Track Listing

1. Long Ride Home
2. Goodbye
3. Christina
4. Peter Pan
5. Rain
6. Mad Mission
7. Be Careful
8. Tony
9. Mary
10. Fly
11. Nobody's Cryin'
12. 10 Million Miles

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6211 in Music
• Brand: Griffin Technology
• Released on: 2003-10-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Live
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Amazon.com
This live album documents a love affair, one between a singer-songwriter who attracted a whole new following with the release of 2002’s 1000 Kisses and the devoted fans who flocked to her subsequent tour. The rapturous response at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, long the hallowed home of the Grand Ole Opry, makes it plain that Griffin is among friends for this concert recording, with kindred spirits Emmylou Harris and Julie and Buddy Miller joining her onstage to lend vocal support. Despite the setting, Griffin’s music resists categorization as country (or folk or rock), with acoustic guitar, accordion, and piano providing exquisite settings for her expressively edgy vocals on a range of striking material--from the suicide of a tormented gay boy in "Tony" to the plight of an unhappy heiress in "Christina" (which Griffin explains to the crowd came to her in a dream about Christina Onassis) to the hint of ragtime in "Mad Mission." A bonus DVD of backstage scenes and videos completes the package, which lets fans feel they’ve gotten to know not only the music, but the artist. -- Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Good Place to Start - Must have to Complete Collection
I first listened to Patty Griffin when her first album came out. I was living in Texas and thought Mad Mission one of the best songs of the year. I always wondered why KGSR played only Let Him Fly (a very good song) when Mad Mission was so stunning. And the version of Mad Mission on this CD is just so much...I won't say better...but amplified and fully realized . Even the performance of [Let Him] Fly is better and I was quite jaded by its constant rotation on the radio in 1996.

I have all her albums and cannot recommend this one enough. Her live versions amplify and enhance the studio recordings from the other albums. It doesn't hurt that you have Buddy & Julie Miller and Emmylou Harris singing and playing along, but this album would still be a fantastic showcase without them.

My favorites are Goodbye, Rain, Long Road Home, Tony, Mad Mission and Fly, although there is not a "skip" on the album.

Thanks United Airlines!
Yes, I have to admit that I first heard this album while flying back and forth between NYC and San Francisco earlier this year, as part of United's in-air music programming. Well, let me say that somebody there is doing their job well.

I'd been curious about Patty Griffin's music before that, as I'd seen that she'd written some good songs used by the Dixie Chicks (FUTK), like "Let Him Fly" and "Truth No. 2." But I hadn't heard her own voice or playing until those flights, and am happy to say that I've not stopped listening to this album since.

This collection covers a lot of territory, presenting songs from most (if not all) of her albums, and has a very bittersweet tone overall. Griffin's humble personality is very apparent when she introduces some of the songs and expresses her gratitude to some special guest musicians. The production is one of the better I've heard on a live album in a while, and effectively seems to capture the feel of seeing the show inside the Ryman.

I'd recommend this as an excellent place to start for someone just getting into Patty Griffin's music. The accompanying DVD is also worth having, as it features a series of interviews with Griffin about her music and a couple of music videos.

Patty at Her Best
For those of you who love Patty, this cd is a must buy. The cd captures a simple, straight-forward performance that never seems contrived. Fans of Flaming Red will enjoy the toned-down versions of "Tony," "Christina," "Mary," and "Peter-Pan." Of course, Patty includes other favorites including "Rain," and my personal favorite, "Mad Mission." "Be Careful" features the beautiful harmonization of Patty and background vocalist Julie Miller (Julie's album Broken Things also excellent). BUY THIS CD. You won't be disappointed.