Search - Victor Wooten :: Live in America

Awesome bass, but only for frends & family of Wootens

Anthony Cooper | Louisville, KY United States | 12/08/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Victor Wooten is a superb bassist, and his playing is excellent on this disc. The bass playing is strong enough for five stars, and that includes the guest spots (Marcus Miller shines!). I have a few problems with the disc, though. It needs editing, for one. While it's fine to be at a show and listen to the stage patter, we don't need all of it on the discs. Some of the songs frankly sound dated and corny. The track selection on the discs are funny, sometimes it'll go from track 8 to track 9 in the middle of a song, sometimes the same track will be a medley of three songs with definite starts and stops between them. The keyboard sounds are cheap.Despite it's flaws, if you like awesome bass playing, this is a good disc to buy. It's fun too, if you can overlook the corniness of a few of the songs."

Maybe my expectations were too high?

10/15/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Based on a few listens, I cannot give this CD five stars. Like the person who did the review titled "just being selfish..", I am a little disappointed.I am willing to conceed that I may have set expectations that were too high, but I am a huge Victor Wooten fan, and I know what he is capable of.I love his bass playing, and I can't seem to get enough of it. These discs certainly represent what you will get at a Victor show--great improvization, some surprises, etc. However, for the album to have staying power, I think it needs to highlight his greatest strength--his incredible playing.This album is a little short on that. For example, instead of listening to Divinity rap about how she does not have a record deal, I would like to hear Victor playing more.I understand the direction that Victor is going, and I respect it, but for my money I would rather hear more bass playing."

The Wooten Brothers can FUNK

Nick Curry | Atlanta, GA United States | 11/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm slightly bothered by the reviews on this page. This C.D is a must for anyone. Having lived in Nashville for 5 years and having seen the Wooten brothers at 3rd and Lindsey Bar and Grill every Wenesday night, I know how important that family was in Victors development as an amazing bass player. The Wooten brothers were playing shows when Victor was 5 years old and it was Regi Wooten, the guitar playing brother that taught Victor how to play and how to thump.
Among the thing not mentioned on this review page is the amazingly tight playing that Regi, Joseph, Victor and J.D Blair achieve whenever they play funky music. J.D Blair is the funkiest drummer I have ever seen, or heard. He is the backbone. Joseph, who plays keys, also has a few nice slow tunes including track 4 on disc 2. Jospeh is a quality musician and adds nice backups and a great solo in Hormones in the Headphones. Regi(who is THE TEACHER), who some refer to as not as talented as Vic, plays the hell out of the Wooten brother thump off found in Pretty Little Lady, track 8 on disc 2. His guitar playing on funk jams is also quite extraordinary as he plays guitar in a way most have never heard, He thumps the guitar like a bass.
The Wooten brothers, and not just Victor, should be recognized as amazing musicians. They make 70's funk tunes sound like you have never heard before, and on such tunes as What did he say, James Brown, Me and My Bass Guitar and Thank You(falletme be mice elf agin), they groove in a way that takes funk to the highest level. The talents of Joseph and Regi have been hidden for too long, and this disc is more musically fulfilling and more indicative as to what the Wootens are really about, than any of Vics solo albums. I love the grooves, I love the funk and I love the fact that brothers Regi and Jospeh get a platform to show off. Coupled with J.D Blair, the three guys can groove and play funk better than any musicians I have heard. My only complaint was too much Divinity, but anything involving the brothers and J.D was great."