Customer Reviews

aimee mann live at St.Ann's Warehouse

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hey Derek,

What DVD were you watching???

The editing was terrific, with lots of interesting camera angles. I especially enjoyed the close shots of Aimee's hands playing the piano on "King of the Jailhouse". And how about her amazing band? I was at this concert, but I don't feel like I 'really' appreciated it until I saw the DVD. You get a whole different perspective when you look at things like the close-up shots of the guitarist going all out on "Long Shot" and the view of the drummer from behind the drum set jamming with the bass player.

Actually, everything about this DVD is first rate. From the production (editing, video and sound) to the performance, to the bonus interview and behind the scenes footage. And the song list was varied with several songs from "I'm With Stupid" and "Magnolia", as well as "Whatever" and the recent "Lost In Space".

Anyway, as you can tell, I highly recommend this DVD/CD.

I bought this excellent cd/dvd yesterday. I'm impressed that it's an entire concert and cd for a low price. I bought the Jason Mraz live cd as well and was very impressed with the value for the money.

On the cd/dvd, Aimee highlights some of her best songs. I was really dissapointed that 3 of my most favorites were on the dvd and not the cd - those being "Calling it Quits", "Red Vines" and "Invisible Ink". You'd think that whomever selected what not to put on the cd was aware of these songs as being some of her best and wanted to force the buyer to watch the dvd just to hear the live versions of these songs. BTW - the live renditions of the 3 mentioned are very beautiful.

I know I will listen to the cd more then I will watch the dvd, but for someone who rarely goes to a concert, I was excited to find that I get to see her live - and it is incredible. It was recorded over 3 days and for a live cd - it is heavily edited - like most are. Otherwise - it's excellent!

DVD Tracks:

1. The Moth
2. Calling It Quits
3. Sugar Coated
4. Going Through The Motions (new song)
5. Humpty Dumpty
6. Amateur
7. Wise Up
8. Save Me
9. Stupid Thing
10. Pavlov's Bell
11. Long Shot
12. 4th Of July
13. Red Vines
14. Invisible Ink
15. King Of The Jailhouse (new song)
16. Deathly

Bonus CD Tracks:

1.The Moth
2. Sugarcoated
3. Going Through The Motions
4. Amateur
5. Wise Up
6. Save Me
7. Stupid Thing
8. Thatıs Just What You Are
9. Pavlovıs Bell
10. Long Shot
11. 4th of July
12. King Of The Jailhouse
13. Deathly

If you're a Mann fan, you probably don't need much convincing to purchase this DVD package, especially with the inclusion of the live CD, for less than $20. That's a ridiculous bargain even if the items were sold separately.

The setlist contains all the "usual suspects", and like most fans, I wish it was longer. (Ghost World, Killing, Ray, Jacob Marley's Chain...) But, I'm very happy for the inclusion of the "Whatever" songs, "Stupid Thing" and "4th of July". Of the two new songs, "King of the Jailhouse" impressed me most.

The obligatory DVD extras are actually pretty cool, especially the interviews with the band and Aimee, although I wish they had been interviewed together. Aimee is a fascinating person, so any opportunity to look behind the curtain is appreciated.

Reviewer Derek complains that Aimee is not the most dynamic live performer on tour. He's not completely wrong; she does sing with her eyes closed, there's an appalling lack of pyro, and where are the wardrobe changes?!?

But to say that Aimee's "gently swaying body makes for dull viewing"??? Dude, check your pulse.

I assume the reader is already an Aimee Mann fan or you wouldn't be reading this...so I will speak to the product. It is a very beautifully filmed and recorded concert...nice lighting...great sound, Hi def quality on the film so its sharp and widescreen. In other words..state of the art... and Aimee delivers a beautiful set...of course I'd love to hear more but the bonus CD is a nice touch...and its hard to quibble with any set list she could come up with.

Also..it looks like from the packaging that Aimee Mann has produced this herself so I hope she is supported by many people purchasing and NOT making copies...it will certainly help her continue to make wonderful CDs and hopefully more DVDs.

~talk~ about bang for your buck - i went into my local big box store to get the new cd "The Forgotten Arm," was disappointed it wasn't available, and subsequently thrilled to find this cd/dvd combo. what an OUTstanding value...as a long-time fan from an area of the country where it's unlikely i'd be able to see her again in concert (reference below), it was a great experience to watch the dvd, and get a sense of the awesome New York crowd's energy.

if you've heard about A.M., but never new where to jump in, this is definitely worth your time and money. the dvd is the best part, but only because it includes more material and seems to invite you into the crowd. after viewing it, you'll see it all over again in your mind when you're turning up the volume on the cd in your car...just try not to go off the road when you're singing along at the top of your lungs.

highlights: "Save Me," "Stupid Thing," and "Pavlov's Bell." while all the songs are great, these three really come through with their strong delivery. while there are no real low points, the middle of both the cd and dvd are definitely the high points.

what's missing: nothing which would detract from how good this is, but one song i really would love to hear in this format is "I Should Have Known," as it has always been one of my personal favorites. "You're With Stupid Now" would've been awesome as well, but i might be living in the past, given my adoration of that whole cd.

if anyone from A.M.'s team reads this, the one thing i'm sure her fans would love is some kind of "unplugged" cd. for reference, check the excellent cd by Everything But the Girl, "Acoustic;" moreover, when i saw the ad for the upcoming Coldplay VH1 Storytellers special, i thought how cool it would be to see Ms. Mann in this type of setting.

i remember seeing A.M. when Till Tuesday opened for Rick Springfield in Pensacola, FL, back somewhere around '85 or so. it was obvious then, as now, that she is/was a special talent. so if you have ever heard of her, or had an interest in what all the fuss was about, this is your best opportunity to get all the intelligence, wit, and elegantly dysfunctional coolness you are allowed to...and for less than $20, to boot!

As most fans of Aimee know or have discovered, it can be difficult seeing her live. In one of the bonus sections, Aimee and her band talk about this. Aimee says that she gets punch drunk after about three weeks; thus her tours consists of several 3 week legs.

I mention this because I was fortunate to see her in Dallas in 2003. One thing that struck me IMMEDIATELY was how pure her voice was. The voice you hear on the CD is what you hear live. And the same is true with this DVD. What I heard live is what I hear on the DVD.

The video is incredible clear, even on my mediocre DVD player. Perhaps there was a smoking moratorium at St. Anne's the night they recorded this. In addition, there is no crowd noise at inappropriate moments such as requests for "Freebird"(See the bonus section for an explanation). This is particularly nice on quiet songs such as "Amateur" and "Save Me." Sad to say, I have to agree with Derek Mok that Aimee isn't the most animated performer but for me the beauty of her voice more than makes up for this.

The DVD includes 2 new songs: "Going Through the Motions" and "King of the Jailhouse." The former is a catchy tune that would sound great on the radio if they'd ever recognize Aimee for the great songwriter and voice that she is.

The bonus section is divided into three sections: a behind-the-scene look at preparation for the concert; a (boring) slideshow; and an interview with Aimee and the band. The interview is the most interesting of the three. It consists of Aimee and the band answering questions separately, kind of like a point-conterpoint interview. Some of the topics covered are favorite songs, cover songs, touring, and record labels.

The accompanying CD allows you to take the concert with you in your car or iPod. It leaves off "Calling It Quits," "Humpty Dumpty," and "Red Vines" and "Invisible Ink" while including "That's Just the Way You Are."

JUST BUY THIS VIDEO, HER SOLO WORK, and HER 3 TIL TUESDAY
ALBUMS AND YOU WILL DIE HAPPY KNOWING YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED
THE BEST SONGWRITING TALENT ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH----
AIMEE MANN.

Like all of her stuff (songwriting, singing, fashion sense, etc.), the production quality of this DVD is top-notch. We recently set up our projector and speakers on the back patio deck and watched the concert during a hot summer night, it was fantastic ... like being at an outdoor event. She plays all her popular stuff and some of the new songs from Forgotten Arm (which she refers to in the video as King of the Jailhouse, as the album wasn't released yet). Great stuff. The whole band plays very tight. The interviews are a nice perk. I agree with the other "potty mouth" comments ... it was a little distracting from an otherwise excellent show.

This is a great "filling station" for fans needing a little fuel from Aimee Mann while waiting on her next CD. Since she tours so infrequently (I think we went six years between shows here in Atlanta), this DVD is a great way to experience Aimee live - the witty banter in-between songs, the comraderie between Aimee and her band, the revisiting of older songs like "Sugarcoated" ... This is a real bargain, too, because we also get a bonus live CD that has 2 new songs - "King of the Jailhouse" and "Going Through the Motions." Both songs exhibit the sharp songwriting skills and quality delivery that fans have come to expect.