Rating: 
Summary: A MUST HAVE for any Natalie Merchant fan
Review: Natalie has always had a spectacular voice, but it has gotten even better over the years. She has amazing talent. She writes many of her songs, and plays the piano. She has a wonderful personality and she's really funny. You will be mezmerized by her voice. I highly recommend this DVD (it also comes in video)and I also recommend really anything by Natalie. You will not be dissapointed. But, her live performances are extra special.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST HAVE for any Natalie Merchant fan
Review: Natalie has always had a spectacular voice, but it has gotten even better over the years. She has amazing talent. She writes many of her songs, and plays the piano. She has a wonderful personality and she's really funny. You will be mezmerized by her voice. I highly recommend this DVD (it also comes in video)and I also recommend really anything by Natalie. You will not be dissapointed. But, her live performances are extra special.
Rating:
Summary: Energetic and suprisingly playful
Review: Natalie is a happy, joyful person beaming with life and energy as she entertains her crowd. The painful and annoying slow motions shots of her dancing and spinning can be easily overlooked by these truely awesome performances, a brilliant and beautiful performer with and amazing voice. A great show! I can't wait to actually see her live now.
Rating: 
Summary: A must-have for Natalie Merchant fans
Review: Natalie Merchant's new live video will please her diehard fans, but probably won't convert many casual fans. The video is a mix of originals and covers, and was taped during Natalie's series of shows on Broadway last June. Highlights are her beautiful performance of Katell Keineg's "The Gulf of Araby," as well as a spontaneous rendition of "Senor Don Gato," which perfectly captures the spirit of a Natalie Merchant concert. Also included is a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," and an extended version of the 10,000 Maniacs hit "These Are Days," as well as several songs from her album Tigerlily. If there is one disappointing thing about the video, it is the omission of some of Natalie's best songs, such as "My Skin" and "Seven Years." Maybe we'll have to wait for Natalie Merchant Live in Concert--Volume 2.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Natalie
Review: Natalie plays several of her hits and also throws in some covers as well. Her voice is solid on this CD, but the live performace of her band (especially the guitarist) is less than thrilling. Overall, a solid buy for Natalie fans, but not "fresh" enough to get a higher rating.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting yet relaxing
Review: Natalie's music as a solo artist has always been a thought provoking look to human condition. Most of the times it is presented in a very haunting and gloomy perspective but it is meant to be that way so that we could relate to her how she feels about certain things. In this concert, she was able to perfectly deliver to her audience all the emotions her songs contain. I must warn you though, most of it are not in a light mood. My favorite is her cover of Katell Keineg's "Gulf of Araby", I cried when I first heard it as it is a very powerful performance and the message it says is so real especially of the current state of the world. The song, as a piece of poetry, is already an amazing material but together with the music, it is just devastating. Everytime I listen to this song, it still gives me goosebumps. Other songs such as "Beloved Wife", sounded better in the concert than on the CD. Her yearning voice for a loss of a beloved is just so real and haunting. It makes me feel what it is like to lose a loved one. Ophelia, contrary to the comments of the others here, is a great choice as an opening song. A haunting and moving song about the many things that a woman could be. These are days, is a good version but I found it dry compared to her performance in MTV unplugged. Space Oddity is another favorite, Break Your Heart, though a good song did not live up to my expectations as a live performance. I found it dry too. Overall, the concert is worth the watch for people who appreciates and loves life. You must be in a reflecting and open mind mood when you watch it, if you are a non-Natalie fan.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting yet relaxing
Review: Natalie's music as a solo artist has always been a thought provoking look to human condition. Most of the times it is presented in a very haunting and gloomy perspective but it is meant to be that way so that we could relate to her how she feels about certain things. In this concert, she was able to perfectly deliver to her audience all the emotions her songs contain. I must warn you though, most of it are not in a light mood. My favorite is her cover of Katell Keineg's "Gulf of Araby", I cried when I first heard it as it is a very powerful performance and the message it says is so real especially of the current state of the world. The song, as a piece of poetry, is already an amazing material but together with the music, it is just devastating. Everytime I listen to this song, it still gives me goosebumps. Other songs such as "Beloved Wife", sounded better in the concert than on the CD. Her yearning voice for a loss of a beloved is just so real and haunting. It makes me feel what it is like to lose a loved one. Ophelia, contrary to the comments of the others here, is a great choice as an opening song. A haunting and moving song about the many things that a woman could be. These are days, is a good version but I found it dry compared to her performance in MTV unplugged. Space Oddity is another favorite, Break Your Heart, though a good song did not live up to my expectations as a live performance. I found it dry too. Overall, the concert is worth the watch for people who appreciates and loves life. You must be in a reflecting and open mind mood when you watch it, if you are a non-Natalie fan.
Rating:
Summary: Profound fun
Review: The DVD captures Nattie's spontaneity as a performer well, as she improvises brilliantly yet breezily in "Waterbound", getting her band members to throw up ideas for lyrics and singing them on the fly. Her unfettered joy in dancing is a fabulous corrective to the over-choreographed MTV-influenced performers of today. She clearly is having loads of fun, with playful songs like "Senor Don Gato" and in her improvisation is at one with her band. But those fun moments are of course in between her profound momentous songs like "The Gulf of Araby" and "San Andreas Fault", all delivered with the imperious, riveting style we've come to expect from Ms Merchant. One disappointment for me is that the video was over-edited on the song that I looked forward to the most - "Carnival". The raw crackling angst-filled electric guitar was what I appreciated most on the "live in concert" AUDIO CD - probably my favourite piece of guitar play ever, even ahead of Slash's work on Guns n Roses' "November Rain". Unfortunately this raw primal sound was pretty much toned down and pushed into the background in the editing work. Hey, this is "LIVE"! If I wanted something so processed, I'd buy a studio recording. But it was an imperfection well worth bearing for a DVD which captured Natalie as a gifted musician and an incredibly likeable and lively person and performer.
Rating:
Summary: Profound fun
Review: The DVD captures Nattie's spontaneity as a performer well, as she improvises brilliantly yet breezily in "Waterbound", getting her band members to throw up ideas for lyrics and singing them on the fly. Her unfettered joy in dancing is a fabulous corrective to the over-choreographed MTV-influenced performers of today. She clearly is having loads of fun, with playful songs like "Senor Don Gato" and in her improvisation is at one with her band. But those fun moments are of course in between her profound momentous songs like "The Gulf of Araby" and "San Andreas Fault", all delivered with the imperious, riveting style we've come to expect from Ms Merchant. One disappointment for me is that the video was over-edited on the song that I looked forward to the most - "Carnival". The raw crackling angst-filled electric guitar was what I appreciated most on the "live in concert" AUDIO CD - probably my favourite piece of guitar play ever, even ahead of Slash's work on Guns n Roses' "November Rain". Unfortunately this raw primal sound was pretty much toned down and pushed into the background in the editing work. Hey, this is "LIVE"! If I wanted something so processed, I'd buy a studio recording. But it was an imperfection well worth bearing for a DVD which captured Natalie as a gifted musician and an incredibly likeable and lively person and performer.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointed Natalie fan
Review: The video and audio quality of this production was very poor compared to other DVD music videos I've seen. It seemed like a poor VHS production rather than DVD! A great talent deserves a better quality production than this. Also, extra footage was very disappointing. Pre and post concert interviews were fan comments outside of the concert hall and a brief video of Natalie signing autographs. No in depth interview with Natalie Merchant or other interesting back stage video. Other DVD Music Concerts I've seen offer much more.
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