Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
Concert DVD Buying GuideJan 1, 2007 (Updated Jan 19, 2010) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line This is your guide to Concert DVDs! Bookmark this page as your music concert resource!
This is a comprehensive summary of all the concert DVDs and Blu Ray discs that I have reviewed here on Epinions. Each summary has a link to the full original review, and I constantly add both classic and new concert DVD reviews to the list. I review all concert DVDs on state of the art Surround Sound Home Theater system with an Optoma DLP projector, Da-Lite Cinemavision 105" widescreen movie screen and full size 6.1 speaker set up. (no little cubes in my home theater). Concert DVDs AC/DC AC/DC-Live at Donington A fantastic 2 hour live performance at a huge outdoor venue, Donington in 1991's Monsters of Rock Tour. Angus Young's schoolboy guitar rocks as Johnson screams out the songs. Chris Slade backed the show with powerhouse drumming. This concert DVD in stereo and Dolby Digital really rocks in the surround sound track, and the widescreen panavision video was good. AC/DC The Family Jewels This is a 2 DVD set in 4:3 PCM stereo. Sound and Video quality vary since videos were culled from a wide range of sources. The first DVD is a set of live videos, and television appearances with the late Bon Scott. The second DVD is live performances and videos of the band with current singer Brian Johnson. The set covers the band from the 1970s to 1990 and is a very comprehensive set. AC/DC Plug Me In Deluxe 3 DVD Edition For collectors and purists this is a great set, you will get a lot of previously unavailable performances by AC/DC from both the Bon Scott Years and the Brian Johnson years. However, for those looking for quality audio and video capture of the pure power that is AC/DC live, you will be disappointed. Many of these videos are poor quality in both audio and video. I could only give this set 3 stars, it is for collectors only. Arch Enemy Arch Enemy - Tyrants of the Rising Sun: Live in Tokyo Singer Angela Gossow shows everyone how its done when singing death metal. Brothers Amott have the best guitar licks since the Brothers Schenker. An amazing Swedish Melodic Death Metal band with a great show done right. Widescreen Dolby Digital Sound 5 star audio video and performance! Not to mention, Angela is one attractive singer! B.B. King B.B. King - Live - This 2006 Blu Ray DVD showed why BB King is still awesome at age 80. The King of the Blues performs at his own club in NY to a set of delighted fans. The pure sound of Lucille fills your living room in DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, and the video is just what you'd expect from Blu Ray. 5 stars. Björk Vespertine Live at the Royal Opera House A fantastic performance shot on Anamorphic Widescreen with great video./ Dolby Digital Stereo or Surround. Excellent Surround Sound MTV Unplugged and Live A set of two half hour performances for MTV. Both are in Dolby Stereo and 4:3 with good sound and video. The first set is a 4/12 star set, but the later set, Bjork isn't up to her usually spunky self, and it only merits 3 1/2 stars. Cambridge A fantastic show! Good video production in 4:3, but only Dolby Digital Stereo sound. Full production values on this show with Bjork performing most of her songs from her album Homogenic. Live at Sheperd's Bush If Post was your favorite Bjork album, you'll love this concert. Dolby Digital Stereo but good rich sound with great bass and good stage presence. Video quality is good, although it is in 4:3. Bjork herself is superb. see also, The Sugarcubes Black Sabbath Never Say Die: Live in 1978 Well the performance on this fairly short show was good, but we don't get to see a lot of Iommi's guitar playing, and Ozzy's vocals were a little strained. What really makes this concert two stars though was poor audio and video quality. It is in Dolby Digital Stereo and 5.1, but I didn't notice a difference. Video looks like VHS quality and its in 4:3. Acceptable, but not quite good. Black Sabbath - The Last Supper The band's classic lineup performs at a 1999 reunion concert with a bakers dozen of hits. The performances are good, sound and video is good, but the songs are continually interrupted by the interview segments of the video. Half of this 2 hour DVD is interviews with the band. Some are interesting, many are boring. Some actually interrupt the end of the songs. The DVD does contain several hit songs performed well, so this DVD gets a better rating than the previous show. 3 Stars. Heaven and Hell Live from Radio City Music Hall Black Sabbath's second most famous line up, Dio on vocals, Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass and Vinnie Appice on drums did a powerhouse show live at Radio City Music Hall in 2007 doing the classic Dio years Sabbath songs. Filmed in Hi Def, and in DD 5.1 surround sound, these old guys show they still know how to rock! 5 stars. see also Ronnie James Dio Blind Guardian Blind Guardian - Imaginations Through The Looking Glass - One of Germany's best power metal bands, Blind Guardian takes us for a two hour journey through their world of J.R.R. Tolkien, fantasy and medieval mysteries in this straight ahead excellent performance. The second DVD is loaded wih extras, and the concert is in Dolby Digital Surround and Widescreen Anamorphic. Blondie Blondie Live By Request This 2004 show of Blondie on A&E's show Live by Request was quite a great reunion show of singer Deborah Harry, Chris Stein on guitar and Clem Burke on drums. Everyone looks a lot older, but none the worse for wear. The music itself was excellent, Harry's voice is as sexy as ever, and she sang with enthusiasm. The band performed 13 of their songs spanning their entire career. I gave this DTS 5.1 surround sound anamorphic wide screen show five stars. Buckethead Buckethead - Secret Recipe This 2 DVD set not only includes lots of performances and videos but just a lot of goofy bizarre Buckethead bonuses. It also features a 45 minute show at the Paradise in Boston, MA from 2004. Although its a 4 star DVD set for completeness and imagination, video quality is poor and sound quality is only fair. Full Screen, Mostly stereo, Paradise concert also in Dolby Digital. If you aren't familiar with the guitar virtuoso known as Buckethead, this is a good place to start. Young Buckethead Volume One If you are a die hard Buckethead fan, you may want to pick this up for an early Deli Creeps erformance and an incredible backyard solo, but overall, this DVD has terrible quality sound and video. Moreover, the Deli Creeps concert, except for Bucketheads guitar work is awful. I could only give this low quality DVD 2 stars. Candlemass The Curse of Candlemass Candlemass has had a couple singers. This short show was filmed in Stockholm in 2003 with singer Mark Marcolin. I am sorry, but my son and I just couldn't keep a straight face as this guy tried to get into touch with Swedish Doom Metal. A generic concert by the band in DTS or DD 5.1, but filmed in 4:3 for some reason. The show was okay, I gave it 3 stars. The Cars The Cars Live Club like performance of classic 80s band, The Cars. The band basically just comes out and performs their hit songs from their first two albums, The Cars and Candy-O in this one hour set. Audio has that in a barrel sound, and video is definitely VHS quality, and shot in 4:3. Yet, an average 3 star show Cheap Trick Cheap Trick - From Tokyo to You: Live in Japan I was expecting a concert DVD, and what I got was song clips between endless documentary clips with no option for just the music. Video is good and in 4:3, audio was fine in Dolby Stereo or Surround, but if you are looking for an actual Cheap Trick concert, this isn't the one! Cheap Trick Live in Australia A four star performance by Cheap Trick in Sydney Australia is pulled down by poor audio and video. It is in stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 but low bass is very lacking, and the sound quality is more barrel like than concert like. Video is VHS quality in 4:3. Nevertheless, the band shows they can rock, Zander sounded great, and Nielsen is still a blast to watch with all his guitars. Cheap Trick - Silver This concert was a 25th reunion concert in the bands home town of Rockford, IL. It was a great show, but again, it was marred by poor video and poor sound quality. The band put on a great performance of songs from their entire career, but sound and video turned a 5 star show into a 3 star DVD. Children of Bodom Chaos Ridden Years - Stockholm Knockout Live! One of Finlands most popular melodic death metal bands shows their chops on this fast paced in your face concert filmed in Stockholm in 2006. Presented in DD and stereo sound and widescreen. Video was average, but the band sounded great. The second DVD is chock full of extras. A must own show for fans of Finnish melodic death metal. Peter Cincotti Peter Cincotti- Live in New York This talented young singer and piano player rocks in an outdoor concert in New York City. Accompanied by a full jazz band, horns, saxophones, guitars, bass, this show looks and sounds spectacular. It was put out by Monster company as a showpiece for their Surround Sound DVD quality, and it shows. The show is in anamorphic wide screen, and the sound is pristine in stereo or Monster surround sound. Five stars. Eric Clapton Live in Hyde Park Some artists rarely disappoint, EC is one of them. This one and a half hour show captures Clapton doing a great rock/blues show with a full back up band including a full horn section. Performance was excellent, and video was good, although not DVD quality. Shot in 4:3. The audio was wonderful offering not only Dolby Digital Surround but also DTS surround. A PCM stereo track is also included. You really get concert quality sound here. Sessions for Robert J. Four great sets from Clapton,2 with a full band, one with one other player and one by himself. He plays songs by blues legend Robert Johnson, and sound and video are excellent. This was shot in widescreen DVD quality Video with audio in stereo Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. If you like the blues, you'll love this five star tribute. One More Car, One More Rider Another 2 hour show with excellent widescreen video, and three audio tracks, Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Surround and DTS surround. The show starts off quiet, but soon has the full band performing Claptons hits, including early Cream. A Five Star Show! see also Cream Albert Collins Albert Collins In Concert - Ohne Filter Live Albert Collins and his big blues band appear on the German Television show Ohne Filter and deliver a great one hour set of nine songs. The show is in 4:3 and offered in PCM stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The show really captures the sound Collins and his band. Albert Collins - The Iceman at Mt. Fuji The Legendary Blues Man Albert Collins a.k.a. the Iceman and the Master of the Telecaster performs two great sets at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival in 2002. If you like blues with trumpets and saxophone added to blistering guitar solos, you should enjoy this concert DVD. It is in Dolby Stereo, 4:3 aspect ration with good video, although cinematography was lacking. I rated it five stars. Alice Cooper Alice Cooper- Live at Montreaux 2005 Wow, this concert was filmed when the original prince of shock rock was 58 years old! Despite Alice's age, this concert shows that Cooper can still rock hard and put on the same fun stage show he is infamous for. Leather, black eye make up, guilliotines, monsters and the macabre are all here in glorious Hi Def. Although I got the Blu Ray, the audio is either Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1, no lossless audio. I was disappointed at the lack of LFE (subwoofer) depth on this concert, but overall, this is one of the best presentations of Alice Cooper Live that I have seen. I gave it five stars. (5 for performance 5 for visual and 4 for audio) Cream Farewell Concert Don't get this! The band may have played great, but you can't tell on this abysmal recording. It is completely marred with subpar audio and video. Moreover, the show is interrupted every couple songs for documentary footage. 2005 Reunion Concert This is the Cream concert to get! A two disc set filmed in High Definition widescreen DTS Surround Sound for a rocking awesome performance! Truly a five star show here. see also Eric Clapton Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow - Rockin' the Globe Live A great 83 minute show by Crow recorded in terrific 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS and Dolby Stereo. Sheryl Crow: Wildflower Tour Live in New York This show features many songs from the Wildflower album and a full string section. It is a mellower Sherly, but a great Sheryl. Dolby Digital Stereo / or Dolby Digital 5.1 and letterboxed widescreen. Another 5 star show for Ms. Crow. Sheryl Crow - The Very Best of Sheryl Crow: The Videos A great collection of Sheryl's videos. Sheryl Crow - Soundstage Presents A 2007 Blu Ray presentation by soundstage of Sheryl Crow in concert. Fantastic sound and vision. This hour and a half show was shot specifically for High Definition formats and it shows. In addition to high quality sound and vision, Sheryl herself shines as always. I gave it five stars. The Cure The Cure - Greatest Video Hits An excellent and comprehensive set of videos by the best Goth band ever. Let Robert Smith lead you through his tales of melancholia and euphoria. The Cure in Orange A great early show by The Cure marred by below average video and average sound. Many early songs were performed at this beautiful outdoor venue in Orange, France. The bands performance was five stars, but this DVD only gets 3. Nevertheless, if you find it on DVD or even VHS it's worth picking up for Cure fans. The Cure - Trilogy The Cure performs a show in Berlin in 2002 of three full albums, Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers. This 2 DVD set is amazing, shot in hi def, filmed in widescreen, and sound in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. The Cure puts on a five star performance and any fan of the Cure would be happy to have this in their DVD collection. Dark Tranquility Dark Tranquility - Live Damage One of the founding bands of the Gothenburg Sound, aka melodic death metal, this is a good performance by the band on tour in 2002, but is marred by very poor audio and video production. I regret I could only give it 2 stars. Dido Dido - Live at Brixton Academy I like Dido, but nothing really stood out in this show. Her performance was a straight up presentation of her studio music, and the sound although in Dolby Digital and DTS just lacked stage presence and depth. At least Dido looked good in anamorphic widescreen. Dire Straits Dire Straits - On the Night A fine but short final concert by Dire Straits. The band sounded great Knopfler and company, including saxophones and piano, delivered a great show of some of their greatest hits. It was in full screen and DD stereo. I gave four stars, because I wished it was longer. Ronnie James Dio Dio - Sacred Heart Tour A short set by legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio complete with a large dragon on stage and songs from his solo career, Rainbow and Black Sabbath. Video quality was not great, its 4:3 and VHS quality. Sound is Dolby Digital stereo. Dio: Evil or Divine? This 2003 98 minute concert was filmed in New York City. Dio still sounds great, and he delivers all his best songs including hits from Rainbow and Black Sabbath. Video quality was horrible, but the sound was excellent in stereo, Dolby Digital and DTS surround. A four star show. see also Black Sabbath Dream Theater Score 20th Anniversary - An excellent concert filmed at Radio City Music Hall on April 1, 2006. Petrucci & his talented band perform a nearly 3 hour concertwith a symphony orchestra joining in for the second set. In Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround and filmed in Anamorphic Wide Screen. 5 Star Show. Dream Theater - Live at Budokan - An excellent 3 hour concert loaded with extras on the bonus disc. This 2006 performance by Dream Theater, showcases why they are one of the best progressive rock bands playing today. Beautiful anamorphic widescreen, solid DD surround (or PCM stereo), and a fantastic performance by the talented members of Dream Theater. 5 stars The Dresden Dolls Dresden Dolls at the Paradise This was a great show by Boston's own Dresden Dolls shot in widescreen and PCM stereo. The DVD is also loaded with extras including videos, behind the scenes and other goodies. Duran Duran Duran Duran: Live in London 2005 This is a really outstanding reunion concert with all the original members of Duran Duran. The band sounds terrific as they belt out all their old hits and a few new ones. Sound is top notch in Dolby Digital and DTS surround and a stereo track; Video is in HD anamorphic widescreen. This concert DVD really puts the 80s right in the middle of your living room. Five stars. The Eagles The Eagles - Farewell I Tour: Live from Melbourne This 2 DVD concert set is the reference standard for my reviews. Not only is the PCM stereo track and the DTS 5.1 surround sound track outstanding, but the video is also high quality anamorphic widescreen. The Eagles put on an incredible show and this DVD set really sets an example of how to film a great show. Electric Light Orchestra Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue - Live at Wembley This is a 62 minute concert from the band's world tour in 1978. Although audio quality is outstanding and in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround, the video quality was lacking and the show appears to have been panned and scanned into a 4:3 format. The band themselves sound great, and perform over a dozen of their hits, including my favorite Mr. Blue Sky. I gave the show 3 stars. It included no extra features. Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Live at Montreaux 1997 Straining lyrics and a lackluster first half made this show only average. The later half makes up for the first half with some rocking out by this progressive rock group. The lack of actual surround in the offered Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 didn't help and neither did the average 4:3 video. Yet, it isn't a bad show. Eminem Eminem presents the Anger Management Tour This concert tour featuring Marshall Mathers, G-12 and Obie Trice was only an hour and 15 minutes long and focuses on the Eminem Show CD and only included a few songs from earlier albums The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. His stage presentation lacks some of the anger present on the studio albums. Shot in 1.85:1 letterbox in Stereo and Dolby Digital Surround. Stars ** Eminem E A short but bittersweet collection of 8 videos from Marshall Mathers. His humor and storytelling abilities are shown on this amusing set of videos including a full length Stan. The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips Live at the Oklahoma Zoo A homecoming concert for the Flaming Lips in front of a very enthusiastic audience. Wayne Coyne and friends put on a great show in stereo or DD 5.1 with loads of extras. Includes early stuff like She Don't Use Jelly and songs from the recent At War with the Mystics. Filmed in widescreen and included downloadable MP3s of the whole shows. It says 120 minutes long, but be aware that half that is documentary stuff and audience interviews interspersed with the live show. Foreigner Soundstage presents: Foreigner Live Okay, the band performs Foreigner's greatest hits well on this Blu Ray Soundstage presentation. The show looks and sounds good, but the only original member of the band here is guitarist Mick Jones! I was a bit disappointed. If you don't mind that it's practically a cover band, I still gave the show 3 stars for presentation. Peter Frampton Peter Frampton - Live in Detroit Sometimes those old guys from back in the 70s can surprise you! Widescreen, Surround Sound in Dolby and DTS, and a rocking concert by Peter Frampton, this DVD won't disappoint any music fans nostalgic for the super artists of the seventies. Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand This is a great 2 DVD concert of Glasgow, Scotland's hottest band with 2 full concerts, one from San Fransisco the other from Brixton, London, as well as an entire set of concert clips from nightclubs to outdoor venues and everything in between. It's all in PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 and the video quality is mostly widescreen and high quality. G3 G3: Live in Concert Guitar gods Joe Satriani, his star pupil Steve Vai and Robert Johnson showcase this amazing guitar concert recorded in 1996. Each guitar virtuoso gets a set of a few songs, then all three hit the stage for a finale. If you love guitars, you'll love G3. Dolby Digital 5.1 PCM stereo and 4:3 video. A five star concert. G3: Live in Tokyo Steve Vai and Joe Satriani are joined on stage by Dream Theater's guitar player John Petrucci. This one is not only in stereo and Dolby Digital Surround, but also filmed in Widescreen 1.78:1 formatted to fit your wide screen TV. Another five star concert for G3. see also Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel Play - The videos. This is an amazing collection of 26 videos (3 hidden under extras) that showcase 25 years of the musical genius that is Peter Gabriel. The disc is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound or stereo (a DTS track failed to play properly) and I rated it five stars. Peter Gabriel Growing Up Live - Gabriel is just one amazing guy. Former Genesis singer presents his fantastic musical vision with both style and substance in this 2003 concert. Widescreen, great video excellent audio in stereo, DD or DTS 5.1 surround. This show pulls out all the stops and deserves a full five stars. Gabriel is an incredible entertainer and a talented musician. David Gilmour David Gilmour - Live. This is a solo David Gilmour show from 2001/2002 featuring a mellow post Pink Floyd Gilmour. Don't think that means he won't perform classic Pink Floyd, because he does, including an incredible acoustic rendition of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Accompanying David is a 9 person choir, a stand up bass, and a cello! This concert features Gilmour mostly playing acoustic guitar, and the show sounds great. Great wide screen video, excellent PCM stereo or Dolby Digital, this is a five star show. David Gilmour - Remember that Night - Live at Royal Albert Hall David Gilmour, guitarist for Pink Floyd tours for his new album On an Island performing the album in its entirety, plus a large selection of classic Pink Floyd songs. He is also joined on stage by Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright, sax player Dick Parry, and special guests David Crosby Graham Nash and David Bowie. Perfectly filmed, widescreen, stellar sound, this 2 DVD set is a solid five star show. The extras include 13 songs plus documentaries. David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk 2006 If you thought a David Gilmour show couldn't get any better, see this concert. The Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra performs with David Gilmour and his band on classic Pink Floyd material and David Gilmour's solo album On an Island. This is also the last tour of Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright who passed away in Sept. 08. The bonus DVD has lots of extra performances and jams from Gilmour's last tour. 5 stars all around. see also Pink Floyd Gorillaz Gorillaz - Phase One: Celebrity Takedown A collection of videos, live appearances and cartoon animations from England's best animated band. Focuses on the band's first album, Gorillaz. Gorillaz - Phase Two: Slowboat to Haydes A collection of the bands live appearances, videos and misc. clips and takes focusing on the band's second album Demon Days. Heart Heart - Dreamboat Annie Live Ah, the sisters Wilson join together again for a 30th anniversary of their landmark debut album and sound fantastic! Take a trip down memory lane for this great performance. Ann Wilson still has one of the best voices on rock music. An encore includes covers of The Who, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin! DD 5.1 and Widescreen shot in HD make this 5 star show. The Human League The Human League - Very Best of A comprehensive set of music videos from this MTV band of the 80's. The only place you will find their videos outside of a "Where are they Now?" special on VH1 In Flames In Flames - In Live we Trust - One of Gothenburg, Sweden's first melodic death metal band's performs at the famous London Hammersmith Odeon! with a bonus performance at a small club. The band put on a good performance, although without a keyboard player. Video and audio quality is average, a 3 star concert in DD 5.1. Jethro Tull Jethro Tull - Live at Montreux 2003 A really well recorded and filmed 2 hour concert with everyone's favorite rock n' roll flute player Ian Anderson. Jethro Tull performs a wide variety of their songs from jazz like numbers, acoustic and of course the rockin' Aqualung. It's even available on Blu Ray with an incredible DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 sound. 5 stars. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Joan Jett Live at the Rockies - A short set filmed in 2005 from one of the 80s best known rocker chicks, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts put on a rocking set. Joan proves you're never too old to rock n' roll. Filmed for TV in 4:3 but nice Dolby Digital Surround Sound, a solid 4 star concert DVD. Eric Johnson Eric Johnson, Live from Austin, TX Guitar virtuoso appears here in an early 1988 concert in his hometown. Johnson gives a technically perfect if not passionate performance. Shot in 4:3 with a DTS surround track and PCM stereo. see also G3 Judas Priest Judas Priest - Electric Eye This concert finds Rob Halford and company in peak heavy metal performance at the height of their 80s success! Although video quality was mediocre VHS quality and in 4:3, sound was well done and in Dolby Digital Surround or Stereo. Fans of Priest should also be pleased with bonus features of ALL the Judas Priest videos and six rare television appearances! Diana Krall Diana Krall - Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival Diana Krall is beautiful, and so is her smooth jazz music. This show captures her show at the famous Montreal Jazz Festival in widescreen with outstanding audio that captures the sound of her jazz quartet. This concert includes songs from her recent The Girl in the Other Room as well as her earlier CDs. Diana Krall Live in Rio Diana Kralls 2009 album, Quiet Nights featured a lot of Bossa Nova, so this Blu Ray concert disc takes us to the home of Bossa Nova, Rio de Jainero, Brazil during her tour for Quiet Nights. Krall performs a very laid back concert. The show has a DTS HD Master audio track, Video actually had a rather soft focus for normally razor sharp Blu Ray. 4 star show. K.D.Lang K.D. Lang - Live by Request Truly a woman with a great voice, this hour long show was well recorded offered in Dolby and DTS surround as well as PCM stereo. It is shot in high quality 4:3. KD is quite the performer, and this DVD does a good job capturing her on stage. Alison Krauss and Union Station Alison Kraus and Union Station Live Wow, I never knew that I could love bluegrass until I saw this concert! Great performance, awesome video production and audio. You won't be a Man of Constant Sorrow if you check out this five star concert. Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page and Robert Plant: No Quarter (Unledded) Wow. Page and Plant get back together and provide the freshest take I have heard on classic Zeppelin tunes and throw in some new material to boot! Recorded in beautiful anamorphic widescreen, DD and DTS surround and DD steroe, this is a concert to own for any Led Zeppelin fan. Huey Lewis and the News Huey Lewis and the News - Live at the Rockoplast This was a great performance from 1984 at the height of Huey Lewis's career. The concert, although suffering from lackluster video and only 79 minutes long had decent audio and features all the band's big hits. I gave it four stars! Marilyn Manson Marilyn Manson- Guns God and Government Tour Marilyn puts on his Dope Show with all the Beautiful People with great DVD quality video (although its only 4:3) with a great stage show and DTS Surround Sound. A 5 star performance by Manson. Also includes a back stage documentary Keiko Matsui Keiko Matsui - The Jazz Channel Presents Keiko Matsui A gifted Japanese jazz/new age piano player presented here on BET's Jazz Channel. Keiko and her jazz ensemble blend east and west with a great mellow smooth jazz show. Sound is Dolby Digital, DTS surround or Dolby Stereo. Video quality is excellent, but in 4:3. Extras include an interview with the artist. Metallica Metallica - Cunning Stunts. Metallica delivers on live albums and this one is no exception. Over 140 minutes of live performances show the band in fine form from two shows the band performed in Ft. Worth, TX in 1997. This 2 DVD show is shot in full screen, Stereo or Dolby Digital Surround and has several extra features. Metallica with Michael Kamen and the San Fransisco Orchestra S&M This is a great blend of Metallica and a full symphony orchestra. Its a 2 DVD set with the full 2 1/2 hour concert featuring Metallica perform songs from Ride the Lighting to Re-Load. Not only is the show in Dolby Surround, but you can also choose to listen to just the band or just the orchestra (although only in stereo). A five star show. Pat Metheny This Way Up Live Fans of jazz guitarist Pat Metheny should enjoy this excellent performance of his jazz composition This Way Up I got the album on Blu Ray which presents the show in Hi Definition including a Dolby HD Soundtrack or a PCM stereo track. Sound is pristine. Five Stars. Moody Blues Moody Blues - Lovely to See You Live One of the great prog rock bands of the seventies is still around performing their great music. This 2005 concert from Greece is 2 1/2 hours long and features almost 40 years of music! The band looks older, and the show was quite good, although it lacked a little enthusiasm. However the sound and video was incredible as I got this show on Blu Ray. DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio rocks you clear back to Tuesday afternoon. I gave the show 4 stars. Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk Live in '66 Part of the jazz icon series this hour long DVD captures two concerts performed by Jazz Pianist extraodinaire Thelonious Monk and the rest of his quartet, including Charlie Rouse on the tenor saxophone. Black and White, Mono but still a great four star show. Each set only includes 3 songs, but this is jazz, so a single song can go on quite a while! Motorhead Motorhead - 25 Years and Still Rockin' Live at Brixton Academy Lemmy shows he still has it in this hard rocking concert shot in 2000 and featuring many of this bands heavy metal hits. Filmed in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1. Nightwish Nightwish -End of an Era A fantastic concert featuring the now fired/quit singer Tarja with the band. This concert not only looks and sounds great it also comes packaged with the show on 2 CDs. Letterboxed Wide Screen, Dolby Digital Surround and Stereo. Five Stars. Nirvana Nirvana - Live at Reading - Seatles premier grunge band at the height of their success. See Kurt Cobain at his best in this incredible 2 hour performance. The show is offered in PCM stereo, DD and DTS, although DD is the best mix. Video quality was average, but the show was 5 stars, the best Nirvana performance I have seen released on DVD. No Doubt Live in the Tragic Kingdom There is a reason this Anaheim California band got popular, and this concert shows why! Stefani and company bounce hop and rock out in this funky dancable show live from their Tragic Kingdom Tour. Sound was recorded in Dolby Digital, but video is only VHS quality in 4:3. Rock Steady Live Although the sound is great offering DTS surround in addition to Dolby Digital and stereo and its in Widescreen, No Doubt doesn't put out quite the show as their earlier Tragic Kingdom tour. Yet, its a good show. No Doubt - The Videos 1992-2003 For the die hard fans of No Doubt, this is a complete collection of the bands videos from 92-2003. Most are just studio clips though, the concerts are better. Opeth Opeth Lamentations - Live at Sheperd's Bush You can't go wrong with this 5 star show of Sweden's best progressive death metal band. The first half is all slow, brooding and melodic, and the second half brings on the full crunch of metal. Opeth clearly shows why they are the best band to come from Sweden since they invented melodic death metal. Dolby Digital, DTS, Stereo and filmed in widescreen. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - The Last DJ Tour Live at the Olympic This was a really outstanding concert performance of the TP & THBs last album, The Last DJ. The album is performed in its entirety, and a few Petty classics are played for the encore. DTS sound, letterboxed widescreen, this was an outstanding show. Soundstage Presents: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live in Concert This soundstage presentation of Tom Petty and his band on Blu Ray was very well done! I loved the fact that its not a greatest hits presentation, but a lot of lesser known material. Soundtrack was in Dolby HD 5.1 and sounded terrific. A five star show. Pink Floyd Pink Floyd - Pulse Waters and Gilmour may have parted, but Gilmour has led the band forward. A concert from the late 80s recently released on DVD is in a word FANTASTIC. Syd Barrett would have been most proud. Although video is shot in 4:3, the video quality is superb, the audio quality is superb (although no DTS track) and the performance on this 2 DVD set is unmatchable. The Police The Police - Certifiable Live in Buenos Aires This was one heck of a reunion concert! I got this 2007 Police concert filmed in Buenos Aires on Blu Ray and Andy Sumner, Stuart Copeland and Sting never looked and sounded so good! The show is just phenomenal going through The Police's catalog of hits. Dolby HD 5.1 and great video presentation. Five stars! Queen Queen Live in Montreal A great show with the band at their apex in the early 80's. I gave this Blu Ray concert 5 stars all around for performance, audio quality and video quality. R.E.M. R.E.M. - Pop Screen An interesting set of videos from Michael Stipe and company from R.E.M.s Green album. R.E.M. Perfect Square R.E.M. perform many of their greatest hits at an outdoor show in Germany. Filmed in Hi Def and Surround Sound, Michael Stipe and company look and sound fantastic. I gave this show five stars. Rainbow Rainbow Live in Munich 1977 Classic old school heavy metal concert featuring Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Over 2 hours of classic metal with great sound in DTS or Dolby Digital. Video quality was poor, but a four star show overall. Return to Forever Return to Forever - Live at Montreux 2008 Jazz supergroup with Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and Al Dimeola amaze in this Blu Ray concert filmed in Switzerland's famous Montreux. DTS 5.1 HD Master audio really brings these jazz legends right into your living room, a solid 5 star show. Rush R30: 30th Anniversary Tour This is a show to get. Awesome audio, awesome video and a great performance by my favorite Canadian trio! It is a 2 disc set, and the second disc is loaded with extras. Replay X3 Sigh, good things don't always come in three. This package of three Rush concerts is marred by poor sound and video quality in the first two concerts from '80 and '84. The '88 concert was much better recorded. The band themselves put on a rocking show in all three concerts and you get to hear Spirit of the Radio three times! Rush Chronicles : The Video Collection An average, but comprehensive set of videos from your favorite Canadian Trio. Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live The latest concert by Rush on Blu Ray or 3 DVD set is an incredible audio video showcase of how good the Canadian power trio still is! I got it on Blu Ray and was blown away by the DTS HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. Joe Satriani Satriani Live Joe Satriani shows why he is considered a guitar god on this incredible 2 DVD concert set. The first DVD has an awesome concert filmed in high definition with incredible sound and the incredible guitar of Joe Satriani. The second contains some other concert footage and some fun extras. A true five star show, and a must have for fans of excellent guitar music. Surfin With the Alien - Deluxe Edition with '88 Montreux Concert There is a great reason to get the deluxe edition of Satriani's most famous album. It is bundled with a concert DVD of Satriani at Montreax in 1988. Satch still has hair! This was a great hour set of early Satriani, that had good video and excellent 5.1 Dolby or DTS audio quality. Satriani fans need this five star early concert in their collection. see also G3 The Scorpions The Scorpions - From Russia with Love and Other Savage Amusements. This is a short 45 minute compilation of documentary footage, live clips and music videos of the Scorpions on their Tour of Russia in 1986. The documentary stuff is interesting, but the live footage amounts to only 10 songs with a couple videos thrown in for good measure. The band does sound great though, and the sound quality is great too in Stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1. Video is only VHS quality and the show is shot in full screen. Interesting, but overall an average DVD. The Scorpions - Moment of Glory: Live with the Berlin Philharmonic Not everyone grows old gracefully. I am sad to report that this recent concert from the Scorpions, a key band of the 80s metal scene, doesn't sound as good in the 21st century. Klaus Meine's vocals are definitely strained, and this collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic was more competition than cooperation. Not only that but there was no LFE track in the surround mixes. What is a concert without low bass? At least the video was shot well in full widescreen. Shakira Shakira-Live and Off the Record Wow, this woman can rock and she looks great doing it! I got it for her looks and kept it for the rocking set she performs! My only complaint is that it is letterboxed widescreen, so I couldn't see Shakira shake in maximum quality video. Shakira will also shake you with a full 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack. The disc also contains some nice extras including subtitles! Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour Another great concert from sexy Shakira. This 2006 concert is 2 hours long and is even better than the first. Anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital Surround Sound let you really appreciate this sultry singer. Britney Spears Britney Spears The Complete Videos - My Perogative. This is a complete set of videos by the former princess of pop Britney Spears. From the innocence of "Oops I did it Again "to "In the Zone" all of Britney's videos are included in this one slick package. Audio and video quality were excellent so it got 5 stars. Billy Squier Billy Squier-Video Hits Some videos should never be released. Billy Squier shows us why with this embarassing collection of clips that should have stayed in the eighties. Sting Sting - Bring on the Night Sometimes you get a concert DVD expecting a concert and you get a documentary. That is the case here. Sting's concert performance makes up less than half of this DVD although the audio and video are topnotch in full DTS surround and widescreen. Styx Styx - Return to Paradise This 1996 reunion concert in Chicago features most of the original Styx members and is the last concert with Dennis DeYoung before he left. Sadly absent is founder John Panozzo who died before this concert. The band rocks through their hits of the 70s and the 80s in a show nearly 2 hours long doing all their hits from rockers to ballads. Sound and Vision was great, performance was top notch, this was a five star show. The SugarCubes The Sugarcubes - Zabor Live Some fascinating 1988 concert footage and interviews with this famous band from Iceland. 15 live songs and 8 "interviews" See a young Bjork sing her heart out and explain the miracle of TV. Dolby Stereo, 4:3 video format. see also Bjork Therion Therion - The Miskolc Experience Swedish symphonic death metal band shows that you really can mix classical and metal! This CD/DVD package has two parts the first is the band performing genuine classical music by Dvorak, Verdi, Mozart and Wagner. The second set the band performs their own symphonic metal. Both sets are accompanied by a full symphony orchestra and choir. Dolby Digital wide screen. 5 star show! Therion - Live Gothic Swedens best symphonic metal band does a great show accompanied by two opera singers. If you ever wondered what a heavy metal opera sounded like, check this out! Dolby Stereo widescreen well done presentation. 4 Star show. George Thorogood George Thorogood and the Destroyers Live '99 You like Rock? You like Blues? You'll love this great set by George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. Dolby Stereo and Dolby Digital in average video, this is a rockin show that should please rock fans. TYR Tyr - Land Deluxe Digipack - Can't find a concert of your favorite viking metal band from the Faroe Islands? Look for the deluxe edition of their Land CD, it includes a live DVD with a 45 minute set of the band at Wacken 2006! Dolby Digital Surround and Widescreen Unearth Unearth - Alive from the Apocalypse It may be a short set, but Massachusetts Metalcore band Unearth puts on a great well presented show from a club in Poloma, CA. DTS surround, widescreen good presentation of what it is like to see metal in a club. Crank up the sound! A second DVD gives a comprehensive documentary on this bands struggle to make it in the competitive metal market. Steve Vai Steve Vai - Live at the Astoria This 2 DVD set features an incredible 140 minute show at London's Astoria in 2001. Vai is an incredible guitar player, and he also had an incredible band, featuring Billy Sheehan on bass guitar. The sound was great, although the surround sound mix was odd. The show was in PCM Stereo or 5.1 Surround. The video was full screen, but the camera work was terrible. Spinning zooming, cutting from shot to shot, watching this almost gave me a headache. Get this DVD just to listen to Vai though, he gives a five star performance even if the presentation is only 4. The second DVD features interviews, backstage stuff and all the extras you'd expect. Steve Vai - Visual Sound Theories: Live with the Holland Metropole Orkest This is quite an interesting DVD. It features legendary guitarist Steve Vai performing several of his songs with a full symphony orchestra, the Holland Metropole. The show sounds great. It is in Dolby Digital or Stereo, and filmed in anamorphic widescreen. No crazy camera work here either. I gave this show four stars. Steve Vai - Where the Wild Things Are How does this guy keep doing it? This is the best concert out there on DVD by Steve Vai. He still gives a five star performance, as always, but this concert was shot right, with great choreography, great sound and great video. Vai is one of today's best guitar players. He tours with two violinists to fill out the sound. Show is in widescreen anamorphic and shot in DD. I want to repurchase this on Blu Ray! 5 Stars see also G3 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Live at the Mocambo A great, but short 60 minute set recorded in 1983 in Toronto. SRV performs a dozen songs, including an outstanding Texas Flood and Third Stone from the Sun. Audio is in PCM stereo and Dolby Digital. The stereo mix is rather flat, and the surround mix has a definite club sound to it. Video is VHS quality and 4:3. Suzanne Vega Suzanne Vega - Live at Montreux 2004 If you like folksy singer Suzanne Vega, you really only have one choice for a concert DVD. However, you are in luck because its an awesome show with hits from the early My Name is Luka right up to the Closer Soundtrack with Caramel. Its in full anamorphic widescreen and a great Dolby Digital or DTS surround and DD Stereo. Whitesnake Whitesnake - Live in the Still of the Night Not a bad performance at all from David Coverdale in 2004. Although he doesn't have Steve Vai here, he puts on a great heavy metal show with all the bands hits. Not only that, the man doesn't look like he has aged since his wife Tawny Kitaen cavorted on the hood of his jaguar. The Who Tommy Live This is an excellent show, but it isn't the one to get. 4:3 video, DD and DTS surround and DD stereo. No extras though. Quadrophenia Live This is also an excellent show, but it isn't the one to get. Letterboxed widescreen, DD and DTS surround and DD stereo. Also no extras. Tommy and Quadrophenia Live with Special Guests THIS, THIS is the one to get. It contains the complete Tommy, and the complete Quadrophenia from the above two single DVD releases and a THIRD DVD with the encores from both the shows with all the other hits by the WHO. Live in Boston This is the first DVD without Entwistle. He passed on in the middle of the bands 2002 tour, and they had to go on with out him. Nevertheless its a pretty good show! DD Surround PCM stereo. High quality 4:3 video. Live in Toronto This show brings us back to 1982 for a concert the band performed in Canada. Its a good show for Who concert collectors because it has many songs not usually heard. However, it isn't the most exciting I have seen them play, they seemed a bit subdued. DD Surround PCM stereo VHS quality video. Live at the Isle of Wight (1970) Average video in 4:3, soundtrack somewhat lacking in bass, why do I tell you that this is also a MUST OWN WHO CONCERT! Because this is the real deal. This is Keith, Roger, Pete and John when they were young and full of energy. This concert clearly shows why the Who became a must see in concert band. The Who and Very Special Guests This is a great concert by The Who at the famous Royal Albert Hall before John Entwistle died. The show was excellent, and included many hits. Special guests included Bryan Adams, Rory Gallagher of Oasis and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. I was also pleased that it was done in Widescreen and had excellent audio. Another 5 star show for The Who. Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder - Live at Last Aptly titled awesome show by legendary Stevie Wonder! It's about time! This 2008 show goes back 3 decades with songs from all of Stevie's wonderful career. It looked and sounded impeccable. I wanted to get up and dance watching this superb Blu Ray filmed in widescreen in Dolby Digital HD 5.1 Master Audio. If you ever turned up a Stevie Wonder song on the radio, go get this concert! YES Yes - Greatest Video Hits. The reality is that even though Yes is a great band, music videos just weren't their strong point. Yes - Live in Philadelphia 1979 This was probably a great historic show by Yes, but the entire concert isn't even shown, just the big hits. The show is also marred by very poor audio and video. As much as I love Yes, I could only give this concert that sounded like it was in a barrel 2 stars. Neil Young Silver and Gold (Acoustic Concert) For those who like the softer side of Neil Young, this concert performance of the entire Silver and Gold CD plus a couple of his softer acoustic hits is a must own. It is just Neil with his guitar and his harmonica. DD surround and PCM stereo. You also get to choose 4:3 or 16:9! Friends & Relatives - Red Rocks Live You prefer your Neil Young rockin with the electric guitar and full band? OK its not Crazy Horse, but this is a straight up rock n roll concert. DD surround or PCM stereo filmed in widescreen. Heart of Gold This recent Jonathen Demme film captured Neil on his Prairie Wind tour. Neil and his band perform that entire album and several YOung classics. This is a mellow concert overall, and the second disc contains a number of extra features. Its in 2.35:1 widescreen and the sound is offered in DD and DTS 5.1 as well as PCM stereo. Neil Young Live at Massey Hall 1971 Part of Neil Young's archive releases, this recently released early concert captures a fantastic acoustic show where Young debuts much of his Harvest album as well as hits from his time with Buffalo Springfield and his successful Everyone Knows this is Nowhere album. It is available as a CD/DVD set. Video quality on the DVD is abysmal, but the PCM 24/96 stereo sound is pristine! ZZ Top ZZ Top Live from Texas 2007 Everythings bigger in Texas, and the trio of Dusty Hill, Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons prove they still rock hard and loud on this outstanding concert available on regular DVD and Blu Ray. All the big hits, fuzzy guitars and fat Texas sound are here in DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 (or DD 5.1 on DVD) Its a great five star show. Bookmark this Page and Come Back for More Concert DVD reviews!  |
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