New Line Cinema’s 1991 cinematic adaptation of the graphic novel series The Guyver will see the light of day again this summer.
Unearthed Films announced Monday, plans to re-issue the movie June 25 as a limited edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo pack. The latest re-issue will also feature the movie’s complete soundtrack on a bonus CD. The new re-issue will retail for MSRP of $59.95.
The movie stars Jack Armstrong (How To Get Away With Murder, Mr. Mayor, The Boys in the Band) as lead character Sean Barker. Sean, a college student, stumbles by chance, onto the movie’s namesake “device,” the Guyver and is turned into a super-powered fighting machine. Upon becoming the new hero, he is pursued by the evil Chronos Corporation, which wants to get the suit.
The Chronos Corporation will stop at nothing to get the suit, either, including kidnapping Sean’s girlfriend, Mizuki (Vivian Wu — The Last Emperor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, The Pillow Book). Thankfully for Sean, he has the aid of CIA agent Max Reed (Mark Hamill — Star Wars Episodes 4-9, Batman: The Animated Series, Transformers: Rescue Bots), Sean has help in his battle against the Chronos Corporation.
The Guyver was helmed by Screaming Mad George, who also is known for his special effects work on the original Predator movie and for his art talents on The Abyss and visual effects work on Big Trouble in Little China. Steve Wang (Bill & Ted Face The Music, Predator, Drive) co-directed alongside Screaming Mad George.
Speaking of the co-directors, a feature-length audio commentary from the pair is also included as a bonus to the forthcoming limited edition collector’s presentation. Additionally, it will feature interviews with Screaming Mad George and producer Bryan Yuzna (Faust, The Dentist, Beyond Re-Animator), outtakes with commentary by Wang and George, alternate title sequences, gag reel, and production and artwork gallery.
More information on this and other titles from Unearthed Films is available at:
There is an old adage out there that states “silence is golden.” As most people know, that adage means to say that having silence instead of the noise all around us is a good thing. It is, too. At the same time though, it can apply in another way, believe it not. It can also apply in regard to silent film. That is because there are lots of great old silent films that are golden in their own right. Case in point are the old Buster Keaton movies, those from the likes of Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, and so many others. This week, Eureka Entertainment re-issued another golden silent film for a whole new generation of audiences in the form of The Cat and the Canary. Originally released in 1927 by Universal Pictures, this “old dark house” style film was not the first of its kind but is still a thoroughly entertaining work that every true film buff should watch. The bonus content that accompanies the movie in its brand new Blu-ray re-issue adds to its appeal because of the history that it provides regarding the movie, its cast, and its place in the larger pantheon of cinematic history. The overall production in this restoration puts the finishing touch to the movie’s presentation. It will have audiences applauding just as much in is own way. When it is considered along with the bonus content and the movie’s story, the whole therein makes this movie release another great addition to this year’s field of movie and TV re-issues.
Eureka Entertainment’s brand new re-issue of Universal Pictures’ 1927 silent film, The Car and the Canary, is a strong presentation from the independent distribution company that most true film buffs will appreciate. The movie’s appeal comes in part through its featured story. The story in question is a familiar tale. A group of people come together in an old house to hear the reading of a departed family member’s will. They all must stay the night and survive and only one person can end up with the money. Meanwhile the specter of something paranormal or even more dangerous lurks in the shadows. If this sounds familiar, it should. It was also used in the play by John Willard as well as in the stage play presentation of The Bat years prior in 1920. The play in question was the brainchild of Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood. It would also go on to be used multiple times in later years in the likes of another Universal flick, The Shadow of the Cat (1961) and Deal Productions/Iselin-Tinney Productions’ The Curse of the Living Corpse (1967). Even The Flintstones would use a very similar plot in its 1964 episode, “A Haunted House Is Not A Home.” The Three Stooges would also go on to use a similar plot more than once in their shorts, one of which being 1945’s “If A Body Meets A Body.”
The evil that lurks in the case of The Cat and The Canary is believed to be a maniac who escaped a nearby insane asylum, though the reality is disturbing in its own right as it is revealed who the maniac really is. In the end, audiences get a satisfying finale. At the same time though, there is one somewhat disturbing aspect. That aspect is the reminder in viewers’ minds that Paul (Creighton Hale) and Annabelle (Laura LaPlante) are related albeit distantly. That the story would put them together romantically (or what seems romantically) is a little unsettling.
Speaking of that seeming romance, it is one of a number of interesting topics addressed in the bonus feature-length audio commentary from the pairing of Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby. The duo’s commentary is one of a number of fully engaging and entertaining extras that come with the movie’s new re-issue. The pair notes in passing, the romantic ending that is so commonplace among stories such as The Cat and the Canary. The pair also raises an even more intriguing discussion, that of director Paul Leni’s focus on the characters’ hands throughout the movie. It really is an interesting topic to which most audiences likely would not have thought about had they not taken in this audio track but once they do, becomes clearly important in the bigger picture of the story. The duo also discusses Leni’s own take on the film as influenced by the European filming techniques of the age; those impressionist influences, such as extreme facial close-ups and other items. They, like author Stephen Jones and critic Kim Newman (who provide their own separate commentary track), also discuss the “old dark house” movie plot, its use in the original stage play, and the history of the genre. The pair makes mention of the tie to The Bat in regard to the genre, as do Newman and Jones. Speaking of that pair, viewers learn from Newman and Jones, The Cat and the Canary is not the progenitor of the “old dark house” genre. That honor belongs to Paramount Pictures’ 1921 movie, The Ghost Breaker. The pair also takes on Leni’s impressionist influences in his directing style, just as Lyons and Rigby do on their audio track.
As if everything noted is not enough, Lyons and Rigby also take on differences between the original stage play of The Cat and The Canary and its cinematic adaptation. The pair reveals during its discussion, for instance, that not included in the movie but included in the stage play, was a mention of Paul suffering somewhat from PTSD due to his time in military service. It is understandable, considering how the movie script plays out, why that was not included here. On yet another note, Newman and Jones make mention of Hale’s deliberate attempt to emulate Lloyd what with the use of his glasses. He really does look similar to Lloyd thanks to that added touch. It helps add to the story’s overall comedic touch even amid all of the story’s tension. When one considers all of the items discussed noted here alongside everything else raised in the commentaries and other standalone extras, the whole therein adds a whole extra layer of engagement and entertainment for audiences. When that extra layer is considered along with the story (and its pacing), that whole gives audiences more than enough to applaud. It is still not all that audiences will appreciate. The general production of the movie in its latest re-issue rounds out the reasons for audiences to take in this presentation.
The production that went into the movie’s restoration this time out is well-deserving of praise because of the clarity in the picture and sound. All of the look of the original film is there in the rich sepia tone and even the grainy look of each scene. It creates a wonderful, welcome sense of nostalgia. The orchestration that accompanies the movie, serving as its soundtrack adds just as much to the whole. The perfect timing adds so much emotion to each scene and the sound itself exhibits the amount of work that went into giving new life to the movie’s soundtrack through its new recording. The positive aesthetic that it and the general look of the production brings to the movie makes for just as much enjoyment as the movie’s story and its bonus content. When all things are considered, the result is a presentation that every film buff will appreciate and that is the best re-issue of the classic flick to date. Overall, they make the movie among the best of this year’s new movie and television re-issues.
Eureka Entertainment’s brand new re-issue of Universal Pictures’ classic crime thriller The Cat and the Canary is a wonderful new entry in this year’s field of new movie and television re-issues. It gives audiences so much to appreciate, from its relatively accessible story to its bonus content, which provides audiences so much background on the movie and the very genre that is the “old dark house” and more, to the expert production. Each item examined adds so much to the whole of the movie’s new presentation. All things considered they make The Cat and the Canary’s latest release a must have for any classic film buff that proves in fact silence is truly golden in more ways than one.
Eurkea Entertainment’s new re-issue of The Cat and the Canary is a successful new offering from the independent distributor. It is available now. More information on this and other titles from Eureka Entertainment is available at:
Late last month, Walt Disney Studios released its latest animated feature, Wish, to 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. The movie, meant to be a celebration of the studio’s 100th anniversary, is, sadly anything but a proper celebration of the legacy made by what was once one of Hollywood’s powerhouse studios. That is shown largely through its featured story, which at its heart is anything but what is discussed in the movie’s bonus content. That bonus content is actually the saving grace to this otherwise lackluster attempt to celebrate the legacy of the studio’s namesake so many decades ago. It will be discussed shortly. The movie’s animation style rounds out its saving graces and will also be addressed later. Each item noted here plays its own important part in the whole of Wish. All things considered, Wish proves itself to be anything but a wish granted for audiences hoping for a much more fitting birthday bang for what used to be one of Hollywood’s most respected names.
Wish, Walt Disney Studios’ latest animated cinematic offering was said to be by some in the bonus content that accompanies the movie in its home release , a celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary. If that really is the case then it was certainly not the best way for the studio to mark the occasion. The movie is not a complete failure, though. The bonus content that accompanies the movie in its recently released home presentation serves to help it survive at least to a point. One of the most interesting of the bonus features is in fact the very discussion on how it was used to celebrate Disney reaching the century mark. The discussion in question is titled “The Story of Wish.” The movie’s creative heads talk about how the movie came to be as a result of various round tables. One topic that came about was the discussion on how Disney movie heroes were ordinary figures facing great odds, and how that made them relatable. That led to a further discussion on the topic of so many Disney characters wishing on a star. That topic became the center of Wish. On the surface, that comes across as a great topic, tying all of Disney’s movies to this story. The thing is that the story is more than that. It is also an allegory about authoritarianism. This is never directly noted in the bonus content, but the group does discuss briefly how the main theme of wishing on a star plays into another theme, that of who has the right to control our wishes and our dreams. The authoritarian allegory comes into play as the story’s main character, Magnifico (Christopher Pike – Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Star Trek: Beyond) has his authority questioned by Asha (Ariana DeBose – West Side Story, Hamilton, Argylle). Magnifico starts out as an already somewhat power hungry figure, but gets pushed over the edge by that questioning. This approach is one of the few saving graces of the story, which is otherwise forgettable.
That the writing team behind Wish is to be commended for making Magnifico a figure who was sort of a villain to begin with but not the overt villain that so many Disney movies have come up with in its existing, expansive catalog. Far too often audiences have been presented with the typical megalomaniacal villain in every Disney movie. This time out, audiences get to see someone who was already conflicted become the total villain all because of one person. It is that theme of absolute power corrupting absolutely because of its addictive nature. At the same time, the preachy message of authoritarianism (which is typical of every Disney movie villain) becomes just too much because it is so commonplace. The nonstop musical numbers, which are so prominent throughout the movie tend to offset that otherwise watchable presentation. It seems like there is a musical number once every few minutes, with the number reaching something around eight to nine songs. It just all seems so run of the mill save for that one aspect of the story surrounding Magnifico. Other than that, the story really does not do much of anything to make itself a big, bombastic celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary.
While the story featured in this movie is otherwise forgettable, save for one aspect of the presentation, there is one other item that helps to save it. That aspect is its animation. As is mentioned in the separate bonus feature focused on the animation, this is thankfully not just another cookie cutter offering from Disney in regard to its animation. Audiences will note that the animation incorporates vintage hand-drawn art as well as digital art. The blending of that vintage and modern art style gives the movie an identity all its own. It really is the core of what makes the movie bearable. When the unique artistic approach taken to this movie is considered alongside its companion bonus discussion and the other bonuses, the movie becomes at least worth watching once despite not being the best anniversary celebration for Disney.
Wish, the latest animated feature from Walt Disney Studios, is far from being the best movie that the once legendary studio has ever produced in its now century-long history. It is also not the studio’s worst offering. If anything, it is worth watching at least once, but that is primarily due to the bonus content featured with the movie’s home release. The background information that the bonus content provides audiences on the movie helps make it at least somewhat more bearable. The animation that is used in the movie helps make it bearable in its own right. That is because it actually takes a different approach for once, avoiding the cookie cutter look of so many Disney (and even Pixar) movies that the studio has released. When each element is considered along with the story, which is weighed down by the preachy allegory of authoritarianism (that likely will go over most younger viewers’ heads) and the unnecessary number of musical numbers, the whole proves a presentation that deserves to be seen at least once but sadly is anything but a proper celebration of a studio that has crafted far better fare in its heyday.
Wish is available now on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD as well as through Disney+. More information on this and other titles from Walt Disney Studios is available at:
Late this winter as the new year opened and the cold winds of winter blew so hard, Cohen Media Group gave audiences a new reason to stay indoors and warm while they counted the days until spring when the company released its new World War II double feature, The Sea Shall Not Have Them/Albert R.N. The two British imports are interesting presentations in regard to their stories. This will be addressed shortly. While the stories give audiences reason enough to watch the movies, the lack of any bonus content addressing them (and other related matters) definitely detracts from the collection’s presentation. This will be factored a little later. Knowing that lack, while concerning, is not enough to doom the set, there is at least one more positive to note. That positive is in how the stories were presented. This will be discussed later, too. Keeping all of this in mind, this recently released double feature proves itself a collection that true film buffs on either side of “the pond” will find worth watching at least once.
Cohen Media Group’s recently released double feature of British World War II period pieces, The Sea Shall Not Have Them/Albert R.N., is an offering that most true film buffs and historians will find worth watching. That is due in part to the stories featured in each movie. In the case of The Sea Shall Not Have Them, the story at the center of the movie, which made its theatrical debut in 1954, follows the crew of a downed British warplane as it struggles to survive against the elements in a tiny life raft in the North Atlantic Ocean. What is interesting here is that while the story centers on the plane’s crew, the men are not the only focus. The story, which is based on the novel penned by John Harris only a year prior, opens on the crew of a British patrol boat that plays a pivotal role in finding the crew of the downed plane. As the story progresses, it goes back and forth between each crew, slowly building the tension over the course of the movie’s 92-minute run time. How that tension is built plays into the way in which the story was constructed here. This will be addressed later. Suffice it to say the story has a happy ending.
In the case of Albert R.N., the story centers on a group of British prisoners of war that is being held in a German camp in the waning days of the war. Originally released in 1953, the movie’s story finds the men designing a dummy that it uses to try and help its ranks escape the camp, naming the dummy Albert. Unlike The Sea Shall Not Have Them, this movie is not based on a novel but rather on actual events. Yes, it is one of those movies. They even existed even that far back in the history of film, and over in Great Britain just as much as in the United States. While there is no seeming connection between this story at that of The Great Escape, which American audiences received a decade later in 1963 and the CBS sitcom, Hogan’s Heroes, which first debuted on television the same year as The Great Escape, it is interesting to see the apparent popularity of such a story line at that time in cinema. Maybe it was coincidence that all three productions debuted in such a short time, but that again goes back to that discussion.
Speaking of said discussion, while the stories at the center of the movies make for some interest, there is zero bonus content focusing on that noted close release of all three productions in such short time. Was it coincidence or was it part of some larger trend? Again, there is no bonus material to address this matter. For that matter, there is no bonus content at all. So viewers do not even get any insight into the continued popularity of WWII stories even 10-20 years after the war’s end (at that time). What’s more there is not even discussion on what keeps WWII-era stories at least moderately popular even now in the 21st century.
On yet another note, there is no discussion on the approach taken to the stories. That aspect – the approach taken – plays directly with the stories themselves to make for even more interest. As previously noted, the story at the center of The Sea Shall Not Have Them is unique in how it is constructed. Its title hints at it focusing on the group of downed airmen yet focuses just as much on the group of British seamen who find the airmen as the airmen themselves. The scene transitions used to go back and forth between the two groups is intriguing because they feel like something that one might see play out on stage, not necessarily on screen. It is something that must be seen to be fully appreciated. It is actually something unique in a good way. This applies even as the story turns to focus on the men at the headquarters who are using maps to try to trace the signal being sent out by the airmen.
What is even more interesting in all of this is the minimalist approach taken throughout the story. In today’s moviemaking industry, such a movie would be so unnecessarily over the top. There would be tense music, all kind of melodrama and other elements that are so commonplace in today’s dramas and blockbusters. Those behind the lens of this movie did not do any of that. They simply used story telling to play out the tale and it makes the story all the more gripping. To that end, the approach taken here serves as a key example of how far the movie industry has strayed from its roots and how much better movies were so many ages ago.
The same applies in the approach taken to Albert R.N. Just as The Sea Shall Not Have Them, the approach taken here is minimalist, too. Most of the story takes place in the one primary prisoner barracks building. There is a secondary scene – a bath house. But other than that, the interior set and the camp exterior set are the main focus. The plan and house it was executed makes for some light hearted moments among the otherwise tense tale. The work of the cast (especially those playing the Nazi officers) succeeds because it makes it easy to hate especially Schulz and have so many mixed feelings about the camp’s lead officer (played by Frederick Valk – Dead of Night, Thunder Rock, Night Train to Munich). That is because while he is a Nazi, he is far more human and humane than Schulz (Anton Diffring – Victory, The Blue Max, Where Eagles Dare). Diffring’s col nature makes his wonderfully despicable, and in turn audiences will cheer when he receives his fate in the finale. The thing is that even with that in mind, that finale leaves too much room for closure, but that is a discussion for another time (maybe even for bonus content that could have and should have been included with the collection). The simple, straight forward approach to everything here makes for plenty of engagement and serves in its own right to show that simplicity works just as well as the over-the-top approach that far too many moviemakers take today if not better. Keeping in mind the positive impact that the stories’ simple approaches take alongside the stories themselves, these two aspects combine with the work of the movies’ cast to make the movies worth watching at least once. To that end, the set in whole proves itself worth watching at least once among true movie buffs and historians on either side of the Atlantic.
Cohen Media Group’s recently released WWII period movie collection, The Sea Shall Not Have Them/Albert R.N., the recently released WWII-era double feature collection from the well-known cinema studio. It is a collection that offers some interest through its movies’ stories and through the approach taken to each story. The lack of any bonus content to accompany the collection definitely detracts from the collection’s overall engagement and entertainment. It is not enough to doom the set but certainly would have helped to really enhance the presentation. Keeping all of this in mind, the collection is an interesting addition to this year’s field of movie re-issues.
The Sea Shall Not Have Them/Albert R.N. is available now from Cohen Media Group. More information on this collection and other titles from Cohen Media Group is available at:
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Veteran rock band Foghat has been quite busy as of late, releasing its lates album, Sonic Mojo late last year (independently through is own label, Foghat Records) and now touring in support of that enjoyable offering. Speaking of live, the band has partnered with independent film company, Cleopatra Entertainment, to release a new live recording, Slow Ride—Live in Concert. Released today on separate CD/DVD and Blu-ray platforms, it was released roughly three years after the band’s then most recent live recording, 8 Days on the Road, and will find the majority of its appeal among the band’s core audience. Those people who have been fans since the band’s inception so many decades ago. That is due in large part to its set list, which will be discussed shortly. The bonus content that accompanies the recording adds to that targeted appeal and will be discussed a little later. The general production rounds out the recording’s most important elements and will also be discussed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered Slow Ride – Live in Concert proves itself a presentation that the most devoted Foghat fans will enjoy.
Slow Ride—Live in Concert, the “new” live recording from Foghat, is an intriguing new offering from the veteran rock band. Being essentially a re-issue of Rhino Records’ 2005 DVD presentation, Millennium Tour, it is a presentation that will find the majority of its appeal among the band’s core audience base. That is due in large part to its featured set list. Spanning 10 songs performed at two separate venues in Houston, Texas in 1999 – The Plaza and The Hangar – the set list pulls largely from the band’s earliest years, reaching all the way back to the band’s self-titled 1972 debut album and up to its 1979 album, Boogie Motel. It also pulls two studio tracks from the band’s 1998 live recording, Road Cases. Not every one of the albums in that span is represented here, either. The band’s sophomore album, which was also self-titled, is not represented here, nor are its third album, Energized and its follow-up, Rock and Roll Outlaws (both of which were released in 1974). In other words, the set list featured here is far from being career-spanning. Considering that the two performances captured here were recorded in 1999 – just before the untimely death of the band’s original front man, Dave Peverett, who died in February 2000, it is surprising that the set list was not more extensive. This especially as the recording is being marketed as being something iconic since the peformances came only months prior to Prevett’s passing. Yes, Peverett and company (fellow founding members Tony Stevens (bass) and Roger Earl (drums) and then current guitarist Bryan Bassett) put on quite the engaging and enjoyable performance of that set list (even being so minimalist in its overall presentation), but it just would have been nice to have seen more of the band’s catalog represented here. Again, it is not a failure, but clearly being so limited in its reach, it will appeal to that noted core audience base.
The set list featured in this recording is just part of what makes it appealing to the noted audience base. The bonus content included with the recording adds to the appeal for that viewer group. The bonus content in question is the bonus interview content that is incorporated into the concert between performances. Held at the Hard Rock Café in Houston, Texas by Alan Ames (supposedly of Houston-based radio station KKRW Arrow Radio), the very brief interview segments reveal to audiences, information, such as how Foghat got its name, its link to The Rolling Stones and how that link led the band to create so much blues-based rock, and a few other interesting items. The interview segments, which were also part of Rhino Records’ 2005 Foghat recording, Millennium Tour are few and far between but do help to break up the concert and keep things interesting.
The “supposedly” used here in regard to whether Ames was employed by KKRW is used because there are no liner notes to accompany the recording and point out the full details of the interviews. To that end, one can only suppose Ames was a personality employed by the station at the time. There is nothing to specify this information internally or externally, so apologies are due for any possible inaccuracies in information here.
That lack of any bonus liner notes to help set the stage and provide proper background on the recording is the recording’s one glaring negative. It would have been nice to have at least something other than what is printed on the back of the recording’s box, which is minimal in itself, to say the least. The lack of any liner notes is not enough to doom the recording considering what little the interviews add to the whole, but it certainly would have been nice to have had more than the little that is printed on the recording’s box.
Knowing that the little information audiences get from the interviews and very limited information printed on the recording’s case just does make up for the lack of any liner notes, there is one more positive to note here. That positive is the recording’s production. As previously noted, this concert is a minimalist presentation. There is no pryo. There are no big aspects to the band’s presentation. It is just the band on stage, performing its biggest vintage hits. Those responsible for capturing the two performances and those responsible for the post-production (finalizing the video and sound editing) are to be applauded for their efforts to resurrect this footage. Of course, it likely was not too difficult considering that the performances (which were part of the band’s Millennium Tour”) were already released in 2005 via Rhino Records in its presentation of its DVD, Millennium Tour. That recording also presented the band’s September 1999 performance in Houston, TX. So, while it cannot be proven here, but odds are it would have been very easy for all involved to simply transfer that footage to this recording and call it “new.” Keeping that in mind, it leaves little doubt as to why the production is as positive as it is in this case. To that end, the production aligns with the recording’s featured set list and the bonus interview segments to make the whole an intriguing presentation that again, will appeal primarily to Foghat’s core audience base.
Cleopatra Entertainment’s brand-new Foghat live recording, Slow Ride—Live in Concert, is an intriguing offering from the company. While apparently little more than a re-issue of Rhino Records’ 2005 recording, Millennium Tour, it proves itself worth watching at least once among those core fans who do not already own the aforementioned Rhino Records presentation. That is because said presentation may or may not be available anymore. Add in that the recording here is presented separately on CD/DVD combo pack and Blu-ray, it is a step up from that previous release since that recording was available only on DVD. Slow Ride—Live in Concert is available now. More information on the recording is available along with all of the latest Foghat news at:
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Almost 10 years ago, the members of Motley Crue told audiences they were calling it a career. The band wrapped what was at that time its farewell tour with a huge hometown bang in Los Angeles, CA. Of course, now everyone knows that retirement of sorts would end up being only temporary, but to mark the occasion in case it really would have been the end, the band released that concert in November 2016 in the form of The End: Live in Los Angeles. Now more than seven years after its release, Mercury Studios (nee Eagle Rock Entertainment) will revisit that recording with a first-ever 4K UHD release of the concert. Set for release April 5 through Mercury Studios, the forthcoming re-issue is just as entertaining as its predecessor despite one glaring negative. That negative – its packaging – will be addressed a little later. It is not enough to doom the recording’s re-issue. To that end, there are at least two positives, not the least of which is the general presentation, which will be addressed shortly. Knowing that the general presentation is so positive, the production therein pairs with the production to put the finishing touch to this presentation. It will be examined later, too. Each item noted here is key in its own way to the whole of the recording’s presentation. All things considered they make the forthcoming re-issue of The End: Live in Los Angeles a mostly positive new presentation of said recording.
Mercury Studios’ forthcoming re-issue of Motley Crue’s 2016 live recording, The End: Live in Los Angeles is a mostly positive revisiting of the iconic concert from the equally iconic band. That is due in large part to the recording’s general presentation. More specifically, the presentation that audiences get here is the exact same concert that they got in the recording’s previous Blu-ray/CD presentation. Every song from the nearly career-spanning set list (which reaches all the way back to the band’s 1981 debut record, Too Fast For Love all the way up to its 2008 album, Saints of Los Angeles) is here just as in the previous recording. The bonus content from that original recording was carried over, too, making for even more engagement and entertainment.
The band’s collective performance of the expansive set list and its stage show are just as important to discuss as the songs that the band performs. From front man Vince Neil’s nonstop energy and rapport with the audience and his band mates is incredible to see. He makes it clear that he is putting his heart into every single song as do his band mates. Tommy Lee is just as enjoyable to watch as he keeps time. Audiences will enjoy seeing Lee’s reaction as his drum rig gets stuck at the end of its run across the Staples Arena. Rather than get angry and react negatively, he just goes with the flow and makes plenty of proverbial lemonade out of the lemon that was that situation. Bassist Nikki Sixx captures everything that has always made Motley Crue a fan favorite both as he works his way through each song and as he discusses chasing one’s dreams with the audience in an equally powerful moment. Then there’s guitarist Mick Mars. Mars looks like he could play Dracula, the way that the light hits him throughout the show. Yet even as unassuming as he seems throughout the show, he still presents so much power in his playing. It is quite the juxtaposition to note. Neil’s tears at the show’s end (not to give away too much, by the way) are real. Those are not crocodile tears. The passion that he presents as the band’s last-ever show comes to an end is a beautiful and powerful final statement. It’s one more way in which the band shows the importance of its performance throughout this concert and hardly the last way in which said performance proves important, too. Considering that, the band’s stage show should not be ignored here. It is just as important to the concert as the band’s performance.
While the band gives its all to its audience (and vice versa) its performance only goes so far for audiences. The band’s stage show works hand-in-hand with the group’s performance to make the concert even more outstanding and memorable. There’s pyro. There are lights. There is Tommy Lee’s arena-spanning drum rig and so much more. Each element of the band’s stage show plays its own important part to the band’s stage show. What makes them really stand out is the timing of their use. Audiences will note the timing in the use of each element. The pyro isn’t used in every song nor are the fast-paced flashing lights or other elements. It is obvious that a lot of thought and time was put into each element’s use. Because so much time and thought was put into each element’s use, those elements couple with the band’s performance to give the concert experience in whole a very positive aesthetic. Keeping all of this in mind, the band’s performance and stage show–while clearly just as important to this recording’s presentation as the songs that are performed–are collectively only part of the recording’s presentation. The editing that was used in the program’s presentation is just as important to note as the previously discussed elements.
While the show’s set list and bonus content is directly pulled over here from the original recording and the band’s performance thereof is something great in its own way, there is still at least one notable issue with this recording’s presentation. That issue is in the recording’s packaging. Where the original Blu-ray/CD package is the familiar gatefold packaging that Mercury Studios has used for so many of its live recordings over the years (which is really great packaging despite its somewhat bulky look), the new, single-disc 4K UHD packaging places the disc very tightly inside a very thin cardboard “case” of sorts. It forces audiences to have to risk ripping the packaging in order to slide the disc in and out of its “sleeve” inside the package. Meanwhile the companion booklet is placed in the much easier to access outer “sleeve” of the “case.” The easy rebuttal here would be to switch the disc and booklet. That is easier said than done. If the disc were to be placed into the booklet’s “sleeve” it would easily slide out and fall, increasing its odds of being damaged. The discs in the BD/CD combo package much more safely housed in the set by comparison. By having to go to the lengths that they will have to go with the new 4K UHD package, audiences will constantly find themselves having to wipe off fingerprints and hope they do not unwittingly mar the disc with scratches as they slide it out. It is just a very disappointing aspect of the presentation.
As disappointing as the packaging for this new 4K UHD presentation of The End: Live in Los Angeles is, it is not enough to doom the recording. It cannot be ignored, though. To that end, there is one more positive to note. That positive is the recording’s production. That includes the work of the crew that captured the concert on stage and those responsible for its post-production. There are moments throughout the show where the cameras’ frame rates are slowed to fully capture the emotion of the moments. The editing of the camera crew’s shots fully captures the immensity of the moment. From the close up shots of the band on-stage to the views from high above the arena to all the shots in-between, the end result of the editing gives viewers at home the best seat in the house. The sound editing is just as important to note here as the video editing. Those behind the mixing boards are to be commended for fully capturing the size of the Staples Center. The sound is not some spit-shined production here. Audiences actually feel, in watching the concert’s 4K UHD recording that they are actually there without it sounding like some bootleg recorded on a smartphone. There is a lot to be said of that. When the overall editing of this concert is joined with the band’s performance and stage show, and the show’s set list, those collective items make the overall presentation such a joy even despite the one notable issue of the recording’s less than stellar packaging. All things considered they make the new 4K UHD re-issue of The End: Live in Los Angeles a mostly positive revisiting of this iconic concert recording.
Mercury Studios’ 4K UHD re-issue of Motley Crue’s The End: Live in Los Angeles is a mostly positive new presentation of the concert event originally released in late 2016. The Re-issue works in large part to its general presentation. The general presentation is important to note because it is the exact same presentation offered to audiences in the concert’s initial Blu-ray/CD combo pack. That includes the same set list and bonus content from that presentation. As much as this does for the recording, its packaging detracts notably from the presentation. That is because of the risk of marring that it poses to the disc. Audiences risk not only marring the disc but damaging the packaging itself in order to remove and replace the disc from its very thin “case.” Thankfully as much of an issue as this is, it is not the do all end all for the recording. The concert’s overall production puts the finishing touch to the whole, giving audiences the best seat in the house once again. That includes the work done to capture the concert in house and in post. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of this re-issue. All things considered they make the re-issue of The End: Live in Los Angeles a presentation that is imperfect but still mostly positive.
The new 4K UHD re-issue of The End: Live in Los Angeles is scheduled for release Friday, April 5 through Mercury Studios. More information on the concert’s re-issue is available along with all of Motley Crue’s news at:
Mercury Studios, Fantracks, and Iconic Events Releasing have partnered to bring audiences a special concert event from Chicago.
The companies will present the band’s new event, Chicago & Friends in theaters nationwide and in Canada on two separate dates next month. The U.S. theatrical screening is scheduled for April 18 while the Canadian screening is scheduled for April 21. Originally captured in November 2023 at Ovation Hall in the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, the 2 1/2-hour concert features performances from the likes of Steve Vai, Robin Thicke, and Chris Daughtry alongside Chicago.
The concert was a celebration of the 55th anniversary of the release of the band’s first-ever record, 1969’s Chicago Transit Authority.
Chicago founding member Lee Loughnane talked about the concert briefly in a prepared statement.
“This concert film is a unique approach to any of our previous live performances,” the Loughnane said. ““We very rarely play with guest artists, much less seven of them. It was very interesting to work with each guest and experience their interpretations of our music.”
Audiences can view a full list of theaters participating in the special event here.
More information on the concert is available along with all of Chicago’s latest news at:
Fans of The Rolling Stones got another treat from the band and from Mercury Studios this weekend as the two sides released the band’s latest live recording, Live at The Wiltern. Released on three separate platforms – DVD/2CD, Blu-ray/2CD, and 3LP – this latest live offering from the greatest band in rock and roll – captured in 2002at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA — is the band’s second live recording released in a little more than a year and at least its 17th live recording since the start of the new millennium (if not more). Even being a recording that reaches into the double digits (in regard to how many live recordings the band has released), this recording still proves just as enjoyable as all of its predecessors. That is due in no small part to its featured set list and the band’s performance thereof, which will be discussed shortly. The liner notes that accompany the recording add their own share of engagement and entertainment to the presentation and will be addressed a little later. The overall production rounds out the recording’s most important elements and will also be examined later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered they make Live at the Wiltern another wonderful live offering from The Rolling Stones that is also an early entry among the best of this year’s new live recordings.
Live at the Wiltern, the brand-new live recording from The Rolling Stones, is hardly the first of the band’s ever live recordings. Despite that (or even with that in mind) it is just as enjoyable as all of the recordings the band has released to date. That is due in no small part to its featured set list and the band’s performance thereof. Spanning a total of 20 songs, the set list features plenty of familiar live favorites, such as ‘Beast of Burden,’ ‘Honky Tonk Women’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ which opens the show. At the same time, the set list also features a handful of songs that have not been included in those previously noted recordings. That includes and is not limited to songs, such as ‘You Don’t Have To Mean It,’ ‘Can’t You Hear Me,’ and ‘Hand of Fate.’ ‘Stray Cat Blues,’ ‘No Expectations’ and a cover of the 1954 Bert Berns/Solomon Burke/Jerry Wexler hit ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ are also among those rarities. That blend of familiar and rare is a nice change of pace that every audience will love. While not necessarily a career-spanning set list, it does find the band reaching into some parts of its catalog that up to that point, it had otherwise rarely if at all touched on. That is in regard to albums and songs. For instance, ‘Hand of Fate’ was pulled from the band’s 1976 album Black and Blue, which the band had not pulled from in any of its existing live recordings released so far through Mercury Studios. ‘Neighbours,’ which comes early in the set list, is pulled from the band’s beloved 1981 album, Tattoo You. While that album has been presented in past live recordings, the song itself has rarely if ever been part of those shows. To that end, it is further proof of the importance of this set list.
The set list itself is only part of what audiences will appreciate about the concert. The band’s performance thereof is definitely of its own note. Considering that this concert was captured in 2000, some four decades-plus after The Rolling Stones was founded, the band shows it had not lost a step along the way. Front man Mick Jagger’s energy and swagger is just as solid as ever throughout the concert. Guitarists Ron Wood and Keith Richards are just as much on point with their energy in each performance, and the now late, great Charlie Watts keeps the beat so steadily throughout each song. Few if any other bands out there at that point had that level of charisma, cham and energy. That speaks volumes about the band’s performance. In every song, the band gives its all to the audience, and the audience gave right back, making the band give back just as much if not more. It makes for such an engaging and entertaining concert experience that translates so well even on screen.
On yet another positive note is the liner notes featured in the recording’s liner notes. Crafted by author Paul Sexton (who wrote Watts’ biography, Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Authorised Biography of Charlie Watts), the liner notes successfully set the stage for the concert before audiences even take in the performance. Sexton cites Jagger early in the notes, writing of Jagger’s comments that it was a real test on him personally because of the heat inside the theater. Jagger listed the temperature at 35 degrees. Obviously that was Celsius degrees, not Fahrenheit, since it was an indoor concert. 35 degrees Celsius is equivalent to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Considering that, one could see how that and the humidity (of which Jagger is also cited as noting) would make the concert a challenge. To that end, it makes the band’s performance of its extensive set list all the more of a positive.
Sexton also writes in the liner notes of the input from the band on the set list for each show. He writes of how Wood told him how many songs from various albums the band rehearsed ahead of the tour. It shows that the set list here was deliberately and carefully selected. To that end, it makes for even more appreciation for the set list.
Getting back to the band’s performance of the set list, Sexton cites Jagger as saying of smaller, more intimate shows like the one held at The Wiltern, “I become more intense as a singer than as a performer where the accent is more on gestures. And there are songs I can’t do in bigger places. ‘Stray Cat Blues’ is a number I’m not particularly mad about, but it worked really well at The Wiltern. And you get an intensity from a soul tune like ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ that you can’t get in a stadium.” Taking these comments into mind, audiences can see that increased intensity more clearly from Jagger. Not that said intensity was not already evident, but it makes it all the clearer, and in turn all the more engaging and entertaining.
As Sexton continues his writing, he lays the groundwork for so many of the songs that the band performs here, even writing about Solomon Burke joining the band on stage for its performance of ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,’ which helped make Burke a star early on in his career. Between all of that preview content, everything pointed out here in his notes and so much more not pointed out here, Sexton’s liner notes offer so much color and background to this recording’s presentation. They make the overall concert experience all the more enjoyable.
Knowing how much the liner notes do to add to the enjoyment of The Rolling Stones’ performance at The Wiltern, there is still one more item to note in regard to its positives. That item is the recording’s overall production. The audio production and video alike are both as impressive as can be expected for the early part of the new millennium. The audio is expertly balanced throughout the concert, allowing for Jagger and all of the musicians on stage to get equal time in the limelight. The horns give just the right amount of flare at points throughout the concert while the backing vocals once again get so much attention, too. The band’s backing vocalists have always been key in every Rolling Stones performance and this concert is no exception. Audiences can hear them just as clearly as anyone else on stage. Simply put the overall production presented here makes for so much enjoyment in its own right if only in regard to the audio. Audiences who have audio bars and surround sound systems will appreciate that audio production all the more.
The video production is worthy of applause, too. Considering the lighting inside The Wiltern, the production crew did the best it could with the situation. Even viewed on a 4K UHD monitor, the low lighting is obvious, but the picture is still clear. The camera cuts and edits made in post-production do well in their own right to help capture the band’s energy and thusly keep audiences engaged and entertained, too. At no point do the cameras linger on one shot. They change things up just enough throughout to make sure audiences do not get bored. The overall result of the camera work and the edits made post-show is production work on the visual and audio that gives audiences even more to appreciate here. When the expert audio and video production presented here is considered with the positive of the liner notes, the set list and the band’s performance thereof, the whole makes this recording another unquestionably successful offering from The Rolling Stones and Mercury Studios that further cements The Rolling Stones’ place as the greatest rock and roll band in the world.
Live at The Wiltern, the latest live recording from The Rolling Stones, is another presentation that every fan of The Rolling Stones will appreciate along with rock fans in general. It has so much to like, not the least of which being the set list. The set list blends some familiarity with some lesser-commonly performed songs for audiences, giving those viewers plenty to appreciate in itself. The band’s performance of the set list makes for its own share of enjoyment as this band shows itself as having just as much energy roughly forty years into its career as in its younger days. The liner notes that accompany the recording do so well to set the stage for the concert before audiences even take in the performance because of all of the background that they present. The overall production here puts the finishing touch to the recording, making the concert experience all the more enjoyable for audiences at home. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the recording. All things considered they make Live at The Wiltern one more great concert experience from The Rolling Stones and yet another example of why this act is the single greatest rock band in the world.
Live at The Wiltern is available now through Mercury Studios. More information on the recording is available along with all of The Rolling Stones’ news at:
Jinjer will tentatively release its first-ever live DVD/Blu-ray this spring.
The band announced Thursday, it is scheduled to release the new recording, Live in Los Angeles, May 17 through Napalm Records. The performance presented in the new, forthcoming recording was captured at the band’s Dec. 22, 2022 concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA.
The band discussed the recording in a prepared, collective statement.
“Our sold-out Los Angeles show at the end of our 2022 tour was the perfect time and place to do something special – something like a long awaited DVD/live album by Jinjer!,” the statement reads. “The totally packed, legendary venue, the crazy west coast vibes, and most importantly, the band delivering it with full force after being on tour for 6 months around the globe – from Europe to Australia and back to the USA – made this an extra special night.”
The statement continued, “For the fans who joined us that night at The Wiltern, it was an unforgettable concert, but now every single JINJER supporter around the world can experience and enjoy an ideal set featuring our biggest hits from older albums as well as recent bangers. This is not just a DVD or a live album, but a celebration of the first 15 years of the JINJER story, right before we move on to the next chapter…”
In anticipation of the recording’s release, Jinjer premiered a live clip of its performance of its song, ‘Call Me A Symbol‘ Thursday. The song is one of 16 total songs featured in the concert’s set list. That set list includes and is not limited to other tracks, such as ‘Sit Stay Roll Over,’ ‘Pisces,’ and ‘Home Back.’
The deluxe edition of the recording also features performances of two extra songs — ‘Wallflower’ and ‘Disclosure’ — as bonuses. The performances were recorded live in Paris, France in 2023.
The recording’s complete track list is noted below, along with the various platforms on which the recording will be available.
Live in Los Angeles tracklisting: 1. Intro 2. Sit Stay Roll Over 3. Teacher, Teacher! 4. Copycat 5. Home Back 6. I Speak Astronomy 7. As I Boil Ice 8. Judgement (& Punishment) 9. Dead Hands Feel No Pain 10. Vortex 11. Who Is Gonna Be The One 12. Sleep Of The Righteous 13. Call Me A Symbol 14. Perennial 15. Pisces 16. On The Top
Live in Los Angeles will be available in the following formats: 1DVD/1BD/1CD Deluxe Digipak (DVD size) incl. Slipcase & 20 pages booklet 2LP BLACK Vinyl Ltd. 2LP PURPLE Vinyl (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive) – strictly ltd to 300 copies worldwide Ltd. 2LP YELLOW Vinyl (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive) – strictly ltd to 300 copies worldwide Ltd. Die Hard 2LP PURPLE/WHITE Marbled Vinyl incl. 20 page booklet & vinyl slipmat (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive) – strictly ltd to 700 copies worldwide Ltd. 1MC (YELLOW MC / PURPLE Print) (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive) – strictly ltd to 200 copies worldwide Ltd. 2LP CLEAR Vinyl (Band Shop Exclusive) Ltd. 2LP WHITE Vinyl (Band Shop Exclusive) Digital Album
In other news, Jinjer has an extensive tour schedule coming up this spring and summer, including as support on Sepultura’s upcoming farewell tour. The band’s current tour schedule is noted below:
Experience JINJER Live:
Celebrating Life Through Death – European Farewell Tour 2024 JINJER as special guest for Sepultura, w/ Obituary (Main Support) & Jesus Piece (Opener) 30.10.2024 FR – Paris / Zenith Paris 31.10.2024 DE – Offenbach am Main / Stadthalle 01.11.2024 DE – Hamburg / Edel Optics Arena 02.11.2024 DE – Cologne / Palladium 03.11.2024 NL – Den Bosch / The Rock Circus 05.11.2024 BE – Brussels / Ancienne Belgique 06.11.2024 LU – Esch-Sur-Alzette / Rockhal 08.11.2024 UK – Manchester / Manchester Academy 09.11.2024 IE – Dublin / Olympia Theatre 10.11.2024 IE – Belfast / The Telegraph Building 11.11.2024 UK – Glasgow / Barrowland Ballroom 12.11.2024 UK – London / Hammersmith Apollo 14.11.2024 CH – Zurich / The Hall 15.11.2024 DE – Ludwigsburg / MHP Arena 16.11.2024 DE – Munich / Zenith 17.11.2024 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra Red Stage 19.11.2024 DE – Leipzig / Haus Auensee 20.11.2024 AT – Vienna / Gasometer 21.11.2024 PL – Katowice / Spodek 22.11.2024 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle 23.11.2024 CZ – Prague / O2 Universum
Latin America Tour 2024 + special guests: Heaven Shall Burn 30.11.24 BR – Porto Alegre / Opiniao 01.12.24 BR – Curitiba / Tork and Roll 03.12.24 BR – Belo Horizonte / Mister Rock 05.12.24 BR – Brasilia / Toinha 07.12.24 BR – Rio de Janeiro / Circo Voador 08.12.24 BR – Sao Paulo / Terra SP 10.12.24 AR – Buenos Aires / Teatro Flores 12.12.24 CL – Santiago / Teatro Caupolican 14.12.24 CO – Bogota / Calle 13 15.12.24 CR – San Jose / Pepper’s Club 18.12.24 MX – Guadalajara / C4 * 19.12.24 MX – San Luis Potosí / Centro de las Artes * 20.12.24 MX – Mexico City / Circo Volador * *no HSB
Festivals 2024 03.08.2024 RO – Rasnov / Rockstadt Extreme Fest 08.08.2024 ES – Villena / Leyendas del Rock 09.08.2024 CZ – Jaromer / Brutal Assault 10.08.2024 FR – Cercoux / Festival 666 11.08.2024 BE – Kortrijk / Alcatraz 15.08.2024 DE – Dinkelsbühl / Summer Breeze 17.08.2024 FR – Carhaix / Motocultor 18.08.2024 CH – Vallamand / Rock The Lakes 29.09.2024 US – Louiseville, KY / Louder Than Life
… to be continued
More information on Jinjer’s new live recording and upcoming tour dates is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
More than eight years ago, Eagle Rock Entertainment and The Who partnered to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary. The two sides did so through the release of the band’s iconic 1982 concert at Shea Stadium in New York City in the form of Live at Shea Stadium 1982. The concert was released separately on DVD, standard definition Blu-ray, and streaming in that initial release. Now almost a decade later, Eagle Rock (now Mercury Studios) has revisited that recording with a presentation of that landmark concert on 2CD and 3LP platforms. Released Friday through Mercury Studios, the concert’s “re-issue” (of sorts) is enjoyable but still leaves some room for curiosity. To its positive, this presentation proves engaging and entertaining due to its general presentation. This will be addressed shortly. The curiosity (and some concern) comes into play due to the fact that the new audio-only platform is presented exactly as the recording’s previous full audiovisual presentations but is only presented by itself. What’s more, the bonus content included in the initial release is not featured here. This will be examined a little later. Since the presentation of the concert as a standalone once again is not enough to doom the recording, there is one more positive to note. That positive is the production. It will also be examined later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the presentation. All things considered they make the new re-issue of Live at Shea Stadium1982 enjoyable in its own right despite some concern.
Mercury Studios’ brand new re-issue of The Who’s Live at Shea Stadium 1982 is an interesting revisiting of the concert, which the company originally released nearly a decade ago. This latest release is of interest in large part due to its general presentation. Audiences get virtually the same presentation in this standalone, audio-only release as they did in the full, audiovisual offerings released in June 2015. The concert set list is almost the same and presented in exactly the same sequence as in that previous release. Spanning 25 songs, the set list (which sadly does not include the bonus performances included in the original recording – this will be addressed a little later) reaches all the way back to The Who’s third album, 1967’s The Who Sell Out, and even includes hits, such as ‘Pinball Wizard,’ — from the band’s hugely popular 1969 album, Tommy – ‘Baba O’Reily’ and ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ – both from the band’s 1971 album, Who’s Next – as well as ‘I’m The One,’ ‘The Punk and the Godfather,’ and ‘Drowned,’ all of which are featured in another of the band’s biggest release of all time, 1973’s Quadrophenia.
The same liner notes crafted by Chris Roberts for the original release are also featured here in the new audio-only platforms. In other words, the overall experience that audiences got from that initial release is the same as that featured in this presentation. That is sure to appeal to plenty of audiences. Roberts’ liner notes set the stage (no pun intended) for the concert for audiences, pointing out why the concert was so important. From knowing it would in the long run, turn out to not be the band’s final show after all, but that it would be the band’s last with its then drummer, and more, Roberts offers quite a bit of interesting insight into the concert before audiences even take in the performance.
As much as the fact that the presentations are the same in each release is positive, there is also an underlying concern and question raised herein. When one stops and really examines that similar presentation, one cannot help but wonder why initially, the concert was released on standalone DVD and SD Blu-ray platforms rather than full DVD/2CD and/or Blu-ray/2CD packages. On the same note, why, in its new re-issue is it only being released as a 2CD and 3LP set? Having the concert originally on one set of platforms and another in its new release means that audiences will have had to spend a certain amount of money for one set and even more for the second. Audiences who take this into consideration are sure to develop a certain discontentment. They may likely even question if it is worth it to buy the secondary set if they already own the concert on DVD and Blu-ray. That discontent will grow even more as audiences note that the bonus tracks included in the initial release – ‘Substitute,’ ‘I Can’t Explain,’ ‘My Generation,’ ‘A Man is a Man,’ and ‘5.15’ – are not included here.
wonder why whatever parties did not combine everything originally or in this new release. To that end, having the concert presented exactly the same here as in its initial release is good but also quite bad on a deeper level.
Luckily, knowing the concerns raised by this standalone presentation are not enough to doom the recording, there is at least one more positive to note. That positive is the concert’s production. The production is of note because the work put into the production results in a sound balance that fully immerses audiences into the concert. Front man Roger Daltry’s vocals are expertly balanced alongside the work of his band mates – bassist John Entwhistle, guitarist Pete Townshend, and drummer Kenney Jones – throughout the concert. The result is a positive aesthetic that audiences will appreciate. The positive aspect of this element work with the overall positive of the set list to give audiences at least some more reason to take in the recording. At the same time though, one cannot ignore the concerns raised surrounding the separation of the concert in regard to its audio-only and audio visual platforms and the lack of the bonus content from the original recording. Keeping all of this in mind, Mercury Studios’ re-issue of The Who’s Live at Shea Stadium 1982 imperfect but still mostly enjoyable.
Mercury Studios’ brand-new re-issue of The Who’s Live at Shea Stadium 1982 is an intriguing new take on the classic concert. It is an imperfect but still enjoyable offering. The enjoyment comes in large part through its set list. The set list is presented in large part the same as in the concert’s original 2015 release. The only major difference in that recording and this one is that the bonus performances are not included this time out for whatever reason. That lack of the bonus performances and the continued separation of the concert on its different platforms raises concerns in regard to money spent and general presentation. It is not enough to doom the recording, however. To that end, there is still one positive here in the form of the recording’s production. The production results in a positive aesthetic that will appeal to its own extent among listeners. Keeping everything noted in mind, Mercury Studios’ re-issue of The Who’s Live at Shea Stadium 1982 is enjoyable but still will leave audiences wanting for more.
Live at Shea Stadium1982 is available through Mercury Studios. More information on the recording is available along with all of The Who’s latest news at:
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