Review Summary: One of the more acclaimed soul records, a great showcase of Hathaway’s abilities as a performer and a vital piece for the collection of any fan of the genre.
Donny Hathaway’s
Live is compiled from two separate concert recordings, with each taking up a side of the record and combining seamlessly despite slight changes to the band and crew. Released in 1972, the record displays many of the hallmarks of soul music from the era. The genre had evolved fairly rapidly from the brilliant, concise, 3-minute hit singles delivered by labels such as Motown and Stax Volt in the 1960s. Artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield were still scoring hit records and singles while simultaneously being afforded more artistic freedom and creative control. Reflective of the era, this resulted in more socially aware, timely and, above all, personal lyrics. Musically, longer forms and durations became more common, which was typical of many genres heading into the 1970s.
In keeping with the socially conscious theme, Hathaway covers Gaye’s classic ‘What’s Goin’ On’ (immediately recognised and pointed out by one noisy, enthusiastic member of the audience). The beautiful string arrangements are omitted in favour of an electric piano-dominant rendition, more practical for live shows. It stays faithful to the original, but melodies are tweaked and the phrasing is often different – it’s far from a carbon copy. In fact, the majority of the tracks on the record are cover versions of songs by artists such as John Lennon and Carole King, which isn’t detrimental in the slightest.
The musicianship is phenomenally impressive and tight. As well as providing vocals, Hathaway stars on electric piano, mostly on rhythm duties but branching out at times as well, particularly during an awesome solo on one of the album’s two longer cuts, ‘The Ghetto’. The rhythm section is fantastic too, especially the bass playing of Willie Weeks – one of the more in-demand session musicians in the country (over his career he’d record for/tour with artists as prominent as Bowie, Clapton, The Stones, George Harrison and Bobby Womack, to name a select few). There were numerous hit singles for labels like Motown in the decade or so prior to
Live that featured very melodic, adventurous, interesting bass lines, not content to simply hammer out root notes. Paul McCartney has been quoted as being influenced by this approach for mid 60s Beatles material. The bass playing was remarkable in that it’d operate on multiple levels – on a surface level it wouldn’t necessarily attract attention away from the vocal melodies or other parts of the arrangement, yet it was worth listening to in focus and had become an integral, interesting part of the arrangement rather than just something to flesh out the low end in a mix.
Willie Weeks applies that philosophy to his playing on this record, and benefits from a clean recording and impressively balanced mix, in which he’s rightly pushed up quite high. It's some of the most amazing and well showcased bass playing on record, always serving the groove first and foremost, but the live nature of it all gives Weeks extra room to move that he wouldn't always be afforded on more rigidly controlled studio efforts. He particularly stands out on the albums two longer jam tracks – ‘The Ghetto’ and ‘Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)’. The grooves are faultless – those two songs clock in at 12 and 14 minutes respectively, but absolutely fly by. It’s always a good sign when every minute of the lengthier tracks feel essential. Along with the Marvin Gaye cover, those two songs are highlights.
Hathaway’s vocals are excellent, at times resembling Stevie Wonder – very smooth and a great fit for 70s soul. The other noteworthy thing about this record is the enthusiasm of the audience – their sense of rhythm and involvement gives the impression that they’re musically inclined themselves, and they add a good deal to the vibe.
Live is one of the more acclaimed live soul records, a great showcase of Hathaway’s abilities as a performer and a vital piece for the collection of any fan of the genre.
