100 DVD Reviews in 100 Days

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Metallica
DVD: Live Sh*T - Binge and Purge
Year: 1989 / 1992
Visual: 3
Audio: 3
Performance: 4.5
Setlist: 5
Overall: 3.5

If you're a Metallica fan, this is a no-doubt, must-have purchase. First, there is an enormous amount of content here; in addition to two concerts capture on DVD, there's also a complete separate show captured on CD. Second, these shows were recorded during the ...And Justice For All and Black Album tours, meaning the songs come from their five best albums and before the band abandoned their thrash beginnings.

The shows captured on DVD include an AJFA show from 1989, which is a mammoth show that contains most of the band's bet songs. Blackened, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Master of Puppets, Sanitarium, Four Horseman, Fade to Black, Seek and Destroy, Battery and of course the AJFA title masterpiece as well as One.

The band itself is pretty much at the top its game. Hetfield has the audience willingly in his hands, Lars attacks his drums, Hammett does his thing and Jason Newsted is a bass-guitar playing beast. So why the relatively low scores? First, the sound is borderline atrocious. For a DVD recorded during late 80's / early 90's, the sound should just be better. It's muddy throughout, and difficult to hear the individual instruments. Worse, the DVD suffers from fast-edit / overly produced syndrome. Not only do you rarely get a shot lasting more than 3 seconds, whenever things slow down, the editor insists on some kind of visual effect. You can watch the entire show and never really get a sense of what's going on.

The Black album show has equally bad sound and slightly better visuals. However, the set-list pales compared to the '89 show because many of the early-album classics are replaced by the mid-tempo songs from the Black album. I just like thrash Metallica much better than rock band Metallica and find songs like Unforgiven, Sad but True, Wherever I May Roam and Nothing Else Matters to be boring.

If you're a Metallica fan, you really must have this as it's a comprehensive live document of the bands first decade. If you're a casual fan it's probably a bit much, as there's 8 hours worth of material and the S&M show is probably a better DVD product.

Master of Puppets

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Blue Oyster Cult
DVD: Some Enchanted Evening
Year: 1978
Visual: 2
Audio: 2.5
Performance: 4
Setlist: 3
Overall 3.5

This gets an inflated overall rating because of one simple fact: outside of SEE, there does not exist any video evidence whatsoever of BOC during their 70's heyday. This is sourced from a show captured on videotape and both the sound and visuals suffer horribly; it is barely above bootleg quality.

At times, all you see on screen is darkness as the equipment simply couldn't capture the lighting used at the time. This makes watching the show somewhat of a challenge. The sound also suffers, although, after listening for a few minutes you'll adjust and make out the different instruments. It's not ideal, but not as bad as it seems at first.

Further hurting this DVD is the bewildering exclusion of two the band's biggest hits, Godzilla and Don't Fear the Reaper. Have no idea why they were left off, as they are both present on the accompanying CD.

Really, the only thing salvaging SEE is the show itself. The band is great and show off both their substantial chops and their talented song-writing skills. Guitarist Buck Dharma is the obvious star, but singer / guitarist Eric Bloom also shines. The remaining members all contribute and, together, it's clear why BOC was such a successful band during their time.

If you're a BOC fan AND you can tolerate sub-standard visual and audio quality, go ahead and check this out. Otherwise, it's probably not for you.

5 Guitars

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Porcupine Tree
DVD: Arriving Somewhere
Year: 2006
Visuals: 1
Audio: 5
Editing: 0
Performance: 5
Setlist: 4
Overall: 3

I'm not real sure who Lasse Hoile is, but I hate him (assuming, of course, "Lasse" is a he). Why, you ask, do I possess such venom for someone I know almost nothing of? Because, he edited Porcupine Tree's 2006 DVD Arriving Somewhere.

This DVD has it all.....one of the best progressive bands of the 21 century, captured during their Deadwing tour playing some of their heaviest music. A fascinating setlist that found the band at the absolute peak performance with every member hitting on all cylinders. The sound a stunning 5.1 / DTS document that showcases the phenomenal talents of this high-powered band.

All of it rendered unwatchable by the ADD-addled workings of the Lasse person. While not submitting to the ultra-quick edits of some DVDs, Arriving Somewhere instead fails under the weight of numerous, mis-guided video effects that leave viewers wondering whether Lasse's prescription ran out during the editing.

You know how when old movie film overheats the whole screen kinds goes white? Yeah, expect to see that effect used about a dozen times. Enjoying a shot of Steven Wilson working through a technically challenging solo? Don't get used to it, we'll soon see a black-and-white shot of some old guy in the audience. Think blurry, out-of-focus camera shots make for better viewing? This video is for you.

Seriously, these editors just need to stop it. This guy basically employs every single stupid "effect" available with no thought behind it. I can understand if a song sets a certain mood and you want to reflect that mood with editing....but the effects are applied randomly without any pattern or cohesion.

This wouldn't be such a travesty if it weren't for the fact the band is absolutely great throughout. Steve Wilson combines amazing song-craft with some major guitar chops. Gavis Harrison is an absolute clinician on the drums and a major talent. The remaining members all match Wilson and Harrison's lead. Are they immobile and pretty boring on stage? Yes. But guess what Lasse? Most of us are happy enough to watch talented musicians play great songs....we don't need your fancy editing tricks to "entertain" us.

I'm going to start keeping track of the DVDs ruined by the editing. This one goes to the top, followed by Queen of the Stone Age's Over The Years and Through the Woods.

If you're a Porcupine Tree fan, this is a must-have, even with the mindless editing. If you're not, get it just for the music as the music is that good.

Arriving Somewhere But Not Here

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Judas Priest
DVD: British Steel - 30th Anniversary Edition
Year: 2009
Visuals: 5
Audio: 3
Performance: 3.5
Setlist: 3.5
Overall: 3.5

First, it's really hard for me to swallow that it's been 30 years since British Steel was released; makes me feel very old. Second, don't understand the love for British Steel as I consider it the point where JP turned from a unique, inventive, proggy metal band to a straight metal band - they still produced some good music but nothing that hadn't been done before (Painkiller the one exception). Third, this being 2009, the guys are old.

Considering all this the expectations here are not real high...and in some respects the band lives down to those expectations, and in some they surpass them.

The good: the band still has it as far as chops. Glenn Tipton, in particular, seems like he can play every solo and power chord as well as ever. KK Downing is also very good, but I always thought him the lesser of the two guitarists. Combined, however, they're as potent as ever and provide the bulk of the power and charisma on this disc.

I'm a huge Rob Halford fan so I was very interested to hear how he sounded...and I'd say good but not great. He obviously struggles or completely omits some of his higher-pitched wails....but it's not like he's a shell of his former self. His stage presence, however, is somewhat alarming. He's hunched over throughout the show, and seems to be perpetually squinting making him seem even older than the other band members.

Still...this is JP and for the most part they're pounding out (mostly) great tunes. There are a few BSteel songs I could do without (I'm looking at you United) but BS holds up pretty well. The remainder of the setlist is full of classics (Victim of Changes, The Ripper, Diamonds and Rust), well-known hits (You've Got Another Thing Coming, Freewheel Burning) and a marvelous version of the title song from their most recent album The Prophecy. Frankly, these songs form a much better group than the BS songs.

As with most modern day DVDs, the visuals are crystal clear and stunning. Happily, the editors chose to let the band's performance speak for itself and doesn't resort to fast edits and fancy special effects. The sound is not great, however. Part of this is Halford's, uh, mature voice and part of it is the mix which is muddy in portions and lacks the pop of many modern DVDs; the bass and drums are buried and difficult to hear.

Overall...it's exactly what it purports to be....legendary Judas Priests ripping through a retrospective setlist. Older and less vital than 20 or 30 years ago, but still able to rock. If you're a JP fan it's a worthwhile buy, if not, there are better options.

The Prophecy

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Voivod
DVD: Tatsumaki
Year: 2009
Visuals: 4
Audio: 3
Performance: 4.5
Setlist: 5
Overall: 4

Most people have never heard of Voidvod. If you have, then you're probably a fan. And if you're a fan, you're probably a big fan. There's really no in-between with Voivod, you either love them, hate them or are unaware of them.

If you are a fan, then you simply must get Tatsumaki, as there is no other video of the band. If you're not a fan, this DVD is unlikely to convert you.

Knowing the history of the band would help, as they've been around 25+ years, almost hit it big in the early 90's, staked out a comfortable underground status, then endured some years of rotating members, the sad death of guiding force "Piggy" Denis D'Amour and finally, the wholly unexpected resurrection of the band. An understanding of what the band has gone through simply to get to the point where this DVD was recorded gives the event an additional emotional whallop.

For the unfamiliar, Voivoid play intense, fast, challenging songs; this is not for the faint of heart. They were the first band (to my knowledge) to be called "cyber-punk, in the late 80's. Remarkably, this show perfectly captures the quintessential elements of the band: one-of-a-kind, do-it-yourself, frenetic, instrumentally challenging music unlike anything else you've ever heard.

The show features three of the four founding members, with guitarist supreme Daniel Mongrain filling in for the late D'Amour. All of the band perform amazingly well; they absolute tear the place up. Mongrain, in particular, deserves kudos for perfectly nailing the extremely difficult D'Amour guitar parts. He also possesses the largest head of hair I've ever seen, which gives him an almost cartoonish look. I do find singer Denis' Belanger's voice more gravelly than I remember from the studio versions and, at times, indecipherable. Bassist Jean-Yves Thériault is an absolute monster on the bass and his ferocity is equally matched by fanatical drummer Michel Langevin; together they are an imposing rhythm section.

The venue itself is cool, a tight, sweaty Japanese club. On the positive side, the simple 3 camera set-up perfectly captures the raw energy and passionately devoted audience. Also a positive is the pitch-perfect setlist which is made up of (primarily) the bands early period. These songs basically rock from beginning to end. Highlights are too numerous to mention, but my favorites are The Unknown Knows and the Pink Floyd cover Astronomy Domine (must be heard to be believed).

As mentioned, if you're a fan, buy this immediately. If you're not, probably don't bother. If you are a fan of unique, progressive, challenging music (think some of Mike Patton's bands) then it's definitely worth checking out.

Overreaction

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Smashing Pumpkins
DVD: If All Goes Wrong
Year: 2008
Visuals: 5
Audio: 5
Performance: 4.5
Setlist: 4
Overall: 4.5

First, I'm not a huge Pumpkins fan. I can remember when they first came out and thinking "If they ever get a singer they could be a really good band". Unfortunately, Billy Corgan has never viewed his singing as something that needed fixing. Keep that in mind, as I'm not able to put this release in context of the band's overall catalog, as I'm just not that familiar with all of the band's material. This makes, for instance, my judgement of the setlist as kinda suspect, as I could never create my own ideal Pumpkins setlist.

Having said that, this DVD was a major eye-opener for me. From beginning to end, the show captured here is a tour-de-force of outstanding song-writing and excellent musicianship. Additionally, Corgan knows exactly how to pace a show, lifting the audience up and then bringing them back down, providing an exhilarating roller-coaster ride through the set's 14 songs. And while his singing still leaves much to be desired, his delivery is honest and nuanced; while not up to the same high quality as the song-writing and instrumental prowess, his vocals aren't terrible.

The setlist pulls mainly from later and more obscure material; this is definitely not a collection of the Pumpkin's greatest hits. Nevertheless, the songs are fabulous throughout; not a stinker in the bunch. There are hard rockers that would charm the heaviest of head bangers (Superchrist, Lucky), tender singer-songwriter acoustic numbers (The Rose March, Peace and Love, The Crying Tree of Mercury), instrumental workouts (Heavy Metal Machine), straight-ahead pop-tinged songs (99 Floors, Death From Above). All these are are performed superbly and demonstrate Corgan's exceedingly polished song-writing skills. As long as he's able to craft such a wide array of solid pieces he'll be a relevant musician.

The unquestioned centerpiece of the set, however, is the 33-minute Gossamer. The piece combines all of Corgan's musical influences into a single epic. The entire band is challenged at various points, going from proggy opening to spacey ambience to churning rocker to crazy instrumental workout to brief (and compelling) drum solo to an extended, spell-binding and ultimately draining climax.

I give Corgan major props for not doing the expected but instead challenging his audience with not only a half-hour song but an entire set that probably was not what they expected, or wanted, but satisfied, nonetheless. The entire show is captured beautifully and is gorgeous throughout with outstanding editing that makes viewers feel as if they're sitting in the audience.

The show captured here makes up the bulk of one DVD; it also includes a handful of rehearsal songs (three are repeats from the main set). The second disc includes a documentary that helped me understand where Corgan is coming from and what motivates him; interesting but nothing I'd watch again.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the Pumpkins, progressive hard rock or who simply enjoys good musicianship.

Gossamer - pt.1

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Tori Amos
DVD: Live at Montreaux '91 / '92
Year: 1991 / 1992
Visuals: 3.5
Audio: 4
Setlist: 5
Performance: 3
Overall: 3.5

If you're a Tori Amos fan, this is a fantastic historical document. It captures two shows at the Montreaux jazz festival at the beginning of her career. The two shows, despite having virtually the same setlists, are two entirely different performances.

The first shows a virtual unknown, alone on a stage with her piano, passionately baring her soul to an audience that no doubt had no idea what to make of the fiery redhead singing openly of the most intimate details of her life. Tori is more-than-slightly awkward and clearly not accustomed to playing to large audiences.

The second, while also featuring Tori alone with her piano, features a completely different performer. This Tori is confident and poised and practically DEMANDS attention (at one point actually scolding the talkative sorts in the audience). She's also more willing to let herself go, experimenting more with her delivery and employing more daring vocals.

I prefer the first show, as it's more innocent and tender, which better fits her delicate songcraft and piano-focused music. It reminds more of when I saw her at tiny clubs in Baltimore's Fell Points district. And that's probably my biggest issue with this DVD. Tori Amos and a piano simply comes across better in small intimate settings than in large theater / arena settings. She's able to communicate much more directly with the audience and the audience with her and that element is almost completely missing from these sets.

The one thing that could have improved this would have been the presence of a backing band. The band has always been little more than ambient back-up to Amos' music but, IMO, it's crucial. Songs such as Precious Things would have been more powerful with a full band. Finally, songs after song of simply voice and piano can become a bit monotonous and a band would have helped to add some much-needed variety.

Nevertheless, you get Tori delivering some of her best songs in an interesting setting. It's compelling viewing and, if you're a fan, something you'll definitely want to check out. If you're not a fan or not familiar with her, it's equally interesting. The setlist is the best element here as it focuses almost exclusively on her first release Little Earthquakes. I consider LE to easily be her best work and having a video document of these songs performed openly, honestly and passionately is great.

Precious Things

[Cubecubed]

You should review either Green Day's Awesome as **** or [Bullet in a Bible[/I].Both are really great live shows.

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Joe Bonamassa
DVD: Live from the Royal Albert Hall
Year: 2009
Visuals: 5
Audio: 5
Performance: 4
Setlist: 4
Overall: 4.5

There are a number of guitar people I know who consider Joe Bonamassa the best blues guitarist of this era. I don't know about that...I'm not into the blues enough to have a strong opinion. I do know that I was mighty impressed from what I saw on this DVD. Bonamassa is a highly skilled guitarist who absolutely shines on the live stage. He combines stunning, emotional solos completely void of the self-indulgence and wankery so prevalent of rock and metal guitar gods. His riffs serve the song, not vice-versa, which again runs counter to most of today's guitar heroes. In addition, he's more than adequate as a vocalist, doing a damn fine Paul Rogers imitation that fits his blues-based rock quite well.

This show is, apparently, the biggest gig he's ever done and allowed him to do many things I haven't seen the couple times I've seen him: employ two drummers (a personal favorite touch of mine), a 3-piece backing horn section and special guests such as Eric Clapton. Throughout it all it's clear Joe is the star and he seems to revel being there.

While his emotional, controlled, skilled guitar playing is the foundation of the music throughout, the expansive set features a number of strong songs. Many are originals, but he also performs a number of covers that usually veer pretty far from their source and allow the band to stretch the numbers out.

About the only negative I can come up with here is it's clearly not a BAND on stage; it's Joe and a group of competent musicians. As such, there simply isn't the power and cohesion you get from a band that has slugged it out on the road together and has a chemistry that can't be replicated (think bands like The Who, Led Zeppelin, Rush).

If you're already familiar with Joe, you probably already own DVD. If not, it's a very good way to find out what he's all about.

Sloe Gin

[gamrrpol]

Artist: The Cars
DVD: Musikladen 1979
Year: 1979
Visuals: 2
Audio: 1
Performance: 3
Setlist: 4
Overall: 1.5

This purchase falls in the "I like The Cars when I was young, saw them a couple times and will consume virtually any live video of them" category. One of the few times I wished I'd refrained.

This DVD is weird in so many ways. First, the band is performing for a German music show (Musikladen) and is doing so early in their careers. It literally looks like they showed up for the wrong gig. The audience seems totally unfamiliar with the band. The looks equally disinterested. While The Cars were never a real energetic show, here they robotically going through the setlist with zero passion. They play the songs well enough but not a compelling performance.

Both the video and audio reflect this is sourced from viedotape 30+ years old; neither are very good quality. Finally, the setlist leaves something to be desired, which is suprising considering it pulls from their two first - and best - albums. For instance, I don't understand why pedestrian songs like Nightspots, I'm In Touch WIth Your World and SInce I Held You are included while Moving In Stereo, Don't Cha Stop, Let's Go, It's All I Can Do and Dangerous Type are missing.

All in all...it's only value really is as a historical document. There's virtually no video of The Cars from their pioneering early days and this is about it. Too bad it basically sucks.

Since I Held You