Acoustic Extravaganza (W/Dvd)

KT Tunstall | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000IU3XX8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,156 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ashes

2. Girl & The Ghost

3. One Day

4. Golden Age

5. Boo Hoo

6. Gone to the Dogs

7. Change

8. Miniature Disasters

9. Universe & U

10. Throw Me a Rope

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If Eye To the Telescope introduced a bold new talent, KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza confirms that the Scottish singer is no fluke. Whether stripping down tracks from her platinum debut--nominated for both a Grammy and Britain's coveted Mercury Prize--or taking on Beck's tender "Golden Age," it's all about the Voice and the Voice is good. While Telescope elicited comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Björk, in acoustic mode, Tunstall sounds more like countryman Rod Stewart back when he was fronting the Faces. She's got that soulful thing down to a science, but there's nothing affected about it, and she never pushes too hard. Ten years of busking can do that for a girl (it's how she learned to use a loop pedal to duplicate the sound of a full band). Originally only available through her website, Acoustic Extravaganza doesn't include hit singles "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See," the theme from The Devil Wears Prada, but then it isn't a greatest hits collection. Recorded in two days, the CD/DVD set consists primarily of non-LP material, like the angry "Ashes," plus the featurette Five Go to Skye (Making the Album). The parental advisory warning ("explicit content") refers to the profanity in "Ashes." Otherwise, there's nothing objectionable going on here. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Recorded on a cold day between Christmas and New Year's on the Scottish island of Skye, Tunstall unveils a delicious mix of stripped-down gems from Eye To The Telescope, a version of her limited-edition single "Throw Me a Rope," and a tasty cover of Beck's "Golden Age." The companion DVD features special behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Acoustic Extravaganza and an intimate look at both KT and her band.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy release, but mainly for devoted fans, October 28, 2006

By 

eric_f (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acoustic Extravaganza (W/Dvd) (Audio CD)

Previously only available through KT's website, "Acoustic Extravaganza" has finally gotten a commercial release. All in all this is certainly a good buy for any fan of KT who has been following her up until now. But having said that, I cannot give this the full 5 stars for the reason that IMO neither the CD nor the DVD quite measure up to her other material.

The CD: Basically a collection of b-sides and other rarities. Die-hard fans will already own a few of these songs..."Girl & The Ghost" makes an appearance as a b-side on her "Suddenly I See" single, "Boo Hoo" can be found as a bonus track on the Japanese import version of Eye to the Telescope, and "Throw Me A Rope" can be found on her "False Alarm" EP. And it's beyond me why "Universe & U" and "Miniature Disasters" are here. But "Ashes," "One Day," "Golden Age," "Gone to the Dogs" and "Change" are the real treats here.

The DVD: Unfortunately, it won't offer any profound insight into the world of KT Tunstall. There are a couple of intimate performances by KT, some outtakes, a "making of the album" featurette and a photo gallery. A little ho-hum if you ask me. I would have liked to see a much more in-depth exploration of KT's music here. Instead, it feels like something put together at the very last minute without much substance.

If you're a long-time fan of KT, by all means get this. Having these rare songs is definitely nice. But if you're new to KT's music, start by getting her Eye to the Telescope album, or better yet, invest the extra cash and get the recently released CD/DVD deluxe edition of Eye to the Telescope. "Acoustic Extravaganza," while solid, is more suited towards KT completists and die-hards.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Don't Have to Raise My Voice, October 24, 2006

By 

Scooter McGavin (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Acoustic Extravaganza (W/Dvd) (Audio CD)

Earlier this year, KT Tunstall released one of the best pop albums in recent memory with Eye to the Telescope even garnering a rare 5 Stars. A couple months after that album, Tunstall released Acoustic Extravaganza, a collection of songs that was recorded in one day, through her website. But now it's getting a proper release along with an accompanying DVD which includes a making of the album documentary. Don't expect an acoustic rendering of the big hit Black Horse and the Cherry Tree or even the follow up single Suddenly I See.

Instead, the album is comprises mostly of material that didn't make the first album and work as acoustics songs instead of converting her hits like a poor version of MTV Unplugged. The last three tracks though are from the album, Miniature Disaster, Universe & U, as well as Throw Me a Rope, which was on the British release of the album but got cut from the Yankee release. But the newer tracks are the real gems most notably the opening track Ashes that bounces along like a country track and is also the song that gets the album its Parental Advisory sticker so be warned. Then One Day could have fit perfectly somewhere on her first album is polished up a little.

As Eye to the Telescope was close to pop perfection, Acoustic Extravaganza fall short of its predecessor thanks in part to the theme of the album. Acoustic songs lend themselves to be mellower than there plugged in counterparts which lead to a lull of too many mellow songs in the middle of the album. Add to that the holdovers from the first album just are not as good as the originals. But with that said, had this had been album that was released first; it would be up there as one of the best of the year.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than "Eye to the Telescope"!, July 21, 2007

By 

Gregory J. Casteel "Dr. Gregory J. Casteel" (Athens, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Acoustic Extravaganza (W/Dvd) (Audio CD)

Take KT Tunstall's hit CD "Eye to the Telescope" and make it less "pop" and more "folk" and you've got "Acoustic Extravaganza". In fact, "Acoustic Extravaganza" even includes alternate acoustic arrangements of a couple of the songs from "Eye to the Telescope". Of course, it also contains several songs that were not on "Eye to the Telescope". Recorded in a guy's living room, with just a small group of acoustic musicians, the songs on this CD have an authenticity and intimacy to them that just can't be reproduced in a slick, modern recording studio. If you like KT Tunstall, you'll love "Acoustic Extravaganza". In fact, if you like good acoustic music at all, you'll love this CD. I fell in love with it from the moment I first played it.

I will warn you that there is some strong language in the first song on the CD ("Ashes"); so if that sort of thing offends you, please use your own discretion. However, language notwithstanding, I must say that "Ashes" is probably the best song on the CD, with a really catchy tune and some powerful lyrics. (It's a song about a couple having a fight; so the profanity is part of the heated exchange between the two.)

This version of the "Acoustic Extravaganza" CD comes with a DVD documenting the recording session and giving a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at KT and the band setting up and rehearsing for an appearance at a music festival. There is even a brief feature on the DVD demonstrating the loop pedal that KT is famous for using in her live performances.

If you like good music, I believe you'll be very impressed with this CD / DVD combo.