Rating: 
Summary: A Great Concert, yet.....
Review: .... there is still this business of how underutilized Richard Bona and Cuong Vu were to the whole enterprise. If you are unfamiliar with Bona or Vu, then you wouldn't understand the point. They are every bit the match and in many ways better than any other 2 guys Metheny and Mays and Rodby usually have standing in the back.
Trouble is, Richard Bona is an extraordinary songwriter who could have opened PMG to an entirely new world, and Vu is the most individually creative and original trumpet player in jazz since Miles Davis. Vu's own discs (PURE< BOUND< COME PLAY WITH ME) are not for the feint of heart and certainly are not likely to pop up on any smooth jazz playlist. It's edgy, Asian fired and bold commanding music. Bona has an African sense of rhythm and seduction in his bass playing and singing that is entirely hypnotic be it on his own CDs (REVERENCE) or in partnership with like-minded explorative souls (Huong Thanh's DRAGONFLY).
And therein lies the problem. Give Metheny credit for reaching out to 2 very dramatically different musicians than he normally has in the back, but perhaps Mays and Rodby felt threatened and closed ranks. There is little evidence that Bona and Vu are any different than the usual back up cast.
Nonetheless, this is a dramatically better group effort than the studio CD. And thankfully, we are spared the inane observations of musicians on the road extolling the virtues of being on a lucrative tour and how that has enlightened them. Indeed.
Instead, the film begins with Metheny on baritone guitar essaying "Last Train Home." It is absoluetly wonderful. The proceedings move into group gear thereafter and it is a terrific show that covers a gentle bossa nova as only Metheny can, plus the crowd pleaser "Are You Going With Me" and a strong cross selection from IMAGINARY DAY and SPEAKING OF NOW.
The filmwork is terrific, even if Pat does look like he's added some pudge to the college boy looks he has always sported. Happens to all of us. You do get a sense of what Vu and Bona could do for this band, and with talk that the same lineup is ready to release a second studio CD, perhaps the reins will be released.
Inspite of my carping, which really only matters if you have an interest in the solo releases of Bona and Vu, this is a terrifc concert that you'll enjoy a lot. Now, go push yourself a bit and check out Bona's MUNIA or any of Vu's CDs.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Attempt at a Pat Concert DVD
Review: Beware - this is NOT the best Pat recording ever, as some of the reviewers here seem to indicate. Pull out the VHS of More Travels, or a bootleg DVD of Secret Story Live and you'll never play this again (just compare How Insensitive off SSL for one). The performances are nothing like those of earlier Group recordings, audio and/or video. How can one compare these performances to the Imaginary Day tour?The new band has nowhere near the range of the previous line up, and Last Train Home and AYGWM? are NOT what you expect. Steer clear of this, unless you saw the show and for some strange reason like this lineup and set list. I don't. This is major disappointment considering the last 20 years of Pat's music, both with and without Group. And before anyone writes to complain about THIS review, I have every Pat CD, VHS concert recording, and DVD that has been released (including some international bootlegs as mentioned above), and have seen Pat and/or Group over 20 times in three different countries. It seems to me from the attention that this last recording has received (and many of those attending the Speaking of Now tour) comes from recently-converted fans who suddenly think Group is the latest thing since sliced bread, and don't have the frame of reference of his and Group's earlier works. I challenge you to consider the Group recordings in chronological order, then seriously think of where Speaking Of Now fits in musically - it seems to follow First Circle or earlier, rather than something to be expected to follow We Live Here, or Imaginary Day. It isn't that I don't like this change of direction; rather the opposite - there *is* no change of direction; Pat's been here before. It has none of the freshness of Travels, First Circle, or Imaginary Day that one expects from a new Group recording.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible!
Review: Great DVD! Great show! Great musicianship! The best one out of all their DVD's! A must for the PMG fan!
Rating:
Summary: The Best PMG DVD to Date
Review: I have followed the Pat Metheny Group since I was in college during the mid to late seventies, and this is the best version of this group I have ever seen. The addition of Antonio Sanchez, Cuong Vu, and Richard Bona bring a fresh element to a group that has always evolved. I loved Pedro Aznar in the eighties, Mark Ledford, David Blamires, and Philip Hamilton in the nineties and early 2000s, but the performance of this new group is tight and packed with even more energy and mystery. Richard Bona is clearly a bonafide singer in his own right, and Cuong Vu is a master of the trumpet like no one I've seen since Miles Davis. The drumming of Antonio Sanchez cannot be overlooked as well. This is an excellent DVD for a long time follower of PMG or someone just being introduced to the band. Oh yeah, lets not forget that the mainstays of the band brought their instruments to play, as well. The fact that Pat Metheny is so secure with himself that he share the spotlight with five other talented musicians makes this an exceptional concert to view. Go out and get it or order it with expedited delivery.
Rating:
Summary: superb
Review: i have seen the concert in june 2002 in stra near venice in italy. it was just superb. even if the lightsystem was blown off from the heat and the mosquitos where having their greatest time of the year, the music was just magic. the combination of the environment in the garden of the castello and this great music was just perfect. i for my self felt deeply moved to be privileged to see the worlds most genious and greatest musicians all together on the stage. i believe this dvd will be a great historical document for times to come
Rating:
Summary: Magical moments on a great DVD release!
Review: I knew this was going to be a great DVD release as soon as the opening track started with Pat alone center stage playing a great song. The sound is great on this and the video production was superb. This DVD really makes me feel like I am at the show. I can't wait to listen to this in full surround (a future purchase!). Pat and his group always play well and they always give it their all for every performance. I think it was a good move on Pat's part to revamp his lineup even if it was inavoidable. Even artists like Pat can get too comfortable but he has no problem with exploring new avenues - even with his older songs! If you like Pat Metheny, this DVD is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: Simply put, the best music DVD out there
Review: I own all of the PMG DVDs and videos, and this, by far, is the very best. If you are a fan, you have to own it. If you aren't a fan, you will be after watching it. The sound is perfect, and the video is flawless. A definite "must have"!!
Rating:
Summary: Pat always bring magic
Review: I reckon this is the first live concert DVD by Pat Metheny in 5 years. Correct me if I'm wrong.
But since the Imaginary Day Concert, Pat has proved himself to be a virtuoso that no one to be compared with.
As for myself, the DVD here marks his journey of musicianship throughout the year. And not to mention with the new line-up, Cuong Vu on trumpets and vocals, Antonio Sanchez, bring new colour to Pat's music.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful concert
Review: I saw the concert performance of this material in Universal City, CA about two years ago at the beginning of their year plus long world tour. It was absolutely MAGIC!! As for Pat, a more honest and knowing performance can not be given by a human being, and who better to support than the PMG? Years later, the live feeling of this artistic masterpiece is still with me. The live performance, (like the CD) was a superb Pat Metheny Group endeavor. This work ("S.O.N.") is one of their finest of all time and I have been ever since eagerly awaiting the DVD release. In the meantime I have collected every PMG DVD release available in The States. The DVDs are all VERY CONSISTANT in quality and performance with PMG releases on CD.
Rating:
Summary: Modern Music...
Review: It seems to be increasingly rare during this era of style being chosen over content that something as amazing as this concert video has been produced. True musical talent performed live at the very highest level is a precious moment in our lives. I have experienced this well over a dozen times at Metheny and PMG concerts. This is a wonderful video of a group of virtuoso musicians working intensely to create amazing music ...they are too wrapped up in this process to play to the crowd (or camera)with stylized theatrics. It is a video worth enjoying, and even studying, over and over. It may be the best and most original modern music of our time.
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