The Corrs - Live In London
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The Corrs - Live In London
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I first heard of this talented Irish family of musicians named The Corrs back in 1997, during my time spent in Europe, while in the Navy. Being from Ireland, they were immensely popular in most of Europe, but were still only beginning to make a name for themselves in the United States. When first seeing and hearing this band, I figured them for just another one of those gimmick bands that those crazy Europeans seem to love so much. After all, The Corrs are comprised of three sisters, who just so happen to look like supermodel triplets, along with a guitar playing brother with equally dashing good looks. Could they actually be for real? Yeah, they are for real all right. Each of the Corrs siblings also happen to be talented multi-instrumentalists and singers, to go along with their fabulous looks. Since releasing their debut album Forgiven Not Forgotten in 1995, The Corrs have gone on to become one of the most successful acts to come out of Ireland - second probably only to U2. My wife is a longtime Corrs fan, so when I noticed this DVD for sale, I picked it up with her in mind. Little did I know it would be such a guilty pleasure for me as well. Live in London was recorded at London's mammoth Wembley Stadium, during The Corrs European tour in December of 2000. The concert was originally broadcast on the British Sky One network as a special Christmas concert. The DVD begins in black and white, with the camera following the band walking down a backstage corridor towards the stage, and then flashes to a full color, full stage shot just as the band prepares to take the stage. When the concert begins you are overwhelmed by the intensity of their light show. Their unexpectedly massive light and laser show would make even Iron Maiden jealous. The Corrs went on to perform 23 of their biggest hits, including a few covers - "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, and "Old Town", by fellow Dubliners, Thin Lizzy. You immediately become convinced that the Corrs sisters are no mere, pretty-little, lip-syncing, princesses who were thrown together to become the next version of the Spice Girls. The three of them all have beautiful voices and each impressively play one or more instruments up on stage. The focal point of the band is definitely Andrea Corr, who handles all of the lead vocals, and probably holds a slight edge in the looks department as well. She also occasional blows a pretty mean tin whistle on some of the songs, which injects them with an extra dose of Irishness. Sharon Corr plays some nice violin, which also gives The Corrs their unique, Irish influenced sound, and she also supplies some excellent harmony vocals. Caroline Corr somehow ended up with the drums, when they were passing out instrument assignments as kids. For some reason, female drummers always look out of place to me behind a big drum kit. Kind of like the way a man looks out of place in a nail salon. She seems pretty competent though, even though every song sounds like it basically has the same drum track. The production quality of this DVD is magnificent. Although both the Dolby Digital and DTS surround mixes are only 5.0, and do not include a .1 LFE channel, the mixes are both excellent. The surround speakers are used brilliantly, as all of the instruments are mixed through all of the channels, and the majority of the audience noise is mixed to the rear surrounds The vocals are all mixed through the center channel and sound very smooth and natural. The subwoofer still gets a decent workout, providing a concentrated bass guitar and bass drum sound, even with the absence of the LFE channel. A slight edge would have to go to the DTS track, as it sounds slightly richer, and more dynamic, but both mixes are commendable. With two exceptional surround tracks, I felt no need to even try the stereo mix, but I'm sure it is adequate based on the effort used with the surround mixes. For those of you who don't yet have a surround setup, too bad for you! If you like your pop music with lush harmonies and catchy rhythms, all wrapped up in an Irish-flavored sound, then The Corrs are for you. If The Corrs are for you, then Live in London is a mandatory viewing pleasure. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - August 2004 |
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Running Time: 106 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - January 2003 |