Disco de The Mavericks: “Live in Austin Texas”

"The Definitive Collection" remains the best place for newcomers to sample The Mavericks, but this 2004 live album would make a terrific introduction as well. And fans will certainly want to hear this almost flawless live album featuring a horn-augumented version of The Mavericks performing most of their best and best-known material.

It's not spliced together from various recordings; "Live In Austin, Texas" was recorded in one "take" on June 2, 2004 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, and The Mavericks' eclectic blend of rock n' roll, country, latin folk and sophisticated pop works well in this live setting...a couple of songs, like "Siboney" and "San Jose", never really get off the ground, but most of what's here is very good indeed. It's hard to sit still to these swinging, energetic renditions of songs like "Dance The Night Away" and "There Goes My Heart", and while it would have been nice to hear "Things I Cannot Change" and "Here Comes My Baby", there is more than enough good stuff here to keep the listener interested.

Singer Raul Malo is in top form, and all music-lovers should be able find something to like on this 73-minute collection of The Mavericks' melodic country-rock.

I dare you to not start bopping your head like a pigeon to "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down"!

The Mavericks were my favorite country band of the '90s and the early '00s. Led by Raul Malo, the Mavericks defied genre-fication by playing a wide range of music, from traditional country to pop to Latin/Cuban-flavored music (strongly influenced by Malo's Cuban heritage) to crank out hit after hit.

Unfortunately, these talented guys seem a bit restless, only performing together sporadically after their 1999 greatest hits album. Fortunately for everyone, they got together for a live show in Austin, Texas, and this album is the result. Largely playing their greatest hits ("Dance the Night Away," "I Want to Know," "What a Crying Shame," etc.), there are plenty of other seldom-heard songs on this album to make it worthwhile.

My personal favorite is the gospel tune, "Save a Prayer," which has everyone asking why Malo hasn't cranked out a solo gospel album instead of yet-another album of cover/cocktail tunes. He could be the best gospel singer in the world.

An ultimate party album, "Live" does this great band proud - a must for everyone who's forgotten that great country spans any genre and that The Eagles were once a mere "country" band.

The dowload dose not sound as good as the samples! It's a sound I guess you should expect when recorded in an auditorium. I don't know how to describe it, but it is not the full sound you normally get. It's like there should be an echo, and the volume goes up and down in some sounds. A very inconsistnet set of recordings.

The Mavericks Live In Austin DVD is an absolute winner. I tried to find it locally but ended up coming to Amazon. The music is fantastic as are the Mavericks.

That's was my 21 year old son's reaction to this CD. Although I've been a fan since there first release, my son had very little interest until he heard "Volver volver." That led to "All you ever do is bring me down." Which led to wanting to hear all my old tapes(yes, I still have tapes)CDs and Raul's solo stuff. "I said I love you" is his favorite and we'd like to see them "Live in California."