100 DVD Reviews in 100 Days

[gamrrpol]

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

Appreciate the suggestion. I'll check them out....but am not a fan, at all, of Green Day. From what I've seen they do put on good shows, though, so we'll see.

[exploder]

you should see Weird Al's live DVD from 2000
plus,Korn live at CBGB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8UI6zVS_JI

[gamrrpol]

Artist: The Cult
DVD: Live Cult (Music Without Fear)
Year: 2002
Visuals: 4
Audio: 4
Setlist: 4
Performance: 3
Overall: 3

If anyone saw the Cult in their heyday of the early 90's, they will instantly know this show falls in the category of "formerly great band with zero new material cashing in on yesterday's glory".

I see a lot of reviews of this DVD that says it's the Cult at the top of their game and the band is on fire, yada, yada, yada. Nothing could be further from the truth. The band performs with all the energy of a rock. Yes, singer Astbury shows signs of life and actually moves on stage, but beyond this it seems like these guys just don't care much. This lack of excitement is met equally by the audience which seems to consist of 2,500 middle-aged accountants who mostly just stand and watch (when they aren't checking their cell phones or talking to one another, both of which can be seen a number of times).

Further, while I've enjoyed the Cult's music in the past, having not listened to it in years, I was surprised at how simple it is. Especitally guitarist Billy Duffy, whose licks come straight from the 3-chord-rock-101 book. Nothing wrong with that (see AC/DC and a zillion other bands) but I had never really plugged The Cult into that category.

On the bright side, the setlist pretty much captures all their best songs. The video is brilliant and beautiful and the sound is what you would expect from a (relatively) modern-day DVD. Editing is also a plus, without all the quick edits and ridiculous effects that plague so many DVDs.

I'm probably sounding too harsh. But I recall seeing the Cult back in the early 90's and they simply rocked....the band captured on this DVD does not. Add the fact there's a complete absence of any new material and this seems like a lethargic nostalgia show. Only for the die-hards out there.

Fire Woman

[GNFfhqwhgads]

but adding the heart-breaking reality of watching a then-barely-sober Layne, and knowing he was headed for further drug abuse and his inevitable ending makes this one of the most powerful live DVDs you can purchase.

Does this mean you'd also go for Nirvana Unplugged?

The MTV Unplugged In New York performance was released on DVD on November 20, 2007. The DVD release featured the entire taping, including the two songs ("Something in the Way" and "Oh Me") excluded from the broadcast version. Bonus features consisted of the original broadcast version of the performance, a 1999 MTV special titled Bare Witness: Nirvana Unplugged featuring the recollections of MTV producers and audience members, and five songs taped during the pre-show rehearsal: "Come as You Are", "Polly", "Plateau", "Pennyroyal Tea", and "The Man Who Sold the World".

Not sure if it's been cleaned up since it was just released in 2007, but hey, it's always been a great performance, and that's a solid list of extras.

[Cubecubed]

The Big 4 Live DVD is pretty awesome.Just bought it on Blu-ray.

[gamrrpol]

Does this mean you'd also go for Nirvana Unplugged?
Not sure if it's been cleaned up since it was just released in 2007, but hey, it's always been a great performance, and that's a solid list of extras.

Yeah, definitely might. Am not a big Nirvana fan myself (but do have the Live at Reading show, which I'll review at some point). But that show is legendary, so I'll probably have to buy it at some point. Always admired the fact that he refused to play the obvious hits and, in the process, created a totally unexpected, unique show with much greater lasting value than any greatest hits show would have.

[GNFfhqwhgads]

Yeah, definitely might. Am not a big Nirvana fan myself (but do have the Live at Reading show, which I'll review at some point). But that show is legendary, so I'll probably have to buy it at some point. Always admired the fact that he refused to play the obvious hits and, in the process, created a totally unexpected, unique show with much greater lasting value than any greatest hits show would have.

Yeah, and I haven't watched it personally(for some reason), but I've heard Cobain is absolutely haunting because of how he looks, sounds, and what's about to happen.

Edit: Just thought of using Netflix for concerts, so added a chunk(including this) to my queue.

[gamrrpol]

To those responding and making suggestions.....thanks! For a long time there I figured there was gonna be a solo thread; which is fine, I'm doing this for myself. But it's nice to know others are actually reading.

All the DVDs I review I own....so if I don't take up a suggestion it's because I don't currently have that DVD (but might buy it in the future). Obviously, I'm only going to buy DVDs I'm interested in. As you can tell from my picks, I'm pretty much an old hard / progressive rock guy. Mostly I like musicians who know how to play their instruments and bands that can truly ROCK. So just keep that in mind.....again, thanks for the responses. And also GNF....the Netflix idea is a good one. I've never thought of using them to rent some of these but definitely will now.

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Pink Floyd
DVD: Pulse
Year: 1994
Visuals: 5
Audio: 4
Performance: 2.5
Setlist: 3
Overall: 3.5

Pink Floyd without Roger Waters can be summed up pretty succinctly: lots of flash, not much substance. And that's what you get with this DVD.

The images are gorgeous, ahead of their time for 1994. The sound is equally impeccable, successfully capturing the nuances of Floyd's sonic landscapes. Unfortunately, at the heart of the show is a group of musicians robotically going through the motions practically void of any emotion.

The show itself is spectacular, with the stage itself being the star. Elaborate lighting combine with dramatic special effects to create a never-ending feast for the eyes. All is gloriously captured with stunning detail. It's very telling, however, that unlike most DVDs, the most compelling shots are not close-ups of band members, but instead, distant shots that show the entirety of the stageshow. The musicians are so secondary, I think if you replaced them with taped music and kept the entire stageshow, most fans wouldn't notice.

Still, you get very well played versions of many of Floyd's great songs. The undoubted centerpiece is a complete rendition of Dark Side of the Moon, which is a joy to have. Other Waters-era songs include Shine on you Crazy Diamond, One of These Days and Wish You Were Here. The show's closers Run Like Hell and Comfortably Numb feature extravagant special effects, including a giant mirrored-ball that descends and then opens up in spectacular fashion like some sort of spaceship. It is, admittedly, spell-binding.

Less so are the post-Waters songs featured throughout the set's first half. There's 45 minutes of this plodding, tuneless music that features none of the dynamic found in the earlier material. The audience is visibly bored and disinterested throughout this portion of the show and it's understanable why.

Throughout the band trudges through the show with all the enthusiasm of a child in math class. There is zero chemistry between them and absolutely no connection between the band and the audience. They are little more than cogs in a machine. Not that they don't play well; they do. It's just without much heart or emotion.

Overall, if you're looking to capture the spectacle of a Pink Floyd show, Pulse does the job. Just don't expect the spectacle to include anything more than people dutifully playing their instruments like workers on an assembly-line.

Comfotably Numb

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Muse
DVD: H.A.A.R.P. - Live From Wembley
Visuals: 4
Audio: 4
Performance: 4.5
Setlist: 4.5
Overall: 4.5

Muse is really unchallenged in today's world of rock and roll when it comes to sheer ambition and this DVD captures the scale and majesty of their ambitions very well.

Everything here is completely over-the-top, from the mesmerizing, unbelievably shiny, ever-changing stage to Matt Bellamy's grandiose piano tilts to an audience that rivals any in terms of energy and unbridled joy.

Most impressive to me, however, is the outstanding musicianship on display throughout the show. Bellamy, of course, is well-renowned for his all-around talents on voice, guitar and piano. I personally, however, had not appreciated how good bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dom Howard are; they impress throughout with dynamic performances that span the wide variety of styles the band approaches.

While some have complained that a few songs from these shows have been left out, you still get a terrific set that covers all of Muse's material from their first album through Black Holes and Revelations (which is featured most). You get high-energy performances of hits like Knights of Cydonia and Hysteria as well as tender moments like Hoodoo and of course Muse specialties like Butterflies and Hurricanes that seems to touch on everything in one 6-minute song.

It all looks great, with the colors almost too bright to be real. The stage itself is a wonder, all glass and mirror and so shiny you often can't tell what's what (I still have no idea why there are two giant satellites on stage). I only wish the editor would let us actually watch the show without so many edits or bizarre close-ups and strange camera angles (like watching Bellamy through a drum).

Finally, I have to give major kudos to the audience....they're as impressive as the band. Every member seems to know every word to every song and they sing out deliriously throughout, stopping only to jump up and down and gyrate wildly whenever the band kicks into overdrive. Wembley stadium holds something like 90,000 people and when it's rocking here, it literally seems to be alive.

If you're unfamiliar with Muse's live capabilities, this is a great way to introduce yourself. If you're a fan of Muse, this is a great document of their live show. If you just like great musicianship and over-the-top stageshows and deliriously wild audiences, this is for you. Hard not to like this one.

Knights of Cydonia