Search - Frank Yankovic :: Live in Nashville

Great sound, but what happened to the stereo?

Bill Smythe | Chicago | 11/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Live in Nashville was recorded in 1986, about a year after Yankovic's landmark release, 70 Years of Hits. The live sound adds some nice atmosphere, compensating for the always-less-distinct sound of live vs studio recordings. The audience is composed largely of Nashville country-music professionals, who seem to have enjoyed the show immensely. The beloved solovox is replaced here by a full-fledged electronic organ/synthesizer, which does the job, even though it's a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack, well, a coconut. The opening number, Hu-La-La, is far superior to the version on the over-rated CD All-Time Great Polkas. The only disappointment is that, after the first track, the stereo effect disappears completely. One wonders where, along the production line, the remaining nine tracks became monophonic. It's still a great buy, though."