Rating: 
Summary: What time is it? It's Boss time
Review: Even though I'm not into buying concert DVDs, I bought this because I've always wanted to see Springsteen in concert but never have. There are a lot of great moments on this, especially "Empty Sky"(about the world trade center disaster), the emotion he shows on that one song alone makes this DVD worth watching. A very somber moment in the show definitely. Another is the what I call the follow-the-leader moment in "Ramrod" where the band follows him marching along the front of the stage inches away from the fans. There's no doubt he loves to play for audiences around the world. It was also amusing to watch him forget the words to "Spirit In The Night" while on the piano and grinning and saying "uno momento." The sound is not too good on some songs but I wouldn't let that stop me from buying this DVD. Could've used more bonus features.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed DVD, another flawless performance
Review: Compared to the New York DVD, which is truly remarkable, the editing, cinematography, lighting, sound mix, and direction are sub par. The cuts are too short, the shots are often uninspired, the lighting, whilst impressive for the audience, has been captured poorly on camera and the sound mix is not crisp enough.As for the direction, well, who was in charge of this set up? If anyone has seen The Last Waltz, director Martin Scorsese ensured he was prepared for every song by storyboarding each lyric (I kid you not). He knew where to place the camera. Here, as seems the case with most concert DVDs, it is Russian roulette with the camera work. Random cuts, a swooping camera shot here, a close up of Springsteen's guitar there, and maybe we'll cut to an E Street member every now and again. For a show by these artists the preparation should be nothing short of exhaustive. I wonder whether this director had even ever listened to one of their albums! But let us not detract from the performance, which puts to shame every show I've been to for years. Springsteen is, as ever, on fire throughout this colourful night in Barcelona. Fleshing out many songs from The Rising, with a near perfect rendition of Mary's Place (my highlight), and truly blistering guitar solos (see World's Apart) we see Bruce and the band enjoying every single moment on stage (although, of course, the shots fail to capture the character of the band as they should have done). Then there are two sublime piano solos at the end of disc one from songs rarely played these days. Bruce is blessed with one of rock's most rich back catalogues and here all era's of his career are put forward for all to see. For fans of Springsteen, this is a given. As for the sound, well, it isn't perfect but it certainly isn't bad. It's better than any soundboard bootleg you've heard (for arenas, that is) but it could have been brighter, with maybe the audience turned down a bit and each band member mixed in a way where they are clearly recognisable. The two instruments that sound wonderful however are the violin and Springsteen's many guitars. They seer through the tracks, and are stunning. A special mention should go to the rapturous Barcelona crowd. It's a great venue, and the reception the band got is as good as any on The Rising tour. This shows how powerful Springsteen's music is. The greatest flaw however is shared also by the NY DVD. NO SUBTITLES. Now I know every song on this set inside out, but many do not, and even fans can often mistake lyrics when the mix is this bad. And no fan of Bruce will ever say his singing is always understandable. His lyrics however are just as enjoyable to read as they are to listen to, and for the hard of hearing and deaf I find it absolutely despicable that an artist of Springsteen's stature and popularity has DVDs out there without subtitles. This should be addressed sooner rather than later. Despite these drawbacks it remains a must own, purely for the music. I can simply sit back and accept the flaws, and revel in another milestone in the Boss's illustrious career. But Sony, don't do it again!
Rating:
Summary: Here's my problem...
Review: The 1st disc was great. I tried to play the 2nd disc but the disc would not respond to my remote. I couldn't get to the documentary or individual performances. I tried other dvd's and they all worked fine. The 1st disc was fine too! Thinking this was maybe a defect, I exchanged it....the same thing happened! I am so looking forward to seeing the 2nd disc. Suggestions?
Rating: 
Summary: Was this recorded underwater?
Review: Having seen the Cleveland and Pittsburgh shows on the Rising tour and loving the NYC DVD I was jazzed for this one. Unfortunately, the sound stinks. If you turn your receiver to the Midnight setting you can pump it up a little bit but it is overall awful and that is an artificial soultion. All the more tragic in that you can tell the band was on and the fans were into it. At the beginning of Badlands, you can see Bruce's hand do the signature slide down the neck of the guitar but you sure can't hear it. Buy it as a momento of a classic tour but don't expect too much. The PCM 2 channel stereo actually sounds a little better than the surround. Someone deserves to be fired over this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Editing
Review: I had no problems with the sound, my problem with the DVD is I thought it was edited very badly. The picture is choppy and does not go from scene to scene very well. The New York City DVD is better... But, having said that, this DVD is definitely worth having. There is nothing on this earth like a Springsteen concert and when the whole place started jumping up and down during "Badlands" it gave me chills and brought back tons of Springsteen concert memories.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing DVD
Review: The only thing better was being there live. I was at two of the Giants Stadium shows in the Summer of '03 and this DVD's setlist was pretty comparable to the lists of those two shows. This DVD brought back the memories of those two hot summer nights with no problem. Some people who have reviewed the DVD complained about the sound. If you don't like crowd interaction, don't buy a live DVD. The crowd plays a huge part in ANY concert experience, and the singalongs give me chills. "The Rising" builds up and sets the concert up to be something amazing. Other "Can't-Miss" include "You're Missing", the always-catchy "Badlands", the piano solo of "Spirit of the Night" where Bruce catches himself messing up the lyrics, "Night", "Ramrod", and "Born to Run" are also amazing. I highly recommend this DVD to any Springsteen fan or fan of good music.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT! NEXT BEST THING TO BEING THERE LIVE!
Review: This is a wonderful dvd and Bruce and the Estreet band are amazing. I am so glad it is a full concert so one can see the scope and range of Bruce' artistry and performance ability. It is too hard to pick favorites for everything is great. The Estreet Band is simply one of the best in rock and there is a reason Bruce is simply THE BOSS.
Rating:
Summary: view for yourself, don't listen to complaints
Review: I made the mistake of not purchasing this dvd earlier because of all the sound issues people were talking about. When I started playing it, there is a difference, I agree. But the difference does not equate to it being bad. NYC was very clear, but compared to this, does not capture the real feel of a concert. I loved NYC, and still do, but for different reasons. I would not have had this Barcelona DVD any other way. The sound is FANTASTIC for a concert feel, and why would he want to put out another dvd that sounds the same anyway. I am from Jersey, and it pains me to say this but, this crowd in Barcelona blew away any crowd of any of the shows in jersey and new york I that have been to over the years. Fan of him or not, the sound will not have a negative affect. I loved the sound they had, and think it adds to the concert feeling. An absolutely great DVD concert. The energy both on stage, and in the crowd is something that you will be amazed by. I would have loved to have been there.
Rating:
Summary: BOSSSSSSSS!!!
Review: Watch Bruce and the E-Street Band having fun on stage, and if You don't find yourself singing and dancing with them - THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
Rating: 
Summary: Could the sound be more disapointing?
Review: I have seen Bruce probably about 20 times now, and am a true fan going back to the mid-seventies. I saw this show when he was here in Chicago in 2003, which is why this DVD is so disapointing to me. The setlist is great, and Bruce and the E Street Band are at their best, obviously having one hell of a time. The DVD is visually stunning, but the sound is absolutely intolerable! And I think most people would agree that the point of a concert video is the sound. Please save your money. If you are a true Springsteen fan it will break your heart to watch this DVD, knowing what it should sound like.
|
