The Erasure Show – Live In Cologne (DVD)

 

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

 

 

Erasure became the New Wave duo Soft Cell almost did commercially, Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke teamed up with singer Andy Bell in 1985 and had three Top Twenty hits in the late 1980s.  Though none have endured quite the way Tainted Love did, they continued to cut albums and have hits in Europe.  The Erasure Show – Live In Cologne offers a nearly two-hour long concert of their major hits past and present a even if they are more danceable than Depeche Mode records, that does not make them any less intelligent.

 

Taped on 3/28/05 in the famed German city, two-dozen tracks are offered, as follows:

 

Rock - A - Bye - Baby

No Doubt

Hideaway

Victim Of Love

Knocking On Your Door

The Circus

Breathe

Ship Of Fools

Drama!

All This Time Still Falling Out Of Love

Stop!

Rapture

Ave Maria

Breath Of Life

A Little Respect

I Broke It All In Two

Chains Of Love

Chorus

Love To Hate You

Blue Savannah

Always

Who Needs Love

Oh L'Amour

I Bet You're Mad At Me

Sometimes

In My Arms

 

 

The house music men have even released DVDs before, including a Music Videos collection, but more have been concerts like this.  They have been successful enough to encourage more.  They are still in good form, so fans will be happy and those who have not seen them in action before will get a reasonable exposure to their work.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image has all kinds of ghosting throughout, along with digititis, as if it were a PAL source instead of digital HD transferred awkwardly into the NTSC realm.  The sound is here in Dolby Digital 5.1 and a thicker PCM 16Bit/48kHz 2.0 Stereo with limited surrounds that is a bit better, though some may find the two choices a toss up.  Extras include three live bonus performances, three Music Videos, a time lapse of setting up the concert, brief interview with the duo and brief making of section.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo