Rating: Summary: Worth the wait Review: I spent months waiting for this DVD, and it was worth it. An exciting performance throughout: great rock'n'roll music from one of the most important songwriters of our time, played with heart and soul, and a strong sense of community between band and audience. Flawless video throughout, and an audio mix that puts you right there in the Madison Square Garden crowd. (No, it didn't strike me as bass-light.)Home theater buffs should definitely check this one out. The E Street Band members' bland comments to Bob Costa in the New York City Serenade interviews are the only - albeit minor -disappointment. Springsteen's remarks merely rehash what he said to the media at the time of the CD release, and the rest basically say only that it was wonderful to play concerts together again. I would have liked to be pleasantly surprised by some new insights. I've heard complaints about how the producers had failed to do the right thing, i.e. simply point cameras at the stage for three hours. Come on, where's the art in that? Or that a killer performance of this song or that was excluded. This is supposed to be a distillation of the tour, not a mere transcription of its last gig; some things would necessarily have to be left out. Besides, since many of us Boss fanatics love arguing over his best songs/performances, getting to air our feelings about inclusions and exclusions is probably part of the value anyway.
Rating: Summary: Can't get enough of this DVD Review: Happened to see Bruce on this concert tour- and the DVD is just as great! Amazing performance by Bruce and the E Street gang. Bruce is in incredible shape, and puts everything he has into it. A definite great gift for any Bruce fan on your list. Watch it a few times, then put it on as background music. It is the best, and probably only concert DVD I'll ever buy.
Rating: Summary: Good show,BUT..... Review: Very good sound and loved the shows format, but can't understand why it was mixed as 5.1 and is light on the .1With a band of this caliber, why hold back a great drummer, and bass player???If this would have had super bass like the rest of the sound, I would have given it 5 stars..........Still a very good DVD.
Rating: Summary: A "Must Have - Barely..." Review: First-off I love Bruce Springsteen - ever since the 70's when I worked in a Sam Goody music store near Asbury Park, NJ, and he and other band members would often visit the store. We all loved the Boss! I still love cruising in my Mustang convertible playing "Badlands", "Candy's Room" or "Born to Run" at way-too-loud levels! This DVD has a shot on film look that is very clean, but maybe a bit too slick - I felt disengaged from the performers. Others I've seen have been better at making me feel like I'm really there (Like 38 Special - Live at Sturgis" or Mary Chapin Carpenter - Live at Wolf Trap"). A lot of the old standards are there, and I loved every one. Bruce spends a lot of time stretching out songs with non-musical interludes - preaching in a James Brown kind-of "salvation of Rock and Roll", etc. It goes on WAY too long. Extended endings and non-solo breaks in the music had me fast-forwarding to the next song quite often. While I gripe about some of the production, the sound is great and Bruce, Clarence and the gang still "got it" after all these years. It was great to see the E Street Band back in action - Bruce really shines with them. I was especially impressed with Max Weinberg - who drove the tempo really well, Nils Lofgren who had some very interesting solos and a favorite of mine - Dan Frederici who did a great job on organ and accordian. If you love Bruce, or just plain Rock and Roll, you must own this DVD!
Rating: Summary: Great performance, great sound, great visuals Review: It was good when it aired on TV, but the DVD is even better: it includes the complete TV broadcast, plus an extra 90 minutes of live performances that were omitted from the original airing (including Jungleland and Thunder Road). The sound is stellar, and the camera work and editing are first rate. And my thanks to whoever decided to release this in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen! Watch this one on a big widescreen TV (like the Toshiba 57HX81) and it's almost like being at the concert. (There's some quite noticible pixelization in spots, but I think this has to do with the quality of the source material, not the transfer.) First rate.
Rating: Summary: Powerful Stuff Review: I've been a Springsteen fan for years, & saw the last tour at the Boston Fleet Center. This DVD captures the power & energy of the live performance like none other! The music comes through beautifully over the croud noise often interfering with live concerts. Great work technically, the sound & video are crystal clear. The Boss can still rock, Big Time! Thanks, Bruce
Rating: Summary: a perfect concert video Review: If you're a fan of Springsteen, I fail to see how you would be completely impressed and in awe of this. The sound and video quality is impeccable .. the editing is imaginative yet restrained, allowing the performance to shine through. As for the track listing, see for yourself !!
Rating: Summary: great video Review: This DVD makes up for all the misgivings I've had about the HBO special and the CD. The HBO show wasn't long enough to feel like a real Springsteen show; The CD was hastily assembled and the songs questionably sequenced. The DVD is twice as long as the HBO special, and now feels like a real show and the songs on the second disc were put together with as much care as the first disc. The sound quality is the best I've ever heard on a DVD - unlike the actual shows, the piano is now at the right sound level. I was very impressed by the way they avoided 2 pitfalls that often sink live recordings - the audience noise is not overly loud and there is no dialogue between songs. Camera work and editing is first rate. I saw Springsteen 4 times on the 1999/2000 tour, and this captures the experience better than I thought any video could. It is just great songs and performances all the way through with a band that is at the top of their game. It's hard to know where to start with the music but that sax solo in Jungleland always blows me away. I agree with the person who said they would play this more than any other video - I know I will.
Rating: Summary: great performance but something is missing... Review: I heard from a good source that the DVD was supposed to be sold with a promo cd (included in the package)but it was not so.My disapointment was also due to the fact that the video has the same footage already seen on HBO and that some of the performances featured in the "NY city serenade" should have been shown in their entirety.The 3 stars are for the second DVD because of the never seen before footage...
Rating: Summary: the best DVD ever! Review: I guess I'm the only person in Germany who owns that DVD yet. Here it is not out yet and I paid $ 55 just for postage to get it here as soon as possbile. Now you call me nuts? I know. That's a lot of money for a poor student but I would spend my last penny for Bruce! He is the best artist ever! Nobody performs like he does! I received the DVD one day after the release in the USA and since then I watched it three times!! I have already seen the HBO broadcast but the picture and sound quality on the DVD is amazing and can't be compared to TV! If you do not own a 5.1 system it is NOW the time to pick up one! And to get the best picture go and buy a widescreen TV! With this equipment it feels nearly like being at a Bruce concert. But still the DVD does not come close to a real live experience with Bruce. But you know what I'm talking about if you have been to a Bruce show. But the DVD does best to capture a bit of the atmosphere. Go and buy it. Watch it again and again. And watch it LOUD!
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