takes the song into the realm of hard rock and roll, an unbelievable performance.

Darin's easy, natural ability with every kind of music of the day--gospel, folk, ballads, wild rock--and his power with each of them, reveal a versatility that singers like Sinatra never achieved (though this is in no way a criticism of Sinatra). His maturity and ability to pace himself without showing any kind of strain is miraculous, considering his health problems. Consistently good, this Darin live performance features some of his best-ever presentations and arrangements. n Mary Whipple

Average customer rating:

One of Darin's best and most mature live performances.
Darin Was In A Class By Himself
Live at the Desert Inn

Live! At the Desert Inn
Bobby Darin
Manufacturer: Motown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DWTF
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Intro Monologue
Save the Country
Mack the Knife
Fire and Rain
Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)
Monologue
Beatles Medley: Hey Jude/Eleanor Rigby/Blackbird/A Day in the Life
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Monologue
If I Were a Carpenter
Simple Song of Freedom
Finale Band Introduction
Encore: Chain of Fools/Respect/Splish Splash/Johnny B. Goode
Work Song [*]
Beyond the Sea [*]

Customer Reviews:

One of Darin's best and most mature live performances........2006-05-01

Though I have always liked Bobby Darin, I became a real fan with this CD, re-released in 2005. Recorded in 1971, two years before his premature death at 37, it shows Darin at his peak--sophisticated, versatile, brilliant in his choice of material and presentation, and totally in control, whether he is letting it all hang out in his Medley of "Chain of Fools," "Respect," "Splish Splash," and "Johnny B. Goode," or quiet and subtle in his tribute to Bob Dylan, "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight."

"Save the Country," his stirring opener, sounds like a big Vegas show-stopper, with the Jeannie Thomas Singers in the background and what sounds like a huge band, though it actually consists of four musicians--Billy Aikens on piano and keyboards, Tommy Amato on drums, Terry Kellman on guitar, and his conductor/arranger Quitman Dennis on bass. Beginning with a gospel/revival sound, Darin then switches to an intimate a capella presentation in which he declares, "We can build a world on love," before taking the song to a wild conclusion. "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher" also has a powerful gospel/rock sound, and as Darin puts more and more energy into the song, and you begin to think he cannot possibly get more any more impassioned, he does, while never missing a note.

His tributes to other musician/composers--James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" and Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"--by contrast, sound folky and intimate, beginning quietly, almost a capella, with Darin accompanied by guitar, sounding confidential and personal.

The "Beatles Medley," an incredible, seven-minute tribute depending primarily on "Hey, Jude," reflects his extraordinary talent with ballads, sung almost without accompaniment, with notes held so long that it difficult to imagine any health problems or his constant need for oxygen, backstage. "Hi-De-Ho" is also one of the many high points. Bluesy, with a Darin harmonica solo and the sound of tambourines, he enters the realm of hard rock and roll, an unbelievable performance.

Darin's easy, natural ability with every kind of music of the day--gospel, folk, ballads, wild rock--and his power with each of them, reveal a versatility that singers like Sinatra never achieved (though this is in no way a criticism of Sinatra). His maturity and ability to pace himself without showing any kind of strain is miraculous, considering his health problems. Consistently good, this Darin live performance features some of his best-ever presentations and arrangements. Mary Whipple

Darin Was In A Class By Himself.......2004-08-14

I agree with the previous reviewer: Bobby Darin could sing all genres of music with unmatched style, drama, and on the upbeat tunes, a sense of innate syncopation that neither Sinatra nor Bennett ever were able to approach. He was attractive, magnetic, witty, and ingratiating. He won Golden Globes and French Film Critics Awrads for his superb acting, (not to mention an Academy Award nomination). He is in both the ASCAP and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and he was the highest paid performer in Las Vegas history at the time of his death. Sinatra once told Richard Bakalyan, who was a mutual friend of the two peerless singers--"nobody was better than Darin." Frank was right. It's about time Bobby Darin received the credit a true musical genius deserves. Buy this CD and begin experiencing the majic of one the 20th century's great all-around entertainers and jazz-swing vocalists. Had Bobby lived even twenty more years, he would have blown by Sinatra (and I am a true, blue Sinatra fan). What a shame the poor guy was doomed from childhood to die young. He was the man. He was the man.

Live at the Desert Inn.......2004-02-02

This is just one of Darin's finest CDs. I KNOW that it is a shame that he didn't live longer. If he had, he would have made a drastic addition to today's "music." It is music that can't even touch his renditions of yesteryear. Others have tried, and failed, ignominiously, to copy his inimitable style. Yes. The entertainment industry lost a giant when he died. He was a giant in his addition to not only the music industry, but to other things, as well. He WILL be missed, believe me! As far as this Darinite is concerned, is, as I stated, one, if not the BEST,
of his CDs that was ever released. I was, as was, also, stated, fortunate to get it when I did.

Dick Dettrey

Live at the Desert Inn - Las Vegas
Average customer rating:

Excellent for what it is.

Ya Gotta Give The Guy Credit....

Live at the Desert Inn - Las Vegas

Manufacturer: RFC
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
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