Search - Bonnie Raitt :: Bonnie Raitt and Friends (with Bonus DVD)

This is Bonnie at her best......

J. Bilby | Kingston, New Hampshire United States | 08/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a long time fan and have seen Bonnie a kazillion times

over the years. This is a unique recording of some great music &

guests on here (Allison Krauss, Ben Harper, Keb Mo and Nora

Jones) and they just add that extra spicey flavor to make Bonnie's music even that much cooler. Funky stuff here,("Love

Letter" w/Keb, "Gnawin on it", "Unnecessarily Mercenary", w/ the

band, "Two Lights in the nighttime" w/ Ben Harper dueling slide

guitars on this one. Beautiful ballards "You" featuring Allison

Krauss and her harmony and fiddle, "I don't want anything to

change" w/Nora Jones, and also with Nora the great duet on

"Tennesee waltz", great recordings of "Papa come quick",w/ Allison, "Something to talk about", "No getting over you",w/Keb

the newer cuts "I will not be broken" and my favorite on

SOULS ALIKE "God was in the water". The sound is superior on

the DVD, crisp you can here every little pluck, everything

is there, never slick but real music from excellent musicans.

Bonnie Raitt has such a huge song cataloge its impossible

to get to everything but she does manage to highlight the

best of what she does. Vh1 classic does a great job with this,

I found the lighting and visuals excellent its busy but it

keeps everything moving right along. This is a highlight in Bonnie Raitts career and

not to be missed. I still can't get over just how awesome the

sound is on my sound system, the surround sound recording

on the DVD is really exceptional."

Bonnie Is Consistently Good

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 09/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bonnie Raitt is certainly one of the most consistent artists of the past 35 years. While that might mean that her work is often predictable, it also means that it is usually very good. Since her debut, Raitt's approach hasn't really changed much at all; she still mixes ballads, rock, and folk-oriented music and infuses all of it with a strong sense of the blues. About the only thing that has changed over the years is the level of recognition that she receives. The combination of her voice and slide-guitar tone is now instantly recognizable by just about anyone, and here numerous Grammy awards have helped elevate her to a semi-legendary status.

"Bonnie Raitt and Friends" celebrates her career by presenting a live performance that captures the essence of her artistry, and pairs her with some special guests. Surprisingly, virtually none of the songs performed are taken from the first half of her career, which I see as a good thing. Although I love the material on her early albums "Taking My Time," "Home Plate" and others, those songs have grown a bit shopworn over the years. "Love Has No Pride" and "Angel from Montgomery" do not make the cut, while newer songs like "Crooked Crown" and "I Don't Want Anything to Change" are prominently featured. I believe the oldest song from her repertoire that appears here is "Love Letter," from 1989's "Nick of Time" album. The emphasis on newer material provides this collection with a sense of freshness that is exceptional, especially for an artist with a four-decade career.

While each song is performed beautifully, the pace of the show varies from lachrymose to lukewarm. Special guests enliven things a bit, with appearances by Keb Mo', Alison Krauss, Ben Harper, Jon Cleary (who is a bonafide bandmember) and Norah Jones. Ben Harper's performance is simply functional, and Norah Jones is predictably laid back, but special mention should be made of Keb Mo' and Alison Krauss. Mo' and Raitt share a natural affinity that is mutually complimentary, as if they had been playing together for years. Krauss, meanwhile, is a perfect partner for Raitt, with a voice that is equally resonant and a musicianship that represents `state of the art' Americana. Any fan of either of these beautiful and talented musicians owes it to themselves to hear their duet on the gorgeous sad ballad "You." The CD and DVD duplicate one another, but the DVD also includes interviews with each of the artists, which are worth seeing if only for the candor and mutual respect they convey. This generosity of spirit is a prime ingredient that defines the music of Bonnie Raitt, and it is abundantly clear throughout "Bonnie Raitt and Friends." B+ Tom Ryan"

A Cheap Product....could have been better

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 10/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was worried about how good this would be when I saw the cover. It is a cheap looking cover. It looks like one of those junky CD's you order on late night TV. Maybe something KTel puts out. It turns out that it is not horrible, is actually pretty good, but it could have been much better.



This is a video of a VH1 produced concert. The video is 90 minutes. It comes with a CD that contains 11 of the 17 songs. The CD is only 52 minutes long. I don't know why they didn't include more songs on the CD. They could have easily gotten 4 to 5 more songs on it. Some of the best songs are left off of the CD.



The sound quality is OK, but could have been much better, especially for a concert that was produced specifically to be recorded. The sound is muddled at times and certain instruments seem far away. The drumming is too far up in some cases. The sound is especially bad on the CD. It gets better if you listen to it in 5.1 on the DVD.



This is one of those cheap and quick video filming and editing exercizes. The camera is always zooming in and out. No shot is held for more than a few seconds. Video are done this way because it is easy. You don't have to know the music or spend any time on the editing if you do it this choppy manner. But, there a few songs near the end where the shooting and editing is a little better. Maybe it is because the camera crew finally figured out which one was Bonnie Raitt.



The song selection and performances are mostly good, but not spectacular. I have seen Raitt and have live recordings that are much better. Most the hits she has done before, and most of the time they were better in the past. Although, none of the songs are bad here.



What I really like is the new material. Maybe that is because I have heard some of the older songs too many times. The newer stuff is different and refreshing. And as she says, they experiment a little more. It is actually more rock oriented.



Ovewrall, it is a nice Raitt CD. It isn't a bad place to start it you don't have anything else by her.



I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND HER EARLIER LIVE ALBUM, ROAD TESTED, INSTEAD. IT IS SLIGHTLY BETTER. BUT GET THE DVD AND NOT THE CD."