4/5 Great DVD of Rock's Greatest Unknown Superstar
  by James Takahashi (Beavertown, OR, USA)
An excellent DVD of Ian Hunter performing live in Oslo in 2002 with a 17-piece string orchestra. Not surprisingly, the presence of the strings led to a ballad-heavy set list, though even some rockers (e.g., All the Way From Memphis) are rearranged for strings.

While I think Hunter is generally at his best when rocking out, I do enjoy his crooning as well. The emphasis on ballads led him to dust off a really old Mott the Hoople favorite: Waterlow. I've never heard or seen this performed live, and this performance reinforces strongly my opinion that this is one of the best songs Hunter has ever written. Even more surprising than this pleasant treat, however, is the performance of "Michael Picasso," Hunter's tribute to his old bandmate, Mick Ronson. I've always been lukewarm to that song, however, Hunter's heartfelt performance on this DVD makes this perhaps the highlight of the disc.

Hunter is definitely in the twilight of his outstanding career (the amazing accomplishment of his most recent studio outing, "Rant," notwithstanding), and Hunter's stage persona is beginning to seem less like "Rock 'n Roll Superstar" and more like "Rock Elder Statesman." Most of the swagger is gone, and is replaced by an older, wiser confidence, and perhaps even a sense of gratitude and humility. The concert's closer, "Saturday Gigs," was once Hunter's farewell to his Mott bandmates, but now seems transformed into a thank you to his fans.

For a long-time fan like myself, this is a wonderfully recorded testament of the greatness that is Ian Hunter live. For the Ian Hunter novice, however, I'd suggest starting off with "Welcome to the Club" instead.

4/5 Great footage of Ian
  by Carla Lilie (Des Moines, Ia. United States)
I would fully recommend this DVD to Ian Hunter fans. The technical quality of the DVD is excellent and so is the performance of Hunter and the band. A wide range of material is covered here, and some of the songs are quite new. Some of the highlights for me include "Twisted Steel", a song Hunter wrote in response to September 11th, "I wish I was your mother", and "Irene Wilde". The DVD also includes an interview with Hunter and 3 bonus tracks, one of which is "Roll away the Stone", another Mott favorite of mine. It's nice to see this man is still growing and progressing as an artist.

3/5 IAN HUNTER WITH STRINGS ?
  by BLUZMAN (oceanside, ca USA)
AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF ROCKIN' WE GET A VERY WATERED DOWN VERSION OF WHATS LEFT IN IAN'S TANK.I KNOW HE CAN STILL ROCK WITH THE BEST OF THEM, HOWEVER ON THIS DVD, WE GET MILKTOAST ENGLISH ROCK FOR ENGLISH BABY BOOMERS. IN MY OPINION, STRINGS HAVE NO PLACE IN ROCK AND ROLL!!!! I GAVE THIS DVD ONLY 3 STARS AND THAT WAS FOR THE EFFORT IT TOOK TO STAGE THIS SHOW. IANS NEW DVD WITH THE RANT BAND AND MICK RALPHS IS JUST THE TICKET. A REAL IAN HUNTER ROCK SHOW !!!! KEEP ROCKIN' IAN....

5/5 A Very Special night!
  by Anthony Accordino (Massapequa Park, New York United States)
Ian Hunter has long been one of rock n rolls unsung heroes. The quality of this live performance makes this in my eyes, one of the greatest live rock recordings in recent memory. Ian Hunter has long been called the british Bob Dylan, and with good reason. He has contantly written quality material, and now for the first time is captured live on DVD for all to enjoy, complete with a full orchestra. His british accent adds an emotional flavor to his ballads that should not be missed. One listen to "Ships" and "Irene Wilde", and his tribute to Mick Ronson, are nothing short of gems. Hunter rocks as well, on tunes like "All The Young Dudes", "Once Bitten Twice Shy", and "All The Way From Memphis". The sound and picture quality is fantastic. One can see that lots of care and work went into this production, and in my opinion, is Ian Hunters greatest live performance. The companion CD is the exact show that is on this fantatic DVD. I highly recommend both DVD and CD to one and all, who are fans of Ian, or to those who are waiting to become fans. A truly monumental effort.

5/5 Old Rockers Never Die
  by Phi (Wheaton, IL USA)
Can't say enough good things about the performances on 'Strings Attached.' Ian and his band are in prime form and the addition of the string section lends a wonderful nuance and depth to the ballads, especially the Mick Ronson tribute "Michael Picasso". Not the usual bathetic 'rock with strings' mashup but rather a heartfelt, passionate hybrid that shines a new light on one of rocks's great true believers. The sound quality is great throughout and the stoked Oslo crowd adds to the excitement. Obviously I'm a big fan and you will be too after checking this out.