The Living Room Tour

has co-written more great songs than almost anyone. On her of 2004 she ran through some of her favorites, old and new, in a very intimate manner with just her piano or acoustic guitar for accompaniment. (She was also joined by guitarists and on acoustic guitar and occasional bass and vocals.) The double-disc set documents some highlights from various shows and works well as a career retrospective as it touches on both the songs she wrote for others and those she performed herself. There are plenty of songs from and her early-'70s albums (including the reworked which features her daughter on vocals), songs from ( from the little-seen , from ), and a couple of new compositions (the cute ), too. was always an idiosyncratic vocalist and she sounds a little ragged around the edges here, more gritty and lived-in than you might remember but certainly not worn out. In fact, the grit adds some emotion and strength to her voice. It definitely adds a new dimension to the versions of songs she and wrote way back in the early and mid-'60s like Her relaxed takes on these classics are highly entertaining; sounds like she is having a blast and the audience responds in kind. The medley she does of / is great fun and highly educational -- no, amazing might be a better word. Knowing that those songs only touch the tip of the iceberg as far as classic tunes goes is mind-blowing. Fans of will be as happy as the audiences at the shows (who quite often join in with on the choruses of the more familiar tunes) to own this charming collection. ~ Tim Sendra