Rating: 
Summary: Sting in the present tense!
Review: When Sting went solo in 1985, a lot was made of his using nearly 50 percent new songs for his first BRING ON THE NIGHT tour (as if a superstar act "should" keep the new stuff to a bare minimum). Fifteen years later he is even bolder: of the eighteen songs presented here, EIGHT of them are from his latest, acclaimed BRAND NEW DAY album, and I count only eight that date from the first two decades of his career (with only three associated with the Police)! VERY FEW veteran artists have the confidence--and the talent--to remain in the present tense after all these years, defying the overwhelming trend for established performers to become mostly oldies acts (e.g., the Stones, Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, and countless others). This is not so much a criticism of the oldies trend, but rather an indication of how uniquely Sting has positioned himself. Some might say Sting is mellowing, but I'm looking at this beautifully-shot, wonderfully-sounding DVD and thinking that, while his use of rock elements has diminished, the music has become more assertively eclectic, with jazz, country, funk, and world music elements seamlessly morphing into a unique, "Sting" sound. The style may sound less brash than some Police recordings, but the soulful substance is deeper. I think it's a pop-culture myth that being subtle means retreating from the cutting edge--Sting continues to make a case that the opposite may be true! The group is outstanding in their ability to tweak the new material, and to revamp some of the older songs (the once-moody song MOON OVER BOURBON STREET has become a Satchmo-like New Orleans romp). Chris Botti is the most assertive horn player in Sting's group since Branford Marsalis, and the remaining musicians are well-chosen for their ability to play as a team and to forge a truly contemporary sound for their leader. Sting himself sounds as fresh and invigorated as if he just mastered how to play the music yesterday, whether it's the new material or his timeless classic MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. If you're looking for Sting to take you down memory lane at this stage of his career, be forewarned that he is one of the least nostalgic pop artists on the planet...his inspiration lies mostly with the newer material. On the other hand, the new material shows his continued growth as an artist, so if you're open to his current musical vision, this DVD is highly recommended. The music is great, and the presentation (visuals, sound) is first-rate.
Rating:
Summary: Sting rocks at the Universal!!!
Review: I actually saw Sting perform at the Universal a few days before the show they used in this video. Having seen the concert as well as the video, I must say the video does an excellent job of bringing the concert into your living room. The sound engineer does an excellent job balancing the instruments and Sting's voice and contrary to some of the other reviews of this product, I didn't have any problems listening to it in 2 channel or 5 channel stereo or in 5.1 Dolby Digital. The Dolby Digital setting does a very nice job of putting you right in the middle of the audience! This, combined with some great footage, really gives you the whole concert experience. If you are a fan of Sting, or just getting into his music, the combination of songs on this DVD will give you a great compilation of his works, from the Police, all the way to his latest solo works... as well as some excellent songs from in between. I highly recommend this to anyone thinking about buying it!
Rating: 
Summary: Rather disappointing...
Review: As a huge Sting fan who views him as one of the musical geniuses of his generation, I looked forward to this concert DVD with bated breath. Unfortunately, my expectations may have been a tad too high, as the disc disappoints. Admittedly, 'Brand New Day' isn't my favourite Sting album, but even his performance of his older material, like 'Fragile' and 'Message In A Bottle', fails to truly ignite. While other reviewers appear to have enjoyed it, I found his Louis Armstrong style version of 'Moon Over Bourbon Street' particularly grating, as it bled the menacing, sinister soul out of what is, after all, a very dark song inspired by Anne Rice's 'Interview With A Vampire'. All-in-all, I would probably still grudgingly recommend this DVD to Sting fans, at least until someone gets around to releasing a CD or DVD of his recent free concert in Central Park. At worst, it's okay if put on in the background while you are doing something else. Oh, if only they would release BRING ON THE NIGHT on DVD instead...now THAT is a Sting concert video (actually, a full-length documentary) worth buying!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Music, Horrible Sound Transfer
Review: I must agree with most of the reviewers on this site. I wish I had listened to them before buying this DVD. The music is great, as usual from Sting. But the sound is CRAP! Even listening on stereo headphones the sound goes in and out, up and down, really loud and then barely discernible. It also always seems to go down when Sting is singing or speaking. Whoever was running the board this night should be shot... repeatedly... in the knees... with a bow & arrow... for days. I mean, it's ridiculous. I'm going to try and return it, but I'm not hopeful. See if you can rent this first (try Netflix) and see how it does on your sound system. If it's good (or even okay) buy it, because it's a great concert. Please take this review to heart from someone who didn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Sting - Brand New Day Tour
Review: I was very excited when I heard Sting was coming to dvd, as I am a huge fan of Sting and also the legend players he works with. Overall the disc is great, apart from an annoying audio problem when watching it from the 5.1 source through a non 5.1 system( it seems fine when using stereo, but default setting is 5.1) I don't know if it is o.k through a 5.1 system cause I don't have one, but from what I've heard it is o.k. Manu Katche's drumming is no where as good as Vinnie's from the album, ( I am a HUGE Vinnie fan.) but he does play some really tasetful stuff in "englishman in new york" and some great shuffles in other tracks. Dominic Miller(guitar) is a legend Sting makes this dvd happen ( apart from reading words from his music stand in some songs) His song writing is flawless........ If you are into Sting, you need to have it.
Rating:
Summary: Sting in the present tense!
Review: When Sting went solo in 1985, a lot was made of his using nearly 50 percent new songs for his first BRING ON THE NIGHT tour (as if a superstar act "should" keep the new stuff to a bare minimum). Fifteen years later he is even bolder: of the eighteen songs presented here, EIGHT of them are from his latest, acclaimed BRAND NEW DAY album, and I count only eight that date from the first two decades of his career (with only three associated with the Police)! VERY FEW veteran artists have the confidence--and the talent--to remain in the present tense after all these years, defying the overwhelming trend for established performers to become mostly oldies acts (e.g., the Stones, Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, and countless others). This is not so much a criticism of the oldies trend, but rather an indication of how uniquely Sting has positioned himself. Some might say Sting is mellowing, but I'm looking at this beautifully-shot, wonderfully-sounding DVD and thinking that, while his use of rock elements has diminished, the music has become more assertively eclectic, with jazz, country, funk, and world music elements seamlessly morphing into a unique, "Sting" sound. The style may sound less brash than some Police recordings, but the soulful substance is deeper. I think it's a pop-culture myth that being subtle means retreating from the cutting edge--Sting continues to make a case that the opposite may be true! The group is outstanding in their ability to tweak the new material, and to revamp some of the older songs (the once-moody song MOON OVER BOURBON STREET has become a Satchmo-like New Orleans romp). Chris Botti is the most assertive horn player in Sting's group since Branford Marsalis, and the remaining musicians are well-chosen for their ability to play as a team and to forge a truly contemporary sound for their leader. Sting himself sounds as fresh and invigorated as if he just mastered how to play the music yesterday, whether it's the new material or his timeless classic MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. If you're looking for Sting to take you down memory lane at this stage of his career, be forewarned that he is one of the least nostalgic pop artists on the planet...his inspiration lies mostly with the newer material. On the other hand, the new material shows his continued growth as an artist, so if you're open to his current musical vision, this DVD is highly recommended. The music is great, and the presentation (visuals, sound) is first-rate.
Rating:
Summary: Better on CD than DVD
Review: I watched this last night. Sting is better to listen to on CD than to watch on DVD as it is rather boring to watch as there is not much stage presence. This DVD is not in my "top 20" concert DVD list. This one is not a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Dolby Digital is the ONLY way to listen to this DVD
Review: Fact is, this DVD is excellent but only when listened to with a Dolby Digital 5.1 compatible receiver. Unfortunately, the Pro Logic and stereo output is poor with levels going in and out. One fault is the level of Cheb Mami's vocal mix, that mistake is also present in the Dolby Digital output but the levels were reduced midway through the song. The stereo and Pro Logic audio problems are a reflection of the poor sound engineering during the second leg of the Brand New Day tour. I reiterate that the audio and overall concert, audio and video is FANTASTIC when listened to in Dolby Digital, in fact probably the best concert DVD I own. Highly recommended but only is you have a Dolby Digital decoder.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Disc
Review: ...I first heard and saw this DVD about a year ago when I borrowed it from a friend of mine. It is nothing short of amazing!!! Not only did I end up buying it, but I another friend of mine who borrowed the DVD from me while I was borrowing it bought it too...I find this DVD to be one of the better Dolby Digital DVD's that I own. I saw the concert live when it was here in Cincinnati and this DVD is better than being there! Keep in mind, I do have my DVD player hooked up digitally to my receiver which is hooked up to Bose speakers. It isn't top of the line, but it is better than your average set-up. I enjoy just popping the DVD in and cleaning my apartment or relaxing. There are very few DVD's or CD which have the same effect. In conclusion, I would highly reccommend this DVD to any Sting fan. If you are unsure about the audio after reading other reviews, see what you can do about renting the DVD or borrowing it before you purchase it. Again, I have had no problems with it...
Rating:
Summary: Occasionally fun, but disappointing
Review: It's true that Cheb Mani's voice is about 10dB too loud on Desert Rose. What were they thinking? The sound quality on the rest of the disc is ok - sure it's live, but it's no James Taylor-level quality. This is one of those discs that you watch once, and may occasionally pull out for single songs.
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