Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the best, February 20, 2000
By A Customer
Yes, it is a greatest hits collection. Yes, it contains songs that any Sarah fan havs heard many many times over. No, it is not the same. And, perhaps most importantly, no, it wasn't made "for the money." This is a superb piece of music, different from her recorded songs in that it is filled with much more energy than the dignified restraint so popular with her CDs. "Adia," here with its quietly intense, pleasatily morphed vocals, is a satisfying alternative to her mellow version on Surfacing. "I Love You" seems more sad and lonely than the studio version, as if Sarah is standing alone and whispering to the mirror. "Possession," however, is much more rough and powerful (due to McLachlan's effortlessly determined voice) and (my personal favorite) "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy" is pure perfection, with its impressive guitar and drum work rounding out McLachlan's passionate singing. In short, this CD is so good because it's the same, brilliant Sarah, packaged in a more intense package that's suitable for energetic listening, rather than the quiet solitude her studio music could more fully be appreciated in. Now, we have the best of both worlds.
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dreamy Voice, Smooth Band, Tight Production, September 21, 2002
I didn't know much about Sarah McLachlan before I bouth this CD, but now after listening to it for several months, she is one of my favorites. I wonder if it's because I heard this live album first, but when I listen to the studio albums, I don't think the songs are nearly as good as they are here. The studio versions I found somewhat wooden and cold by comparison, but live a great amount of emotion comes though. Sarah's voice is incredibly expressive and she gives flawless performances. It's really impressive for someone to sound so good live, and I like that she doesn't hide her voice behind tons of effects and other instruments. Gee she plays guitar and piano very nicely too, what more do you want? I also get the idea from how she interacts with the crowd that she's a genuinely nice person too. Maybe you don't care but it makes me appreciate her even more.The production is very good, so you will not feel like you are compromising quality. I feel it's one of the best-sounding live albums I've heard, right up there with Supertramp's "Paris", Dire Straits' "Alchemy", and Joe Jackson's "Big World". Originally I only liked a few songs on this album. I'm glad I gave a few of the "disposable" ones a chance because now I love pretty much all of them -- there are no tracks that need skipping over here. There's a good range of emotional textures presented, from the semi-rocking (for a folk artist) "Building a Mystery", "Possession", and "Sweet Surrender", to fun to nostalgic power ballads like "Adia" and "Good Enough", to haunting and sad piano introspections "Do What You Have to Do" and "Angel". I really hope some guys get over their anti-female-artist bias and try this album. Trust me this is NOT Britney Spears (no choreographed background monkeys here!). It's touching and intelligent and honest songwriting, sung by one of the most beautiful voices you will ever hear and it is well worth your fourteen bucks.
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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"greatest hits"compilation/live album/new interpretations, September 28, 1999
I would give this CD 5 stars if it was from anyone else. But, since it's Sarah, I have slightly higher expectations... also, I found the crowd noise distracting, as I tend to do on "live albums" that aren't a single concert. Also, I would have liked to see more of her earlier work. Specifically, "Vox", "Into the Fire", and "Drawn to the Rhythm" come to mind, although I don't know if she performs the latter two in concert. To me it comes across like a greatest-hits compilation in some ways. I recommend it for people who either: 1) Like Sarah from radio exposure and want the songs they've heard along with some new ones, but don't want to spend lots of money to buy all the CDs. 2) Sarah fans who'll buy anything just because it's Sarah. (I admit that at times I'm included in this group...) But it has its moments. Good Enough, Path of Thorns, and Angel come to mind. I don't think there's any songs that Sarah really ruined by putting on here... some people say I Love You sounds too similar to the studio version. What's wrong with that? It's still a good song.
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