A Gogo: Live on Tour [Live]

A Gogo: Live on Tour [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With her hazy, passionate, expressive alto, and slightly detached, observational lyrics, what's most accessible in Patty Larkin's music is her crisp, earthen guitar work. On the live À Gogo, she strips away the minimal instrumentation found on her studio recordings and proves she's a songwriter-guitarist who can sing. It's easy to be astonished by the instrumental "Banish Misfortune/Open Hand," a spidery exhibition of Celtic/bluegrass fingerpicking played here with a loving precision that feels like second nature. But even on vocal-heavy tracks such as the wistful, windy "Tango" and bitingly literate "Don't," Larkin's rasp flows when the instrument ebbs, like old friends in balanced conversation. She tenderly sings "I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run" (which Holly Cole covers), and her inspired rumble of a voice outshines her fingers on "Me and That Train." But, for the most part, À Gogo is an album about a guitar and its girl. --Sally Weinbach

Tracks:

Wolf At The Door
Banish Misfortune/Open Hand
Tango
Do Not Disturb
Don't
Dear Diary
I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run
Booth Of Glass
Who Holds Your Hand
The Book I'm Not Reading
Don't Do It
Mary Magdalene
Me And That Train
Good Thing

Amazon.com

With her hazy, passionate, expressive alto, and slightly detached, observational lyrics, what's most accessible in Patty Larkin's music is her crisp, earthen guitar work. On the live À Gogo, she strips away the minimal instrumentation found on her studio recordings and proves she's a songwriter-guitarist who can sing. It's easy to be astonished by the instrumental "Banish Misfortune/Open Hand," a spidery exhibition of Celtic/bluegrass fingerpicking played here with a loving precision that feels like second nature. But even on vocal-heavy tracks such as the wistful, windy "Tango" and bitingly literate "Don't," Larkin's rasp flows when the instrument ebbs, like old friends in balanced conversation. She tenderly sings "I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run" (which Holly Cole covers), and her inspired rumble of a voice outshines her fingers on "Me and That Train." But, for the most part, À Gogo is an album about a guitar and its girl. --Sally Weinbach

Customer Reviews:

Captured Essence - Let the collective unconcious awaken........2004-04-29

I just saw Patty Larkin live at the Broward Center (Florida) a couple of weeks ago. I purchased the CD at the show. The acoustics of the hall that night were superior (as Larkin noted) luckily so were my seats (3rd row center). This cd truly captures the essence of that live performance (including the perspective from such excellent seats).
Larkin, a truly gifted vocal,instrumental and compositional artist, stands alone in full display on this outing. Both she and the songs are better served by her solitude. Though her abilities in the studio are interesting, her direct live performance is much more powerfull to witness. With this disc, we get a grouping of some of her best songs, given their strongest performances available to date.
Don't Do It, doesn't really work for me (perhaps, I remain too attatched to the Band version). Though still good, I preferred the unprocessed vocal version of "The Book I'm Not Reading", given at the concert, I attended.
My only real complaint, is that the concert lasted well over two hours and the CD doesn't. Too bad, if it did, it might have included some of her entertaining banter. Better yet, would have been inclusion of her "channeling" of Marlena Dietrich, Carmen Miranda, and Ethel Merman. Not to be missed.

Let the collective unconcious awaken.

Awesome!.......2002-02-05

I saw Patty Larkin for the first time in February and had never heard any of her music, and now I am a FAN! I love GOOD THING and her skills on the guitar are just wonderful and numbing!

WHO IS THIS LADY?.......2001-04-07

If you can handle some of Patty Larkin's songwriting and dry humor, you'll be getting on "A-GoGo" a solo live guitar performance that's as good anybody has ever put down on record. Larkin combines smooth Joni Mitchell control "Banish Misfortune/Open Hand" with Amy Ray speed "Don"t" for a unique style all her own. The songs and the sound quality are "A" perfect and one listen to "Wolf At The Door" will get your batteries charged.

Pretty good CD.......2001-02-25

I like this CD. It has alot of great sounding tracks and lyrics to enjoy. Concidering that it is a live version you might think the sound quality is bad; well thats not true at all. it sounds fantastic!

Entered a skeptic; left a believer.......2000-04-18

I had never heard of Patty Larkin, or her cadre of loyalists, when I heard 'Do Not Disturb' on the radio. I picked up the CD and loved it, top to bottom (though I admit I skipped over 'Mary Magdalene' when I listened a second consecutive time).

I've never seen her in concert, but I'm sold on her vocals, her lyrics, and her six-string virtuosity.

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