Customer Reviews

NEW Amy Winehouse - I Told You I Was Trouble (2007 (Blu-ray)

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This certainly is an accurate capturing of Amy Winehouse in concert. She's a bit tipsy, her between songs banter with the crowd is all at once funny, charming and rambling. She seems to lose her train of thought a time or two, but when she sings, there is no denying the magic and power of her voice. Her wonderful backing band does a stellar job throughout and the home turf of London makes for a very appreciative and supportive crowd.

I thouroughly enjoyed the hour long documentary "I Told You I Was Trouble." Some great behind the scenes footage of her younger days, never before seen performances--even a very early showcase inside her record company's offices. If you are a fan of Miss Amy, you will greatly enjoy this DVD. Well worth the price!

Not since Madonna appeared on the music radar has an artist captivated my eye, ear, and heart the way Ms. Winehouse has. I realize they are worlds apart musically, but the presence and panache that they both exhibit are what makes me draw the parallel. Amy has the f-you attitude that Madonna had when she was starting out. She seems more concerned with doing her thing than warming up to those who would criticize her. Her delivery comes across as spontaneous, her in-between ramblings as extemporaneous--without any thought or concern for what people will think. Madonna was never this natural or uncalculated, but just as brash. And then there is that voice...like Etta James, Billie Holliday, Bettye LaVette, and all The Supremes rolled into one beautiful confection--chased with a shot of Tequila. Just listen to "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", and "You Know I'm No Good" and you will see an artiste/icon in the making. I hope and pray that her time in treatment will bring her back to the road she should be ruling. It would be a great tragedy for her to fall prey to the same habits that have robbed us of so many of our greatest talents. Don't let the reviews that talk about her supposed drunkenness dissuade you from buying this dvd--she may be tipsy, but she stays on top of her game, and lets the songs speak very clearly for themselves. The documentary is fascinating--with her demo performance included alongside observations from her fans, a record label exec (very articulate in respecting her awe inspiring talent) and her father (charming in his own way). One suggestion: Turn the subtitles on during the documentary to catch all that Amy (who speaks very fast in a heavy British accent--one of the reasons people always think she's drunk) has to say. She is funny, charming, smart, self-effacing, and--that rarest of qualities in someone in posession of such brilliance and success--REAL! I, for one, can't imagine the world without her!

BTW--Anyone knowing what the "Back to Black And White Extra Option" is on the dvd--please share it here. Did I miss something? God, I hope so!!!

UPDATE: To anyone out there wondering abut the blu-ray disc of this concert that has a bonus concert from another date, I've seen it. I bought a region free blu-ray disc from an individual on a popular auction site, and was disappointed to see Amy in a sad state throughout the video, but most especially toward the end. I had to stop it--it just really hurt to see her looking so vulnerable and seemingly dazed. She was still great--even in this state, but sadly, she's just not at her best. Even so, I did enjoy watching some of it, but Amy just seems checked out to some extent, and seems to be finding it difficult to stay focused and soldier on. With the hindsight of July, it's especially poignant watching it.

I kept hoping and praying Amy would stay on course and survive her demons, but nothing can bring her back now, and I'd prefer to remember her as she'd probably like to be remembered--when she was on her game. So, I watched the original concert instead, and it was nice to have a new and improved copy of that monumental concert. The picture is wonderfully clear, and she seems even more as if she's in the flesh and blood on a stage in front of you when you watch her here. In my estimation, it's really worth tracking down a copy of this just so you have the London performance in this much improved blu-ray presentation. I'm so grateful that we have this amazing account of who Amy was as an artist--truly original, amazingly soulful, and altogether brilliant. My, but I can't help but think what else we would have seen and heard from her. What a bright star she was...

Not quite sure why no one's reviewed this item yet of everyone's favorite tabloid car-crash...It appears this DVD was taped in May of 2007 (had trouble verifying the date)...And it's interesting simply to watch Winehouse when she AND HER VOICE are actually in really good form. She and her stellar band of course play all the songs off Back To Black, a couple 1st LP tracks, a couple B-side covers, along with a snippet of Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop (That Thing)...She's charming, random, self-deprecating and actually quite funny between songs--at times. She's mostly loose and lucid as opposed to being drunk or too drugged up to perform...Sound quality and performance top notch...The documentary bonus (50 minutes) is nice but not too enlightening...Still worth a watch...Wish they'd had more in-the-studio footage, and that her performance was a little more varied...Only other criticism is of the few unnecessary times the camera would pan to her husband in the audience. Oh well...Overall very, very good!

Geee-I think I wore the grooves out of the dvd. As a musician,
this is one of the best recordings on dvd of one of the tightest
bands in music.If you spiced out Ms. Winehouse, the band alone
would be worth the dvd. Her voice, on the other hand, is
one of the greatest amalgams of hip hop, dinah washington, and motown
.You can hear all the influences, but unlike so many, she comes out
with her own awkward, unusually beautiful style.
IMO- Just one of the most soulful, and original female
singers to come by perhaps since janis joplin.10 stars if was able.

First of all, Amy is NOT wasted in this concert! Obviously, many of you don't know about her or her style! If you watch this DVD, she is totally in control. In fact, in some cuts, she's seen telling the band what to do next or to keep going....Her style is unusual and her accent is from a certain part of London which isn't very discernible for americans....and would seem like she wasn't all there.I love her lazy, jazzy, retro way around a me;ody. This DVD is great! Besides the concert, there is a nice documentary on her story.....The sound quality is very good...esp. on DTS....enjoy!

This live performance is proof of what an original and gifted artist Amy Winehouse truly is. It's amazing to think what an impact she's made at such a young age. The documentary is a wonderful bonus. The scene of her singing "(There Is) No Greater Love" for the record company in 2002 is unforgettable. This is a must have for any Amy Winehouse fan. You'll love her even more after seeing it.

Amy Winehouse shows in this luscious DVD that she is the real deal. The best singer/songwriter to come along in ages, and a charming, beautiful performer. What more could one ask? She did NOT appear "drunk" to me--just a bit shy, insecure, and pleasantly tipsy. Whatever gets you though the show, Amy! She's got the "wow factor" so many manufactured, lip syncing, cookie cutter pop stars lack. This doll has talent to spare. And her band is the bomb. As for the two back-up singers/dancers--phenomenal! Where do these guys find the energy to sing and dance like that for an entire show? This DVD showcases a rare talent--so ignore the tabloid trash and enjoy a genuine star for a change.

This DVD is from Winehouse's Shepard's Bush performances in May of last year--two performances cleverly edited into a seamless document. The documentary is worth the price alone, especially for early footage of a brassy teenage Winehouse performing for record executives in the offices at EMI. The concert itself is great, though on the second night (when I saw her) she did a great little self-deprecating rant after singing Unholy War (her first composition for Back to Black) saying that for as long as it took to write it - she worked on it for a year - she never quite...got it...right; in her own words, "...it should be a f*ckin' symphony, y'know?" Then she launched into the song that came to her like a gift from heaven, Love Is A Losing Game. That spoken exchange isn't included here but one figures with her man now behind bars, Unholy War takes on new significance in her set. Amy Winehouse is not a graduate of The Mickey Mouse School of Performing--she doesn't have any marks to hit. What you get is a raw, sometimes tempermental, always sincere, personal performance. The much reported booing and hand-clapping at Birmingham NIA last November is nothing new--Winehouse was booed here and slow hand-clapped before she took to the stage, as I recall. It's a curious relationship, one in which primarily the audience has to adjust their expectations and realise they are in the company of a great talent, not observers of a trained seal. A must for all Winehouse fans. (Btw, saw her less than a week after the Birmingham shows at London's Brixton Academy and she was in great voice and tore the house down. It was thrilling. Of course, all the tabs said the next day was that she stumbled on a mic cord.)

Although the frequency of Amy's onstage drinking is unsettling to watch (and would be even if she were still here), the performance itself is critical and undeniable evidence of her original vocal abilities. Even when inebriated near the end, her vocals were spot on, and her memory intact enough to carry on where most people wouldn't remember their own home address - even with their ID in their hand.

It's said that everything is recycled, but the basic human endeavor/imperative is such that each artist, although an amalgam of what may have gone before, can stop time by focusing their individual filter and thus make a brand new reality. Amy did that with her voice, her ability to connect to her audience, her sharp sense of songwriting and, maybe most dangerously, her willingness to share what must have been raw and painful events set to music. Most of us can forget or re-write those times, and thus be saved by our own mediocrity. She apparently didn't give herself that bit of grace, and even selected songs from other writers sharing hopelessness along those same poetic lines. Singing these stories night after night was no cathartic exercise; it was pain on display the way people will slow down to view victims of a car accident. The differences were the originality of her voice and the honesty of her words.

Nonetheless, this disc also gives a clue about how powerful Amy would've become had she granted herself the perspective of a survivor believing in love, with a heart made all the more precious for the battered scars sustained in growth. There will be other singers, but her brief time here will be remembered. Thanks for the legacy, Miss Amy.

I ordered this dvd for my husband who is a big Amy Winehouse fan. I watched it with him and it is a truly great concert dvd. The music is awesome. She has a lot of commentary in it (during her performance) which is funny. Loved it!