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Stage

Keller Williams - Stage Audio CD

A fair review of the Keller Williams "Stage" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Keller Williams reviews here, or go back to the Keller Williams tabs.

Band: Keller Williams
Title: Stage
Rating:

Release Date: 2004-06-29
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Tubeular 2: Rapper's Delight 3: Skitso 4: Under Pressure 5: Shinjuku 6: Keep It Simple 7: Dance of the Freek 8: Blazeabago > 9: Let's Go Dancing > 10: Blazeabago 11: Moondance 12: Star Gate 13: Hum Diddly Eye 14: One Way Johnny 15: Novelty Song 16: Shapes of M&M's 17: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough 18: Dudelywah 19: Bird Song 20: For What It's Worth 21: Prelude to a Cracker 22: Cracker Ass Cracker 23: Zilla a Trois 24: Gate Crashers Suck 25: Balcony Baby 26: Celebrate Your Youth 27: My Sisters and Brothers > Boob Job

one of his best

the cd is all live and only further proves that Keller is equally as good live as he is recorded. Stage is a GREAT album and the double disc just makes it better. some even argue that he actually is better live.
He is a musical genious and this cd is probably my favorite cd he has. He does a great job with covers too, if they sounded like the original then why not just listen to the original, you got to be different with your version. Every song on this cd has it's own life to it and he keeps up the energy through out the entire two discs. If you're a fan of Keller, it's mandatory that you buy this cd.
BUY THIS Album!. . Now!

if you arn't fimiliar with Keller and are just looking for your first cd, here's the albums i have, so far, in order of how i like it.

Stage - Great cd and makes you feel like your right there in the front row catching every drop of sweat in your mouth that comes from his feet. . . ? . . . any way. . .

Dream - Brings back a couple old songs with new artists. well made. really catchy tunes

12 - Who doesn't love a greatest hits cd

Laugh - Many Different moods and has classic songs like freeker by the speaker and mental instra

Dance - Remix (kind of) to Laugh. . . every song is fun and energetic but you probably wont listen any song all the way through due to repetivety (probably not a word) but still has really good stuff. also, if you look at the list of songs on the back of the cd after listening to it. you wont have any idea which one you just listened to. i bought it. you should too.

Grass - If i had to choose between other Keller cd's i'd choose the others first. by no means is this album bad, it's just a different genre than the rest of his work. buy this one at Hastings (the best store on the planet) for cheap then go read a book and drink some coffee

i also have the DVD called Sight. it's really cool at first then he plays songs that run together a little, but he picks it back up in the end. i still really liked and it has a hilarious intermission. read the credits too, they're hilarious.

i purchased Loop from Amazon last week and i'm pumped for it. i hope it's a dandy.

kind of enjoyable but overall...boring
He's a decent guitar player (it is a horrible sin to compare him to Michael Hedges). I really respect Keller Williams. The problem is that the whole "one man band" things has it's limitations.

All accoustic, everything in the same key, and all having the same tones, means the music overextends it's stay.

I saw him live. The first hour was great, second was okay and third hour was brutal. Every song sounded the same.

The same is applicable here. For the unitiated, the cd starts out great, the covers are interesting but. . . it all starts sounding the same. Even the covers are so far removed from what the original sounded like. . . that they also have the same whispery vocals, percussive guitar and pretentious cute-si-ness (is that a word?)

The best song is "Gate Crashers Suck". It is a very melodic tune that ends in expletives sung in a beautiful harmony. It is a very fitting song.

Now, most of you "Keller Williams" fans will strongly disagree with me but I must be accurate since his latest CD is leaning more towards traditonal (and most importantly varied song structure) and away from the one man band, looping sound.

For the casual concert fan. . . catch Keller Williams at one of the many outdoor, spring music festivals. He appears at most of them. At those festivals, he will be limited to a typical one hour slot. . . which is perfect. If you see him for his own gig, usually at a small venue/club, then you will be pulling your hair out at a 2 set, 2 1/2 -3 hour concert. It is simply too much of a good thing! .

Awesome Hippie Fun Fest
He is always good, but he's always better live. This is the best Keller Williams cd your money can buy. In fact, forget the cd and go see him right now. I'd also suggest purchasing the DVD of this concert.

Dance on your indian rug like a Keller fan
75 stars, unfortunately that's not a choice, and while I realize 5 would most likely suffice, if I did that you wouldn't care to look into why it's NOT a 5 star attempt by Keller. I give this album 4.
First off, I'm assuming that 5 stars would be Keller live, as is . . . you just have to see him live to fully get his divine energy. I understand this is the too commonly thrown cliche' of a majority of "jam bands," but while I cannot speak for all, after going to only 2 Keller shows, he is by far the best live performer in my book. His shows have an intimacy and down home good feeling to them and to watch him just groove and laugh his way through a set barefoot is like watching your little brother finally rid himself of those training wheels and fly down the street screaming "I'm doing it!"
THis album is great. I listen to it on each of my 4hr trips to my mom's, dancing and singing the whole way down, but I can't stress the fact that you must, i repeat MUST see him live.

I also own his studio albums Laugh and Home, While Home has great songs from "Above the Thunder" to "You are what you eat," nothing can outweigh the reminicing I find myself in when I put on "Freeker by the Speaker" and all the other top notch songs, including the immaculate intsramentals like "Mental Instra"

So if you can't find a ticket to his next show, do yourself a favor and buy this album, kick off your shoes, and dance like a mad-man on your indian rug.

Ho hum
I can't deny him that. Keller Williams is a fine FINE acoustic guitar player. However, after seeing him live, I can't say I will ever see him again. Too much looping, too much cheese and not enough grit. Light and fluffy. Maybe you could call it bubble gum music.
I'm not turned off to the jamband scene. That's not it at all. I was a Phish fan for many years. . . going back to the late eighties. I really enjoy improvisation. My musical life revolves around it, whether I'm playing or listening, whether its jazz, free or jamming. I love it all. I just find Keller Williams and a lot of the bands (not that he's a band really) that are in the "jam" scene to be pretty boring. At least Keller doesn't go on twenty minute quasi-bluegrass noodle jams.

You can see a complete list of all Keller Williams discography, or go back to the Keller Williams tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.