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Sheryl Crow: C'mon America

Sheryl Crow: C'mon America

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $17.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Highly Compressed Audio - Rapid Video - Otherwise Great
Review: Great performance. Sheryl does look great and is a joy to watch.

Main shortcoming is the highly compressed audio. The overall mix is lacking just a bit. Sheryl's voice is somewhat buried. When I crank this baby up to the levels I'm accustomed to with other finer recordings (Clapton's - One More Car, One More Rider, DMB - Live in Central Park) it just sounds thin and distorted. Not enough resolution there to accomodate. Similar but not nearly as extreme as the reprehensible Rush - Live in Rio.

The other annoyance is the rapid fire video production. It is more than a bit overdone.

Again, not a complete throw-away. Worth a keep just for Sheryl's energy and charisma. Not as good of a A/V production as other reviewers over-zealously conclude.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: C'MON,C'MON
Review: I HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING AT SHERYL CROWS TWO SHOWS AT KETTERING, OHIOS FRAZES PAVILION. THIS DVD SOUNDS AS GOOD AS BOTH SHOWS. AFTER AND EXTENSIVE BACK GROUND WITH LIVE SHOWS, THIS ONE IS BY FAR THE BEST SHOW YET. IF YOUR A CROW FAN IT IS A MUST HAVE.....RON M. DAYTON, OHIO

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: GREAT AUDIO BUT..........
Review: I have to agree with 2 other reviewers here on the poor video editing on this dvd which is a cryin shame! The concert itself is a great performance by Sheryl and her band as well as an enthusiastic crowd! Sheryl also looks great in this performance but it is spoiled by poor film editing that jumps around from angle to angle before you can focus!!! My wife and I shut it off after half an hour before we developed a bad case of nausea trying to keep pace with the split second multi camera angles being provided. Too bad as this could have been an awesome dvd. As one other reviewer suggested......take it back and re edit this thing so it's a 5 star!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great DVD for a starter
Review: I just got a DVD player the other day (a little beyind the times) and this was the first DVD I watched. I thought it was great! I have been a long time Sheryl Crow fan and have most of her CD's but watching her live in concert was incredible. She was in Dayton, Ohio for this Concert and she told the crowd that she loved it there. While watching it was a relaxed atmosphere unlike being on a big stage in New York with fans as far as the eye could see she said we stopped at the dinner before the show and everyone cheered because they new where it was. But getting back to the show just listening to the guitar work was what really impressed me. I just love listening to some of her"art work",singing and guitar solos in the back ground that comes out in her concerts thats why I give it an A+.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great music and words on stage
Review: I truly think more people should own this DVD than will ever go to a Sheryl Crow concert. As the population ages, such an easy form of entertainment ought to replace the more vigorous partying that young people engage in. Millions of people know some of the songs on this DVD. One of the big questions in American culture seems to be: if a million people never heard of you, what good are you? On a scale from nowhere to the top of the charts, crowds love those people who have been at the top of the chart, and concerts are an ideal situation for performers who want to get up in front of a crowd and bask in euphoria. A DVD like "C'mon America 2003" shows how far a star like Sheryl Crow can go in music and spectacle.

It helps to know the music and words of some of the songs already. When Sheryl Crow tells the crowd, "You guys are awesome!" after the second song, it must be because the presence of so many people who know exactly what is going on, word for word and note for note, is an inspiring experience. I consider the words to be better than my usual reading, if music can be compared to philosophy. Starting the concert with a guitar line from a relatively new song, "Steve McQueen," which challenges the crowd to remember when have they ever heard this before, while she rhymes "have some fun" with "how the West was won" in an ode to a fast machine with rock stars in the White House, pop stars who look like porn. I think she is taunting the crowd with "underneath your radar screen, you'll never catch me tonight."

The second song, "There goes the neighborhood," starts with a line that tells the crowd where she is heading, "Let's party!" This goes to extremes: "This is the meltdown." A typical joke in this song is about the police dusting her mother's plastic flowers. They could be looking for fingerprints or collecting samples of some chemical dust, for all I know. The ambiguity is obviously the main topic in the line that we "can't be certain who the villains are cause everyone's so pretty." The music builds to a crashing ending. Then I think the daylight video with empty chairs, a dog and baby for the song "Riverwide" was made during the sound check. There are also a few soft songs during the concert. "Redemption Day" seems a bit spooky, rhyming Heaven's gate with watch and wait and pontificate. "Home" has a lovely blend of voices, finally putting a lot of slide guitar before the "I'm going crazy" verse, then using the piano to bring the music to a soft conclusion.

In between the soft songs, "If It Makes You Happy" and "A Change Would Do You Good" really rock. After a lot of weird lines like "wear your fake fur on the inside," she finally gets to a message machine by the radar range that says, "Leave me alone." The best dancing sequence is in the song "Everyday is a Winding Road."

After a little dressing room break, the song "You're an Original" shows some thought about how being unique does not last long. Then she invites the crowd to quit their jobs and go on the road with her. Watching this on a DVD, it seems a bit late to be so involved in a concert, but there are still a few more songs. "Let's Get Free" suggests "digging within to find the truth" and "Truth is what you need." The videos shown on a screen behind the stage don't usually detract from the concert, but the mushroom cloud doesn't show up until the end of "Safe and Sound." If you miss it the first time, it might be because you were so interested in how much this DVD shows about how five musicians are able to make the music. Once you know that you want to learn these songs, you are sure to watch this DVD again sometime.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great music and words on stage
Review: I truly think more people should own this DVD than will ever go to a Sheryl Crow concert. As the population ages, such an easy form of entertainment ought to replace the more vigorous partying that young people engage in. Millions of people know some of the songs on this DVD. One of the big questions in American culture seems to be: if a million people never heard of you, what good are you? On a scale from nowhere to the top of the charts, crowds love those people who have been at the top of the chart, and concerts are an ideal situation for performers who want to get up in front of a crowd and bask in euphoria. A DVD like "C'mon America 2003" shows how far a star like Sheryl Crow can go in music and spectacle.

It helps to know the music and words of some of the songs already. When Sheryl Crow tells the crowd, "You guys are awesome!" after the second song, it must be because the presence of so many people who know exactly what is going on, word for word and note for note, is an inspiring experience. I consider the words to be better than my usual reading, if music can be compared to philosophy. Starting the concert with a guitar line from a relatively new song, "Steve McQueen," which challenges the crowd to remember when have they ever heard this before, while she rhymes "have some fun" with "how the West was won" in an ode to a fast machine with rock stars in the White House, pop stars who look like porn. I think she is taunting the crowd with "underneath your radar screen, you'll never catch me tonight."

The second song, "There goes the neighborhood," starts with a line that tells the crowd where she is heading, "Let's party!" This goes to extremes: "This is the meltdown." A typical joke in this song is about the police dusting her mother's plastic flowers. They could be looking for fingerprints or collecting samples of some chemical dust, for all I know. The ambiguity is obviously the main topic in the line that we "can't be certain who the villains are cause everyone's so pretty." The music builds to a crashing ending. Then I think the daylight video with empty chairs, a dog and baby for the song "Riverwide" was made during the sound check. There are also a few soft songs during the concert. "Redemption Day" seems a bit spooky, rhyming Heaven's gate with watch and wait and pontificate. "Home" has a lovely blend of voices, finally putting a lot of slide guitar before the "I'm going crazy" verse, then using the piano to bring the music to a soft conclusion.

In between the soft songs, "If It Makes You Happy" and "A Change Would Do You Good" really rock. After a lot of weird lines like "wear your fake fur on the inside," she finally gets to a message machine by the radar range that says, "Leave me alone." The best dancing sequence is in the song "Everyday is a Winding Road."

After a little dressing room break, the song "You're an Original" shows some thought about how being unique does not last long. Then she invites the crowd to quit their jobs and go on the road with her. Watching this on a DVD, it seems a bit late to be so involved in a concert, but there are still a few more songs. "Let's Get Free" suggests "digging within to find the truth" and "Truth is what you need." The videos shown on a screen behind the stage don't usually detract from the concert, but the mushroom cloud doesn't show up until the end of "Safe and Sound." If you miss it the first time, it might be because you were so interested in how much this DVD shows about how five musicians are able to make the music. Once you know that you want to learn these songs, you are sure to watch this DVD again sometime.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply the best
Review: I went to the July 11th concert in Dayton, which had to be the best rock concert I had ever been to. The raw energy of the band and the great singing of Crow made for an unforgetable night.

And what is just so cool is that now that great night is captured on DVD and I can relive the whole thing over and over. The DVD captures the energy from the concert -- so if you like Rock and Roll -- you'll like this CD!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quality Production
Review: I'll keep it short, but this is a real quality production. Looks & sounds great. The DD 5.1 is as good as you could expect anything to sound. The cinematography is also quite good, with a few breaks which show the set up & road crew. These aren't obtrusive or obnoxious, like many DVDs I've seen. The road breaks fit it with the flow of things.

This plays more like a "concert film" - not just a haphazard taping of a musician's performance. Some planning went into the film, and it shows.

I'm happy because I thought the Globe DVD was awful & uninspired, but this round she nails it. Probably would appeal to even moderate Crow fans. For the money, there isn't a better current concert DVD release.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sheryl at her best!
Review: I'm a huge fan of Sheryl and her band - seen over 30 shows. I'm also a collector of concert DVDs - with over 50 in my collection. IMO, while her previous Rocking the Globe DVD was good musically, it failed to capture the energy of the shows that I know and love.

Just finished watching the new C'Mon America 2003 DVD and I am THRILLED. The video direction, pacing, sound, lighting, backstage footage, perfect amount of crowd participation - EVERYTHING was done right. This DVD captures a very energized and happy Sheryl and band, who are an incredibly talented and tight group. Shawn Pelton, of Saturday Night Live fame, joined the tour this year on drums and just shines throughout. Great setlist for all - with the big hits for casual listeners and some rarities for die-hards - 21 songs in two hours.

Honestly, this has to be my favorite concert video of all time - even beating out Springsteen in Barcelona, because of the added backstage footage which gives you a more intimate look at Sheryl and her band.

If you are not a Sheryl fan already, you will be after watching this DVD. It really captures Sheryl and her band at their very best.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Lousy audio, poor quality video. Spastic editing.
Review: I'm sure the show was great, but my head's still reeling from the editing that must have been done by a teenage boy who suffers from severe ADHD and lives off of sugar and playstations. Well, at least that's what it felt like.

Pros: Sheryl is gorgeous, she's in top condition, the energy was high, and she looked like she was having a ball. The concert comes packed with a great setlist with numerous favorites.

Cons: Like many people have mentioned, both the filming and editing, for lack of a better word, sucks. The cameras zoom in, zoom out, blur out of focus on purpose just to re-focus (for effect, I guess). It's weird, because instead of focusing on Sheryl, the next shot inevitably zooms in on her guitarist's hand or her drummer's head. (I'm not kidding, they zoom in on hands, a LOT.) You also don't get more than 5 seconds in any one shot. Her bandmate's must be happy, because you see a lot the camera shares tons of love with her band--too much. I'm all for giving the rest of the band credit and screentime, but I don't pay for a concert DVD to see that much of the band.

I'm watching the DVD right now, and the shot's just moved from Sheryl's head, to a close up of the lead guitarist's hand, to a wide shot of the stage, to the discoball, to Sheryl's backside--all complete with zooms, blur effects, kaleidoscope effects, and swivels and swirls of camera moment--and all this took place in less than 30 seconds.

It's almost as if they desperately wanted a to give the DVD a "high energy" feel. Either that, or everybody in the editing room were hyper sorts who forgot to take their sedatives the day they put the DVD together. It didn't quite nauseate me, but it certainly got annoying in a quite a couple of spots when you just want to watch Sheryl for more than a few seconds at a time.

Silly me, I even read the reviews here and went ahead and bought the DVD, thinking the other reviewers exaggerated a bit about the schizophrenic editing. I don't know who okayed the job, but I would have told them to redo the whole thing within two minutes of watching it. They call it editing; I call it "slice, splice, and slap together."

Please, a little compassion for those who get motion sick or dizzy easily!


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