Monday, November 09, 2009
STEPHEN STILLS
LIVE AT SHEPHERD'S BUSH
There is no extra material worth talking about from this London Show of S.S. live both solo-acoustic and with his quartet. But it's a good show; just not the entire show! Clearly the typical intro of this tour (Helplessly Hoping, with the band) and the final encore (listed on another blog as Dark Star) were left off both the DVD and CD. In fact the sound is virtually the same between discs. They could have left the CD as is, as a neet if raw recording and had the DVD give you the 20 minutes or so that would not fit on CD. But no!
OK, I am a huge and life long Stills fan, from the Springfield days. I am biased. Seeing this tour in the USA was a highlight of my life, especially singing Woodstock at S.S.' feet, loud and louder. So, this similar show is a dear to me. He is in good voice, and great guitar. Being the only guitar in the band, he has to play the signature licks of much of the music, and that leads to a challenge here and there, and completely met. In huge contrast to the Killers, there is no fancy lighting or effects or any attempt to bring you anything but a bar/coffee house type performance. And that's OK. Stills rocks.
The set list reaches all points of his career, and being a super fan is almost complete given time and vocal restraints. And here ladies and gentlemen is a chance to see and hear Stills do Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, solo (until the band joins in at the very end). The man has gonads to do this without the Crosby and Nash harmonies, and pulls it off with glee!
Bottom Line: 4/5 stars.....Zeph, out
the Killers
LIVE FROM THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
I write this entry as I watch the DVD for the first time in my blog's history (writing an entry before living with the product a few spins); it's that good. I have to tell you, even if you are not a Killers fan, you will not see a more energetic or more beautifully produced live concert DVD, and I am watching on standard DVD. The Blue Ray if/when available will be a monster!
The set list is near perfect. The band is in finest form. The fans (do check out the back stage footage, much of which is interviews of fans hanging around the building) are the best. And the sound, well is first rate.
Bottom Line: 5/5, assuming the soundtrack CD (contains the RAH show but not the bonus material) is as good as the DVD.
LIVE FROM THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
I write this entry as I watch the DVD for the first time in my blog's history (writing an entry before living with the product a few spins); it's that good. I have to tell you, even if you are not a Killers fan, you will not see a more energetic or more beautifully produced live concert DVD, and I am watching on standard DVD. The Blue Ray if/when available will be a monster!
The set list is near perfect. The band is in finest form. The fans (do check out the back stage footage, much of which is interviews of fans hanging around the building) are the best. And the sound, well is first rate.
Bottom Line: 5/5, assuming the soundtrack CD (contains the RAH show but not the bonus material) is as good as the DVD.
