Rating: Summary: It really was great, wasn't it? Review: Lilith Fair was quite the enterprise. Were it not for what must be endless copyright issues and contracts issues that would arise, the moving music festival that brought us almost all of the best contemporary female singer songwriters during the summers of 1997 - 1999 could spawn a hundred different documentaries and concert tapes. What we are left with instead, is this one DVD, which is a flavorful but in no way complete sampling of the minds and music that made for the unprecedented, bold and successful venture known as Lilith. The interviews and performances are largely taken from two of Lilith's stops during that first summer. As someone fortunate to be at one of them, I can say that this rekindles special memories. It is interesting to see what was going on backstage while we sat out front. Parts of this DVD were excised for an hour-long VH1 special that was peppered with commercials; that in no way is a replacement for this commercial-free, sustained work. Lilith Fair was an important experience and excellent entertainment. This DVD shares the sparks. Get them back if you were there, and if you weren't, get the DVD and find out why I'm tripping over my sentences trying to come up with appropriate praise.
Rating: Summary: Great collection of female singer/songwriters Review: The sound and video quality is superb. The Indigo Girls performances with guests are especially nice. Some of these songs put a tear in my eye! It is a great reminder of a fun tour and a joy to behold!
Rating: Summary: Great collection of female singer/songwriters Review: The sound and video quality is superb. The Indigo Girls performances with guests are especially nice. Some of these songs put a tear in my eye! It is a great reminder of a fun tour and a joy to behold!
Rating: Summary: Amazing performances Review: This DVD gives you amazing performances by some of the best out there: Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, the Indigo Girls, and Sarah Mclachlan are all brilliant, and Meredith Brooks and Jewel are in fine form too. The interviews are great, and the backstage jam session with Crow and the Indigo Girls -- they're teaching her "Tried to be True" -- is a little gem that (as another reviewer noted) captures the spirit of Lilith Fair beautifully. On the technical end: the camera work is marvelous, with closeups and great angles for that you-are-there feeling. In fact I would have given this DVD 5 stars but for the occasionally spotty sound. I can't comment on the 5.1 because I've only got stereo. But be forewarned that at times the volume drops suddenly and inexplicably; and in a couple of places, the muddy mix cheats the listener, as in the closing moments of Crow's otherwise gorgeous "I Shall Believe." Even so, I wouldn't have missed this for anything. More, please.
Rating: Summary: Sense of being there Review: This was the 1st DVD we bought for our player. What a nice treat. I thought the sound quality was very good. I was a bit unfamiliar with most of the artists, or just knew alittle of them. But after watching this I wondered where I was during this tour. I certainly missed a great opportunity. I couldn't understand why people were walking around during some of the performances. Its hard not to watch this whole thing once you start it(except for maybe the interveiws once you've seen them a couple times, which are between performance tracks). I love this dvd. I wished I'd been more aware of the tour, or had been offered, or forced to go, or knew enough of the artists then, to have wanted to go. These woman look great & their performances are wonderful. I wished they recorded more of it. A good stereo or surround system helps while viewing gives you a sense of being there.
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Rating: Summary: Excellent concert, mediocre concert DVD Review: While it isn't possible to condense all of Lilith Fair onto one DVD, I really wish this disc showed a wider range of performers. Not that Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Meredith Brooks, Shwawn Colvin, and Sheryl Crow didn't give great (multiple) performances on this disc, but one of the things I enjoyed about Lilith was the sheer number of musicians, both multi-platinum and indie. Even a passing word of the existance of some of these other artists would have been nice.The audio quality (at least on my 2-channel system) is excellent. Unfortunately, the video suffers from very visible compression artifacting in several places. Overall, I think this DVD is too little, too late. It feels like more of a last-ditch attempt to profit off the Fair than an attempt to preseve it.
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