Rating: 
Summary: the cult live: setting high standards for concert DVD's
Review: "the cult live: music without fear" provides a fascinating visual accompaniment to the cult's powerful musical texturing. unlike some of their contemporaries, the cult have managed to consistently produce superb material throughout the course of their career. songs on "music without fear" are virtually without peer. ian astbury, while occasionally sounding slightly winded, delivers an outstanding vocal performance, extracting the essence of each song without resorting to stale, note-for-note replications of studio recordings. billy duffy's guitar playing is once again the epitome of taste- alternating between brash blues-rock and subtle restraint. and once again, matt sorum's drumming capabilities are evident throughout. standout tracks include "lil devil," "she sells sanctuary," "rain," "my bridges burn," and "love removal machine." the vague lushness and warmth present on original cult records are somewhat replaced by harsher guitar tones and more straight-forward arrangements- yet not to the detriment of the songs. the audio and video quality are incomparably stunning. while other established artists find it sufficient to perform merely mediocre live renditions of their material in an effort to move units and sell tickets, "music without fear" is a refreshing example of a band whose proficiency has not diminished with age.
Rating: 
Summary: What happened to the energy
Review: Do not buy this dvd if you love Ian's voice. He seems to be totally out of it. Stoned cold wasted or whatever.
Rating:
Summary: Live at Last ! Hopefully not the last...
Review: For Cult fans, this is a must have. Seventeen songs of both new and older Cult favorites. The recording was made in L.A. just weeks after 9/11, which Ian made reference.
The video is shot well and sounds fantastic; please view it on a big screen with top of the line sound set up. My only real criticism of the DVD is the sound in the first few selections. The sound seemd to "cut out". Not completely, but a noticeable depth of the sound would leave for seconds at a time.
Once thing that struck me was the crowd at this show; extemely subdued. Repeatedly, Ian attempted to further excite the crowd, but they were barely heard. (part of the mix?)
Keep in mind, we are seeing an older Cult. Still plenty of energy, but not the same as the early 90's. Ian's voice was noticeably strained, but I still couldn't control my excitement as I turned up the controls for songs like Rise, The Witch, Sweet Soul Sister, Wildflower (my favorite of this DVD), and the finale, Love Removal Machine.
Billy Duffy still has his stage presence, and at times I thought Matt Sorum's drums were going to blast thru my screen. Sound so crystal clear, it's hard to belive! This is an absolutely great DVD! As a fan of The Cult for almost 20 years, I know I'll be watching this one for a long tme. GET IT! You'll be glad you did. A great and lengthy show by one of the best live bands ever!!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Having seen the Cult 10 times over the last 16 years, I can tell you that their brand of music is difficult to replicate night after night in a live concert. Ian's voice does not hold up well if the band plays 3 or 4 nights in a row. This show sounds as if they were on vacation for about a week before it was recorded and they're literally at the top of their game. I've seen Ian "mail it in" in live concerts before, and either wuss out and not sing a difficult part, or do it haphazardly, dissapointing the loyal fan base who comes to hear his leather lunged howl. Maybe he knew he was being recorded for the DVD, but the effort to do a good job was there. I am pleased to report, he doesn't mail it in too often in this particualr show! "Rain" is excellent, he even does the "Yeah, Yeaayyyyah yeah" at the end of "She Sells Sanctuary." The crowd is a bit subdued, but let's face it, the Cult's fan base are 30 and 40 somethings now, not exactly the kind of crowd that 'moshes.' The mix of old and new is quite good and the majority of their classics are present. It is a little disappointing that "Nirvana" was not on the DVD, but then again, I am never satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Having seen the Cult 10 times over the last 16 years, I can tell you that their brand of music is difficult to replicate night after night in a live concert. Ian's voice does not hold up well if the band plays 3 or 4 nights in a row. This show sounds as if they were on vacation for about a week before it was recorded and they're literally at the top of their game. I've seen Ian "mail it in" in live concerts before, and either wuss out and not sing a difficult part, or do it haphazardly, dissapointing the loyal fan base who comes to hear his leather lunged howl. Maybe he knew he was being recorded for the DVD, but the effort to do a good job was there. I am pleased to report, he doesn't mail it in too often in this particualr show! "Rain" is excellent, he even does the "Yeah, Yeaayyyyah yeah" at the end of "She Sells Sanctuary." The crowd is a bit subdued, but let's face it, the Cult's fan base are 30 and 40 somethings now, not exactly the kind of crowd that 'moshes.' The mix of old and new is quite good and the majority of their classics are present. It is a little disappointing that "Nirvana" was not on the DVD, but then again, I am never satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent DVD!
Review: I am enjoying this DVD! The song selection, sound quality, and video quality are all superb. Prior to purchasing this DVD, I had purchased The Cults most recent album in Japan. I had never really fuly listened to it. When I received the DVD, the most notable songs were not the ones we all grew to love (no pun intended), but the new songs performed live. They sound very powerful and the musicianship is extremely tight. The video quality is excellent. The only downside is the special imaging effects the producer included on a few songs. Some songs appear to have an old time "showreel" look with a dull bronze coloring to it. Some of the detail and "live" effect is lost. However, this is not a major distraction. The audio quality is excellent on 2.0 Dolby Digital and 5.1 Dolby Digital. The separation of instruments is very clear and really makes you feel like you were there. The most notable are the bass and guitars. The imaging and sound is phenomenal. The drums could have been a little more polished in the mix, but still sound great! The downside to the audio is two-fold; (1) Ian's voice is mixed too high on the center channel requiring the end user to turn the center channel down anywhere between 7-10 db and (2) the DTS mix is very clear. In fact, its clarity is moreso than 5.1 Dolby Digital. However, ".1" or the bass is mixed extremely low to where on my system (I utilize a Revel B15 1000W subwoofer) I have to increase the level by 12db to get good output. Lastly, the "behind-the-scenes" footage is average. I would have rather seen on-the-road footage rather than a CD signing event and watching fans coming into the stadium making outrageous faces and stupid generic remarks. This portion could have been produced better in the fashion that AC/DC's newest release was or even the Eagles - Hell Freezes Over. I highly recommend this disc as essential to any Cult afficionado and non-afficianado given its detail to sound and video quality. 5 stars from
Rating:
Summary: The Cult Rock!!
Review: I have been a long standing fan of the Cult since first hearing Sonic Temple. Since then I have tried to get my hands on anything "Cult related". Since purchasing the Live Music Without Fear it has not left my DVD player. To gain maximum benefit, have surround sound (DTS) as this concert and music kicks [tail]. It has a great collection of old - Fire Woman, Love Removal Machine, Wildflower - and new, the witch, etc. There is a good behind the scenes section. Warn your neighbours - Play it often & play it loud.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Vocals
Review: I have listened to The Cult for about 15 years and they are one of my all time favorite bands. Ian used to have the greatest voice which it sounds like he has lost. It was very dissapointing listening to the vocals on this DVD. If you are a true fan of The Cult you still might want to buy this DVD to get a good visual of The Cult in concert. Otherwise I would rather pull out and listen to the old Love, Electric and Sonic Temple CDs.
Rating:
Summary: I Love the Cult, but...
Review: I love the Cult and have seen them in concert twice, but I agree that this is not their best effort. Billy looks like he could care less and Ian tries to impress us with 4 letter words... It is worth watching if you are a diehard fan, and Matt Sorhum really rocks and so does Morrison. The sound quality is not the greatest either. I enjoyed the behind the scenes segment. The Cult DVD Anthology is better if you are choosing between the two...
Rating:
Summary: I Love the Cult, but...
Review: I love the Cult and have seen them in concert twice, but I agree that this is not their best effort. Billy looks like he could care less and Ian tries to impress us with 4 letter words... It is worth watching if you are a diehard fan, and Matt Sorhum really rocks and so does Morrison. The sound quality is not the greatest either. I enjoyed the behind the scenes segment. The Cult DVD Anthology is better if you are choosing between the two...
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