Time Out with Britney Spears

Review by miramaxfan for Time Out with Britney Spears
Rating:
Liking Britney Spears is something that you don’t admit to, or at least most don’t. My view of her is a matter of “if it’s on the radio, it’s actually kinda catchy. I’m not buying the album or anything, but the music is pretty decent.” (half my readers are now laughing at me.) Imagine my suprise when I turned on this DVD and was really very impressed with the quality of the presentation.First thing I took a look at were the music videos. “Drive Me Crazy”, “Baby, One More Time” and “Sometimes” are all presented in full-screen and look quite good, with impressive clarity and razor sharp images without any problems. What is really nice though on the music videos, was that you’re offered the choice in terms of sound of either 2.0 or the full 5.1. 5.1, especially on “Baby, One More Time”, sounded really quite excellent. All of the songs really sound crisp, clear, rich and carry a very nice amount of bass.When I first was looking around on this DVD, I thought it was simply a compilation of various tidbits(videos, notes, etc), but I realized that the main feature on this DVD is actually a 55 minute documentary on the history of the singer. The documentary is fairly interesting, with Spears talking about the documentary footage or various photos that are shown. Everything is split into chapters, with a look at the making of the 3 music videos; recording the album; a look at some concert footage and more. The last part is footage from Spears’s Disney Channel concert. This can also be viewed separately. Chapter selection for the documentary is also fully animated.Onto everything else; there is a 15 minute “behind-the-scenes” look with interviews with Spears and a look at her recording in the studio. The documentary also gives a very nice look in-depth at the making of two of Spears’s music videos(“Sometimes” and “Drive Me Crazy”.). Also included are a photo gallery, biography(text) and trivia game(which I failed, I think.). During all of the videos and performances, viewers have the option of the lyrics as subtitles. The DVD also offers web links for DVD-rom users.Even the menus are really nice, with full animation on all menus and when you’re in the music video menu, all of the videos play in the video selection menu. “Drive Me Crazy” also plays in the background of the menus. Amazingly, there’s also a really nice “help” feature that literally takes you through the entire disc. Fans of the singer will probably go nuts for this disc.Yeah, the music is not really my kind of music or anything but I really was able to appreciate the quality of this whole package. It’s not one of those things where a few music videos are thrown together with basic menus; I think that there’s a very nice effort put into this DVD and I was really pleasantly suprised.Grade:B+

Review by for Time Out with Britney Spears
Rating:
If you are a fan of Britney Spears you should get this video! It has all her music videos except From the Bottom of My Broken Heart. The interviews are good and they show her on the Disney concert.

Review by Nse Ette for Blackout
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I’ve never owned any album by Britney Spears, and had downloaded the odd track I liked in the past; “Toxic” and “Slave 4 u”, and things would have stayed pretty much that way, if I hadn’t read rave reviews from critics whose opinion I respect. I decided to give it a try, and surprise, I quite like it.

Yes, it may be largely down to the assembled team of super producers, and their studio trickery (it features quite a bit of vocoder and vocal distortion), rather than Ms Spears’ vocal prowess, but the result is rather pleasant, and guaranteed to get your feet moving.

Opening is the smash hit single “Gimme more”, a bouncy synth driven song with a technoi-ish sound in the chorus, and those famous opening words, “It’s Britney b***”. It is so catchy, I keep listening to it over and over.

Other standouts are “Ooh ooh baby” (nice guitars) which is vaguely remniscent of “Toxic”, the quirky Pharrell penned/produced “Why should I be sad”, which is the closest thing to a ballad, “Get naked (I got a plan)”, and the brilliant eurodisco stomper “Heaven on earth” which would make Giorgio Moroder smile.

Some of the lyrics attempt to touch on parts on her life; “Piece of me” deals with the media obsession with her, “I’m Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous / You want a piece of me / I’m Mrs. Oh my God that Britney’s Shameless / You want a piece of me / I’m Mrs. Extra! Extra! this just in / You want a piece of me”, while on the skeletal marching groove of the Gwen Stefani-ish “Toy soldiers” she seems to diss her ex, stating that “This time she needs a real soldier, and she’s sick and tired of toy soldiers” (in a cartoon-ish voice).

If she keeps releasing music this good, she just might succeed in blacking out all the negative press! A fun record which succeeds.

Review by Gen of North Coast Gardening for Blackout
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While it is clear that Britney herself was only a small portion of the making of this CD, the beats, lyrics, and general tone are just what I’d expect from a Britney album – fun, light, and very catchy.

You can hear that Britney’s voice has been played with in the studio – it sounds like she came in, did a bit of singing, and left them to perfect the sound. But even with that, the album is a lot of fun to listen to and one that I have been enjoying a lot. I love dance beats and songs that make me want to sing along and move, and this CD is great on both of those.

The best song is easily Gimme More, but the rest are all pretty good as well. Not a whole lot of character, but the songs are all catchy and there aren’t any real losers in the bunch, which is more than I can say about most CDs I have bought!

If you are a Britney fan, go ahead and get this latest from her – it isn’t as good as B in the Mix or her other top CDs, but it will stick to your player for a good long time!

Two months later: I wanted to add that this CD really has staying power. Most of the songs have really grown on me, and I have found that when I want to listen to something catchy and dancy, which is most days, I reach for this CD over other ones – even mix CD’s of my own making! There is only one song I consistently skip past (track six) and the rest are pretty darn good. I have gotten most of the songs on the CD stuck in my head over the past months, and listened to it over sixty times, and I am still not tired of it. So overall I’d say this is a no-brainer purchase for those who like a fun dance beat.

Review by ???? for Blackout
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If this were another time and another era and if Britney Spears weren’t “Britney Spears,” this album would be selling like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Because “Blackout” really is her best album. She really is one of the best commercial Pop artists ever. Britney has certainly had some of the more recognizable Pop songs over the past 10 years like “…Baby One More Time” and “Oops!…I Did It Again.” As a recording artist and celebrity, she has captured the public’s imagination on multiple levels.

Britney Spears has gotten notably better since her debut album. I think the first signs of evolution were with 2003′s “In the Zone” and now once again with her 2007 release “Blackout.” Where she has succeed and where some of her young peers haven’t is that she’s been able to stamp her image and persona on every song like Michael Jackson and Madonna have done. Even though slick producers like Timbaland’s protégé Nate “Danjahandz” Hills (Gimme More) along with Bloodshy & Avant (Piece of Me) deserve at least half of the credit on the album “Blackout,” without Britney Spears on these tracks they just don’t sell. She’s the secret ingredient on all of these songs. Only she could get away with something called “Get Naked (I Got a Plan).”

After 83 million albums sold WW, Britney knows her game very well and it’s most evident on “Blackout.” As a recording artist, she gets what works for her and what doesn’t. We’re not going to hear her trying to warble her way through Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston power ballads. Let’s face it, some people try and it just doesn’t work. Britney knows what her strengths and weakness are like Madonna does and she plays to them perfectly on “Blackout.” She’s a Dance/Pop artist and she has never pretended to be otherwise. Britney’s never tried to be the next Celine Dion and shouldn’t be faulted for that. Most people can’t sing that well. You have to put her talent in perspective with the type of music that she’s recording. If you do that, then she’s A-list without a doubt. She’s the best of her age group. If she continues to make albums that are as good as “In the Zone” and “Blackout” then in time she might be a true icon like her idol Madonna is. Her ascent to the top of the Pop world should continue if she can rise above the 24 hour media circus and put her legal problems behind her. Because “Blackout” makes a damn good argument that she should be next in line for queen. And her former Mickey Mouse mate Justin Timberlake might join her as king. Who knows?

But come on folks, Britney Spears deserves some credit. In the midst of probably her darkest moment, she has delivered her best record. Most people in the same situation under the same circumstances wouldn’t have come even close. Appreciate her ability and her music for what it is and you won’t be disappointed. I hope the Grammys remember her in February of 2009. An album like “Blackout” shouldn’t be ignored.