Melody Gardot - Which albums to buy?

@hifiman5 So I had the opposite reaction to "Live in Paris". I find Krall's singing style to be a little bit affected, which is tolerable on her other LPs but less so on the live album. It is almost a caricature--Krall singing Krall with unwelcome or unnatural emphasis that she may intend to come across as "feeling" for the crowd. Don't get me wrong, I like her voice and the "Love Stories" album (I have the SACD version) has some great tracks--but overall she leaves me feeling unmoved. Same with Gardot. I remember loving Stevie Nicks voice and style of singing--evident on the self-titled LP and on "Rumours" but then she started emphasizing what was a slightly "gritty" quality that had been very subtle but which in later albums with FM and during her solo run became a dominant element of her vocal style. At that point she lost me. (With two exceptions--"Stop Dragging My Heart Around" with TP was great as was her backup vocals on "Insider" off of TP's "Hard Promises").

@dodgealum Interesting how "individualistic" the listening experience is. My positive reaction to "Live in Paris" might have a bit to do with my enjoyment of live albums in general. Like to listen to them with lights off and just feel as a part of the crowd. This happens notably with Pink Floyd’s "Pulse". I listened throughout the day yesterday to Supertramp’s "Live in Paris" LP. "Fool’s Overture" is absolutely fantastic on that live set. The crowd loved that song going in and you can feel the band feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm.

BTW...Both the eponymous and Rumours albums are fantastic for the wonderfully crafted songs and the superb sound quality. My favorite song is "Warm Ways". From that song on, I was in love with Stevie’s voice!

@hifiman5 Yes, both are great. My wife has the self-titled album on constant rotation in the car so she and my six year old son are now singing them all day long. I think John McVie is an underrated bass player--he is excellent on both these LPs. BTW, that is Christine McVie singing on "Warm Ways" :>)

@dodgealum   My Bad!  I stand corrected.  Agree with you on John McVie.  I am a particular fan of Mick Fleetwood's drum kit.🥁

I would go with "The Absence " but since you like live recordings and the "Live in Europe" is really good, that would be my choice for you.

"Live" has a lot of the live gymnastics that you will love or hate. Check out youtube and see what you think.