I love concert DVDs that are recorded well. I'd like to hear your opinions on some of the best. Not which music you like the best, but the best as far as presentation and what you'd pull out if you were to demo your system to someone.
Note: I don't care for Metal or obscure poorly recorded music.
My favorites are: Elton John One Night Only (most of his DVDs are recorded "pretty good" to "great") Elton John at the Royal Albert Hall with orchestra (excellent recording) Les Miserables (10th anniversary w/orchestra and choir) Meatloaf 3 Bats Live (Aspen Miller and John Miceli is awesome on drums.. good recording) Rod Stewart One Night Only (great recording, dynamic, and makes you feel like you're at the concert)
Anyway, those are some of my favorites, you can kinda see what kind of music I like live.
I with Billy Joel would release a well recorded DVD in 5.1 but the two I had of him were brashy and thin sounding.
The Eagles Hell Freezes Over Peter Gabriel Secret World Tony Bennett (Eric Clapton, etc) Unplugged
Unfortunately with all of these we are forced to choose between ultimate sound quality and ultimate video quality. They all sound best on HiFi VCR. They all look best on DVD or BluRay. In a perfect world I guess we would listen to them on vinyl and a magic box would synch that with the video. Until then we are forced to choose.
@millercarbon... do you think the VHS sound better just because they're analog? I mean most would say CD/digital sound "better". You would think with our good mixing ability these days we could made a very high quality and dynamic dvd audio recording.
Yeah, its so old now the technological reason is lost to memory (and I'm not curious enough to Duck, Duck Go! it, but HiFi VCR sound quality combined all the high S/N and dynamic range of digital with beautiful analog sound. I had some old VHS with those concerts and it always amazed me how they sounded so good coming from a cheap little HiFi VCR. The HiFi part is key, not all VCRs were HiFi and if they weren't they were crap. But the ones that are, sometimes wish I hadn't thrown mine out. Video quality though, cannot even believe we once watched anything so blurry and lifeless and low contrast!
I have a decent home theater system. Whenever I try to watch a concert DVD in 5.1, I find it sounds disjointed, out of focus. I always go back to stereo mode.
Jeff Beck/Live at Ronnie ScottsSteely Dan / Two against NatureThe Rolling Stones sound on Shine a Light is great the performances not so much.Even though picture and sound are only average I've enjoyed watching The Beat from 1966 with Etta James, Freddy King.Gatemouth Brown etcStanding in the Shadows of Motown is a great music doco definitely worth watching
Cream "Live at Royal Albert Hall 2005" (Bu-Ray) John Mayer- "Where The Light Is" (Blu-Ray)
Roy Orbison and Friends: " A Black and White Night" (Blu_Ray)
Eric Clapton -"Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013" (Blu-ray)
@grey9...I was going to suggest "A Black and White Night" as well but decided not to because, as compelling as the talent line up and song selections are, I can't honestly rate the sound as all that and a bag of chips. Quite satisfactory, though. There was more talent on that stage that night since any time after Woodstock. Oh to have been one of the lucky few.
I really like Eric Clapton's "Crossroads Guitar Festival" videos. I have 3 different concert, 2 DVD and 1 BluRay and they all sound excellent. A good way to see a variety of top notch musicians.
Live at Ronnie Scotts Jeff Beck's Rock and Roll Party(Tribute to Les Paul) Jeff does excellent covers of his favorite 50's R&R along with guest performers.
I revisit these 2 whenever friends are over. Fun watch and listen.
Elton 60 - at madison square garden on his 60th birthday. Very well recorded and a great show because he did some of his favorite songs, not just the hits. Can you tell I'm a fan?
Underworld - Live - Everything, Everything - techno wet dream from an outdoor live performance in Belgium 1999.
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense - possibly the best live concert film ever. Directed by Jonathan Demme
Neil Young / Crazy Horse - The Complex Sessions - more of a short documentary of an intense live performance also done with Demme. I have it on laserdisc and it kicks major ass on the hi-fi!
@grey9...I was going to suggest "A Black and White Night" as well but decided not to because, as compelling as the talent line up and song selections are, I can’t honestly rate the sound as all that and a bag of chips. Quite satisfactory, though.
On Blu-Ray in DTS Master Audio 5.1 , the sound is excellent. Did you hear it in this format?
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