Post by Eric T. Jones on Aug 25, 2007 12:11:04 GMT -5
Given that I can't put this in the movies section being that it's strictly a concert video, I'm putting this in the music section. The 160-minute concert is split across two DVDs as, due to the multiple-angle feature, the total 7 hours of video would be impossible to fit on one. I watched the first half, which had many "new" songs and different ordering from the CD for this concert tour (which I've listened to a zillion times, and is one of my favorites).
Unlike the CD, which seamlessly arranged multiple concerts to sound like one, the video takes what Collins' and Co. felt was their best performance: Berlin. Thus, Collins does speak some German (the size of his notecards provides for a bit of amusement), the audience roars wild, takes out lighters for around three songs during this first act alone, and can't stop applauding after "Another Day in Paradise", to the point that Collins nixes the regular introduction and just has his band start the next song through the noise.
While I've seen relatively few concert videos, "Serious Hits... Live!" reminds me why I graded them the way I did; as much as I love the music, my rating is mainly for the video itself. Collins, and what I discovered was his band of 11, has a brass section, a synth, two drum sets (one which Collins takes up later), a choral background, an electric guitar and a bass. For the DVD's 5.1 mix, there are some directional-stereo distractions and instruments are placed in various speakers in the front, but refreshingly, the surrounds are reserved for ambience and the audience. In a time when I felt mono was the only sane way to do things, this gave me a reason to love the enveloping stereophonic experience. It also sounds clearer than the CD (the DVD also has a standard stereo mix, which I should compare to the CD one day).
Oh, right. The performance. Collins is full of energy, running across the stage frequently and giving the impression that he is also there to support his band. Besides frequently pointing his ear to the crowd for a call-and-response, when he's not singing, he's usually running up to encourage his fellow band members to pump up the volume! Having the appropriate subdued, sad mood for numbers like "Against All Odds", he also has a very contorted and hammy visual performance of upbeat numbers like "Who Said I Would?", which is very fun to watch. While some bands and singers fail at singing live, Collins still delivers a quality performance; I only recall one stumble in the 76 minutes I watched, which is quite impressive.
Thus far, it's a high ***1/2 for the concert.
Unlike the CD, which seamlessly arranged multiple concerts to sound like one, the video takes what Collins' and Co. felt was their best performance: Berlin. Thus, Collins does speak some German (the size of his notecards provides for a bit of amusement), the audience roars wild, takes out lighters for around three songs during this first act alone, and can't stop applauding after "Another Day in Paradise", to the point that Collins nixes the regular introduction and just has his band start the next song through the noise.
While I've seen relatively few concert videos, "Serious Hits... Live!" reminds me why I graded them the way I did; as much as I love the music, my rating is mainly for the video itself. Collins, and what I discovered was his band of 11, has a brass section, a synth, two drum sets (one which Collins takes up later), a choral background, an electric guitar and a bass. For the DVD's 5.1 mix, there are some directional-stereo distractions and instruments are placed in various speakers in the front, but refreshingly, the surrounds are reserved for ambience and the audience. In a time when I felt mono was the only sane way to do things, this gave me a reason to love the enveloping stereophonic experience. It also sounds clearer than the CD (the DVD also has a standard stereo mix, which I should compare to the CD one day).
Oh, right. The performance. Collins is full of energy, running across the stage frequently and giving the impression that he is also there to support his band. Besides frequently pointing his ear to the crowd for a call-and-response, when he's not singing, he's usually running up to encourage his fellow band members to pump up the volume! Having the appropriate subdued, sad mood for numbers like "Against All Odds", he also has a very contorted and hammy visual performance of upbeat numbers like "Who Said I Would?", which is very fun to watch. While some bands and singers fail at singing live, Collins still delivers a quality performance; I only recall one stumble in the 76 minutes I watched, which is quite impressive.
Thus far, it's a high ***1/2 for the concert.