Nichole Nordeman

Item: Live at the Door
Author: John Wehrle

Live at the Door

(2004)

Reviewed by John Wehrle

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Label Sparrow RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

adult contemporary ccm worship

Nicole Nordeman's first live CD, Live at the Doors was recorded during a two night stay at the Door in Dallas, Texas. The Door is a small predominantly Christian nightclub, which has been a favorite resting place for many musicians.

After seeing Nordeman live a couple of times, I was anxious to hear what the new disc would sound like. Once I saw her perform a nearly 2 hour set on the piano alone. Her story-telling voice and story-telling songs made me drift away to a musical island. Another time, I caught her on Steven Curtis Chapman's tour. While it was solid, it lacked the intimacy and authenticity of the college show.

After one listen of the disc, it was easy to see she went with the completely laid back, beautifully acoustic music. I was not disappointed. There is no doubt about it, Nordeman is solid live. On this project she worked alongside of what seemed like Nashville session players.

Sonically, the CD is extremely tight, and includes her most popular songs to date: "Holy," "I Am," and "Legacy." Nordeman also puts a mellow twist on Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time."

I want to recommend this project to anyone who enjoys Nordeman or good solid ballads written and performed acoustically live. The only complaint is the length of the disc. There are only 8 songs on the disc, and the time is just over 37 minutes.

Last I checked, 72 minutes and more fit on a disc. Kind of makes one think that the rest of the live concert was really bad. If you can get it on discount, make the purchase. But don't pay full price for 1/2 of a project.