DVD : MTV Unplugged |
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Rating: - * Finally a reason to become a fan ... The album I had always been reluctant to buy a Julieta Venegas' album, I don't think of her as a great lyricist nor a great musician. However, there's always something about her songs, they all have a catchy phrase or chorus that you will end up humming regardless if you like the song or not. Something I did admire is that she is an artist who likes to take risks, either by playing instruments you don't usually hear in a pop song or by making duets with the most unexpected artists; it seems to me she is authentic in her musical proposal. I recently had the chance to watch her Mtv Unplugged that aired on cable and I just loved it. The arrangements, the guest stars and her voice, this was indeed her best time and her moment to have an unplugged. The best thing is that the album has most of her hits and all of them with new arrangements, as well as a couple new songs. The single "El presente" is nothing but a taste of what the whole album delivers, there are many great songs in superb arrangements (either by Jacques Morelenbaum or Gustavo Santaolalla, her producer) highlights of the album would be the rearranged "Algo esta cambiando", "Seria feliz" (which sounds great unplugged), "Mirame bien", "Andar conmigo" and "illusion" Part of what makes this album so enjoyable are the guests, la "Mala" Rodriguez does great in her rendition of "Eres para mi" (even though the part she sings is from a Bajofondo song she collaborated in, not new material precisely), Santaolalla plays the banjo in "Algun dia", Juan Son (Porter) does ok in "De mis pasos", I don't know if it's just me (or the Bjork fan in me for that matter) but he feels forced and sings as if he were trying to emulate Bjork. The best of all is the incredible Marisa Monte, I had no idea she would be in this unplugged until I saw her standing there singing this beautiful song in Portuguese, to me that would be the song in the album. The DVD It looks like the music industry is finally learning they need to present the new releases using the new formats. The DVD is presented in anamorphic widescreen format with stereo, 5.1 Surround. It simply looks and sounds incredible! While I know the new format is BD, I had always complained this type of material (unpluggeds, concerts etc) have always been released in standard TV formats, which don't look good on a widescreen HDTV, I have been surprised recently some companies are changing this. The tracklist is pretty much the same from the disc, with a "making of" documentary included. While Julieta seems nervous most of the times, she also seems to enjoy being on stage with friends and musicians she admires. The DVD opens with a piano version of "Lento" (not included in the CD), the rest of the concert only varies in the sense that it includes Julieta's comments in the middle of each song. A great unplugged and a pretty good presentation. Already looking forward to what she does next Rating: - * dvd is defective!!! beware!!! ... i've bought this dvd via best buy and it was defective. would not play on any of my 3 dvd players. i returned it for another and same story. so there's a batch out there that is defective, so buyer beware!!!!! it's sad that they did not check out the disc more, this could have been prevented. it is ntsc all region dvd. Rating: - * Usual Julieta, Fun Spin! ... Julieta collaborates with an interesting mix of artists; La Mala Rodriguez, Juan Son and Natalia Lafourcade, to name a few. The entire concert is a fun spin on her popular songs, old favorites and even some new material. The tuba is great! I need more TUBA!! This DVD is definitely worth a look. Check it out. Rating: - * Is it possible for her to get any better? ... Ever since her excellent first U.S. release, "Aquí," Julieta Venegas has done nothing but improve in every way. With each release, her song writing, arrangements, and delivery have matured, to the point where one wonders if it possible for her to get any better. With her most recent previous release, "Limon y Sal," Venegas proved that popular music (in any language) can actually be interesting as well as entertaining. When I first heard "Limon y Sal," I assume that she had reached a peak. Now "MTV Unplugged" brings together her best music in a superb live performance that surpasses everything she had previously produced. Her performance throughout is tight and disciplined with charm to spare. The assembled musicians are equally tight, surpassing the studio musicians of past CD releases. While the DVD contains a few more songs than the CD version of "MTV Unplugged," it doesn't hurt to have an audio version of this great concert for the car. And, while you're at it, get a copy of another great Julieta Venegas CD, "Sí." Thank you, Julieta, for making music that holds up! Rating: - * Julieta Venegas [MTV Unplugged] is a Masterpiece. ... I had not heard much about Julieta Venegas until recently, when I saw a video of her MTV Unplugged (El Presente) performance. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I hardly EVER buy Latin music, much less a Latin performance on DVD. Even if you do not understand the language, Julieta's music trancends all boundaries. It is both a joy to listen to and watch the music video. I have purchased and would highly recommend the CD/DVD. Julieta Venegas' music is a breath of fresh air, contagious, and the harmonies are pitch perfect. Julieta Venegas is a talented lady indeed! |

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