Classic presentation from a definitive classic rock band
As a writer for a guitar magazine, I got just an advance of the two-CD, single DVD (not Blu-Ray) set, ten days before the actual release date. My wife and I caught the show at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, four days after the band had videoed and recorded the show at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis for this release.
From a technical sense, this is a masterpiece---filmed in HD w/ 11 cameras, and the accompanying coordinated video that played on the screen while the band is playing live is visible enough to where you can tell that the video production company nailed their assignment in prepping this for the concert
(definitive example: The screen explodes with a "Get up!" graphic when that shout-out line comes along in "Fooling Yourself".
Three of the songs had never been performed in concert before, and the band is in fine form. As for perceived controversies about the lineup, the disproportionate live albums, etc., this is the most stable...
The concert I was imagining in the dark all those years ago
At age 13, one of the first records I ever bought was Styx's "Grand Illusion." When "Pieces of Eight" came out, I scrambled to get it. I remember lying on my back, lights out, headphones on, partaking in their sonic magic.
By the time I began attending concerts (probably just a year later) Styx had already ventured off into "Top 40 Land" and I lost interest. I've seen the band numerous times since they re-grouped in 1990. And while every show has been great, none have fully matched my initial infatuation.
For me, this DVD is pretty close to "the Holy Grail." It's the concert I was imagining in the dark all those years ago.
Anyone familiar with these albums already knows that the set list is nothing less than perfect. In this performance, Styx is musically tight and with a majestic sound, looking healthy and happy. Each musician excels, and the Styx signature harmonies are out in force. Great care has been taken to fine-tune everything, even Styx...
Classic performance by a definitive classic rock band
As a writer for a guitar magazine, I got just an advance of the two-CD, single DVD set, ten days before the actual release date. My wife and I caught the show at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, four days after the band had videoed and recorded the show at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis for this release.
From a technical sense, this is a masterpiece---filmed in HD w/ 11 cameras, and the accompanying coordinated video that played on the screen while the band is playing live is visible enough to where you can tell that the video production company nailed their assignment in prepping this for the concert
(definitive example: The screen explodes with a "Get up!" graphic when that shout-out line comes along in "Fooling Yourself".
Three of the songs had never been performed in concert before, and the band is in fine form. As for perceived controversies about the lineup, the disproportionate live albums, etc., this is the most stable lineup the...
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