Average Customer Review:
 ( 114 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
94 of 98 found the following review helpful:
 Almost Perfect with some Growing PainsNov 05, 2003
By Ryan Kramer
"Ryan Kramer"
After much ado, it's finally here. A few things up front, there is some overdubbing. No big deal, as the original concert had Peter talking to the audience using almost no English. There are reportedly a few scenes where Melanie Gabriel was given the opportunity to re-sing a few lines, but other than that this concert is basically untouched audibly. Some other people, (Fabio Vampel from NYC USA who thinks we won't notice that he posted twice) will lead you to believe that the video quality is poor and the camera angles are limited. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are sometimes ten cameras visible in a single frame at a time let alone the other 15 they used in shooting the concert. The transfer has more than enough bit rate cursing through it, it's anamorphic, and any DVD player with a good deinterlacer and a DVI output to a High Def TV will show you just how fantastic this picture transfer really is. For those who think that's unfair and it should look great on all TV's and DVD players... sorry, it ain't gonna happen. ^_^; The recording style/mix is a lot more raw than the Secret World concert. Sounds a lot more like the sound of a 'real' concert. And the 5.1 DTS mix on this disc is truly spectacular. Peter's vocals on quieter songs will be a revelation for those who have the proper sound set up to take advantage of it. The picture quality ranks among the best I've seen for concerts. Not quite as sharp as Bruce Springsteen's latest live DVD that was shot for HBO, but Peter's comes off as smother and more 'film like'. Green hues just pop off the screen and the darks are very prominent and moody. The disc being anamorphic was seen as a given but it's VERY much appreciated just the same. Now that I've watched it, there's much to criticize in way it's shot. Actually, more like in the way they chose to edit it. It leaves very little to the imagination. There's too many under the stage shots and they don't make ANY effort to hide the camera guys and technicians running around in BRIGHT orange?! You get the feeling they wanted you to think you were 'in on their secrets' but it comes off as distracting from the songs instead. Also there's some head scratching sceen cutting and editing. Let's face it, stilling the frame and having it fade to B&W looks so... dumb. Frankly it's all the more irritating because most of it looks so cool. Take note, though, that the positive stomps the negative. We have a solid list of classics and new tunes (though having Rythm of the Heat instead of Animal Nation would have been nice). We have an incredible audio mix of it all. And we have superior packaging along with a well crafted tour to pick from. Songs like Mercy Street and Signal to Noise will remind you why Peter is a master at show atmosphere with visuals never overtaking the reason we're all here. Which is to enjoy the music.
31 of 31 found the following review helpful:
 You know you want to buy this DVD---Nov 05, 2003
---and you should. This concert is nothing short of breath taking with its visuals. It was directed by Hammish Hamilton, who also directed U2's Elevation concert, and he does an excellent job of going back and forth between the performers and the stage hands. I don't know why Amazon doesn't list the songs he performs, but here they are:
Here Comes the Flood
Darkness
Red Rain
Secret World
Sky Blue
Downside Up
The Barry Williams Show
More Than This
Mercy Street
Digging in the Dirt Growing Up
Animal Nation
Solsbury Hill
Sledgehammer
Signal to Noise
In Your Eyes
Father, Son
If you still feel a bit apprehensive about buying this DVD, it should also be noted that the picture and sound quality are perfect, which cannot be said of the Secret World Live DVD. I only wish there were some mutliple camera angles and more extras.
20 of 20 found the following review helpful:
Superlative!Jan 15, 2004
By gork57
This DVD compares favorably with Gabriel's last live outing, 'Secret World Live'. 'Up' has the considerable advantage of being produced with DVD in mind, while 'Secret' was originally made for VHS, with all the limitations imposed by that now-obsolete format. While 'Secret' did make the upgrade to DVD, the video was compromised (excellent DTS sound, though). The new live DVD is simply a pleasure to behold. 'Blue Sky' is worth the price of the DVD all by itself; the Blind Boys of Alabama deliver spine-tingling harmony. The other songs are no less impressive. I do miss Manu Katche on drums on this disc, however. His playing is as much a part of the Gabriel sound as Tony Levin's or David Rhodes - no doubt about it. Gabriel's use of props and the circular, moving dual-level stage is both original and an enhancement to the concert in general. Somehow Gabriel manages to pull these things off without seeming cheap or overly theatrical. Other reviewers have complained about the under-stage shots and stage hand work as being a distraction - I disagree. Far too frequently the yeoman work roadies do is invisible. Apparently Gabriel saw fit to include them in the overall scheme of the concert, and wanted to show just how much his success over the years has been owed to these unsung heroes (I was once a roadie/soundman for a band, so I do indentify). The DTS sound is simply among the best I've heard in ANY concert DVD; all 5 channels are clear and precise. One feels covered in sound from all directions. Marvelous! Overall, this is a terrific concert DVD. Now I don't feel quite so bad about not seeing this tour in person! I just hope I don't have to wait another 10 years before P.G. decides to tour once again!
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Not a Gabriel fan, but love this DVDOct 11, 2004
By R. Hostetter
"rdhoss"
I've never been a huge Peter Gabriel fan. I bought "SO" when it was released, and I like it as well as his radio hits, but beyond that, I haven't paid much attention to him.
The other day, I was flipping through the channels and came across this concert on the INHD channel. I was mesmerized.
What a show. This concert is more like performance art than a rock show. Bike riding, walking up side down, rolling in a ball, all "props" that add to the excellent sound quality.
Although I was only familiar with a few of the songs, I found myself enjoying this performance immensely. I bought the DVD the next day and have watched it (or portions of it) over and over.
Even now, I still don't quite love the music as much as others, but the performance is enough for me to enjoy this DVD very much.
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
One of the best rock showmen everNov 27, 2003
By Michael Topper
Visually speaking, there exists no official video/DVD document of
Peter Gabriel's legendary live performances before the "So" era (candidates for release include the Genesis '73 Oxford show, the one-hour Rockpalast performance from '78 and several worthy
documents of the '82/3 tour, all of which are
extraordinary). Fortunately, "POV" and "Secret World Live" were amazing, and now comes "Growing Up", featuring a Gabriel so old that he no longer need wear the old man mask that he used to close out "The Musical Box" with, but in great form nonetheless. "Up" was a good album, vastly overlooked, although the tour did sell tickets and gave millions throughout the world good exposure to some of the darkest, artiest material in his entire career. "The Barry Williams Show" might still make one wince (the singer seeming a little out-out-touch with a trend that peaked years before this song was finally released), but the rest is soulfully performed. Even "Sledgehammer", which has become a bit of a mill around his neck, still sounds fairly fresh and comes at the right point in the show. The highlights include an elegant "Mercy Street", a ferocious "Digging In The Dirt", an intense "Signal To Noise" and the naked piano renditions of "Here Comes The Flood" and "Father, Son". There is some overlap between this and "Secret World Live" (5 or 6 songs total), although the performances and visual dramatics are different enough to warrant inclusion. All the visual tricks--
the upside-down walk, Zorb ball, bicycle ride, etc. look good on screen although the whole show was much more powerful when experienced live (esp with good seats, as I had at his Anaheim
performance). Still, this is a must-purchase if you are a Gabriel fan and not a bad intro to his later work (the show concentrating almost exlusively on songs from 1986 and after; one small disappointment being that absolutely nothing from "PG III" or "Security" was performed). As said by many here, the picture and sound is top-notch, although there could be more bonus features. And I didn't mind the orange guys at all.
See all 114 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
based on 114 reviews
