Heart - Soundstage Presents: Heart Live
Performance
Production
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Heart - Soundstage Presents: Heart Live
Performance
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The PBS Soundstage series is very good at what it does, and that is presenting live concert performances in an ultra-pristine television studio setting. Much too pristine for my taste though. I prefer my concert videos shot in some dingy hockey arena on a typical night from the band's tour. And while you're at it, leave the extra stage lighting and post-production affects at home, and just film the damn show exactly the way I saw it when I was there. Thank you very much. With that said, Soundstage Presents: Heart Live, is still a fine compliment to the Heart concert video catalog. Last year's Dreamboat Annie Live DVD is slightly more satisfying than this one, but that too was just a one-off special performance. I am still waiting for something that accurately captures a typical, ass-kickin', Heart concert - like the one I witnessed this summer. Heart got the middle slot between Cheap Trick and Journey on this year's tour, and I can say with confidence that they should have been the headliner. The Wilson sisters tore it up. If only they would have filmed THAT show for DVD. The Soundstage performance was recorded over two nights in July of 2005, when Heart were still promoting their latest studio album, 2004's Jupiter's Darling. The best thing about this DVD is that the setlist is long, 24 songs, and it features seven tracks from Jupiter's Darling. I admire veteran bands who continue to put out relevant music, and then dare to play it live, instead of just riding the greatest hits gravy train into retirement. For the casual fan, the abundance of Jupiter's Darling tracks may drag things down at times, because of the unfamiliarity factor, but the album, as a whole, is as good as anything the band has ever done. Don't hold your breath waiting to hear any new Heart songs on the radio though - no matter how good they are. So it's no surprise that most people only want to hear "the hits" at every classic rock concert now. Ann and Nancy kick off the performance with a lovely acoustic performance of "Sand", which is from their latest Lovemongers album Whirlygig. Every Heart concert features at least one Led Zeppelin cover, and this night's first tribute was by way of "The Battle Of Evermore". Ann and Nancy still had their respective acoustic guitar and mandolin strapped on from the previous song, and they proceeded to turn in one of the finest performances of "Battle" that I have ever heard. Hell, I liked this version even better than Zeppelin's. The highlight of the show came halfway into the set when the band unleashed the "Magic Man", "Crazy On You", "Bebe Le Strange" trilogy on the bedazzled crowd. I've harped about this on every Heart review, and I'll do it again here - Ann Wilson is an amazing singer. Her voice is still as powerful as ever, and when she and her baby sister Nancy harmonize together, they can sound simply magical. Just listen to them on "The Battle Of Evermore". Nancy also deserves more credit for her vocals. Her lead vocals on "These Dreams", and the Elton John cover, "Love Song", were simply gorgeous. Heart closed out the show with a couple of Zeppelin IV classics, "Black Dog", and "Misty Mountain Hop", and, again, they practically claimed ownership of the damn songs. With rumors of an upcoming Led Zeppelin tour on the horizon, and a reluctant Robert Plant probably opting out, I say give the spot to Ann Wilson. I can think of nobody better. And while you're at it, take Nancy with you to backup up Jimmy on rhythm guitar. Now that would be a Plant-less Zeppelin tour I'd pay good money to see. The overall production quality of this DVD was very solid. Audio is provided in both Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo, and they were each very crisp and clear. My only real complaint was that Craig Bartock's guitar was really neutered in the mix, and this significantly weakened the power and crunch of the heavier rocker's like "Barracuda" and "Even It Up". The anamorphically-enhanced, widescreen picture was captured in Hi-Def and it does not disappoint. The colors are exceptionally vivid and the images are clear and sharp. The camera work was outstanding. A perfect blend of medium range and close-up shots were used, and the director actually stayed on each one for more than just two seconds. For the slower numbers, each shot would slowly fade into the next, while the faster rockers would get the more standard quick cut transition. Well done. The only bonus feature is a short interview with Ann and Nancy. Thanks to Soundstage for finally putting this excellent Heart show out on DVD. Better late than never. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - November 2008 |
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Set List |
Performers Directed by Joe Thomas |
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Running Time: 110 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - August 2008 |