Reprise Records
Release Date: April 19th 2019
Reviewed by Joshua Andre
Josh Groban– Bridges Live (CD + DVD) (Amazon)
Track Listing:
CD:
- Bigger Than Us (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Won’t Look Back (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Granted (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- The Wandering Kind (Prelude) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- She’s Always a Woman (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Lullaby (with Idina Menzel) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Falling Slowly (with Idina Menzel) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Música del Corazón (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- River (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- 99 Years (with Jennifer Nettles) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Bridge over Troubled Water (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- She Moved Through the Fair (Live from Dublin)
DVD:
- Bigger Than Us (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Won’t Look Back (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Granted (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Pure Imagination (from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Oceano (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Marrakech (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- She’s Always a Woman (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Lullaby (with Idina Menzel) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Falling Slowly (with Idina Menzel) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Bring Him Home (from “Les Misérables”) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- Musica Para Caminar (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Música del Corazón (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- River (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Alla Luce del Sole (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- 99 Years (with Jennifer Nettles) [Live from Madison Square Garden 2018]
- You Raise Me Up (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- To Where You Are (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
- Bridge over Troubled Water (Live from Madison Square Garden 2018)
On Good Friday most people travel to churches and worship Jesus, who died on the cross for all of our sins. Josh Groban, though he may do that as well, does something different. Yep, his latest album Bridges Live is a live CD/DVD package of some of his biggest songs from Bridges as well as a few of his live smash hit songs from over the years…and yes it did release on Good Friday this year! Is that fact a bit insensitive to Christians? I know I’m not offended, but some people could be. Regardless, Bridges Live is a project for any fan of Josh’s music, and for those of us who may not have been fans of Josh’s previously, but loved the studio project Bridges from last year (like myself!). In a world where most of us, in not all of us, have listened to and bobbed out heads to “I Don’t Care” (Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran), “ME!” (Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie Of Panic & The Disco) and “Sucker” (Jonas Brothers), something from Josh Groban may not resonate that much with us- especially the younger crowd. But I guarantee you all, that if you take just a minute and a second, to listen to a Groban song or watch a Groban video; I promise you that your musical tastes will evolve for the better, even if you do not know it right away.
While I have reviewed Bridges in the past- and have also spoken about Josh Groban and how he got into music (and Jon also spoke about Josh in his Momentous Mondays post a couple of months ago!); I’ll keep this ‘review’ brief. Because me talking about a live project, whether audio or video, won’t hold much value to you all. You haven’t seen the videos clips, nor have you listened to the album and ‘felt’ the atmosphere of the crowd. Everyone’s concert experience is different, and it’s likely that you’ll agree with a positive review of a live album if you’re an avid fan of the artist or if you’ve been to a live concert like that. So let me just say that yes, I’ve heard the audio of the project (of which Josh’s live vocals command a stage that is just simply out of this world in a crazily good way!), and seen the DVD where it’s evident that Josh’s passion and enthusiasm is second to none in the music business currently. You may not agree with me that there’s not that many more with more enthusiasm than Josh- and your point would be valid- but let me remind you that it’s only my opinion. It’s not gospel. So with that, can I just say that you need to buy this project pronto? On Amazon or JB Hi Fi or any other physical CD outlet? Trust me, you won’t regret it. Though not a perfect ‘greatest hits’ album (A Collection does the job quite nicely!), Josh Groban’s career is celebrated as a live concert- and it’s extremely fitting that it’s a live rendition of most songs from one of his most cohesive ‘modern pop’ albums he’s done. Well that’s enough of me rambling. Check out the release. One of the best this year! (Remember… it’s not on iTunes nor Spotify!)
4 songs to listen to: Granted, River, 99 Years, Bridge Over Troubled Water
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Veritas, Jason Crabb, Jason Gray, Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Dami Im