Search - Daniel Cartier :: Live From New York: Subway Session

A Beautiful Vignette of East Village Life in the Early 90s

10/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Daniel Cartier began singing in subway stations in New York City in the early 90s. His first professional singing experience was singing a duet with Blondie's Debbie Harry at a Jackie 60 party. In time, his name, face, and sound became synonymous with the city's vibrant East Village subculture. This fertile era would also give birth to the music of the late Jeff Buckley, and the rock musical's RENT and Hedwig & the Angry Inch. This live album (recorded in the Canal St. subway station) captures the mood and atmosphere of that time quite well--when the East Village was still gritty and a little dangerous. It is full of Cartier's acoustic gems like you would have heard them in places like Cafe Sine', CBGB's, Brownies, Mercury Lounge, and Squeezebox at Don Hill's (which also hosted the early performances of Hedwig). This was a special time in the East Village where one could see Jeff Buckley or Debbie Harry sitting in the audience hearing Cartier's raw, emotional songs in the way they should be heard: acoustic, spare, and live. Playing this album always takes me back to that magical time of my life, which I really miss."

Alive

10/04/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"like the first reviewer, i first saw daniel cartier in a coffeehouse in WV. a different coffeehouse, mind you... this one was in charleston, WV. but the effect was still the same. i fell in love with cartier's raw emotion and songwriting skill. there is an amazing richness to his voice and some of the songs on this album are stunning. "stumbling home" sounds just so much BETTER on this album than on avenue A. "beyond" and "raindancing" are also very fine compositions. as the title suggests, the album was recorded live in canal station in NY, NY. thus, the arrangements are acoustic. the un-electrified sound just intensifies the listening experience."

Very comforting,raw quality.

09/25/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first time I heard Daniel Cartier he was playing in a coffee shop in Huntington, WV. I was there to simply drink coffee. When he started to play he was the only thing in the room. His voice and raw energy draw you in instantly. This carries through on the CD. Most of the songs were recorded in a subway station. The echoing acoustics adds to the rawness of his music. If it had been possible to wear out a CD I would have worn this one out in the first month. You can dance to it and contemplate to it, as well."