While Mott the Hoople were one of the greatest British rock bands of the 1970s, they were also a band unafraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves, and it's hard to imagine any other group of pile-driving boogie merchants who could have gotten away with songs as emotionally naked as ""Sea Diver,"" ""Hymn for the Dudes,"" or ""I Wish I Was Your Mother."" Nearly 30 years after Mott the Hoople called it a day, frontman Ian Hunter was still rocking out, but he hadn't lost touch with his inner softie either, and this live album, recorded during a pair of Oslo concerts in early 2002, gives him the chance to put his more personal side front and center for an evening. Recorded with a primarily acoustic band and a large string section helping out, Strings Attached features a set of Mott the Hoople classics and great songs from Hunter's solo career as he demonstrates the blend of hard-edged sentimentality and street smarts that has informed so much of his best work. In typical neo-Unplugged fashion, Strings Attached doesn't rock much, but it has a bit more backbone than you might expect -- the stripped-down versions of ""All the Way From Memphis"" and ""Once Bitten, Twice Shy"" are good rollicking fun -- and it finds Hunter in strong voice, calling up the sort of passion that marks his best music. Part of what makes Hunter's songs so effective is the way he can tap into the deeper and more complex emotions that lurk inside even the toughest rocker's heart, and put them into song in a way that honors their delicacy without sounding mushy or saccharine. Strings Attached gives Hunter the space to honor this side of his repertoire, and the results are both good fun and emotionally potent stuff. So go on, grab a beer, sing along, and don't fight that lump in your throat -- that's what Ian Hunter wrote these songs for in the first place.
C**.
Amazing Song Writer
I've wanted this DVD for so long, Ian Hunter has been my favorite since I first heard Mott the Hoople - All the young dudes album in 1971. I have seen in with Mott The Hoople / Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson and just Ian Hunter. He is 75 years old now and is still rocking it. I picked up his latest album When I'm President, What a great album. On this DVD it really shows what a great writer he is. A lot of people don't like his voice, but a lot of people like Bob Dylan, Just listen to his lyric's on this DVD and his albums and you'll understand why I think he is the best by far best writes. He had a lot of fun doing this concert and with the strings it was amazing.
C**E
Great footage of Ian
I would fully recommend this DVD to Ian Hunter fans. The technical quality of the DVD is excellent and so is the performance of Hunter and the band. A wide range of material is covered here, and some of the songs are quite new. Some of the highlights for me include "Twisted Steel", a song Hunter wrote in response to September 11th, "I wish I was your mother", and "Irene Wilde". The DVD also includes an interview with Hunter and 3 bonus tracks, one of which is "Roll away the Stone", another Mott favorite of mine. It's nice to see this man is still growing and progressing as an artist.
J**T
I've had people say its too maudlin but if you are a Ian Hunter fan its a nice addition to his other stuff
Very mellow, don't expect Mott The Hoople rockin'. But the string arrangements are done very well. I've had people say its too maudlin but if you are a Ian Hunter fan its a nice addition to his other stuff.
M**N
Not bad
Eh..so so
O**D
Good Quality
This was not bad at all, good quality in both video and audio
W**E
A Don't MISS DVD!!
If you only think of Ian Hunter as the front man for Mott The Hoople, you will miss the charm of this amazing performance. Yes, "All The Young Dudes," "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," and the other Dudes hits are here but the real treasures are "Ships (that pass in the night)" (Yes -- The Barry Manilow Hit!), "Irene Wilde" (my favorite Mott hit) and "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" (I wanted to do one for "me Mum" he says). The lighting is striking, the band is strong and the string section is moving. I own thousands of roots music DVDs and videos and this is my current favorite by a long shot. Don't miss it!'fessor Mojo
J**T
Great DVD of Rock's Greatest Unknown Superstar
An excellent DVD of Ian Hunter performing live in Oslo in 2002 with a 17-piece string orchestra. Not surprisingly, the presence of the strings led to a ballad-heavy set list, though even some rockers (e.g., All the Way From Memphis) are rearranged for strings.While I think Hunter is generally at his best when rocking out, I do enjoy his crooning as well. The emphasis on ballads led him to dust off a really old Mott the Hoople favorite: Waterlow. I've never heard or seen this performed live, and this performance reinforces strongly my opinion that this is one of the best songs Hunter has ever written. Even more surprising than this pleasant treat, however, is the performance of "Michael Picasso," Hunter's tribute to his old bandmate, Mick Ronson. I've always been lukewarm to that song, however, Hunter's heartfelt performance on this DVD makes this perhaps the highlight of the disc.Hunter is definitely in the twilight of his outstanding career (the amazing accomplishment of his most recent studio outing, "Rant," notwithstanding), and Hunter's stage persona is beginning to seem less like "Rock 'n Roll Superstar" and more like "Rock Elder Statesman." Most of the swagger is gone, and is replaced by an older, wiser confidence, and perhaps even a sense of gratitude and humility. The concert's closer, "Saturday Gigs," was once Hunter's farewell to his Mott bandmates, but now seems transformed into a thank you to his fans.For a long-time fan like myself, this is a wonderfully recorded testament of the greatness that is Ian Hunter live. For the Ian Hunter novice, however, I'd suggest starting off with "Welcome to the Club" instead.
A**O
A Very Special night!
Ian Hunter has long been one of rock n rolls unsung heroes. The quality of this live performance makes this in my eyes, one of the greatest live rock recordings in recent memory. Ian Hunter has long been called the british Bob Dylan, and with good reason. He has contantly written quality material, and now for the first time is captured live on DVD for all to enjoy, complete with a full orchestra. His british accent adds an emotional flavor to his ballads that should not be missed. One listen to "Ships" and "Irene Wilde", and his tribute to Mick Ronson, are nothing short of gems. Hunter rocks as well, on tunes like "All The Young Dudes", "Once Bitten Twice Shy", and "All The Way From Memphis". The sound and picture quality is fantastic. One can see that lots of care and work went into this production, and in my opinion, is Ian Hunters greatest live performance. The companion CD is the exact show that is on this fantatic DVD. I highly recommend both DVD and CD to one and all, who are fans of Ian, or to those who are waiting to become fans. A truly monumental effort.
R**O
Five Stars
As usual the item was as described & delivered as expected...... Very reliable bunch.....thank you
英**爺
国内での入手は困難
探していたので助かりました。2002年はオスロでのストリングスを交えての公演。相棒はJohn Mellencampと活動するAndy York。タイトがギターが心地いいです。今のRant Bandのメンバは1人もいませんが、これもまたIan Hunterの至高の1枚です。
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