Wonderful Especially For Liv Fans--With A Caveat

For fans of Liv Taylor like me, this tape is not only useful but delightful. Liv is definitely his own man and his engaging personal style--which can be a little out there, God bless our Liv--remains on this old tape, recently converted to DVD.

The main reason I bought this was to learn how to play a few of his songs. Liv actually has a lot of CDs out, going back to Vinyl LP days, but there is precious little TAB, songbooks, etc.; practically nothing. So the original compositions and arrangements he details on this DVD are a goldmine for us fanatics.

However, in at least two of the four--Going Round One More Time and Our Turn To Dance--he leaves out the bridges, at least on my copy. In Going Round one More time, it's just not there. In Our Turn To Dance, he's presenting the live as opposed to the produced CD version, which means he sings, without guitar accompaniament, the bridge. Not too many of us have the voice or the personality to carry that off--so it's disappointing. It's also worth noting that the version of Going Round One More Time, is the slower, more meditative one he does live, again, not the unequivocally upbeat version on CD. But it's a starkly beautiful version, without a doubt.

If I were really going to get picky I'd point out that in I Will Be In Love With You, he doesn't teach how to play the lower-key instrumental intro that's on the CD. However, absent that, which really isn't required for live performance, it's a complete song. I haven't yet gotten all the way through I Must Be Doing Something Right to comment.

He plays, but does not teach, the famed Olympic Guitar--but the booklet that comes with the DVD does have TAB and standard notation for it, along with the other songs.

With those caveats--and other considerations, including the fact that the brief, missing bridge in Going Round One More Time can probably be figured out pretty easily--I love love love it and I'm so grateful he converted it to DVD. The instruction he provides will bring to life many classic ringing Liv Taylor chords--it's a thrill to be able to play them, finally. On the practical side, it is MUCH easier to stop, "rewind" and replay the trickier fingerings on a DVD as compared to the VHS that was around when this product was first produced.

This is a poor review because I've left the best till last. Liv strongly, repeatedly, relentlessly emphasizes the importance of rhythm in guitar playing, and how everything depends on that. I've only been playing for about 28 years and I never fully appreciated this. He really drives the point home, and it's made "my" rendition of Going Round One More Time one of the best performances I've ever been capable of.

So hey Liv--thanks.

Well communicated

Livingston Taylor is nothing if not passionate. His enthusiasm can be a little over the top, but it holds your attention. This isn't a lesson on the most cutting edge techniques and fretboard pyrotechnics. It's mostly about putting the skills you have (or are about to acquire) into good use. It's about the act of performance and the soul of making music. He goes far beyond, "put this finger here..." and shares a great deal of wisdom that you probably won't get from a book. You'll definitely pick up several "Taylor-isms" to add to your own playing style as well.