0304 Review

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(More customer reviews)Enough with the negative reviews on this cd. It's too different for the hardcore fans, etc., etc. It's too much like Christina Aguilera or Britany Spears, which is inaccurrate. You know, there was a time when a female artist could jump genres of music and receive accolades instead of dismissals. Olivia Newton-John, Tina Turner, Cher, Madonna, Annie Lennox, Sinead O'Connor--all were able to shift gears musically, and to me that's a sign of talent, not selling out. Sure, Jewel is finely airbrushed on the cover, the titles are written like Prince tunes (U & Me= Love, Run 2 U, Yes U Can), and the songs are polished to fine pop bliss. I, for one, find this cd to be one of Jewel's finest. She forgoes all the pseudo-serious folk preaching and gets down to business with a cd filled with upbeat tracks instead of her serious ballads. However, she is still writing about serious topics such as social issues in "Stand" and "America" along with other familiar themes of love such as "Run 2 U", "Fragile Heart" and "2 Become 1". She also deals with letting go and trying new things such as the first single "Intuition", which probably flew over most Jewel fans' heads. She even deals with lust on "Sweet Temptation", "U & Me= Love" and "Yes U Can". In fact, there are a number of hits on this disc: "Stand", "Run 2 U", "Intuition", "Leave The Lights On", "2 Find U", "Fragile Heart", "Sweet Temptation", "Yes U Can", "America" & "Becoming". The only true miss is the overlong "Haunted", which seemed out of place. This new direction is great--a breath of fresh air for Jewel. She sounds like she's having fun and the music represents that spirit. Too many reviewers are taking this cd too seriously. This could be Jewel's "Thriller" or "Hysteria" or "No Jacket Required". If you're looking for intelligent pop (which Aguilera and Spears are not), then pick this up (also if you like the 80's).

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Eagerly awaited fifth album sees the multi-platinumsinger/songwriter once again expanding her ever-diversemusical palette. Co-Produced by Lester Mendez (known forhis work with such artists as Enrique Iglesias and Shakira) and Jewel herself, 0304 features a hypnotic fusion ofsounds - melding pop, rock, folk, and dance with heruniquely personal lyrical style and musical authenticity.This limited edition includes a collectable card unlockingaccess to behind-the-scenes footage, previously unreleasedlive performance videos and more. Atlantic. 2003.

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Jewel - Live At Humphrey's By The Bay (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, let me get this off my chest: Finally, a Jewel concert on DVD!
This is Jewel's first concert release on DVD. I thought it was great-- no rapid cuts between cameras, no quirky sound issues, and the picture is crisp, clean, and clear. Jewel is radiant, and I thought this recording did well to capture her sense of humor.
For those who prefer pre-0304 before the makeover, this was performed well before 0304, so it's folkie-acoustic-Jewel. Whether you like her recent transformation or not, this DVD boasts the same great voice her fans have come to know and love.
Though some have complained about the sound, it's not an issue unless you're *really, really, really* a sound buff. I popped it in the player and was able to enjoy it just fine with my TV speakers and the occasional stereo headphone (when I play it on the computer).
About 3/4 of the songs are done solo, so fans of "Jewel & Guitar" won't be disappointed. The last four songs (You Were Meant For Me, Hands, Everybody Needs Someone Sometime, Who Will Save Your Soul) are performed with a band backing her up. (She picks up the electric guitar in the 'Hands' performance.)
Also included are 3 bonus performances of Love Me Just Leave Me Alone, Do You Want to Play, and Jesus Loves You. There's also a Standing Still video, which is basically a montage of various behind the scenes and concert clips showing while the song is playing. Then there's an interview with Jewel that's about 12 minutes long in which she talks about her creative process and the long break she took between before recording 'This Way.'
Jewel's forte is live performances. Though I wish there were more songs, I'll take what I can get. I especially enjoyed her lively banter with her audience, and it was great fun to see her start off her concert with opera, off all things, a cappella. I also liked Who Will Save Your Soul, which when performed live nowadays is nothing like what it was on the album. It's become a jazzy number that serves her as a vehicle for improv, and improv she definitely does on this one!
Just to set the record straight, I did some research on Jewel since some people have complained that the material is old (from 2001). The new tour for the 0304 CD is currently underway in the US, so it's 1) impossible to get a concert DVD for the new tour, since it still hasn't wrapped up yet, which means 2) this DVD was probably released partly to help promote the 0304 tour.
Sound quality I thought was fine. Jewel's voice rang crystal clear. Picture quality was terrific, clear, and sharp-- no fuzziness/blurriness like on Sarah McLachlan's Mirrorball DVD. The editing wasn't distracting in the slightest, so no rapid-chops like on Sheryl Crow's C'mon America release.
If you're a Jewel fan, definitely get this. If you like the genre or if you loved Lillith Fair, this should be of interest to you. However, if the thought of a girl and her guitar for an hour makes you sleepy just thinking about it, pass on this. My take on this is that it isn't my all-time favorite concert, but it was worth the money and I'm definitely happy with this purchase. I like the genre, I like Jewel, and this concert was 15 bucks decently spent.

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Shot over two performances on a summer night just before the launch of her ©¯This Way©˜ tour,"Live at Humphrey's By the Bay" is Jewel's first ever Live Concert DVD.Remixed and Mastered to Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS Surroundand Dolby Stereo, "Live at Humphrey's By the Bay©˜ captures the true essence of this Multi-platinum singer/songwriter's decade long career. With album sales topping 25 million, "Live at Humphrey's By the Bay" includes all of Jewel©ˆs signature songs including Hands, Everything Breaks Sometime, and You Were Meant For Me and brings you a front row seat in an intimate setting by one of the greatest artists of our generation.

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