Gregory Isaacs – Live In San Francisco

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Concert: B-

 

 

Gregory Isaacs is a Reggae legend that only hardcore fans of the genre seem to know about.  Now in his later years, this new DVD concert is the second Isaacs DVD issued by Music Video Distributors, following Live At The Rocket from back in 2000.  Live In San Francisco offers the following performances:

 

1)     Number One

2)     Private Beach Party

3)     My Only Lover

4)     Thank You

5)     Not The Way

6)     Sad Your Leaving

7)     Cool Down The Place

8)     Boarder

9)     Feeling/Night Nurse

 

 

Though I am no major Reggae fan, this is a performance from the latter years of the artist and some of the energy is obviously gone from Mr. Isaac’s peak years, yet the personality and legacy are still ion tact and the performances are still not bad.  He is on stage with a capable band and the show is about an hour, which is not bad either.  Yes, like Rockers, Reggae artists do get old, even if the music promises eternal youth on some level.  Live In San Francisco has more than enough life to take a look.

 

The full frame 1.33 X 1 video is not in great shape, however, and comes from an NTSC source that is muddy and has some bleeding colors.  Though credited with having PCM 2.0 Stereo sound, the only 2.0 on this DVD is in Dolby Digital, but a 5.1 Dolby mix credited on this box is there and is your best bet for playback.  The Dolby 2.0 is very weak and has barely any surround information.  Extras include a somewhat Psychedelic offering in the live clip for Liquid, catalog from the 2BL Multimedia producers to other Reggae posters, DVDs and CDs, and a brief text piece on Isaacs.  That still makes this disc about basic, but fans will like it if they like the work of his later era.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo