Customer Reviews

Nanci Griffith - One Fair Summer Evening Plus

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In some shots, she has a scarf wrapped around the belt of her dress. On others shots, it's not there! Now you see it, now you don't - sometimes in the same song, it's there one second and not the next. Should we put it down to poor continuity? What the heck - I don't mind....

What I do mind is the fact that this is such a warm and wonderful little gem of a DVD. I've always liked the album - all the songs are fabulous, but to see her perform them as on the CD is very special. This seems to be an intimate little concert, with only James Hooker seen accompanying Nanci on keyboards. However, I'm certain there is at least one more guitarist playing in the background somewhere.

Whatever! It's a little masterpiece and Nanci has this really comfortable rapport with the audience, which adds to the intimacy. At the end of the set, with the credits going up, there's a nifty little treat when she sings the "Wichita Falls Waltz" - a short and humorous piece which I had not heard before and is not on the original album.

The videos are a joy - I love all five tracks, but "I Knew Love", "I Don't Want To Talk About Love" and "Late Night Grande Hotel", (in which she looks stunning and different - it's the eye make-up and the fringe) are fantastic. The songs are breathtaking, but the videos enhance them.

Go and buy this - it is a wonderful gem. I wonder if there are any more of these DVDs just waiting to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public. Let's hope so.

Forget the grainy video quality, this is a must-have for any of Nanci's fans. I have loved the original CD since it became my introduction to Nanci Griffith many years ago. This concert pre-dates most of her more successful releases (Storms, Flyer, Other Rooms), but I am in awe of the budding talent in evidence on this DVD. Her charm and wit flow freely on gems like Love at the Five and Dime and Once in a Very Blue Moon. The inclusion of There's A Light Beyond These Woods (Mary Margaret) is a delightful addition not present on the original CD. Also welcome are the videos of five songs which I had never had the opportunity to previously enjoy.

If you are a new fan, or a long-time friend...you will not be able to resist a smile and will be glad you parted with the few dollars to own this delightful release. I know that I will enjoy it over and over for many years to come.

This is a great performance of Nanci at her finest. The sound has been cleaned up remarkably from the VHS edition (especially good is the DTS), but unfortunately the picture has not (that's why only four stars). MCA obviously put very little money into the project in the first place because it looks as if it were recorded on someone's home video camera -- it does look better than it did but there was just so much they could do. One thing has always puzzled me about this, however; for some reason the performance of "Wing and the Wheel" that is one the CD edition of this concert has been left out of both the VHS and DVD editions. The addition of the videos is a very welcome bonus. I had never seen most of them as no music channel has the good sense to play Nanci Griffith.

This is Nanci from nearly twenty years ago, and she sings and looks GREAT (she still does!). As for the on-again, off-again red scarf mystery mentioned by an earlier reviewer, this was obviously caused by the fact that the videos were edited from more than one concert performance. The selection of songs in the concert segment of this DVD is also slightly different from those on the "One Fair Evening" CD--again obviously due to the fact that more than one version of the concert was recorded. In any event, disappearing red scarf or not, this DVD is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and the bonus videos are a great plus! The only "downside" to this DVD, if any, is that it is not LONG enough! I LOVE Nanci!

I picked up this DVD as whim, given I've always admired Nanci Griffith and own a couple of her CD. Sure, I always knew she had a wonderful, angelic, country folk voice (in the time honored tradition of Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss), but to see/watch her perform, stripped of any gimmicks, is really a treat. Despite being much lower profile, she could hold her own as a folk songstress with the great one ala Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. What's most amazing with this 27-year old DVD is that the sound reproduction is truly unbelievable. (Word of caution: though you have the DTS surround sound option, the mix is awful. However, when played on the Dolby 5.1 audio option, the home theatre audio is rich, full and fabulous. I enjoyed this DVD so much I'm going to run out and purchase her Winter Marqee in the very near future. Even casual fans such as myself cannot go wrong here.

I first found Nanci in a small CD shop known for having the best of the best (not just the popular). The CD was on the "highly recommended" rack and I bought it on faith. Since then have bought every one of her albums I could lay my hands on. This DVD is however the first time I've ever seen Nanci perform. The concert video may be noisy (no better than a less-than-average VHS tape), but it doesn't matter. This is a great concert and Nanci's enjoyment of her music comes through clearly. She's having fun. Most important, the sound quality is great. Note that the track list isn't the same as the CD. The bonus videos are of course excellent quality and they round-off the DVD nicely.

Like most Nanci Griffith fans who have either the CD version or the hard to find VHS version (or both) of this fine concert at Anderson Fair, it was a no-brainer to pick up this little jewel as soon as it was released on DVD. My only complaint is the poor digitizing of the video. The venue itself had low lighting and thus the picture was very grainy on the original VHS. I thought they could have done more to soften up the picture with today's technology, but it's clear that they either could not or would not. Regardless, this is a top notch Nanci performance. During the song "Love at the five and dime" and on a couple other songs, observant fans will notice Eric Taylor (Nanci's one-time husband) doing backing vocals (on the screen to the right of James Hooker). The bonus videos make this DVD even more of a must have. Nanci never looked lovelier!
I am eagerly awaiting the release of the Other Voices concert on DVD. That one was hands-down the best Nanci concert ever released!!

Some 15 years ago I found myself flipping through the channels late one Friday night. And the second-and-a-half that I let A&E or PBS or whatever channel it was put Nanci Griffith on my TV's flickering screen was all it took. My thumb stopped flipping, my ears opened, and my heart was touched.

Forget the fact that in the first eight bars of music presented here Ms. Griffith hits you with more emotion and nuance than most performers generate in a career, and that she effortlessly goes from caressing sotto voce to full-throttle in those few seconds. This is above all -genuine- music. A singer. A song. An audience. A venue. All magically joined with the stars aligned and your deity of choice blessing the proceedings. And you understand how you (me), someone who's never been a huge fan of country or folk (despite owning 1,500 CDs) can suddenly be swept away by the sound of a simple six-string and a simpler (but is it really?) voice.

From that accidental encounter on late-night TV, I've acquired this performance on CD (with a slightly different track list), laserdisc, and now DVD. Tragically the DVD video transfer is little improved from the LD: grainy and full of noise. Hence the 4-star rating.

As a musician, I've resisted the urge to view this document as a talisman, as such intimacy and connection with an audience cannot be attained through study or effort or intent. But as a man, 'tis an accurate bellwether: play it for your paramour, and if she doesn't "get it", kiss her gently on the cheek and hand, and send her on her merry way. If she does "get it", enjoy cooking her breakfast ;-).

Nanci Griffith is so talented, and an awesome storyteller. This video, while dated, is a Must Have for fans and lovers of good music.

I was interested in this DVD for the fabulous Roseville Fair, which, sadly, along with The Wing and the Wheel (another of Ms. Griffith's great ones!), is not included. Great music, and the bonus videos would be nice, if only the DVD had included songs from the actual performance listeners hear on the CD! I was willing to forgive the poor video quality other reviewers noted given the venue, but passed when I realized I wouldn't experience Ms. Griffith's performance of the song for which I was buying the DVD.