Carly Simon DVD: Live At Martha's Vineyard by Annette Warner

Waiting to review Carly's DVD was delayed gratification practice for me. When it arrived, I placed it upright on a beautiful doily as if it was a center piece and I swear I would have watered it and talked to it if it were green. It had it's own table top surrounded by CD's to review, article topics and other stuff I need to do, but this was special. Possibly the biggest fan, I'yam.  So, when it came down to the time I was able to devote to really focusing on the video, I opened the case, gingerly removed the disc, tiptoed to the DVD player and prayed that the electricity wouldn't blip during the show.

The magic this talented 60's and beyond era folk icon has woven through her career leaves me feeling blessed that she is still alive and kicking, belting out those brilliantly crafted tunes, old and new, and without a doubt…..still touching the hearts of the best of the best singer-songwriters this world has to offer. I was able to watch some of my favorite life stipends come together on this DVD. Birds, peaceful water, floating boats ...audiences…… and Carly. Let's go in……

I have honestly, in all the concert footage I have viewed over the years, never seen Carly performing with as beautiful a backdrop as Martha's Vineyard. The scene editing before, between and after Carly's songs was fabulous and depending on your imaginative ability, was either able to take you there or make you wish you were there. Heh! I was able to imagine I pushed one of the back up singers to the foot of the stage and ….ahem…never mind.

The cameras focus on a couple sitting on a rooftop, numerous fishing boats sailing by in the Lobsterville Jetty, brief glimpses of a sizable listening audience, but not large enough to take away the intimacy of what was happening on stage.

Other than one song she would have been duly lynched for if she hadn't performed it; You're So Vain, I didn't figure out until the end of the video why Carly dissed her piano playing, which is where I love to see her perched the most and I forgave her like a sister would when she apologized to the audience with the explanation that her hands were frozen. Awwww! I really missed seeing her poised where she is most beautiful… atop the ivory keys. But hey! She can dance! I had never seen her upright and moving so much…and now I know why.

The DVD, which was shot in 2 days but disappointingly holds only one day of footage for the main DVD show due to the chill factor, offers up not only some awesome performance coverage, but a "special features" section which shares an in depth and to date interview with Carly where she talks about the concert itself, the band and the songs and her career in general. I can't help but pass on the info that Carly is presently looking for her Live at Martha's Vineyard guitarist Jimmy Ryan and wishes that he'd call her…right away! So Jimmy if you by any chance read this, tell her Annette Warner from Wilmington, NC sent you.

My absolute favorite scene was the one created with the "2 Hot Girls" song. It began with Carly in the stage located dressing room with a peach window covering lit just provocatively enough to shade her fine form appearing to get ready for a night on the town doing the 'fem' thing as the music began. Then she walked out on stage with a brand new delicate outfit that matched the curtain she was dressing behind. WOW! What a pastel queen.

I believe her widest and most beautiful and sincere smile occurred with a parade of children joined her on stage to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and a confession by Carly that this was her most enjoyable aspect of any of her shows confirmed my belief.. that she's still a child at heart and always will be.

A nice section of scrapbook photos includes candid and posed photo's from her career and features snapshots of Carly with artists such as Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Bonnie Raitt and even her cats and dogs were featured in this 'real life feel' collection of memories. I loved it! Combined with the last feature inclusion of her discography, this DVD was completely entertaining, informative, memory packed and definitely time capsule worthy for a true Carly Simon fan.

As the sun sets beautifully over the Jetty, Carly performs her last song, which according to her was written as she was coming back to Martha's Vineyard on a boats after being stranded, called "Never Been Gone". Carly pre-empts the song predicting aloud to the audience that they probably had never heard it before along with a humble apology to the audience should they think it was corny. PALEASE! Carly could BE a stalk of corn and she wouldn't be corny. Well, I had never heard it and once again I was not shocked at the beauty, grace and utter vision of Carly's music, and the lyrics in the song "Oh it feels like, feels like I've never been gone" leaves me with this to say…..You haven't been gone Carly, and you never will be.

*BIG sigh*……I sludge my way to the player, I pop the DVD out, just as gingerly as I removed it..I placed it back in the case and with just a tad of bitterness I mumble "It's just really too bad you can't trade in your siblings when you find one you want better." If I didn't want to watch it again..I'd frame it.