I'm such a dedicated fan of everything Josh Groban has done (I have multiple copies of his CD's and two copies of the first PBS concert) that I was thrilled to learn he had another concert! I saw it last night. What happened?? The first PBS concert was stylish (appropriate for a quasi-classical performer) and the focus was on that beautiful voice! The guests were equally wonderful performing with Josh. THIS concert was a complete turn around. Looks like Josh is trying to change it all in mid-stream but I'm not sure what it's supposed to be. Maybe "Josh Groban does the Backstreet Boys." At any rate, I was very disappointed. This concert had songs that were repeats from the first concert (in very different arrangements that didn't quite work), and a very small selection from "Closer." I tried my best to concentrate on Groban's lovely voice but the camera people seemed to think we'd rather see fans waving light sticks. When he performs "To Where You Are" (again) we see Groban through tiny flags being waved by fans (annoying and distracting). On a couple of songs his voice seems strained and I agree with one reviewer here that he sounds congested. At one point Groban goes back and forth across the stage (like this bunch really needed to be more frantic!). I stopped watching after the first hour and decided I have to be content with what I have. THIS PBS concert DVD and CD will not make it into my collection.

But after watching it for the zillionth time, I just can't honestly recommend that others buy Josh Groban's "Live at the Greek." I bought it and before doing this review I wanted to be as focused as I could. Josh Groban has voice problems and it plays out on the DVD and the CD. In addition, there are skewed camera angles which look very amateurish and some poor sound quality. If Josh had done more of his newer songs from "Closer" this concert DVD would have a more new feel, but that didn't happen. It's much like watching the first concert but with so many problems that it's hard to watch.

I can't believe that I'm even writing this, but from the looks of it I'm not the only one who is very disappointed with my concert DVD by Josh Groban. I was stunned to hear his voice, once so beautiful now strained and warbling, even nasal. This is not the voice that I heard in "Josh Groban in Concert," his first concert DVD and CD for PBS. The man now sounds and looks bad. Gee, did they think we wouldn't notice?!? To even release this for sale is an insult and it seems to be hurting Groban's reputation also. Even without the voice problems, I do have concerns that he's selling out by commercialization, meaning an assumption that we're all empty-headed doofus's. I can hear and see perfectly and what is on the Greek is truly nothing I want to see more than once. It sad because I finally found someone who would SING, who sounded beautiful on CD and I could listen to without having to buy CD's of long-dead singers. Well, no longer.

I had the unfortunate experience of buying Josh Groban's second concert, "Live at the Greek." For those not familiar with Groban's voice in previous recordings, it was absolutely beautiful, in perfect control and powerful beyond words. With the Greek, it's all true...This is the new Josh Groban, just a shadow of his former self. Now he's a sloppy looking and sloppy performing singer, willing to sell out to the "rock" attitude that affects so many others and his voice definitely suffers for it. Although I enjoyed "Per Te" it is also on "Closer" and sounds better. I don't have to see the sloppy dude before me either, I can hear him sing. Yes, I can see Groban "Growing" but into what?? LATG is horrible because Josh rocks. Sure he's coming out of his shell but it doesn't seem to work. His metamorphasis will undoubtedly be his undoing. The sound is very bad, visuals also. So why buy a DVD that you neither want to watch nor hear? My thoughts exactly. Definitely not worth the money to sit there and cringe through nasaly, weak voiced vocals from Groban. I can't recommend it to anyone who has all of Groban's cd's or to anyone who has never heard him. Either way you'll be blatantly disappointed. This is Groban's second PBS "Great Performance" but it's anything but great. It isn't even average for a pop singer. This CD+DVD package is the only one I've ever been disappointed with. I wanted to dismiss the bad voice and could except for the fact that he looks as poor as he sounds. I believe the "changes" are permanent with a like it or leave it attitude. Gee, guess where I'm going with this? There are many up and coming singers out there who can belt out the tunes too. My money is on them.

I truly love Josh Groban's voice. His talent just cannot be denied. When I found out that he had a second PBS concert I set the VCR and waited to be amazed (I was also ready to buy many DVD/CD sets for Christmas). Unfortunately, this concert is set in an open area with THOUSANDS of screaming fans, mostly women, waving their arms and jumping up and down like kids at a Britney Spears concert. They even wave those silly glowing light sticks too! I thought it was just me who felt Groban sounded congested until I read another reviewer's comments. Add that to the lousy, erratic camera shots (at one point they show us Groban through the waving arms of fans), and the very bad sound quality, and this is one Groban concert set I can forego. Josh Groban and his equally talented guests should be what we hear and see, not the aggravating screaming of annoying women. After seeing this concert I decided NOT buy the sets as gifts, and I also decided to miss the concert which is scheduled to play here in New Orleans in March. If you want to see and hear the real Josh Groban I recommend the first PBS concert DVD/CD set. Now THAT was perfection!