This Moment: In Toronto with the Loose Band is a 1995 live album by American singer-songwriter Victoria Williams. It has received positive reviews from critics.
Contents
Reception
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, with critic Lindsay Planer writing that "This Moment is a precious and rare gift from a flower to her audience" and the album has "animated" versions of songs from Williams' three studio albums. Chris Molanphy of CMJ New Music Monthly wrote that "it's a joy to hear a show where audience and performer merge without cues" and continued that Williams "hugs these songs with her plaintive croon and infectious grace". A brief review in Entertainment Weekly opined "so what if this here butterfly often tips the sugar scales?" and rated these "16 sweet, subtle tales of dirt-road despair" a B. An evaluation in No Depression called out how the "instrumentation is beautiful" and speculated that this release is unlikely to win Williams new fans, but will satisfy her existing listeners. In a review of Williams' career for Trouser Press by Ira Robins, Wif Stenger, and Floyd Eberhard, the publication states that "the piano-based chamber-pop arrangements reach rarefied Joni Mitchell levels, and the album tilts dangerously toward the preciousness Williams’ best studio work (and guitar-based concerts) so easily resists".
Track listing
All songs written by Victoria Williams, except where noted.
"This Moment" (Mike Heron and Williams) – 3:51
"Graveyard" – 3:59
"Harry Went to Heaven" – 3:19
"Waterfall" – 3:21
"Polish Those Shoes" – 5:53
"TC" – 4:42
"Frying Pan" – 3:15
"Hitchhikers Smile" – 4:58
"Crazy Mary" – 6:31
"Lights" – 2:29
"Summer of Drugs" – 5:39
"Imagination" (Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen) – 3:22
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (Otto Harbach and Jerome Kern) – 3:21
"Can’t Cry Hard Enough" (Marvin Etzioni and David Williams) – 4:41
"Sunshine Country" – 4:52
"Love" – 4:47
Personnel
Victoria Williams and The Loose Band
Joey Burns – upright bass
Dan Heffington – drums
David Manfield – acoustic guitar, violin, pedal steel guitar
Tim Ray – piano
Andrew Williams – acoustic guitar
David Williams – vocals
Victoria Williams – electric guitar, vocals
Additional personnel
Todd Fraracci – recording
Danny Greenspoon – production
Cory Hambleton – production assistance
Tom Herbers – remixing at Paisley Park Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States; digital editing at Wild Audio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States; sequencing at Wild Audio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Shane T. Keller – assistant engineering
Gary Louris – sketch
Marko Shark – photography
Vic – paintings
Doug Wild – digital editing at Wild Audio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States; sequencing at Wild Audio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States