Search - Shakira :: Live & Off the Record (CD & DVD)

The Best Shakira CD?

Alberto Vargas | San Francisco, CA USA | 11/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'd like to disclose upfront that I am an avid Shakira fan. I have and enjoy all of her albums and compilations, in both Spanish and English.



This is my favorite Shakira CD. If you are a Shakira fan, it is a must-have. She has some of her greatest hits here, and the energy of the audience at the live concert makes this a very uplifting, energizing listening experience.



Note that this is not a collection of her best songs, and I believe most fans will agree. However, everything on the disc is good, and these are new, refreshing live versions.



What is so amazing about this CD, besides the energy of the live versions of the songs? Shakira is a very talented musician and songwriter, unlike many teenybopper artists in the USA. She has been recording great stuff in Spanish since her mid-teens or so, before she was known in the USA.



The most striking feature in all of Shakira's songs is her voice. Amazing! She has great vocal talent and control. I wish I were a trained musician to describe it better. You have to listen to songs from different albums, in their entirety, to experience the variety and subtlety of her singing.



That said, to enjoy Shakira's work, and this CD in particular, you need to be able to understand Spanish, or at least be willing to listen to songs in Spanish is you don't understand the lyrics. Half of this CD is in Spanish. In my humble opinion (as a bilingual person who has hear all her work), her best stuff is in Spanish; what she has produced in English is good but just scratches the surface of her talent.



While this is an amazing CD, it is probably not the best intro to Shakira if you have never heard her. I generally like remixes and live versions of an artist once I have appreciated the original.



If it is your first exposure to Shakira, I'd suggest her earlier best-of album, Grandes Exitos, which is purely in Spanish and a truly outstanding album by any measure. If you want English, try Laundry Service, which is a great album.



As far as songs on this CD go, "Underneath Your Clothes" and "Ciega, Sordomuda" are so outstanding they are worth the price of admission alone, but everything else is great too.



Listening to this CD, I wish I had not missed Shakira's Mongoose Tour!"

Shakira is "Ready for the Good Times!"

Bwool | 06/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike many of today's recording artists, Shakira isn't just a pretty face who stands there and lip-synchs. She sings, co-writes, and produces her own music, as well as choreographing her shows with excellent efficiency. This wonderful DVD is just only a taste of the God-given talent that Shakira is. Some customers complain about the fact that a few songs are left out from the DVD that were included in the tour, which is true, but my opinion is that it was for the better and the most spectacular performances are alligned to create a better impact on the viewer.



The performances are very creative and energetic and no two songs are performed in the same way. The high-tempo songs are performed with bright lights and plenty of color scheme while Shakira prances around on stage singing aloud in her throaty voice and often indicating at the audience with her microphone to sing along, which many do (who at least know the lyrics) with much enthusiasm. The slow songs are less exuberant and normally she just sits down on a chair or walks slowly around on the stage, but her voice soars during these performances and the audience can't help but sing along. There are several short interludes during the show when Shakira has almost brief conversations with the audience when she emphasizes the impact of hatred on the world and how we should all bind together to spread love and compassion in order to destroy all the grief and evils of the world. Shakira seems to be a very politically-involved woman and it is recognized especially in her performance of her Spanish hit, Octavo Dia.



The concert commenses with a wonderful instrumental intro. When the familiar, eerie, Arabian-tinged violin melody of the beginning of Ojos Asi is played, the audience starts to cheer. It's the perfect build-up for what's to come. The large cobra head in the center of the stage slowly lifts itself up, revealing Shakira standing in the center clad in a Middle-Eastern dancer type costume. Her hips slowly begin to move almost in a snake-like manner, and if you've seen any of her performances of the song before, you know what I mean. When she steps up to the microphone and throws back her head to sing, her powerful voice resounds throughout the whole huge stadium and the audience is gripped. From there on, the show kicks off and the audience never loses its attention for a nanosecond. She pulls her high-energy songs off with such charisma and confidence that it would rival and even surpass many performers today. For slow, earnest ballads like Underneath Your Clothes, The One, Que Me Quedes Tu, and Tu, Shakira croons the songs with drastic emotions while mellow-colored lights are shone over the audience, creating the perfect melodramatic mood. She even plays the guitar for some. One of my favorite parts of the show is when she strides out onto the stage and proceeds to hit the drums with a repetitive, yet killer beat. And of course, who could forget the Octavo Dia performance when her fellow bandmates have huge masks of various political leaders over their faces and on the large screen above the stage, a steely chess competition is being played out between two political leaders. Shakira's strong voice completes the solemn mood for the song. Her "concluding" performance of the Objection (Tango) Afro Punk Mix is nearly identical to her famous and memorable VMAs one and at the end, she bids the audience goodbye and leaps down under the stage, leaving the audience hanging briefly, wondering if the show is really over. Of course, we with the DVD see that she's actually changing for her final number. Finally, she rises onto the stage from a platform with a chandelier (complete with lit candles) on her head. She proceeds to do her famous belly dancing and the interesting digital-jungle type intro to the Whenever, Wherever Sahara Mix sounds off in the background. Finally, she places the chandelier on the floor and the familiar intro to the original number one hit, Whenever, Wherever plays, and the audience cheers. The concert then finally ends with Shakira being raised onto a high platform where she circles the crowd from above and beckons the audience to sing along to her bellowing notes and plenty of confetti being sprinkled onto the crowd. Then Shakira bids her final farewells and the audience, as well as the viewer, completely satisfied.



The hour-long documentary extra outlines Shakira's exhausting journey from place to place during her tour and expresses the agony and excitement of the tour behind the scenes. One of the scenes I found very interesting was when Shakira discusses how painful it actually is on her limbs to bend and bellydance like she does and she is literally screaming in pain while healing ointments are being applied to her back, but she assures us that it's all worth it.



The bonus features include and audio feature which can be played surround sound. The audio CD I found less fulfilling because it only includes ten of the songs, but the DVD definitely makes up for it. Overall, this is an incredible DVD, and I greatly recommend it to both Shakira's English and Spanish fans, as well as newcomers who have never heard of her before (though I don't understand why). Also, pick up her other albums, both Laundy Service and her previous Spanish albums. You don't have to understand the Spanish language to enjoy her albums. Also, remember to pick up her newly released Oral Fixation Volume II album which is in store now.



(And I apologize for the lengthy review which must have been a pain to read, but the item is just too spectacular to explain in three sentences.) :)"

A Feast for the Ears, Eyes and Mind--and a Terrific Value

Peter Anderson | Levittown, PA United States | 04/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Shakira has outdone herself! With a top notch concert/behind the scenes DVD included with a live music CD, I've never seen an artist give you so much bang for your buck. The DVD rivetingly captures her entire concert from the "Tour of the Mongoose". My son and I attended this concert in Philadelphia on his birthday, and had a wonderful time. The DVD included in this package put us in the front row or closer, and it was great to re-live that experience. I loved the way Shakira and her band handled a multitude of styles, from hard rock (doing a cover version of AC/DC's "Back in Black") to disco ("Are You Ready for the Good Times") to pop ("Whenever/Whereever"} to ballads ("Underneath Your Skin") to Exotic World Music ("Ojos Asi".} Plus she puts a rock and latin spin on just about all the aforementioned styles, frequently blending each of those styles in the same song! Her songs definitely had more of a rock edge to them in concert than they did on the original CDs, and that's just the way I like them.Then, besides the musical excellence, it's a bonus that Shakira is very easy on the eyes and can dance like a whirling dervish. Her belly dancing on "Ojos Asi" was especially memorable. Plus, on top of all that, she presents a socially concious message that each of us has got to love others, that love must be allowed to conquer the human tendency toward hatred.In addition to the complete concert, the DVD had a special feature offering extensive behind the scenes coverage of what it was like putting on this production in city after city throughout the world. Shakira revealed her personality and mannerisms unguardedly.Oh yes, also included with this package was the music CD of her live in concert. The interesting thing about this package is that the DVD looms in my mind as being the best part about it, yet the package was marketed and priced as a music CD, seemingly with the DVD included as a free bonus. Smart move, Shakira; if this package were in the DVD section at a higher price, far fewer people would buy it. But they'll buy it for the CD, and be absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the DVD, and probably show or lend it to their friends, thereby increasing her popularity. This CD/DVD is one of the best values I've ever seen in the music business. Get two copies and give one away to a friend!"