Customer Reviews

Welcome to My Living Room

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Carole King clearly shows the huge difference that exists between some songwriting legends and most of today's pop stars. The difference can be summarized in a few words: true talent versus none.
From "Song of Long Ago" until "Locomotion", this show is a non-stop delight, with Carole in a great voice, an easy command of all the colors she can extract from her Yamaha piano, and music and lyrics that are a reflection of her soul. Gary Burr is a pleasant surprise, with wonderful vocals, great guitar playing, and nice songs of his own.
This a DVD you will watch again and again, for years to come.
A final note: no sane person can explain why legends like Carly Simon and Carole King are not yet inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while so much garbage has been there and is added every year.

If I had the time and the funds, I would have probably followed this tour around the country! I am so glad that it is recorded for posterity on DVD, and it seems like it is pretty much a whole concert, not an abbreviated one. Plus, there are some super backstage extras that make the whole experience that much more enjoyable. Carole King is a legend, but she makes you feel like her buddy from the first note to the last here. And from the opening song, her playing and singing just keep getting better. What a moving version of "Now & Forever" and goosebump-inducing version of "Been to Canaan." Taking me back in time and reminding me of all those good feelings one can get listening to well-crafted universal, yet personal themes of love and life. Then there are the humorous moments of Carole's imitation of Penny Marshall, and her 50's doowop of her first songs. And the rock n' roll songs everybody gets tapping and clapping to. This is a keepsake.

If you weren't lucky enough to catch Carole King's sold out 2004 and 2005 "Living Room Tour," you can experience the magic by purchasing this DVD. From the opening number, "Song of Long Ago" to her jazz/lounge version of "The Loco-motion," most of her hits are performed here including a fun-filled Goffin/King medley. In total command of the stage, she's at the top of her live performance game on this DVD. She looks and sounds great; Rudy Guess and Nashville-based Gary Burr lend great musical support. But, when all is said and done, the true star of this DVD is Carole King, alone at her piano, doing what she's been doing for over 40 years -- connecting to a world-wide audience, as if, she's singing to you directly, in her living room. Welcome, indeed.

I'm not sure if there is a more perfect backdrop for the intimacy of this great artist. I live about 20 minutes from Canaan, CT and "Been to Canaan" couldn't be a more perfect video postcard of a pretty little town. "Green fields and rolling hills..." The warmth and kindness and likability of this nice woman comes across so well here. She's welcome in my living room..."Song of Long Ago" is a nice and rare edition to the presentation, too.

"Welcome to My Living Room" is an excellent DVD. I saw Carole King's Living Room concert in Raleigh NC and wear my Living Room T-shirt frequently. Every now and then, someone will stop me and say, "You got to see Carole King! Wow! I wish I knew she was playing." The DVD is an excellent capture of the concert experience. Carole is in good voice and seems to be having total fun. One of my favorites is "Now & Forever" that has such a classic melody and lyric. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" that the Monkees recorded shines with Carole and Rudy Guess & Gary Burr. "Natural Woman" is a delight with Carole and the audience having such rapport and trading verses and choruses. I'm still trying to picture a large group of military personnel belting, "You make me feel like a natural woman." I appreciated learning of Carole's support of our troups through her USO shows. Carole is very generous to guest artist Gary Burr who gets two of his numbers featured including the Juice Newton hit "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard On Me." The extras on the DVD are also very interesting as Carole tells us about how the idea for the tour generated. I particularly enjoyed the "Songwriting 101" section where Carole and the guys come out onstage and write an impromptu song in front of the audience. I wondered how this part of the concert would be included. We get to see a handful of songs in the extras that put a smile on my face. I found the sound quality and the editing to be first class. This is a diamond disc that will probably come out when company arrives. Bravo!

How anyone could give this DVD less than 5 stars is beyond me. I saw this tour at Radio City Music Hall, just Carole & her piano, two talented sidemen and the audience. Oh yeah, and a lifetime of great songs! All of the usual suspects are here (meaning many songs from "Tapestry"), plus a fantastic and fantastically entertaining medley of songs co-written in the 60's with her then-husband and partner Gerry Goffin. These songs are gems that still manage to thrill, even with the boy-girl sentiments of a simpler time. Maybe that's the appeal of Carole anyway--she cuts to the bone when dealing with matters of the heart. Another plus are some classics that are seldom if ever heard anymore: Song Of Long Ago, Been To Canaan, and a few others that still manage to send chills of recognition to the soul. I have the 2-CD set of the same tour and I must say I think Carole sounds better here (and I like the song choice more). Her stories about the songs are funny and insightful, too. The production of the show is simple yet effective. It truly does have a "living room" vibe. If you love Carole King, or even if you liked her 35 years ago but haven't given her much thought since then, this DVD will remind you why you listened in the first place. Well done!

Carole King's still one of the best singer-songwriters around. Her latest concerts, "The Living Room Tour", are just amazing. Although she shares the stage with two musicians, it's Carole and her piano who keep the audience at her feet for two hours.
I just wish she comes to Paris, France sometimes soon. After all, the place is much closer than Australia, where she toured last year... Please take note, Carole, your pal James Taylor, regularily plays in front of a dedicated European public !

Carole King has always been one of my favored songwriters, up there on my list with Smokey Robinson, Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach. Having watched her 1994 concert video "Colour of Your Dreams Tour" numerous times, I looked forward to this concert and was not dissappointed. She still looks good, sounds good and charms her audience with the laid-back stage setting. It doesn't have the same energy as the previously mentioned concert video, which featured a full band ensemble, background singers (including a choir) and guest musician Slash. This show is more intimate and makes me think of a group of friends standing around a piano with a drink in hand, singing and enjoying each others company. Thank you for this video, Carole.

For anyone who grew up listening to such songs as "I Feel The Earth Move", "Natural Woman", "So Far Away" and anything else that King -- or King/Goffin -- became justly famous for, The Living Room Tour is a great way to reconnect with that bygone era. For me, it took the maturity of adulthood to finally admit I liked King, so it was an extra treat to discover how many OTHER songs she'd written, ones I thought of as "classics" or "standards" from a still earlier time and style. She's very warm and seemingly just right there with the audience throughout, sharing memories, too, so this really is the one for you if you're looking for a trip down memory lane. The duo of veteran music men she chooses to tour with are also just right for the tone of this type of evening, and it really does end up coming off like a family musical evening with old friends. Also, do not neglect the extras; these will start playing immediately after the final credits roll, or you can go directly to them from the top menu. Speaking of which, play this on your HD set; it looks like HD because it was mastered from an HD source, according to the jacket. An even nicer treat: There's a 5.1 soundtrack choice here as well.

All in all, any King fan absolutely NEEDS The Living Room tour. Even those who only remember one or two songs will have a great time, and come away with a new appreciation for one of the royal gems of American music's last half century.

I've seen some of the best in concert including The Beatles, Elvis, etc. I saw Carol King twice in my life, in the 70's and 2008. Her 2008 concert was one of the best I've ever seen. This video is just as good as the live concert! She's extremely warm and charming and her voice is just as strong as it ever was. I can't say the same about very many performers and I've seen most of the "Greats". She is one of the most talented writers (she wrote songs for other artists for years) and singer/piano players alive today. Buy "The Living Room" concert video. You won't be sorry. Inda Solomon