Then the news came out that Michael Jackson’s rehearsals had been filmed and his camp released some rather short rehearsal footage taken a few days before his death which seemed to indicate that he had been in good health prior to his death. Then came word that a feature film would be released pieced together with the rehearsal as well as other footage to give fans a glimpse of what the This Is It tour was going to be like had it debuted in London. The film, released to theaters for 2 weeks was a huge hit. I missed it in theaters but was really impressed with the video and audio quality on a trailer for the Blu-ray release included on a recent Sony release. Would the look and sound of the feature release even exceed the trailer?

Film 

This film is clearly made for Michael Jackson fans. If you are a fan of Michael Jackson and his music, you will simply love this film. If you aren’t, I guess there will be no need for you to experience the film, other than for some sense of historic curiosity. Most of the film was shot at the rehearsals at The Staples Center in LA in the weeks before his death.

Some of the footage was shot at sessions where the dancers were selected and others at studios where new footage to serve as intros and backdrops for songs such as Thriller were shot as well as some pre-production meetings. Several full length or nearly full length song performances are pieced together from several different rehearsals and are the highlights of the film. These songs include Thriller, Wanna Be Startin Something, Beat It, a Jackson 5 medley, Billie Jean, Man In The Mirror and Human Nature, just to name a few.

Some of the performances are better than others as Michel Jackson is clearly trying to preserve his voice over what appear to be many grueling rehearsals. On occasion, he really gets into the performances vocally. Billie Jean isn’t one of them however. You will be disappointed if you go into the film expecting to see him at his best as though he was performing live for an audience rather than for the crew. However, what is clear from the footage in the film is that he was still able to perform and appeared to be in excellent shape, although he does appear to lack some of the explosiveness he had as a younger man. However, he was still as light on his feet as always.

It is just as clear that fans would have loved the planned show as it was a real spectacle. If you are a huge fan of Michael Jackson, this release is a must buy. For the rest of you, I would recommend that you at least give it a rental. Who knows, you may even enjoy it.

Video 

I must admit that I have been struggling with my rating for the overall video on this release. The HD footage was shot with state of the art Red One cameras is simply fantastic and among the best looking HD video I have ever seen. The HD footage has incredible levels of clarity, depth and detail that are just staggering. The colors are bright and bold yet natural, with deep and stable blacks and is fully worthy of a 5 stars if not higher rating, it is that good. However, included along with the HD footage are significant pieces of standards definition footage, which is no where near as impressive as the HD stuff.

This footage is presented as letterboxed SD content. As a result, it has black bars on the top and bottom in addition to the sides. There also appears to be some widescreen SD material. While I was not using a stopwatch, the majority of the film features the stunning HD video from the Red One cameras and is simply amazing. However, there is enough rather mediocre SD material included that I felt I had to reduce the score just a bit, from an otherwise perfect 5 star presentation.

Audio 

If I could only use one word to describe the audio on this release, it would be magnificent. Yes, it is that good. This is simply spectacular stuff. Where do I begin? The overall fidelity is excellent, with a smoothness, openness and transparency that I have yet to experience in a concert video. Bass response is off the charts with deep and throbbing bass lines driving most of the songs, without a hint of bloat. The surrounds are also aggressively creating a sense of total immersion. If you ever wondered what a sound check sounded like in an empty arena such as The Staples Center, you will find out here. The audio on this release is nearly, if not, perfect. How can you improve on perfect? You can’t. Enough said.

Special Features 

As one would have expected, this release is filled with extras, all of which are presented in HD. The extras include several featurettes including “Staging The Return: The Adventure Begins” which details the origins of the tour and the rehearsals as well as the creation of the whole show. In Staging The Return: Beyond The Show” director Kenny Ortega and his crew discuss the final rehearsals, their final moments with Michael Jackson and the reasons why the film was created. In “The Gloved One”, costume designer Zaldy takes you behind the scenes as the costumes were created and shows the final products, many of which Michael Jackson never was able to see before his death. In “Memories of Michael” members of the show’s crew and management team discuss some of their personal recollections of Michael Jackson. The featurette “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” chronicles just that, with 5,000 applicants for 11 available positions.

Also included is the Smooth Criminal vignette that was to be shown before the concert performance of the song, presented in HD and 5.1 Dolby Digital. Also included is the new vignette filmed for the performance of Thriller likewise presented in HD and 5.1 Dolby Digital. The release is BD-Live enabled and features movieIQ, which enables you to access real-time information about the cast, music and trivia, while watching the movie. The theatrical trailer for the film is also included. A digital copy is not included.

Final Thoughts 

This Is It offers a fascinating insight into the final days of Michael Jackson as well as the creative process behind his planned final concert tour. It offers exceptional and reference audio and video presentations and is a must have for Michael Jackson fans. Even if you aren’t a fan of the man or his music, the audio and video are of such high quality that you should give this release a look, if only on the basis of a rental.

Concert

Montreux is more than just jazz as the festival has hosted many pop, rock and blues performers over the years. One night in 2004, Carlos Santana was given the opportunity to present as well as play with three of his favorite blues artists, Bobby Parker, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Buddy Guy.

The blues presented here runs the gamut from raw early blues to Chicago blues to shuffle beat blue such as one of may all time blues numbers “Further On Up the Road.” If this tune doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, you don’t have a pulse. All three featured performers are presented in three separate sets, starting with Bobby Parker and ending with Buddy Guy. All three sets are excellent although I must say that I enjoyed the Buddy Guy set the best. Carlos Santana comes out to jam with the bands near the end of their sets as does Buddy GUy on Clarence Brown’s set and Bobby Parker on Buddy’s Guy’s set . All three sets are packed with at least 10 numbers, with the song lists as follows:

Bobby Parker: Straight Up No Chaser, Break it Up, Breaking Up Somebody’s Home, Nothing But The Blues, So Glad I Found You, I Ain’t Superstitious, It’s Unfair, Going Down Slow, and three featuring Carlos Santana, Chill Out, Mellow Down Easy and Watch Your Step.

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown: Bits And Pieces, Strange Things Happen, I’m Beginning To See The Light, Sunrise Cajun Style, Honey Boy, Further On Up The Road, I’ve Got My Mojo Working (with Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana), Drifter (with Carlos Santana), Grape Jelly (with Carlos Santana) and Okie Dokie Stomp (with Carlos Santana and Niles Rodgers).

Buddy Guy: Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Louise McGhee, Gone Got Old, Hoochie Choocie Man, Fever, Drowning On Dry Land, Stormy Monday (with Carlos Santana), Jam Session I with Carlos Santana and Bobby Parker, So Many Roads So Many Trains (with Carlos Santana and Bobby Parker) and Jam Session II with Carlos Santana, Nile Rodgers and Bobby Parker.

If you are a fan of the blues, you will love this release. Recommended.

Video

It is often said that the best HD is like looking out of a window at a live event. The video on this release fits this description perfectly. This is a great looking release, with exceptional clarity and detail and without even a hint of video noise. Colors are rich and bright and very natural. Blacks are deep and solid. Detail is exceptional, with every skin pore, skin blemish visible as well as each scratch, dent and smudge on the various musical instruments. Clarity is excellent, with the front of your screen transformed into a highly polished piece of glass and the only thing separating you from the concert venue. Excellent stuff!

Audio

With the one exception noted below, this is an exceptional audio presentation. What struck me most about the audio here is the sound design and in particular, the use of the surrounds. The surrounds are used only for room acoustics and the audience, rather than for instrument placement. All the music comes from the front three speakers with the surrounds filling your room with crowd noise as well as room reflections and reverb. In the opinion of this writer, this is how live concerts should be presented in the multichannel format as it more accurately recreates the live concert experience. I don’t know about you, but when I attend a concert, the musicians are on the stage, not behind you and as such, should be presented this way at home.

The other thing that struck me immediately about this release is the incredible levels of transparency and imaging. All of the instruments are placed perfectly before you, in the identical positions as they appear on screen. Depth of the soundstage is excellent as well. Vocal reproduction is tremendous. Just listen to the opening numbers on Buddy Guy’s set with just him on acoustic guitar and vocals. Both his voice as well as the guitar sound as if they are in the room with you.

The only real issue I had with the sound is in the level of bass response which is a bit lower than I would have liked. As a result, the deep throbbing bass that is the hallmark of a live blues concert in missing, along with the roar of the Hammond B-3 organ, which sounds a bit more like a whimper than a roar. With a bit more bass, this would have been a 5 star audio presentation for sure. As it is, 4.5 stars will have to do. I only listened to the full concert using the multichannel audio option. A 2 channel mix is provided as well whoich has the same sonic attributes as the 5.1 audio mix. Both are excellent.

Special Features

Zero extras equals zero stars. Pretty simple. The disc is packed with so much music, 238 minutes to be exact, that I can’t say that I was longing for any extras.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of the blues, you will love this release. The fact that the video is outstanding is an added bonus. Recommended for fans only.

Concert

I can report without question that if you are a Toto fan, you will love this live concert recording. The show was recorded at Le Zenith in Paris, France (is there really any other?) back in March 2007 and has already been released on DVD and is finally making its way to Blu-ray. The crowd obviously enjoyed this concert and I can see why as the band plays most of their better known hits including Africa, Hold the Line, I’ll Be Over You and Rosanna. All in all, this set features 20 tracks plus another track designated as Greg Solo.

The set includes in order Falling in Between, King of the World, Pamela, Bottom of Your Soul, Caught in the Balance, Don’t Chain My Heart, Hold the Line, Stop Loving You, I’ll Be Over You, Cruel, Greg Solo, Rosanna, I’ll Supply the Love, Isolation, The Gift of Faith, Kingdom of Desire/Luke Solo, Hydra/Simon Solo, Taint Your World, Gypsy Train, Africa and Drag Him to the Roof. The performances here are top rate as the band really brings the tunes to life.

The band consists of Steve Lukather on guitars and vocals, Simon Phillip on drums, Bobby Kimball on vocals, Tony Spinner on guitar and vocals and two new members of the band for the tour, Leland Sklar on bass and the great Greg Phillinganes on keyboards. I hadn’t seen Lee Sklar perform in a concert setting since the first time I saw James Taylor live. Yes his beard is as long as ever, just a lot grayer. Greg Phillinganes is probably better known for his studio work with Quincy Jones and for backing up Michael Jackson and he really puts on a show here on the keyboards, playing two at once, jumping from one to another to yet another on a number of the songs. If you are Toto fan and are looking for a live recording to add to your collection, this is the set for you. Recommended.

Video

I really hate to use the word, but the word that popped to mind while watching this release was perfect. Yes, the video here is darn near perfect and is without question, the best looking concert video this writer has ever seen. Everything that you look for in the production of high def video is right here. This is as reference as it gets folks. I was a little taken aback by the footage of the band backstage as they come on stage to kick off the concert, as it is grainy, soft and washed out. However, once the curtain dropped on the stage and the concert began, all I could say was Holy Cow.

The video features bright and bold and yet extremely accurate colors. Detail and clarity are as good as I have ever seen outside of a video production facility. The video here presents a totally three dimensional image with some of the deepest and inky blacks I have ever seen on my display. Seeing Steve Lukather seemingly popping off the screen in front of you against a jet black background is simply amazing. Video noise is simply non existent. Despite the deepness of the blacks, shadow detail is well preserved. When you sit back and watch this release on a big screen, you are simply transported to Le Zenith on the night of the concert. It is almost as good as being there. This release sets the standard for all concert releases. I wish they all looked this good!

Audio

As good as the video is, the audio is every bit as good. While I have had the pleasure of viewing many concert videos on Blu-ray, I can’t think of one that is quite this good sonically. This release puts you into the venue with the audience in a way I had not yet experienced in the home. I can’t image the live concert experience sounding any better in the venue than it does on this release. By all means, this release needs to be experienced at reference levels.

The dynamics on this release are off the charts, with deep and tight bass and crystal clear and open highs. The impact of the drums is as good as it gets, just like at a live show. The vocals are clear and distinct and always intelligible or as intelligible as a rock singer can be. The vocals never are drowned out by the rest of the mix. The surrounds are used beautifully, to produce a totally immersive sound mix, placing you right in the middle of the hall.

The overall fidelity of the recorded sound is top notch, sounding smooth and open with excellent transparency and openness. Take a listen to Greg Phillinganes “solo” as an example of what I am talking about. You can clearly hear all of the reverb of the sound of his keyboards in the hall, the natural decay of the sound as it fades away. This is reference material and was a pleasure to experience at home. If you are looking for demo audio material, this is without a doubt, the release for you.

Special Features

Not surprisingly, there is little in the way of extras on this release. The extras include a series of brief interviews with the individual band members at the concert venue, where they discuss aspects of their careers and their experiences with the band and in the case of Greg Phillinganes, a demonstration of his keyboard playing during one song. There is really nothing here that would be appealing to anyone other than a hardcore fan of the band. The interviews are presented in high def as well as with a lossless audio track. There is no digital copy or DVD included and the disc is not BD-Live enabled.

Final Thoughts

While you may or may not enjoy Toto’s music, there is no disputing their talent as musicians and performers and there is no way to question the truly reference audio and video on this release which is as good as I have ever seen or heard. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it is really that good. Recommended for all you Toto fans out there.

Concert

As one would have expected, the music at this concert spans the entire Quincy Jones musical catalog, from jazz to pop to R&B and the blues. The music is played by a stellar band consisting of what has been described as the Montreux House band, consisting of Greg Phillinganes and David Delhomme on keyboards, Paul Jackson, Jr. on guitar, Nathan East on bass, John Robinson on drums and percussionist Paulinho da Costa. In addition, the band is backed by an incredible horn section, the Swiss Army Big band.

This set, consisting of a total of 26 tracks, is graced by numerous solo performers including the likes of Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, Stevie Woods, James Moody, Freda Payne, Joe Sample, Mick Hucknall, Ledisi, Al Jarreau, Larry Williams, Petula Clark and Toots Thielemans, just to name a few. The set consists of the following songs in order of their appearance on the disc with the featured soloists in parens: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin and Stevie Woods), Let the Good Times Roll (Rahsaan Patterson and Patti Austin), Makin’ Whoopee (Patti Austin), Moody’s Song ( James Moody and Patti Austin), The Television Song (James Moody and John Robinson), Honeysuckle Rose (Joe Sample and Freda Payne), Shiny Stockings (Joe Sample and Freda Payne), I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town/In the Heart of the Night (Mick Hucknall), If I Ever Lose This Heaven (Ledisi), Midnight Sun (Al Jarreau and Larry Williams), One Mint Julip (Petula Clark), Goin’ To Chicago Blues (Petula Clark and Paolo Nutini), My Ship/Summertime (Franco Ambrosetti), Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Nana Mouskouri and James Morrison), Almost Like Being in Love (Nana Mouskouri and James Morrison), Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister) (Chaka Khan, Patti Austin and Greg Phillinganes), What’s Goin’ On (Ledisi, James Morrison, Rahsaan Patterson, Tobias Preisig, Patrice Rushen and Toots Thielemans, Eyes of Love (Toots Thielemans), Walking in Space (Chala Khan and Lee Ritenour), Strawberry Letter 23 (Paolo Nutini and Lee Ritenour), How Do You Keep The Music Playing (Patti Austin), The Dude (Al Jarreau), Billie Jean (Naturally 7), Wall of Sound (Naturally 7), Mama Aifambeni (Angelique Kidjo), State of Independence (Angeliique Kidjo and Larry Williams), Everything Must Change (Curtis Stigers), Killer Joe (Herbie Hancock), Ai No Corrida (Patti Austin, Gabi Gioldberg, Dorothea Lorene, Stevie Woods, Kent Stetler & BIlly Cobham) and Stuff Like That with what seemed to be a cast of thousands.

There is a ton of great music here and some thrilling performances. The arrangements are spectacular even if the singing doesn’t always do justice to the music. The highlights for me are the Montreux House Band and the Swiss Army Big Band which are spectacular. Other highlights are any songs sung by Patti Austin who is heads and heels above any other singer on the set and by a wide margin. This woman clearly knows how to sing. While I loved all the arrangements, my favorites include What’s Goin’ On (featuring some excellent keyboard work by Patrice Rushen), Makin’ Whoopee, The Dude and Ai No Corrida along with a moving solo by Toots Thielemans on Eyes of Love.

While there is some really great performances, there are several low lights, including the singing of Petula Clark and Freda Payne (Freda, you just can’t scat sing, why bother even trying), who seem both to be over the hill, as well as Nana Mouskouri, who just can’t sing this type of material. I also didn’t care for Paolo Nutini who was also nearly impossible to understand mumbling though each song and simply had no feel for the material. I really enjoyed this concert despite the several low lights noted above. If you are a fan of Quincy Jones and great music from many musical genres, I am sure you will feel likewise.

Video

Quite simply, there is nothing to quibble with about the video presentation on this release. In fact, it is the finest looking concert video I have yet seen on Blu-ray. Clarity, image detail, color reproduction, color saturation and black levels are all excellent. The resulting image has incredible depth and three dimensionality. I was not able to detect any video noise, even in the darker sections of the video, such as shots of the audience. Detail is simply amazing, from the skin textures to the texture of the clothing (take a look at all the fine detail in James Moody’s black shirt as well as the engravings on his sax). In addition to the look of the video, the overall stage production was outstanding, with excellent lighting and staging which really contributed to the overall quality of the image. Clearly, great care went into the production of this concert. I wish all concert videos looked this good. Simply outstanding!

Audio

As good as the video was, the audio was even better. While the release contains an excellent sounding stereo track, the real star here is the DTS HD Master Audio track which is simply stunning. The sound of the full orchestra and horn section is simply amazing, which each instrument rendered beautifully within the sound stage and giving you a real sense of the breath and power of a big band from yesterday. There is a lot going on sonically in each track and the transparency and imaging are top notch, rendering a sound of excellent depth and three dimensionality with pinpoint placement of the various instruments within the soundstage. The sound of the full band simply fills your room with incredible audio reproduction, with the surrounds used aggressively throughout, providing an totally immersive sound experience and capturing the acoustics of the venue beautifully. Dynamics and bass response were excellent as well, as was the vocal track which was placed right out in front of the music. While I have heard a lot of great sounding concert videos on Blu-ray recently, this is the best sounding so far, a real feast for the ears. Well done.

Special Features

There is only one extra included with this release and it is entitled Thank Q. Thank Q takes you to Montreux of the date of the recording, showing the beautiful scenery of Montreux, Switzerland as well as a party for Quincy at Claude Nobbs Chalet, in the mountains high above Montreux. The video shows the various guests present at the party and contains statements by several of the guests (musicians and non musicians alike), voicing appreciation for Quincy Jones and his career accomplishments. The rest of Thank Q shows Quincy thanking many of the quests on stage at the conclusion of the concert. Thank Q is presented in high definition.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of Quincy Jones and are looking for a concert video with stunning audio and video reproduction, Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux is the release for you. Highly recommended.

Concert

If you are a fan of the Blues and in particular, the British brand of Blues from the 1960′s, this is the release for you. The release features the 70th Birthday concert of British blues pioneer John Mayall recorded in Liverpool, England on July 20, 2003( and was originally released on DVD on December 9, 2003), as part of a fundraising event for Unite for Unicef, to raise awareness and generate funds to end child exploitation.

The concert features John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers featuring his then current line-up of guitarist Buddy Whittington, organist Tom Canning, bassist Hank Van Sickle and drummer Joe Yuele. For this event, he was joined by former Bluesbreakers band members Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton as well as veteran trombonist Chris Barber. Quite simply, this concert simply cooks, with hard driving Blues at its finest with a stellar set featuring Eric Clapton which is the highlight of the concert.

The concert features a total of 16 tracks consisting of Southside Story, Kids Got the Blues, Dirty Water, Somebody Acting Like a Child, Blues for The Lost Days, Walking on Sunset, Oh, Pretty Woman, No Big Hurry, Please Mr. Lofton, Hideaway, All Your Love, Have You Heard, Hoochie Coochie Man, I’m Torn Down, It Ain’t Right and Talk To Your Daughter. The extras also feature three bonus tracks not included with the original DVD including Grits Ain’t Groceries and Jacksboro HIghway featuring the current Bluesbreakers line-up sans John Mayall and California, featuring the entire band, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber. It doesn’t get much better than this folks! Stellar performances of some great heard driving Blues. Highly Recommended.

Video

Fans of this type of music and these players in particular will be thrilled with the video quality on this release. The video presentation features deep and inky blacks and well saturated and natural looking colors. Detail is excellent as is the level of overall clarity. The result is a highly detailed and sharp looking picture with excellent depth and three dimensionality. Shadow detail is top notch as well. Video noise which has plagued some recent releases, is almost non existent here.

The video on this release places you right in the tent at he performance that night, giving you a real glimpse of what it was like being at the concert that night. While the overall level of sharpness and clarity is excellent, some of the crowd shots appears to have been filmed in widescreen standard definition and are therefore a good bit softer than the rest of the presentation. However, that softness does not effect any of the actual performance video, just shots of the crowd, which I might add, really seems to be enjoying the show. Great stuff!

Audio

While I loved the video presentation, I found the audio to be even better. While a fine 48 kHz LCPM stereo is included, I did most of my listening with the lossless 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio track. This is one rockin’ track, placing you right in the front row. The track features excellent dynamics and balls to the wall bass response with a deep pulsating bass line that really drives the music along with the the beautifully recorded drum work by drummer Joe Yuele. If this music and the sonics here don’t get your feet a tappin’, you don’t have a pulse.

The overall sound is smooth and open with excellent transparency and imaging. The presentation of the instruments across the front of the sound field is spot on, matching the placement of the musicians in the video perfectly. The guitars, especially that of Eric Clapton have that biting edge that you experience at a live performance, but without sounding overly hard or shrill in any way. The surrounds are actively engaged throughout the concert, providing an excellent sense of ambiance, placing you in the venue with the rest of the audience. I really can’t image this concert being recorded and presented any better than it is on this release. Very well done.

Special Features

As noted above, there are three extra concert tracks included with the extras, all encoded with DTS HD Master Audio. The first two, Grits Ain’t Groceries and Jacksboro Highway feature the members of the Bluesbreakers without John Mayall. The final track, California, features all of the musicians who performed in the concert and is the best of the three extra tracks. Also included with the extras is an interview with John Mayall presented in widescreen standard definition where he discusses his musical career.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of John Mayall, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton and the Blues in general, this is the release for you. This Blu-ray release features an excellent video presentation with stellar audio that I am sure offers a significant upgrade over the prior DVD release. Highly recommended.

Film

I can confidently state that if you are a 14 year old girl, you will love this release. If you aren’t, you will likely be like me and wonder what all the fuss is about. The Jonas Brothers The 3D Live Experience is well produced, capturing the band live at Madison Square Garden in New York, with a full backup band, featuring a string ensemble, along with featured quests Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato.

The concert itself is well produced and presented before a full house of screaming adoring teenaged girls and features all their “hits”. The problem here is that this is totally lackluster and utterly forgettable pop music, which after awhile, simply runs together, like one long forgettable song. There are no catchy tunes here, just formulaic by the numbers pop music. I guess you can tell I am not a fan. Regardless, I can appreciate a quality presentation of lackluster music and the presentation here, for an arena pop show is quite good, with all the histrionics that one has come to expect with such a show. Fans will not be disappointed with this release. The rest of us, well that is another story entirely.

Video

Frankly, the video quality here is very good. It features a very natural color palette with spot on flesh tones. As one would expect, the film is filled with many bright and bold primary colors with deep, stable and inky blacks. Video noise, even during the darker sequences, is non-existent. Detail and clarity are excellent as well with the result being an image with excellent depth and three dimensionality. There is very little to quibble with about the video presentation here and it will no doubt thrill fans of the band.

As for the 3D version of the film, I was less than impressed. While the 3D effect does work in the sense that a 3D image is generated, it is generated with a cost, namely the complete lack of color fidelity. The release comes equipped with 4 sets of 3D glasses with red and blue lenses. When watching the film, the only colors you really see are red and blue. The beautifully natural color palette of the 2D version of the film is completely gone, as is much of the detail. In addition, the glasses are cardboard and flimsy and hard to wear and keep on your face, especially if you already wear glasses like me. If I were you, I would skip the 3D version entirely, as the 2D version provides a much more satisfying viewing experience.

Audio

The audio here is every bit as good as the video and captures the sound of a live arena show with excellent fidelity. The lossless mix has plenty of dynamics with deep and powerful bass and very good transparency and imaging. The surrounds are actively engaged throughout and really conveys the spaciousness of Madison Square Garden, placing you right smack dab in the arena during the show. In this respect, this is an excellent sound mix. The only real quibble I had with the sound here is with the presentation of the vocal track, which is buried in with the rest of the sound mix, being almost inaudible at times. Perhaps that isn’t a bad thing at all given the overall quality of the vocals here. Regardless, I would have expected the vocal track to have been more prominent in the mix and out further in front of the rest of the sound. Other than this one quibble, this is a fine sounding mix overall.

Special Features

This deluxe extended movie edition contains 3 discs.; The first disc is the Blu-ray edition of the film containing both the 2D and 3D versions of the film. The second is a DVD which contains an extended version of the film in 2D only plus the bonus features included on the Blu-ray disc. The third disc contains a digital copy of the film, compatible with Macs and PCs. The extras included with both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film consist of 2 bonus songs not included with the theatrical release of the film together with an Up Close and Personal featurette, providing a behind the scenes look at the lives of the Jonas Brothers on tour. Frankly, the extras here are rather threadbare but are provided in HD. Also included are sneak peaks at upcoming Disney Blu-ray releases including Snow White which looks wonderful in the trailer included here.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of The Jonas Brothers, you will no doubt love this release and will be more than happy with the video and audio reproductions included. However, unless you are a fan of the band, you may want to skip this release entirely, as there is not really a lot here to keep you interested musically.

I want to point out that this disc is not a Dave Matthews Band concert.  It is just Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds in a very intimate setting as Dave goes on his story-telling excursions in between songs, which range from a trip to Africa with his wife and kids (inspiration for the song ‘Eh Hee’) to the medical plight of Iraq war veteran Jon Town.

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds met in the early 1990′s at a bar called Miller’s in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Dave was tending bar and Tim was a weekly act, working his hands through what appeared to be all kinds of arthritic positions to pull off rifts and chords on a level that most guitarists can only dream about.  The two got into talking and eventually found themselves running through jams in Dave’s basement.  It was then that their musical friendship was formed and has remained strong to this day.

So, how is this performance, you ask?  Well, please read on to find out how Dave Matthews & Time Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall looks, sounds and entertains.

Film 

The concert took place in New York City at the landmark Radio City Music Hall in late April of 2007.  You’ll find few band-enhancing frills here as it’s just Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds playing through a wonderfully varied set list.  It’s just a couple guitars and a piano, folks.  Oh, and Tim’s crazy pedal recording device.  I’m sure this piece of equipment is something very common in the guitar world and my ignorance to it sticks out like Santa Claus on Hanukkah.  Even so, I am fascinated by the effects this thing can replicate.
As I mentioned, the set list is varied.  While it’s nearly all of Dave Matthews own written work (‘Still Water’ is by Daniel Lanois and ‘Down By the River’ from Neil Young), some of it comes from his solo album (Some Devil) and some comes from a variety of Dave Matthews Band albums.  There are two tunes in particular that are the work of Tim Reynolds, (‘Betrayal’ and ‘You Are My Sanity’).  Completely instrumental, you will appreciate how talented of a guitarist this guy is once you see and hear him hammer out these two solos.

The storytelling that is laced in between songs is something that fans have come to expect and look forward to of these more intimate Dave and Tim concerts (as opposed to the heavier, more produced DMB concerts).  Even if it’s just Dave Matthews talking about a note he just screwed up on, it’s a time to interact with the audience and though the audience doesn’t get to ask back, there is still a high level of appreciation there for separating the artist from the performance and just hearing what’s on their mind.  Let’s face it, we all put our pants on the same way, but our attention is captured when a celebrity we admire speaks.  Now, on to the 26-song set list that totals a runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes:

1. Bartender
2. When The World Ends
3. Stay or Leave
4. Save Me
5. Crush
6. So Damn Lucky
7. Gravedigger
8. The Maker
9. Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)
10. Eh Hee
11. Betrayal
12. Out Of My Hands
13. Still Water
14. Don’t Drink The Water
15. Oh
16. Cornbread
17. Crash Into Me
18. Down By The River
19. You Are My Sanity
20. Sister
21. Lie In Our Graves
22. Some Devil
23. Grace Is Gone
24. Dancing Nannies
25. #41
26. Two Step

Video 

There is a certain scene early in the disc that is the epitome of Blu-ray.  The shot features an over-the-shoulder angle from the top of the balcony looking down to the stage as one young lady has her cell phone open to take a shot of the venue’s layout below.  It is one spectacular view and I felt like I was watching this through a window.  I wish the entire concert was this crystal clear.  There are several scenes that do relay this type of quality.  Many include the close-ups on Dave and Tim.  Pore whores unite, because this is what you folks are after.  Looking for every little dermatologic detail?  You’ll find such scenes on this disc.  Let’s not leave out the less intrusive angles that manage to capture aspects as fine as the fingerprint smudges on the face of a guitar.

In addition, there are also some scenes that contain a little grain, but not on a distracting level.  For instance, when the camera pans back from the stage, the arches over the stage consistently contain film imperfections in their imagery, but again, it’s not quite distracting.  Shots from the behind the performers looking out into the audience are not all that inspiring at times.  Some are better than others but there’s a bit of a haze over the seated crowd.  Then there are other scenes in which there really isn’t any grain present but they don’t have the ‘wow’ of that cell phone shot I spoke of earlier.  All in all, it’s a very beautiful presentation that is not perfect.  Join the club, right?  It’s still quite an enjoyable visual experience brought to us in 1080p resolution with a VC-1 encode and 16:9 widescreen format.

Audio 

For a concert on Blu-ray, it is imperative that it not merely sound good, it must sound great.  The masterminds behind this concert disc were apparently well aware of that and took it to heart during its creation.  It sounds incredible.  I watched this on Blu-ray a while back before I was connected to surround sound.  It was an enjoyable viewing.  Now?  It’s just bad…bad as in the good kind of bad.  I was drawn in like never before.  Both the rear and front channels are utilized with impressive range and nothing is left to the imagination.  Every little strum and every hoot and holler from the audience is captured quite well here in this audio-enveloping experience.

The lyrics are delivered out of the front center speaker while other sounds, specifically the guitars, are delivered equally through rear, front left and front right speakers.  And even though there’s no drum kit or bass guitar here, the subwoofer chimes in with its mild yet potent release of the deeper chords.  It is just an impressive piece of work on this Blu-ray.

Special Features 

Disc 1 is entirely the concert.  Disc 2 is reserved specifically for the bonus features.  There is some good and some bad here.  The bad is that there are only two extras on this disc.  One is a documentary, the other a photo montage set to music.  The good is that both are in glorious 1080p High Definition and that documentary is a very solid extra.

• “So Damn Lucky” Documentary – A 45-minute look at Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds, how the two met and progressed their musical careers as well as discussions with the fans and some casual interviews with Dave and Tim.  If I had a complaint here, it would be that too much time was spent showing pieces of the concert from disc 1.
• Photo Montage – a 4-minute slide show of photographs set to the song ‘Grace is Gone.’  The photos are well-varied, featuring on-stage shots, magazine covers and candid captures away from the spotlight.

Final Thoughts 

Well, it looks like my review has come full circle.  It pains me to say this but while I so badly want to label this disc as “Buy It,” I must refer to my opening dialogue regarding an individual’s taste in music.  No matter how good this Blu-ray looks and sounds, people who are not fans of Dave Matthews will not buy it.  Fair enough.  Thus, while this should be a sure-fire buy for any Dave or DMB fan out there, I must label it “Fans Only” as a result.

I guess what draws me to his music, aside from the sound, is the often-found camouflage in his lyrics.  It makes you think.  There is usually a story or hidden meaning under his work.  I like the thought-provoking style that is offered in this manner of songwriting.  If you don’t want to think about the music you’re listening to, there’s always Brittney Spears.

Currently on my concert-going résumé, I’ve got 17 Dave Matthews Band shows under my belt (with 2 on the agenda for summer ’09) and 1 Dave & Tim show (as they are affectionately referred to).  Believe me, if you think that’s a lot, talk to some of the other people at these shows.  You’ll find a fair amount of “This is my 52^nd show” or whatever the grand tally may be depending on the fan.  People ask me how I can go to see the show so many times.  Let’s take the 2005 tour as an example.  I saw the show five or six times that year.  Every single performance was different.  I saw ACDC twice on the 08-09 tour.  It was same show both times.  I mention this not to offer some silly bragging rights of how many concerts I’ve been to.  Rather, I am trying to point out how uncommon creativity has become in the music business and why Dave Matthews is on a different level than many of his peers.

Which brings us to the B.B. King Live at Montreux from the folks at eagle Rock Entertainment. Not only does this music start your foot a tappin’ and your head a swaying, but makes you want to get up and dance.

Concert

As you can tell from the intro to this review, I loved the music on this release. B.B. King is one of the greatest Blues guitarists ever. Even though he was 68 years old when this concert performance was recorded, he was on the top of his game. This release contains of 17 songs recorded in 1993 at Montreux as well as an additional 3 at a performance at Montreux in 2006 when B.B. King was 80. Both sets are exceptional.

The tracks recorded in 1983 consist of Fanfare, Six Pack, Two I Shoot Blues, Let the Good Times Roll, When it All Comes Down (I’ll STill Be Around), Chains of Love, Caldonia, All Over Again, Since I Met You Baby, Playing With My Friends, Ain’t Nobody Home, Why I Sing the Blues, Blues Man, Rock Me Baby, Please Accept My Love and his signature piece, The Thrill is Gone. The 2006 bonus tracks include Why I Sing the Blues, When Love Comes to Town and Guess Who.

The music on this release is hard driving Blues at its best, featuring excellent musicianship, performances and songs. When it comes to the music on this release, there is nothing not to like. This is incredible stuff. I have never seen B.B. KIng Live and it was a thrill to be able to experience these performances at home in the quality they are presented here, both in terms of performance as well as sonics. If you are a fan of the Blues and B.B. KIng, you owe it to yourself to check out this release. I know I am glad I have the opportunity to do so. Great stuff.

Video

The concert footage was recorded in 1993 in high definition video. This is not a filmed performance transferred to high definition video. I can only assume that is was recorded using the Japanese analog high def format that was rolled out in the very early 1990′s. For the most part, this is a very nice looking release and looks much better than the previously reviewed Diana Krall Live in Rio release from Eagle Rock, with not even a hint of video noise present with much better stage lighting.

The video here features a nice and natural looking color palette with excellent shadow detail and stable although not exactly deep black levels. Overall detail is good but not great and falls a good bit short of the very best looking high def concerts I have seen, the best of which is the K.D. Lang Live in London release which is on the review queue. In fact, the 2006 concert footage looks appreciably better than the 1993 footage, having the detail, clarity, sharpness and inky blacks that the 1993 footage lacks and warrants  a 4.5 score in comparison to the 4 star score for the 1993 footage.

My biggest issue with the 1993 footage is that it is soft compared to more recent high def video efforts. However, overall, given the age of the concert footage, the video presentation on the 1993 footage is more than acceptable and overall exceeded my expectations. If you are a fan of the Blues and B.B. King in particular, you will be more than happy with the video presentation on this release.

Audio

Other than the three caveats noted below, this is an excellent audio presentation. All three of the audio encodes on this release are very good with the DTS HD Master Audio being the clear winner over the LCPM stereo and Dolby Digital tracks. The overall fidelity of the sound on the lossless track is very good with excellent transparency and imaging. The placement of the instruments in the sound field is spot on, with the placement of each instrument in the sound field corresponding exactly with the location of those instruments on screen.

The vocal track is placed front and center on top of the remainder of the recording. The sound of Lucille, B.B. King’s guitar sounds fantastic and is placed just under his vocals in the sound field. Soundstaging is excellent as is the sense of depth and air between the various instruments. Even when the entire band is cooking, you can follow each instrument clearly as none of the instruments get lost in the sound mix. I particularly enjoyed the sound of the Hammond B-3 here. I don’t think there is a better sounding electric instrument than the B-3 and its very organic sound is captured here beautifully as is the rhythmic drive of the band. My main quibble with the audio is that it is a tad bright, at reference levels,  having an overly hot top end. With the exception of the 2006 tracks, I would have preferred a tad more bass although I wouldn’t describe the bass response here as being weak by any means.

The bass response on the 2006 tracks is deeper and tighter than that on the 1993 tracks. I would have also preferred that the surrounds be limited to crowd noise and ambiance as the instruments bleed too much into the surround channels for my taste, although not obnoxiously so. The sound mix places you right in the front row of the crowd and really gets your foot tapping, which is the sign that you are enjoying some really great music.

Special Features

Other than the three 2006 bonus tracks, there are no extras included with this release. Even at the 80 years of age, B.B. King can still play a mean guitar, and cranks out three great tunes. I am not really sure that I would classify the three 2006 tracks as extras as we usually thinks of extras on home video releases, hence my overall score. They are three great performances and the score provided is not a verdict on the quality of those three performances, just on the lack of extras such as interviews and the history of the Montreux Jazz festival which I would have liked to have seen included.

Final Thoughts

If you love the Blues and B.B. King in particular, you will really enjoy this release. I know I sure did. Highly recommended.

Concert

While this is a great live performance by Diana and her stellar band, the material is not as consistently exceptional as was the case with the Live in Paris release. As was the case with Live in Paris, Diana is accompanied by some of the world’s finest musicians consisting of Anthony Wilson on guitar, Jeff Hamilton on drums, John Clayton on Bass and Paulinho DaCosta on percussion as well as an orchestra consisting of local musicians form Rio De Jeneiro. These men are at the top of their fields and it really shows on this release.

The musicianship on this release is as good as it gets and every bit the equal of that on the Live in Paris release. The guitar work and solos by Anthony Wilson are as creative as always they always are. Seeing him play live is always a real treat. Are there any better drummers or bass players than Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton playing today? If there are, I haven’t heard them. Both play with a passion and elegance which can’t be matched. Diana Krall is at the top of her game here as well, with beautiful vocals and some very tasty and hard driving piano playing.

The only issue I had here with the music is that Diana seemed a little unsure of herself on a couple of the tunes which seemed to drag a bit, lacking the smoothness and cohesion of the rest of the set. Those tunes are on the new Quiet Nights CD release which make up a significant portion of the tunes on this set. In fact, of the 18 concert tracks, 10 are from the Quiet Nights release. Other than this rather minor quibble, this is a great overall performance.

The highlights include two beautiful performances of The Boy from Ipanema and Este Seu Olhar, the latter of which Diana sung in Portuguese. These two tracks are made even more special by the reaction of the audience, which sings along with Diana in a manner which clearly moved Diana and her band. Another highlight for me was a hard driving version of Irving Berlin’s Cheek to Cheek, which Diana claimed that they had only played a couple of times. It is hard to tell from this performance which is as tight as can be. I have never heard Cheek to Cheek played with this intensity and drive before. Great stuff.

Some of her more popular live favorites are missing from the set, such as East of the Sun and All or Nothing at All. Personally, I would have preferred a few more of of her old standbys and a few less of the Quiet Nights material. However, on balance, this is a great set and a worthy addition to the collection of anyone who is a fan of her music, including me. Highly recommended.

Video

While I was thrilled with the performance, I was less than thrilled with the video presentation here. The main issue I had was with the presence of video noise throughout the entire set. Any area on screen that was dark was just filled with it. While some of it was not noticeable from from my seated position, this was not the case with shots of the audience which looked terrible. Video noise was noticeable during all of the concert footage from close range and was quite disappointing.

Another issue I had with the video here was a general softness of the image, especially distant and semi distant shots were were soft and lacking in detail. It also appeared to me that there was a bit of digital noise reduction applied selectively, as I thought that the close-ups of Diana Krall’s face lacked the degree of detail that was visible on the other performers, even in the same frame. All in all, I was expecting a better looking release, given that the concert was shot in high definition. I know that using high definition video cameras in low lighting conditions such as a concert performance can be problematic and is probably the source of the video noise. However, the video noise here is much worse than that visible on the recently reviewed Chris Botti: Live in Boston which looks much better than the video on this release.

There is another issue that I with this release and that involves how the stage and the performers were lit. I am sure that the lighting contributed to the presence of video noise. However, my real complaint with the lighting involved the spot lighting which reflected off the sheet music on top of the piano and the drums and had a bright glow that was really tough to look at, especially as against a dark background. I would have also preferred that the lights above the music stands of the individual orchestra members as well as the conductor were angled down so that the lights don’t shine right in your eyes as you watch this release. There also appears to have been a spotlight aimed right at Diana’s face from the side of the stage that made her have a rather unnatural looking glow, looking much different than anyone else on stage. A more natural looking lighting scheme would have looked much better. All in all, I was disappointed with the video presentation here as I expected more. Much more.

Audio

While I was disappointed with the video presentation here, the audio is fantastic, among the best concert footage I have heard. While there are three audio tracks presented here, I found the best by far to be the DTS HD Master Audio track which boasts incredible fidelity. This release has it all, a smooth, open and rich sound, with excellent transparency and imaging. Bass response is excellent as well, as you can hear John Clayton’s fingers on the body of the bass as he plays. The treble is fantastic, with an openness and sparkle on the drum kit which is better than I have ever head on a concert video.

Diana’s voice is also captured beautifully with incredible fidelity, conveying the sensuality of her singing wonderfully. You can hear clearly each time she parts her lips to sing. Her voice is also perfectly placed in the mix hanging out in front of the music. I also felt that the acoustics of the actual concert hall to be well captured, giving one the sense of real music being played in a real space, with hall ambiance, decay and reverb captured faithfully. The surround speakers were used aggressively throughout the concert which provided that room acoustic and ambiance.

My only quibble with the audio here is that too much of the music came through the surround speakers, with Anthony Wilson’s guitar in both the left front and left surround speaker and Diana Krall’s piano in the right front and surround. An error was also made on one occasion with Paulinho DaCosta’s percussion appearing in the right surround speaker even though he was on the left side of the stage. Call me crazy, but I prefer that the music come from the front speakers only and the surrounds used exclusively for hall ambiance. However, the fidelity on this mix is so good that I didn’t see the need to drop my score for this one issue which many of you may actually prefer. This is a great sounding concert disc and is one that will thrill her fans.

Special Features

Diana Krall: Live in Rio includes several extras, all of which are in HD. The best of the bunch is The Rooftop Sessions which seems to take place on the rooftop of Diana’s hotel and has Diana, Anthony Wilson and Jeff Hamilton playing and singing 4 of the tunes featured in the concert, with Anthony Wilson on acoustic guitar and Jeff Hamilton playing a metal plate with a set of brushes. This is a very intimate set and great stuff and presented in stereo at 48 kHz. Also included is a featurette Conversations which features Diana, Anthony Wilson, Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton and her producer, Tommy LiPluma discussing Diana’s career, her music, the concert and her new record. The third and final extra is a video for The Boy From Ipanema as featured on the CD Quiet Nights.

Final Thoughts

While I was less than thrilled with the video. Diana Krall: Live in Rio features reference level audio and a tremendous concert performance by Diana Krall and her entire band. If you love jazz and bossa nova, this is a release for you. Recommended.

I was first introduced to the band Paramore through my purchase of the Rock Band 2 video game box set I got for my wife last Christmas.  Within the video game there happened to be this really fun pop/rock song I fell in love with playing.  Coincidentally, I also fostered a whole new respect for Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, but that’s a whole other epilogue.  Anyway, back to that fun song I was just referring to.  I kept making my wife play it over and over again with me in our fictional rock band.  That song, of course, was Paramore’s smash hit “That’s What You Get,” and that’s what I got, as I became an instant overnight fan of a band I have never heard of before.  It has a great driving rhythm that I never grow tired of playing on Rock Band 2, the Playstation 3 edition, of course.

Paramore, hailing from Franklin, Tennessee, was formed not so long ago in 2004.  The band’s lineup consists of Hayley Williams (lead vocals), Josh Farro (lead guitar), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar), Zac Farro (drums) and Taylor York (rhythm guitar).  When I referred to younger music in my first paragraph above, look no further than the ages of some the band’s members.  For instance, Hayley is only 20 years old while Zac is even younger.  They genuinely make me feel like an “old man.”  Where have the years gone?  At such a young age they have already received a Grammy nomination and platinum honors on their second studio album, Riot!.  But wait!  I have not even told you the best part.  They actually write their own songs!  In a world ran amuck by the likes of the Britney Spears and Rihanna clones, where anyone can be made into a star, it’s nice to know there are still young musicians out there who are recognized for their hard work, sweat and uncompromising talent.  Let’s put your hands together for Paramore!

The Film 

Paramore: The Final Riot! was recorded live at the Congress Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on August 12, 2008.  The band belts out fourteen songs from their past two albums, Riot! and All We Know Is Falling, and their newest single from the Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  The band’s performance is youthful and energetic throughout.  This keepsake concert is a real testament to their fans and a must own for any Hi-Def enthusiast looking for the next good Blu-ray concert purchase.  This Blu-ray has become a staple for the background music I chose when my wife and I have our ping pong tournaments in the basement.  It gets me pumped up for sure victories, although she probably begs to differ as she usually wins, no matter how good I think I am.

Oh, and about Miss Hayley.  Well, let’s just say that this young spirited singer can hold her own compared to the other Gwen Stefani’s of the world.  She possesses a commanding stage presence as she controls the crowd with her never-ending energy, interactions and dynamic vocals.  In other words, she is the perfect rock star as she tears apart the stage in her trademark black-and-white striped shirt and bright orange hair.  Her voice is perfectly tuned and smooth just like pouring Liquid-Plumr down a clogged drain.  When she is performing she holds the world in the palm of her hand and all others must obey.  I also forgot to mention that the guitarists could actually play solos, something that has been lost and sorely missed in the world of pop rock since the 1990′s.

I took the liberty of listing, in order below, the high-octane set list that is found on this Blu-ray release.  So stand up, pump your fists in the air and enjoy the finest in mainstream pop rock, Paramore style.  From the beginning of the set list to the end, this is how all concerts should be.  Check it out now!

Born For This

That’s What You Get

Here We Go Again

Fences

CrushCrushCrush

Let The Flames Begin

When It Rains

My Heart

Decoy

Pressure

For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic

We Are Broken

Emergency

Hallelujah

Misery Business

Video 

Contrary to what you expect from a Blu-ray release, the video encode included here is probably the worst part of the Blu-ray release.  The video quality is just not up to snuff for me or on par with other top-notch Blu-ray releases out there.   While we are treated to a 1080P, AVC MPEG-4, 16×9 video presentation, the quality never looks indicative of a Blu-ray feature we have grown accustomed to on the blossoming format.  The video, although boasts a pristine print and vibrant colors, never really captures the essence of the three-dimensional pop we all expect to see on the Blu-ray format.  I would have wished for the image to be sharper, but instead it consistently keeps a soft flat look to it throughout with some intermingled grain.  While this certainly has to be better than it’s DVD counterpart, I truly am disappointed in the video quality.  While in comparison to the Beyonce and Shakira Blu-ray releases I own, I just don’t know what went wrong here.  Just to forewarn you, the editors have taken artistic control throughout.  Be prepared to see the onslaught of some erratic edits and 24-like windows at times.  Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a standard three camera shoot.

Audio 

The audio improves upon the video’s failures, but only by a smudge.  The audio is supposedly presented in a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD surround track.  I say supposedly because the word ‘surround’ is almost a facade in this Blu-ray release.  While I am not the biggest fan of Beyonce, I hold her Blu-ray concert up to the highest degree of excellence in terms of its audio quality.  It is loud, engaging and in your face.  This Paramore release, not so much.  The audio is crisp and clear throughout, but it just lacks the dynamics and boldness that the Beyonce Blu-ray showcases, not to mention the crowd noise.  I mean where is the crowd noise in this mix?  I will tell you.  It is almost always in the front.  Why can’t it be predominant in the rear channels too?  Every other concert I have witnessed on a home theater format is.  So why isn’t this the case with the Paramore Blu-ray?  I guess we will never know.  With that being said, I do need to point out that the dialogue was always loud and clear.  It is weird because while I felt the audio track was decent for the most part, I just have this sneaking suspicion that this should have sounded louder.  The somewhat lower audio and video scores here still do not take away from the fact that this is still an outstanding concert experience.

Special Features 

I probably would have given this supplemental package a lower score had it been a motion picture release, but that is not the case here.  For a musical Blu-ray release I was ecstatic to find all the special features in 720P High-Definition.  However, as you have probably come to expect from me I can always find problems.  Here is my biggest gripe with this Blu-ray release and I bet you will all agree with me here.  I am going to underline this next comment.  This Blu-ray disc does not have a pop-up menu.  That’s right folks.  There is no pop-up menu to be found here.  That means if you are watching the concert and want to search for a song you have to go all the way back to the main menu.  How sad is that?  Did Summit Entertainment forget that this was a Blu-ray and not a DVD?  I really would like to know.  So let me stop dwelling on all the negatives and tell you what you can expect to find here.  Again, the below special features are all in High-Definition.

• 40 Days of Riot – This 40-minute documentary is the best special feature I have found yet on a Blu-ray concert release.  It kept my wife and me glued to the television screen.  It played better than any VH1 behind the scenes documentary I have ever seen.  This lengthy documentary chronicles the band’s rehearsals, backstage antics, touring lifestyles and much more as the band traveled the country for The Final Riot! tour.  Everything you want to know about your favorite Paramore band member can be found here.  How they act, how the live, how they feel…it’s all here.  In addition to the energetic concert, this documentary makes it a must-own for any Paramore fan.
• “Decode” Music Video from Twilight - Here we have the music video that brought Paramore out into the limelight with their hit single, “Decode,” from the Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
• “I Caught Myself” Audio from Twilight – Presented in Dolby TrueHD, “I Caught Myself” is another song from Paramore that can be found on the Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  All you hear is the audio of the song as it is played over the Blu-ray disc’s main menu image.

Final Thoughts 

I debated for about a week now whether to rate this a must-buy or a fans only Blu-ray release.  I finally decided on a fans only recommendation simply because while I do believe any Blu-ray music fan should own this, I simply cannot put my stamp of approval on it because of my qualms with the video and my minor audio quips.  However, I do believe that this is a must-own for any Paramore fan, no matter how big or small of a fan you are.  I did not even own a Paramore CD as I bought this on a leap of faith, plus a good price doesn’t hurt either.  Check out the Amazon link below.  This Blu-ray title can easily be found for $16 just about everywhere.  With that being said, this Blu-ray release has transformed me into a full-fledged Paramore fan and I am proud to say I am the owner of both their studio albums now.  The supplemental package alone makes this a worthy purchase for any Paramore fan, as you get to see the fruit of the band’s labor behind the scenes of the Final Riot! tour.  If you take into consideration all the things I mentioned above, I don’t think you will be disappointed or let down no matter if you decide to buy this or find it as a rental somewhere.  So what are you waiting for?  Start rocking with Paramore today!

I hope you enjoyed my review of Summit’s Paramore- The Final Riot! Blu-ray release.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.  I look forward to receiving any feedback from my readers.

Paramore – The Final Riot! was released on Blu-ray March 21, 2009.  If you like what you read in the review above, then please show your support for our site by clicking the shopping cart link above to order and save with Amazon’s Everyday Lowest Price Guarantee.  Thanks!

Disclaimer: Images used within this review are from the Paramore – The Final Riot! tour Flickr photostreams of Lisa Lotte, Trish Shoots, Elenaa_.

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