Long Live the Live Lounge

Advantages: Great sense of fun and music abilty, lacking ego!
Disadvantages: The Automatic and Fiddy!

...Covers have always been a bit of a hit and miss affair. Some people do it well, some people don't. It can be commercial suicide and ruin artists' credibility. The recent trend over the years, pushed particularly by Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley, and other ventures such as Warchild, is that an artist can perform live, or record a cover and still retain their credibility and not come over as a sell-out. Maybe it's just that people have lightened up a little, or maybe it is just because there are things like the Live Lounge, that encourage well-picked songs to do as a cover. Granted that the concept is not a new one, and even Jo would not say that. But, I think the idea of the Live Lounge is maybe new. For the last couple of decades, musicians and music lovers have been concerned about what is cool and what is now. Noone would have dared...

paulosdekathos 07.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

Live Lounge - Simply Brilliant

Advantages: Brilliant Covers, Great Original Versions
Disadvantages: Data Listings on MP3 Players Is Sketchy

...I actually downloaded this rather than buy the CD, but then had the wonderful surprise of The Blonde coming home and depositing it in my lap having just been out shopping. She bought it because I had been wittering on about how much I loved Jo Whiley on Radio One and especially the covers that the artists did on the live lounge. It seems to have got through.... I might have to try that tactic when I want a new suit *grin* Anyhow.... The album covers are actually pretty non-descript. The front shows some guitar cases with plenty of stickers, a couple of Mike stands and a bright red label with Radio One live lounge emblazened upon it. It does a job I suppose. The reverse of the CD has the track listings on, and since it is a double CD, there really isn't that much room for anything else. The tracks involved are as follows...

beevorm 17.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

Live Lounge 2 Disc CD

Advantages: Some of the best bits from Jo Whiley's Live Lounge sessions
Disadvantages: Includes some really odd ones that you might skip

...Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley has got hold of some of the worlds best artists to perform in the Live Lounge. Not only to perform there own tracks but to perform another artists song in their own style. The Live Lounge has become an integral part of her show and becuase of its success, the Live Lounge 2CD was released. The Live Lounge sessions enable artists to let listeners hear what they are all about. The live and unrehearsed sessions allow the listeners to appreciate what an artist is really like (and how they can sign without digital enhancements)!! The Live Lounge has encouraged artist to reproduce covers of their own personal favourite artists or tracks. Some of these have been truely outstanding as any listener to Jo Whiley's show will know. Can you imagine hearing The Automatic covering Kanye West, or Franz Ferdinand...

babz1975 26.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

radio one's live loung in YOUR lounge

Advantages: Some excellent performance, shows the pure raw talents of some of the UKs top artists
Disadvantages: some weaker tracks and some covers that dont work for me

...I have to admit I have been waiting in anticipation for the release of a live lounge CD for a number of years. My mornings are often much happier after hearing the Jo Whiley show, partly for her sexy voice (unfortunatly not featured on the CD) and for the amazing live lounge sessions. For those of you that dont listen to radio 1 mid-morning during the week, Jo Whiley often invites artists into the studio for a chat and to perform a few tracks. These are often stripped down accoustic versions of thier most famous songs and an inpromptu cover which can range from the sublimly beautiful to the hilariously funny. This CD compramises the best performances from the last couple of years and there should be something for everybody on this list. The songs range from moving acoustic versions of artists well known hits (KT tunstall other...

jonny2483 12.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

Radio 1's Live Lounge Volume 3...drop in for a treat!

Advantages: Good choice of tracks. Good cover versions. Diversity of artists.
Disadvantages: Can't think of any other than maybe a couple of strange choices for covers.

...I own all three Live Lounge albums to date and would say they have got better with each release. There is a good mix of revamped versions of well known tracks by the original artists combined with interesting cover versions. This particular album also showcases the talents of a few artists I previously knew little about namely Elliot Minor, Ida Maria, Santogold and Bat For Lashes although a friend had actually recommended the latter to me. As these artists all perform covers versions on here it has left me intrigued as to the quality of their own material and I'm sure others will feel the same about the artists who appear that they know little about. Most of the tracks here have been big hits so you will be familiar with all but a few of the 40 offerings. Another interesting feature is the inclusion of two versions...

geebobuk 02.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.3 - Various Artists

Radio 1's Live Lounge C.D! Worth the wait?

Advantages: Fun covers you perhaps wouldn't expect.
Disadvantages: I can't think of any

...If you're like me and a huge fan of popular music, then Jo Whiley's live lounge will be one of your addictions. Jo is famous for having fab guests during her show who pop into the 'live lounge' in Maida Vale. The guests will play a couple of their own songs live along with a cover of someone elses which now happens traditionally. Occasionally the covers are amazing, whether they are copied almost exactly or given their own little twist to them. This 2 disco C.D. covers what Jo considers to be the most memorable covers and originals. The C.D. has two discs worth of tracks with 20 on each, which is good value for money considering you get intotal 40 songs! The highlights for me are: the Arctic Monkeys singing Love Machine by Girls Aloud. Their cheeky Sheffield accents bring out the jovial and fun poking lyrics included in...

lanisbet 22.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

Radio 1 Live Lounge - Not to be missed

Advantages: Some completely unexpected cover versions
Disadvantages: A slow middle section on disc 2

...This album has to be my purchase of the year for 2006. Very fun, impossible to get bored of, someething for everyone who listens to it. You will laugh and smile at some of the cover versions recorded in the Live Lounge and also fall silent to what are some amazing top quality live recordings. I can guarantee that you will not like every single track on the album but that is almost impossible with an album of this kind. I would go as far as saying that you are bound to enjoy at least 75% of the album though! So as to avoid being too wordy i will sum up each of the songs in less than five words!- 1. DOA - Foo Fighters - Flawless Dave Grohl! 2. Love Machine - Arctic Monkeys (Orig.Girls Aloud) - Hilarious & Fun 3. Run - Snow Patrol - Blows the single version away. 4. Crazy - Kooks (Orig. Gnarls Barkley) - Stand out track...

chillygreece 31.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

live lounge good? bad? great? pathetic?

Advantages: a great! a classic in the making ! worthy album for any1
Disadvantages: slightyly pricey but still great buy!

...1 from just downloads alone! a great feat) but again the kooks show us nothin is to hard for them luke puts his own....pernash into this his accent lays it off sounds different but very kl well done lads! therefore i ask myself was radio 1 live lounge a good buy? well the amount of talent found on this compilation album towers over any other album ive ever bought its hard to find that in 1 album so yes it was a Bloody brilliant buy and an album ill enjoy for a very long time! and i would deffinately recomend it to any1who wants a timeless classic to listen to over and over again! please comment me about the review tell me wat i shud putt in to improve and just remindin u is my first review! so be kind lol! thanx tom x...

tomking1 31.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.1 - Various Artists

The Return Of The Live Lounge- Volume 2

Advantages: Loads Of Great tracks! Youll find yourself enjoying songs you hated
Disadvantages: Some obscure artist that you may not know

...I recently borrowed this CD off a friend after seeing adverts for it on the TV, and after hearing the 1st album I thought there is no way the second one could be better. However I think I was proved wrong. It has some brilliant cover tracks on it, sung by some of the people you would least expect. Some of the tracks performed with an acoustic guitar somehow sound much better than the originals! The tracks all come from Jo Whiley's live lounge (she's a Dj at Radio 1 for anyone that didn't know!) It's a great CD where else would you hear Maximo Park singing 500 miles! (Originally by the Proclaimers) or The Enemy covering Madonna's hit Hung Up. I can guarantee that you will find yourself enjoying songs that you have previously hated! I know I did! Even if you do not know some of the artist on the CD it doesn't mean they wont be good...

cheeky123 14.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Radio 1's Live Lounge Vol.2 - Various Artists

Trees Lounge

Advantages: Great acting
Disadvantages: Abit depressing but with lighter parts

...This Steve Buschemi's debut as writer and director. Made in 1996 it is a relatively unknown film but was a critcal if not commercial succes for Buschemi The film is about an alcoholic named Tommy (Steve Bushemi), the film starts and he is trying to wangle one more drink out of the barmaid 15 minutes after 'time'. The barmaid Connie(played by Carol Kane - Hester Street, Taxi) is obviously familiar and serves him with Tommy, which is an interesting tenet to the film as everyone knows everyone in this small suburb and everyone knows Tommy and he seems to recoil from it in shame. The bar 'Trees Lounge' is always populated by Tommy, an elderly alcoholic Bobby and another successful alcoholic Mike (Mark Boone Junior - Batman Begins, Lonesome Jim) Tommy starts to form a friendship with Mike thinks he is a looser. Mike is a strange character...

Phelthew 04.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of Trees Lounge (DVD)