Music Review: John Legend – Live at SOB’s

Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 10:39 pm

I have been seriously ignoring my eMusicaccount for sometime now. So the other night, I figured it was time to get back in there and take a look around. I found a ton of great music and today I am going to tell you about one artist in particular;.

You may have heard of Mr. Legend. He has won five Grammy’s, has a platinum record and has worked with superstars such as Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West and Jay-Z. He has quite a resume’ and for good reason.

Before he hit the bigtime his name was John Stephens and he recorded a live album that I am excited to share with you. It is an indie release by the name of “Live at SOB’s.” This album is a treat.

For starters John Legend is truly gifted. He is all soul and a great vocalist. He sings each song with passion. He can improvise and riff without overdoing it like many other soul singers.

Every song on the album is above average. The songs you should start with are “Set It Off,” “Alright” and, my favorite, “Lifted.”

As far as the production goes, it is solid. Usually live albums are hit or miss but this one delivers. The highs are crisp, the lows right where they need to be for the groove heavy music. Plus, the live band in a live club setting really creates an a great ambiance.

Anyway, I don’t want to spend to much time trying to describe it because it must be heard to be truly appreciated. Go check out “Live at SOB’s” now while I go look around for some of his newer stuff.

Best served with… a relaxed, chipper mood. Listen as you get ready to out on the town, to start the night off when hosting a casual get together with friends or when you just need to lighten up a bit.