Rating: 
Summary: Is It Me?
Review: Is it just me or does the sound on this DVD fade in and out? On my copy the volume actually gets louder and softer at various points in the concert, which I find very distracting. It is especially bothersome on the first two songs but even well into the concert it is still noticeable. If it is only a problem with my copy I would gladly order another one (can't find the receipt for the first.) It would be a small price to pay to have this amazing concert on DVD with the sound quality it deserves. I am a life long Roxy fan and I saw this tour so it has special meaning for me. As for the quality of the music itself, I can only say that this DVD is so good it brings tears to my eyes. The musicianship is spectacular. The songs choice couldn't be better. Brian Ferry gives us a riveting performance. Guitarists Phil Manzanera and Chris Spedding are both brilliant. Their blistering back to back solos on "My Only Love" provide one of the highlights of the show. Andy MacKay's haunting horn gives Roxy it's ambient signature sound and drummer Paul Thompson is just a monster! All of the musicians on stage do a fantastic job. Lucy Wilkins is able to cover both Brian Eno's screeching synth and Eddie Jobson's searing violin, filling in for two very important original members simultaneously. I would have given this DVD five stars (ten actually) if not for the sound problem. Is it just my copy? Someone please respond and let me know what you think. Thanks.
Rating: 
Summary: Good songs, but doesn't capture the band at its peak
Review: On the good side, this DVD has a good selection of songs, drawing at least one song from each album. There is even a leaning more towards the older material. The songs are fairly well played and are fairly close to the original versions. Phil Manzanera and Paul Thompson get high marks for really getting into the concert and seeming excited and showing some youthful spirit. Another bonus with the DVD is that you have the option of displaying the lyrics/words on the TV as they are being sung. There is also a video that shows the behind-the-scenes activities leading up to the show.
On the down side, this is showing a sort of fake version of Roxy Music. Although there are four original members, there are 5 or so other younger members that sort of drown out visions of the classic Roxy lineup. Ferry does a fairly good job with many of the songs, but kind of lazily drifts through some of the heavier songs (most notably Out of the Blue). So some of the songs lack the vocal dynamics that made him so interesting in the "good old days".
In all fairness, we can't expect the core band musicians - now in their 50's - to be the energetic guys they were in the 1970s (when they were in their 20s). If you like the later, mellower Roxy albums, you'll probably get into this. If you long for the stranger early period, check out the MusikLaden video. That shows them back in the days when they were actually creating these songs. But nonetheless, Live at the Apollo is still a decent represention of the band, especially of their wide variety of music, from heavy to soft, from pop to weirdness, and everything in between.
Highlights include Both Ends Burning, Re-make Re-model, Out of the Blue, Virginia Plain.
Rating: 
Summary: In Every Dream DVD player, a Heartache
Review: Responding to someone's earlier review mentioning having the
sound fade in/out during playback, I had the same issue and
realized, playing it on my new PC with DVD drive, that since
I didn't have a 5.1 or 6.1 setup as yet, just a good pair of
Altec Lansing pc speakers, I had to go into the DVD
menu and set the sound for Dolby stereo 2.0 instead of the
5.1 mixes included herein. Then the sound suddenly became spectacular and stopped fading out. Those with surround systems will probably want to set the sound for the proper surround mix, or you might get similar fade problems. The credits mention that the great Rhett Davies (who was worked with Roxy Music many times before as producer and engineer) designed the sound mix for this DVD, and he definitely knows what he's doing because in the proper mix, this DVD sounds unbelievable--it has few or none of the problems inherent (normally) in live concerts recorded for video or DVD. A few times Bryan's vocal mike could've been mixed a bit louder, but otherwise, it's spot-on dynamic. Paul Thompson's drums in particular sound larger-than-life, as if you're sitting right next to his drum kit!
I can only imagine what the 5.1 mixes sound like, I hope
I get to find out soon though.
As for the DVD itself, I watched this again the other night
in its entirety, and I caught both the 2001 and 2003 NYC
shows on the tour, at Radio City and the MSG Garden Theatre,
and this DVD brings me right back to both of those shows,
as if I'm there again in the audience. Easily one of the
greatest live concert DVDs or videos I've ever seen.
Most of them suck, but this one delivers the goods and then
goes beyond it to become a truly moving experience.
A band at the top of their form and captured on a dazzling
DVD. This a must-own if you're any kind of Roxy Music fan.
The DVD also includes some great extras, a mini-pre-tour
warmup documentary with backstage footage and interviews,
and even full lyrics you can set to play on/off during each
song or the entire concert. Outro/credits music is even
great, utilizing the instrumental song "India" from the great Roxy Avalon album (1982).
Rating:
Summary: Roxy Rare Redux
Review: Roxy Music fans will not be disappointed with this beautifully produced concert DVD. Frontman Bryan Ferry sounds much better than I expected and the musicianship is superb all around. Original Drummer Paul Thompson appears with the band for the first time since the early 70's (He seemed to be a real crowd favorite at the Apollo). The other original band members Manzanera and Mackay sound better than ever. Highlights: guitarist Manzanera's soloing; neoclassical piano intro to "Song for Europe" by Colin Good; violin solo by Lucy Wilkins on "Out of the Blue"; Chris Spedding's hypnotic guitar solo on "My Only Love"; and my personal favorite, "Oh Yeah", in which the entire band really seem to be enjoying themselves. DVD also features short documentary on the concert tour.
Rating:
Summary: Top Rate
Review: Sometimes you can go home again - and sometimes a reformed rock outfit with no new material to hawk can revisit the past and actually make it sound vital. Roxy's reunion tour was, with no apology, a celebration of their decade-long run, with all the hits (Dance Away, Love is the Drug) and album staples (Mother of Pearl, For Your Pleasure) trotted out for receptive audiences. This DVD not only captures the enthusiasm of Ferry, McKay, Manzanera & Co. for their songbook, but it does so with some of the best audio/visual quality I've ever seen on a concert dvd. The camera work is great, capturing all the band members (this ain't just the Ferry Show) on the job. The band itself sounds thoroughly professional and spirited, and pulsing away at the core of it all is original Roxy drummer Paul Thompson. His presence is a real coup, not just for "legitimacy" reasons, but because his locked grooves both breathe on their own and propel the rest of the band forward with elan. Utility players Julia Thornton and Lucy Wilkins flesh out the various textures of everything from Avalon to Out of the Blue; Wilkins even tackles the primitive synths once employed by a certain Eno.Some highlights: Manzanera's lacerating guitar solo over the menacing groove of While My Heart is Still Beating; the joyous crescendo of Mother of Pearl's second half; the one-by-one exits during the final section of For Your Pleasure. The extra documentary isn't shabby either. Absolutely essential for Roxy fans.
Rating:
Summary: perfection live!
Review: this dvd is absolutely brilliant! i was lucky enough to see Roxy Music live in concert in august of 2000 at the greek theatre in los angeles, ca. the show was awesome and ferry never sounded better! it was great to see all of them rocking out like it was 1972! if you weren't able to make it to their tour a couple of years ago, (and sadly, i have to say their last) buy this dvd...it'll feel like you're there!
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars for exceptinal Roxy concert
Review: Thomas Wolfe and his famous You Can't Go Home Again spring to mind when you think of bands trying to relive their glory years. Roxy Music and this video are an exception. I went to go see them during this tour with a bit of hesitation. While I love the band, the last tour I saw them on for Avalon was not the best; it looked like they were sleep walking through the performances. The video of that performance was pretty bad as well; the quality and the direction were just not up to snuff. This time they get it right. While Eno's stage presence is missed (he was never much of a musician compared to the others in the band), the musicians fleshing out the original remaining quartet (the amazing Paul Thompson is back on drums in addition to Andy MacKay on sax, Phil Manzanera on guitar and, of course, Bryan Ferry on occasional keyboards, harmonica and lead vocals)do a great job of helping to recreate the band's studio and concert sound. I only saw Roxy one time with Eddie Jobson and can attest that, yes, they were amazing. On the other hand, this line up more than makes up for his absence. Lucy Wilkins manages to recreate Jobson's key moments on electric violin but she also adds touches of her own on Dance Away (not always my fav Roxy song nor the band's as its no challenge to peform in concert). Unlike the recent CD release (which is also very good), this is all taken from one venue not pieced together from various performances around the world. The result is that the show has more continuity in the performance than the piece meal approach. The song selection is fairly strong with the focus on the band's singles and strongest album tracks. Sure there are audience favs missing (and some of the song list was drawn from a survey that Phil Manzanera had on his website) but, on the whole, the song selection is very, very good.
Rating:
Summary: Still the Best Band on Planet Earth
Review: Was fortunate enough to see this Roxy Tour in both Tokyo and New York; they were simply amazing, all the more so for the energy - in addition to the expected cool vibe and talent. The cast of musicians and entertainers ran a clinic for all their imitators. I finally got around to playing the DVD I bought eons ago; and got to experience it all over again; the quality of the production is outstanding. Let's hope we see at least one more Roxy CD with new material and one or more grand tours. The Rock and Roll hall of fame should be considered a fraud until Roxy is inducted.
Rating:
Summary: "Live' is the drug that I need to score. Daily.
Review: Without rehashing the astute comments of other reviewers, here's what your 20 plus bucks will get you: One of the absolute best (in every way) concerts ever captured on film, bar none! From the material selected (Ferry said that he had a "short list of 50 songs" from which this final list emerged) to the stage set; from the DTS/Dolby surround mix to the camera work; from the audience/band rapport to the incredible musicianship, this has it all.
As good as Roxy Music's studio recordings are, they could never match the live performance, and this DVD is proof positive (compare, for example, the original version of 'Mother of Pearl' to this one). I caught Bryan Ferry in concert about 10 years ago (with Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and drummer Andy Newmark), and as good as it was, this concert was better. With four of the original members (including drummer Paul Thompson) augmented by equally talented support musicians Colin Good (piano), Zev Katz (bass), Lucy Wilkins (violin, keyboards and synth) and Julia Thornton (percussion, keyboards and vibraphone), the result is nearly magical. Flawless musicianship, exhuberant stage dynamics and thrilling versions of great songs make this an almost life-affirming experience. (Good, Katz and Thornton were part of the small orchestral backing group Ferry used in his 'Bryan Ferry in Concert-Live in Paris' release of 2000)
While some may quibble about the song selections (I would like to have seen 'Angel Eyes' included), to see and hear musicians of this calibre whenever the mood strikes (which for me is daily) is something special. It is impossible to recommend this DVD too highly.
Rating:
Summary: "Live' is the drug that I need to score. Daily.
Review: Without rehashing the astute comments of other reviewers, here's what your 20 plus bucks will get you: One of the absolute best (in every way) concerts ever captured on film, bar none! From the material selected (Ferry said that he had a "short list of 50 songs" from which this final list emerged) to the stage set; from the DTS/Dolby surround mix to the camera work; from the audience/band rapport to the incredible musicianship, this has it all.
As good as Roxy Music's studio recordings are, they could never match the live performance, and this DVD is proof positive (compare, for example, the original version of 'Mother of Pearl' to this one). I caught Brian Ferry in concert about 10 years ago (with Phil Manzanera, Andy McKay and drummer Andy Newmark), and as good as it was, this concert was better. With four of the original members (including drummer Paul Thompson) augmented by equally talented support musicians Colin Good (piano), Zev Katz (bass), Lucy Wilkins (violin, keyboards and synth) and Julia Thornton (percussion, keyboards and vibraphone), the result is nearly magical. Flawless musicianship, exhuberant stage dynamics and thrilling versions of great songs make this an almost life-affirming experience. (Good, Katz and Thornton were part of the small orchestral backing group Ferry used in his 'Brian Ferry in Concert' release of 2000)
While some may quibble about the song selections (I would like to have seen 'Angel Eyes' included), to see and hear musicians of this calibre whenever the mood strikes (which for me is daily) is something special. It is impossible to recommend this DVD too highly.
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