Josh Groban – Soundstage Live: An Evening In New York (Reprise Records DVD)

 

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

 

 

In an era where the music business keeps promoting non-singers as singing talent singing empty material you can hardly ever remember a few seconds after it is over, the success of Josh Groban is a very interesting one.  Since 2001, he has had consistent album and single success, along with sellout concerts that have only built onto his popularity.  Without selling out, his hits have included many genres, are never junk and he sings in more than one language; all of it exceptionally well with his amazing voice.  Soundstage Live: An Evening In New York is his latest success.

 

This 2008 concert now hits DVD in mid-2009 and shows his amazing range of vocals and material.  The set includes:

 

1)     You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)

2)     Alla Luce Del Sole

3)     Un Dia Llegara

4)     Broken Vow (with Chris Botti)

5)     Mi Morena

6)     February Song

7)     Lullaby

8)     Weeping

9)     Not While I’m Around

10)  Awake

11)  Smile

12)  Machine (with Herbie Hancock)

 

 

Running just over an hour, I had hoped for more, but this was meant for TV broadcast and that limits it, so it is a good example of his work, but maybe not the best.  Save his problematic duet for Spielberg’s highly overrated A.I., I have never heard a song of his I did not like.  Fans will enjoy this and others will be impressed.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is not only softer than expected, but has some shots so soft that one wonders what happened to the transfer.  Was this a 1080i or 1080p shoot?  The Dolby Digital 5.1 has some good detail and surrounds, but is on the weak side, something that cannot be said about the PCM 16/48 2.0 Stereo mix that I liked a bit more.  A DTS track would have likely had the best of both.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo