Review of Sheryl Crow: C`Mon America 2003

Introduction

Recorded live over 2-days in July 2003, Sheryl Crow and co perform about 19 songs, including most favourites and the iTunes exclusive, Let`s Get Free. She really kicked off on the scene with that all too familiar Tuesday Night Music Club album spawning five singles including All I Wanna Do; she followed that up with three more studio albums, a live recording from Central Park and a greatest hits album (with limited edition DVD full of videos). DVD wise there are just three: Rockin` the Globe Live, Greatest Hits and this, C`mon America 2003.


I like music DVDs and being a Crow fan I very much liked Rockin` the Globe Live. I loved the sound and atmosphere that it seemed to conjure up. C`mon America 2003 however feels different. I love the songs; the concert recording is a bigger affair and songs are just played out with some play towards the audience, but something`s missing. It feels like a play-by-the-numbers concert, like it`s been rehearsed to death, which it has.

Unless you`re a real fan, you won`t find this particularly engaging. It`s not a spectacle concert video with flashy sets or costumes.

Video

Presented with a 1.77:1 letterbox video transfer I have to say first off that this is the biggest disappointment. I shake my head to this day that such things are still released. As it is, the colours are sharp and detail remains high throughout without any noticeable problems cropping up.

Audio

There`s a choice of either Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 soundtracks. If you have Crow`s previous, Rockin` the Globe Live DVD, you can enjoy a high bit-rate DTS track (which sounds very good!), but the option of DTS for this 2-hour DVD isn`t available. Still, the DD5.1 track is loud and clear. Just don`t go expecting much in the way of surround sound except for ambient crowd sounds.

Features

No extra features.

Conclusion

The concert footage is just that, concert footage. There`s nothing elaborate or exciting about the set or performances. Yes, I get excited at the mere mention of Sheryl Crow`s name but the nature of her music precludes her from stage dressing or antics; it would be nice to juice things up a little bit though. While unable to recreate the live experience, it`s still fairly enjoyable to watch and listen to, but I think fans are better served with a DVD like this than the casual music lover. I personally rate Rockin` the Globe Live and Greatest Hits higher.