Erykah Badu - Live (1997)

The album

I would like to inaugurate the opening of these articles with a review of an album that I consider one of the best productions of all time, both from the musical content and from the sound impact point of view. I am speaking about Erykah Badu’s Live, recorded live in 1997; this release has been mastered by the great Tom Coyne at the prestigious Sterling Sound in New York.

The album resumes many of the previous studio album tracks, Baduizm (1997), with the addition of some covers, among which stands out in particular "Stay" by Chaka Khan. The sound of this live is still very different from its previous studio album, in particular for two reasons:

• The natural ambience captured by the live recording
• The bass sound used, which in the studio version remains much colder, while in the live version has more impact and depth

The sound

Regarding the ambience, this album definitely has a warm, live sound. The reflections blend well with the direct sound of the instruments, creating a sense of a widespread but not excessive reverb. The transient impact (kick, snare, voice peaks, slap bass etc.) is remarkable and not reduced by the natural ambience.
Regarding the stereo image, the sound is mainly monographic. The instruments are largely placed in the middle of the sound spectrum (mid channel); only the choir voices come from the sides (side channel). Nevertheless, the perception of the instruments is very clear, with no overlap annoying frequency, probably thanks also to the equalization done in the mastering stage.
Tonally the bass low frequencies, that are very deep and with a classic Fender Jazz Bass style sound, blend well with the warm yet well-defined kick sound; this creates in the center channel a fat and groovy support to the wonderful voice of Erykah Badu, also perfectly located in the center of the stereo image. Cymbals high frequencies blend well with the rest of the instruments, giving that brilliance that makes the overall sound full and rich on the entire frequency spectrum. The mellow keyboards notes add smoothness and atmosphere. This beautiful album probably would not sound so well without the merits of the great audio mastering made by Tom Coyne, which are substantially the following:

• Low-middle output level. This allows percussion instruments (the kick in particular) to maintain their impact, and to come out well from the mix, without being confused with the other instruments; the result is a rich and powerful transients sound, that value the rhythmic section. The use of the compressor is audible in some places, where you can hear a bit of pumping, but this effect is perfectly pleasant and contribute to give even more impact to the rhythmic section
• Tonal balance. In this album, the bass is powerful, the highs are brilliant, but the sound is well balanced, and also the midrange instruments find the right place and the right level in the mix. Everything coexists in a balanced way, even the peaks of the voice, that sometimes increase the mid-high presence, but that remain acceptable and consistent with the rest of the mix.

In summary, a wonderful recommended to all: a true symbol of how a live album should sound, and a great testament to the talent and beautiful voice of Erykah Badu.