Rating: Summary: THE CULT BEGINNING TO NOW Review: First off - I want to say how awesome it is that Ian Astbury is taking over the vacated Morrison billet with The Doors. I'm not the first fan to compare The Cult with The Doors - the similarities are obvious through the poetry, the imagery, and on some levels, the sound. As with the other reviews, I also enjoyed watching the band grow and change styles through the years. The DVD, however, isn't the greatest. I own a good collection of music DVD's and they all seem to suffer some complaint. The main grief I have over this one is the lack of chapter search for a song. So, for instance, you only want to watch Fire Women, to do that you have to chapter forward 17 times...bummer.
Rating: Summary: Why No 5.1?? Review: I have to echo the comments of Joe Flip. Where is the 5.1 audio? The 2.0 just doesn't cut it. The footage is great, but due to the sound limitations this one wont see much playing time. Being a huge fan I have been eagerly awaiting their first DVD release only to disappointed. All in all I would buy it again, but it could have bene SO much better.
Rating: Summary: The best career DVD ... ever Review: I'll preface my review by first stating that I'm a big fan, so I'm biased.This dvd is great, both in terms of content and presentation. Plenty of material to see, and I like how they chose to make continuous-play the default mode (I hate how some bands have DVDs which make you flip back to the DVD-menu after each video). What really makes the collection feel complete is that Billy and Ian introduce some videos, which makes it seems like they care and support this release. That really adds a lot to it for me. I also finally get to see all the videos I've never seen before, especially Heart of Soul. And now I can finally watch the Edie video whenver I want, and that alone is worth the price of the dvd. The only critical thing - Like most things that came from video material, the resolution is still the same as what it looked like on TV. I wish it was 'cleaned up' with a better transfer, especially the Edie video (and there's an odd video glitch during the song's bridge when Ian throws his hands up) I still can't get used to Ian's dancing in the early days. He may still dance that way, since I've never seen then play live. But watching the band's career evolve through their videos though, is just fantastic, and I walk away with a greater level of respect for some of the material that I didn't get tuned into before.
Rating: Summary: To Cult Fans..... Review: If you're a Cult fan, you'll want to own this collection of videos not because they're especially great or memorable. No... you'll want this because it's so interesting to see this band go from garage band proficiency to arena rock star performers. The black and white video for 'Lil Devil' is pure sex, drugs, harleys and rock n' roll. The lead singer Ian Ashbury wears a metal belt buckel that says 'Wolfchild'. Best clip goes to 'Wild Hearted Son' video... it's the bands best performance and they live up to their image... wild hearted free spirits. Also, check out Ian's hot girlfriend in 'Ciao Baby' video.
Rating: Summary: To Cult Fans..... Review: It's great to see how this band has evolved through the years. Hopefully they will release a dvd of live material and some of the most recent videos from Beyond and Gone in 60.
Rating: Summary: Great collection of the past Review: It's great to see how this band has evolved through the years. Hopefully they will release a dvd of live material and some of the most recent videos from Beyond and Gone in 60.
Rating: Summary: A Stunning Visual Evolution Review: Ok, so i was a punker and waver, a rocker and techno freak in my time but this band tops everyone in their ability to cross genre in their music, attitude and presentation. The music is always fantastic, but this visual glimpse of the band, as they travel throughout their career and some of the commentary to go with it is invaluable in getting a sense of what they are about. From the wild hair and make up to the stripped down rocker (Billy always stylish - no matter the time or place!) this video collection gives a glimpse into other facets of the band as only visual scenes can do. I especially like the live footage - it was interesting to see Ian play, even for a little bit. And talk about wasted! Wow, the live footage with Ian totally spaced was unbelivable. He still communicates power and emotion no matter when or where he is at.
Rating: Summary: A note on quality issues Review: Several people have mentioned quality issues with this disk and here's my two cents. The audio *could* be better, but it is still "good". If you play this disk at high volume on a home theatre or audiophile level system, there is very noticeable hiss at the end of each song. And let's face it, most Cult fans *are* going to crank up the volume. However, if you play this disk at normal volume, you won't notice it. As for the video quality, this is archival material, some of it from 18 years ago! It has been cleaned up but if the video were digitally remastered, this disk would cost $100! Let's face it, there aren't enough Cult fans out there to justify them spending millions to remaster the video (which is a lot harder than remastering audio). Let's be thankful the live stuff was shot by the BBC for the most part. The interviews with American televison show just how abysmal it could have been over all. Is the video as good as those done recently, primarily for DVD release? (The Eagles, Hell Freezes Over disk comes to mind immediately) No. But I would say it is still good to very good and for video that was originally shot 15+ years ago, it is excellent. This is a must have for even casual Cult fans.
Rating: Summary: One of the better put together music DVDs. Review: There are a lot of DVDs out there that try to cover a band or artist's entire career but just don't cut it. The Cult DVD covers it all. Interviews from three CULT eras, every video they ever put out, the first TV performance to present the CULT to the world and truly a great way to introduce someone to the band. The interviews show how THE CULT were probably one of the most egotistical bands out there. And they pretty much admit it because they know they're just that good. The DVD also proves that THE CULT were a band that actually evolved and took risks with their sound and image. The great song writing was always there and the change in the delivery of the sound shows how a band can truly challenge its audience. A true retrospective look at an under appreciated band who continues to prove themselves today. All true, fomer and new CULT fans should own this DVD.
Rating: Summary: One of the better put together music DVDs. Review: There are a lot of DVDs out there that try to cover a band or artist's entire career but just don't cut it. The Cult DVD covers it all. Interviews from three CULT eras, every video they ever put out, the first TV performance to present the CULT to the world and truly a great way to introduce someone to the band. The interviews show how THE CULT were probably one of the most egotistical bands out there. And they pretty much admit it because they know they're just that good. The DVD also proves that THE CULT were a band that actually evolved and took risks with their sound and image. The great song writing was always there and the change in the delivery of the sound shows how a band can truly challenge its audience. A true retrospective look at an under appreciated band who continues to prove themselves today. All true, fomer and new CULT fans should own this DVD.
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