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Audio CD
Publisher: Virgin Records Us
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Special Deluxe Edition of KT Tunstall's critically acclaimed debut release. CD includes bonus track "Immune" from One Night in Gaia performance. KT Tunstall "Live In the USA" DVD includes five live songs from her show in Washington D.C. on June 9, 2006 plus every video from "Eye To The Telescope."
If Eye To the Telescope introduced a bold new talent, KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza confirms that the Scottish singer is no fluke. Whether stripping down tracks from her platinum debut--nominated for both a Grammy and Britain's coveted Mercury Prize--or taking on Beck's tender "Golden Age," it's all about the Voice and the Voice is good. While Telescope elicited comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Björk, in acoustic mode, Tunstall sounds more like countryman Rod Stewart back when he was fronting the Faces. She's got that soulful thing down to a science, but there's nothing affected about it, and she never pushes too hard. Ten years of busking can do that for a girl (it's how she learned to use a loop pedal to duplicate the sound of a full band). Originally only available through her website, Acoustic Extravaganza doesn't include hit singles "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See," the theme from The Devil Wears Prada, but then it isn't a greatest hits collection. Recorded in two days, the CD/DVD set consists primarily of non-LP material, like the angry "Ashes," plus the featurette Five Go to Skye (Making the Album). The parental advisory warning ("explicit content") refers to the profanity in "Ashes." Otherwise, there's nothing objectionable going on here. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| The Acoustic Side Of KT Tunstall |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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Amazon turned me on to KT Tunstall after I reviewed Amy MacDonald's CD, This Is The Life. After listening to the samples for KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza, I was convinced it was something I would enjoy. After having listened to it for over a month now, my first impressions were correct. It is very much in the style of Sarah McLachlan's Freedom Sessions. However Extravaganza only features two (lesser known) tracks from Tunstall's debut Eye To The Telescope where as Freedom Sessions only had one previously unreleased song.
Extravaganza is also a very different type of CD than Eye To The Telescope was. While Eye To The Telescope boasted a broad variety of styles an vocal delivery, Extravaganza is much more focused. Recorded in just two days at Steve Osbourne's studio at the Isle of Skye in Scotland, it has a much more informal feel to it as a few snippets of the studio conversations and applause grace the beginnings and/or endings of some tracks. This difference in style makes the two tracks from Telescope ("Miniature Disaster" and "Universe & U") come off as being more warm and alive than the originals. The other material is just as strong with "Girl and the Ghost" and her cover of Beck's "Golden Age" being two that stand out. If you are concerned about the Explicit Lyrics label, know that it is for a pair of f-bombs on "Ashes" - a song with Alanis Morissette like anger to it. The DVD also has one additional f-bomb during the "Five Go To Skye (Making the Album)" featurette.
The DVD is a nice feature, but it probably also accounts for the slightly higher price than most individual CD recordings. "Five Go To Skye" is a behind the scenes video of the band's trip to the small studio in Scotland along with rehearsals, recording sessions, and commentary. Other features include videos for "Gone To The Dogs" and "Throw Me A Rope", a demonstration of an audio effects pedal, and a photo album from the recording experience.
Overall, KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza is a very good addition for fans of her other work. It shows a different musical side of Tunstall in an informal setting that makes for good variety. Fans of Sarah McLachlan's Freedom Sessions should also give this a spin.
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| What's up with the menu? |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Any fan of KT Tunstall will love this, but what's up with the DVD menu?
This is a minor point overall but it drives me CRAZY (short trip). The content of both the CD and DVD are great with the CD being the high point. Great music. However, the audio on the DVD MENU is all chopped up, constantly starting and stopping. Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me? :-(
How can they put out such a nice piece of work and screw up the DVD menu?
Still, this is great music, an enjoyable DVD, and HIGHLY recommended for any KT Tunstall fan.
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| Great folk rock CD |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The tracks on this CD were recorded live in the studio ..it's like MTV unplugged which is the way folk music was intended to be ..the acoustics and vocals sound almost other worldly ..yet relaxed and natural.
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| Great album |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The song One Day alone would make this a great album. But there are many great songs as others have mentioned. I've been playing One Day all day long on repeat. Very easy on the ears. Great bass opening. Nice guitar work. Great vocals!
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| Disappointing..truly for hard core fans |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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Let me clarify a few things first. I bought Eye to the Telescope after hearing "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" live on VH1. After seeing that, you can tell what a great artist she is.
However, the rest of that album it took me a long time to get to like. After hearing "Hold On" I bought this CD and Drastic Fantastic. For whatever reason I didn't look at the song list, and noticed that it wasn't live stuff like "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" "Hold On" or "Suddenly I See". I'm reserving judgment on Drastic Fantastic as I think I may eventually come to enjoy it as I did Eye to the Telescope, but this album puts me to sleep by the 2nd track. Where's the rock? Where's the life? There's no energy, and that is what I personally like about the songs listed above.
If you're in the mood to go to sleep, this album is perfect for you. If you thought all the slow songs on Eye to the Telescope were great then you might like this. For me, it was wasted money. I really wish she'd rock more often.
To further clarify, I like other artists like Dave Matthews (especially with Tim Reynolds, acoustic live) or John Mayer, so when I hear "Acoustic Extravaganza" I expected some acoustic rock, I got acoustic-sleep-folk.
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Ashes
Girls & the Ghost
One Day
Golden Age - KT Tunstall, Hansen, B.
Boo Hoo
Gone to the Dogs
Change
Miniature Disasters
Universe & U
Throw Me a Rope
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