The Michael Schenker Group – The 30th
Anniversary Concert: Live In Tokyo (2010/Inakustik/Music Video Distributors Blu-ray +
DVD)
Picture: B-/C+ Sound: B Extras: C+/C Concert: B-
When it
came to the later Heavy Metal groups, The Scorpions were unique and a cut above
many in their time, but they had gone into decline and even seemed bored a few
years ago when they released the ill-advised Moment Of Glory DVD which was anything but. You can read more about that DVD at this
link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/43/Scorpions+-+Moment+Of+Glory
So when I
saw that band member Michael Schenker (who has been in many bands besides The
Scorpions) was releasing a Blu-ray and DVD of a January 2010 performance of his
own band in Japan,
I wondered if his edge was back too. The Michael Schenker Group – The 30th
Anniversary Concert: Live In Tokyo turns out to be just that, a rocking
concert without boredom, pretense and it is a pure Rock show that proves
Schenker has not permanently let his wild side go into hibernation.
Songs
include:
1)
Welcome Howl
2)
Feels Like A Good Thing
3)
Cry For The Nations
4)
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
5)
Armed & Ready
6)
Victim Of Illusion
7)
Are You Ready To Rock
8)
I Want You
9)
A Night To Remember
10) Into The Arena
11) Lost Horizons
12) Rock My Night Away
13) On & On
14) Attack Of The Mad Axeman
15) Ride On My Way
16) Rock Bottom
17) Dance Lady Gipsy
18) Doctor, Doctor
As one of
the newest HD shoots, it is presented in a 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High
Definition image (and not 1080i) with some good image stability and color that
makes it one of the best-looking such High Definition concerts we have seen
since the launch of the format. There
are still moments of motion blur, but they are not as bad as usual. The anamorphically enhanced DVD is also not
bad, but a little softer than expected, plus the Video Black is an issue.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is excellent and better than the PCM
2.0 Stereo included on the Blu-ray, as well as better than PCM 2.0 Stereo, DTS
5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes on the DVD.
However, the DTS-MA is only marginally better than the DTS on the DVD
because of the range limits of the concert soundmaster recording. In combination, the Blu-ray is better as
expected.
Extras
include a booklet two bonus featurettes on both discs: The L.A. Rehearsal and Backstage
Impressions, while the Blu-ray adds two more featurettes: Michael About Michael and Gary, Simon, Wayne & Neil – in their own
words.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
