Rating: 
Summary: Poor Surround Sound
Review: Buck's vocals are buried so deep in the mix you can barely hear him. His vocals do not come from the center speaker. It sounds like he's standing 15 feet away from the mike. I think the only way his vocals are being picked up is through another microphone on stage but not through his. I tried Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 but it didn't make a difference. I cranked up both my rear speakers but it didn't improve things much. About 2/3 of the way through the show you see a guy run on stage and mess with some wires in the background. After that Buck's vocals are much improved and can be heard through the center channel. I bought the DVD at Best Buy and they wouldn't let me return it. They didn't feel it was defective just a poor mix.
Rating: 
Summary: Pound for Pound Champions
Review: Buy the DVD and decide for yourself. This IS what they sound like live, and no critic ever had any kind words for their vocals live. Go back and read reviews of their live releases--or buy the truly dreadful sounding concert DVD from '75. What makes this the best concert DVD for a guitarist is that you actually see almost every note Buck plays--this is unprecedented. The fret hand, not the pick hand. If you know what I'm talking about, you know why you need this DVD. Plus, how can anybody say anything about their age? I'm not DATING them, I'm listening to their work for christ's sake. And where does the one reviewer think Spinal Tap came from, anyway? Rob Reiner's ...? It came from Uriah Heep, BOC, Sabbath, and the rest of the dinosaur arena rock bands. Comparing the real thing to the parody and complaining that life imitates art is just too much. Buy the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: BOC is great, but the DVD isn't...
Review: Cult fan here, tattoo to prove it, but I must say I was really unhappy with this DVD. The boys put on a great show and I really enjoyed that, but the sound quality was lacking--this made the DVD painful to watch! Then I went to the interviews with the band and it's as if the guy just makes up questions on the spot. With a band that's been around for as long as BOC has, they certainly could have done some research and asked some questions that analyzed the longevity and music from BOC's perspective. The fans they chose to interview were also lame, unless you like listening to a drunken guy tell you how much he loves BOC while he is spitting and slurring his words (some of the interviews were OK, but only because they happened upon a sober fan). Just because BOC is not as popular (monetarily) as they were in the 70s and early 80s is not a reason to put out something this low of quality.
Rating:
Summary: Better with Age
Review: Cult fans rejoice, they have been visually digitized. Having seen them in the 70's, 80's, 90's and the decade we're in that has no name, I can honestly say that this version of the band, with drummer Rondinelli and bassist Miranda, sure can rock and roll. These guys are what's been missing from the cult, besides a truly captivating front man, but nobody's perfect. So now they finally have a talented drummer to keep up with Buck's boogies and there's more musical balance than they've ever had before. There's something for everyone who likes rock here and it's obvious Buck really loves blowing people away with riff after riff. A must for all fans of the Blue......
Rating: 
Summary: Great Show
Review: Finally, a BOC concert DVD worth watching. The band performs well and the quality (sound & vision) is acceptable. My complaint is with the mix. Allen Lanier's keyboards are barely audible. And Buck Dharma's voice is buried in the mix. Tragic! The concert has an excellent selection of songs from their 30 year career of evil. I could have lived without the drum and bass solo during Godzilla. The Mistress Of The Salmon Salts (Quicklime Girl) and ME262 were particularly inspired performances. The extras are abundant: band interviews, fan interviews, etc. Easter Egg: Click the center portion of the cult logo on the main menu. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT BAND, LOUSY RECORDING
Review: FIRST OF ALL, I THINK BOC IS A GREAT BAND. HAVING SEEN THEM LIVE, I KNOW HOW GOOD THEY CAN SOUND. I'M SORRY, BUT HOW DO YOU TAPE A WHOLE CONCERT, WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE VOCAL MIX, SIT DOWN AFTERWARDS AND LISTEN TO IT, AND THEN RELEASE IT ANYWAYS. ERIC BLOOMS VOCAL MIKE WAS TOO HOT, MAKING HIM SOUND OUT OF TUNE IN SOME PLACES. BUCK'S VOCALS SOUNDED GOOD, IF ONLY YOU COULD HEAR HIM. WITH TODAY'S RECORDING TECHNOLOGY, WAS THERE NOTHING THEY COULD DO? THE SAD PART IS, IS THAT THE PLAYING IS DAMN GOOD. IF YOU'RE A BOC FAN, YOU'LL BE [UPSET].
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not bad at all
Review: Good to very good. This DVD quickly grew on me. At first you see their appearance and think they look a little old to still be doing this. Eric looks pretty much the same but Allen looks worse for wear and Buck is a little on the heavy side. Allen definitely looks like he's been touring for 30 years. Allen, go see a dentist. Hard to believe he was Patty Smith's squeeze for a while. Still he comes across lucidly in the band interviews on this DVD. Buck has put on few pounds but he doesn't look out of shape, just a little larger. But then they start playing and you realize why they are BOC. They can flat out rock. Lots of good songs on here. The mix is pretty good. The DD 5.1 sounds better than the DTS though. They come across in the band interviews as a great bunch of guys who are in it for the music. They use few, if any, special effects in the show. Just great songwriting and playing are on display here. Buck is just amazing. He's such a good guitar player. Always seems to play exactly the right note and hold it the right length of time. Allan and Eric are okay musically as well. The relatively new rhythm section is okay. They seem nice enough guys who hold up their end of things. I'd recommend this DVD. The band is oddly endearing considering the nature of the music and come across as genuinely fan friendly. Buck could be your uncle who is "musically inclined and can play the guitar pretty good." For fans it's a no-brainer, for non-fans you'll probably like it but don't expect a pretty MTV band. Although some of the albums have a dated sound, the dvd concert sounds contemporary, and actually better than their contemporaries. I'll probably buy the concert CD based on the performance and sound of the DVD. Thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not bad at all
Review: Good to very good. This DVD quickly grew on me. At first you see their appearance and think they look a little old to still be doing this. Eric looks pretty much the same but Allen looks worse for wear and Buck is a little on the heavy side. Allen definitely looks like he's been touring for 30 years. Allen, go see a dentist. Hard to believe he was Patty Smith's squeeze for a while. Still he comes across lucidly in the band interviews on this DVD. Buck has put on few pounds but he doesn't look out of shape, just a little larger. But then they start playing and you realize why they are BOC. They can flat out rock. Lots of good songs on here. The mix is pretty good. The DD 5.1 sounds better than the DTS though. They come across in the band interviews as a great bunch of guys who are in it for the music. They use few, if any, special effects in the show. Just great songwriting and playing are on display here. Buck is just amazing. He's such a good guitar player. Always seems to play exactly the right note and hold it the right length of time. Allan and Eric are okay musically as well. The relatively new rhythm section is okay. They seem nice enough guys who hold up their end of things. I'd recommend this DVD. The band is oddly endearing considering the nature of the music and come across as genuinely fan friendly. Buck could be your uncle who is "musically inclined and can play the guitar pretty good." For fans it's a no-brainer, for non-fans you'll probably like it but don't expect a pretty MTV band. Although some of the albums have a dated sound, the dvd concert sounds contemporary, and actually better than their contemporaries. I'll probably buy the concert CD based on the performance and sound of the DVD. Thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: a long day's night for sure
Review: I have been an on and off BOC fan for some 30 years, 'on' for their first 10-15 years and lately again thanks to their last studio release, 'off' for the time between during some lacklustre releases after the mid 80s. Saw them first in '78 I believe, as part of an open-air festival also featuring acts like Motorhead, Kansas, Foreigner, 38 Special and Blackfoot. They were fantastic and together with Kansas easily the highlights of the day. Again saw them on their Club Ninja tour and that wasn't so good. The band seemed to have some personnel troubles as there were some apparent quibbles on stage.
This DVD show the band more harmonious again which effects the music in a very positive way. The guys appear quite inspired and the show rocks like the one i remember from the 70s. They look a bit weathered now, especially Allen Lanier (or is it Keith Richards' secret brother? Are these his real teeth?) but who cares. It's all about the music and they're hitting on all cylinders. The sound is not as bad as some reviewers make it appear to be. Even Buck's vocals are not really that much of a problem although not quite as dominant as Eric's.
Song selection ok but not great. Missing out on 'Astronomy' is almost like a Zep DVD without 'stairway to heaven'. Could have done without 'stairway to the stars' or 'lips', but thats probably my personal taste. 'Last days of May' is absolutely awesome as is 'buck's boogie' and 'harvest moon'.
All in all a very good DVD with a few minor issues, but certainly worth buying in particular for Buck's guitar playing.
Rating:
Summary: BOC fans shouldn't think twice about buying this DVD
Review: I have been waiting for this for a long time and was not disapointed. This is a great BOC concert that is true to what it is like to see them live with a few bonuses. There is a good representation of their entire career in this show, including " Perfect Water" " Lips in the Hills" and a few others you don't normally see in shows from recent years. It would have been perfect if they would have included a song from each and every album, but I am satisfied with their choices being a good representation to their true fans. I read the other reviews and what was said about poor sound quality but personally don't notice this, maybe I'm just not as educated in the area of DVD sound, but it sounds good to me.
You also get a few bonus menu items. The one good one was the soundcheck portion before the show where the band practices on a cut from Mirrors, not included in the show itself unfortunately. The other bonus', were mostly disappointing. I know these guys from being a true fan for over 20 years and the interviews with them do not show their true intelligence or depth. And, I must say that I was embarrased to watch the fan comments segment which largely consisted of drunken ogres playing air guitar and slurring out lyrics. I've always thought " thinking mans hard rock group" was a good description of BOC that I've heard many times, but you wouldn't guess it from the fans shown in this segment.You guys should have called me up, I could have gathered a few SOBER fans to present some intelligent well thought comments about why you are such a great band.
Best to stick to the concert itself, which is a real treat for fans, and for those that aren't familiar with the band, a great way to get to know them. I played it every day the first week I had it and know it will remain on heavy rotation.
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