DO NOT BUY THIS DVD if you are expecting all the bells and whistles that come with DVDs these days. RENT IT INSTEAD.

My kids and I went to the Missouri State Fair in 2000 to see Styx and REO Speedwagon in person, and with the exception of being jerked around by Ticketmaster (see my write up on purchasing from Ticketmaster via internet), the concert itself was TRULY AWESOME, even if the word awesome is grossly overused these days. WE ROCKED!

I heard that Styx/REO had a CD/DVD/VHS set coming out, that was recorded in St. Louis, so I put my name on the waiting list at Amazon, to purchase the DVD when it came out.

MISTAKE.

First off, this DVD had not the intensity most DVDs have these days. The show was lackluster, even for two of the best arena bands in history. Something about the way it was recorded, I presume, did not allow that "feeling" we had "in person" to come through.

You can view the shows in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, or in Dolby Digital Stereo, and you can immediately access certain songs, but that's where the bells and whistles stop.

Listed as "FEATURES" on this DVD are Discographies, Biographies, Web Links, Tour Photo Gallery, and Audio Interviews.

Let me say this. THESE FEATURES SUCKETH. The Discographies are just a typed up LIST of album names, and release dates! There were NO album cover photos, or little sound bytes from the albums. The Biographies were the same way. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! Almost like it was just thrown together in order to get this out by Christmas.

The Photo Gallery is simply wide-angle shots of the concert that you just watched. Big whoop-di-do.

And for the piece de resistance (tongue in cheek)?! THE AUDIO INTERVIEW! You stare at a background while you listen to Tommy Shaw speak! Then you stare at the same background while you listen to Kevin Cronin speak!

COME ON!!! Couldn't they AT LEAST put these two artists TOGETHER?! And would it have KILLED someone to put up an AUDIO/VIDEO of the interview?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

PMO!!

We still haven't figured out what "Motion Menus" means. We can't get different camera angles from this DVD, no matter how we try. And yes, we know how to do that, as we've done it with other DVD's we've rented and borrowed, so it's not us.

We've watched this two times, and I don't want to get rid of it for sentimental reasons (my kids LOVE Styx) and Kevin Cronin is such an entertainer.

DO NOT BUY THIS DVD! As if a final insult, we have two compilation tunes, with both bands performing them - one from Styx (Blue Collar Man) and REO (Roll With the Changes). The insult is, the producers of this DVD LEFT OFF GREAT STYX TUNES (Crystal Ball, Miss America), but BLUE COLLAR MAN IS ON HERE TWICE!

The play list is as follows: Styx - Blue Collar Man, Fooling Yourself, Lady, Brave New World, Edge of the Century, Heavy Water, Too Much Time on my Hands, Renegade

REO - Don't Let Him Go, Music Man, Take it on the Run, Can't Fight This Feeling, Time for Me to Fly, Back on the Road Again, Keep on Loving You, Ridin' the Storm Out, 157 Riverside Avenue.

The running time is 105 minutes. Long enough for a decent party for the youngest Baby Boomers.



Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8