Hayden Live At Convocation Hall CD

Following the evocatively mellow Skyscraper National Park, Hayden decided to tour the North American continent all by his lonesome, bringing his acoustic guitar, wavering voice, and unexpected humor to small clubs and theaters. This double-CD set captures the singer/songwriter in his hometown of Toronto performing 22 songs from his extensive catalog in front of a theater filled with appreciative fans. The recording is a beautiful testament to the stripped-down beauty of the songs, and with material from his three records, new songs, a few obscure cult favorites, and the obligatory Neil Young cover, not to mention some beautiful packaging, this is a real treat for any fan. New tunes like the goofy ode to his cat, "Woody," or the eerie love vs. obsession tale "Holster" will surely get folks excited for whatever follows this disc, but it's the solo renditions of classics like "We Don't Mind," "Between Us to Hold," and "Stem" that really steal the show. Hayden's trademark stage banter, a witty and unexpected contrast to his often depressing songs, is all over the record, and it only serves to add to the already personal sound of the evening, making Live at Convocation Hall a true live record and not just a note-for-note reiteration of his studio work. It's a strong accomplishment, and if you were unlucky enough to have missed this intimate string of shows, it's a document that comes close to bringing the experience into your own home. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo

Hayden Desser (more commonly known by his first name only) has had an interesting career trajectory. He spent much of the early '90s recording songs onto his 4-track, and playing opening slots in Toronto for bands he liked. In 1995, his debut album, Everything I Long For was released, first on his own Hardwood Records imprint, and later on the Geffen-affiliated Outpost Records. On the strength of such personal ruminations such as "Bad As They Seem" (a tale of a sad-sack who still lives with his parents and moans "What do I do this for / Gotta get out some more / Go down to the grocery store / Meet someone I'll adore"), Everything I Long For became a minor alternative hit, and scored Hayden opening slots for artists such as Grant Lee Buffalo, Archers of Loaf and Weezer. Although the records he's put out since his debut haven't been quite as high-profile, they have all been quality releases that, if not necessarily increasing his fan base dramatically, have certainly kept his existing listeners appeased. The three years before the release of this year's Skyscraper National Park, however, saw said fan base becoming rather restless, as nothing at all had been heard from Hayden since '98's The Closer I Get. The usual major-label troubles were, of course, to blame, as Outpost Records, Hayden's former label, had folded, leaving him in the lurch. As the story goes, after this had happened, Hayden had pretty much given up on the music biz, and recorded the songs that make up Skyscraper National Park with only the intention of pressing up 100 or so copies for friends. However, although Hayden may not be the biggest name out there as far as singer/songwriters go, he's certainly got a damn sight more than 100 fans, and soon, there were clamorings coming from all directions for him to release this material as a proper album. Thankfully for everyone concerned, Hayden decided that this was not such a bad idea after all, and with the help of San Francisco-based Badman Recordings, Skyscraper National Park is now as readily available as... well, as that damn Mark Kozelek record full of AC/DC covers. Critics have lavished a great deal of praise upon SNP (in fact, I have yet to see one negative review of it), and with good reason. It shows Hayden growing ever more sure of himself artistically, and honing in on a sound that suits him very well. Although one could say that due to its relative sameness of mood, it's not as interesting a record as Everything I Long For, I don't think there's too many foCMJ (12/02, p.56) - "...Languid indie-folk....A gig-as-therapy verbal outpouring coupled with performance restraint..."