The Chieftains – Live At Montreux 1997 (Eagle Vision DVD)

 

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

 

 

It has been a while since we have seen anything on DVD from The Chieftains, but it is Eagle Vision once again issuing their work.  Last time, we looked at the decent and somewhat memorable The Chieftains – Live Over Ireland DVD at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5692/The+Chieftains+%E2%80%93+Live+O

 

 

Now a somewhat better DVD is here in the form of Live At Montreux 1997, a somewhat better concert with relatively better playback that includes the following tracks:

 

1) Opening Medley: O’Neill’s March / Rosin Dubh / Reels And Dance
2) Changing Your Demeanour
3) Donegal Reel / Ladies Pantalette
4) Lady Dillon
5) Album Medley: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You / Mo Ghile Mear / The Rocky Road To Dublin / Reels And Dance
6) Song Of Immigration / Kerry Slides
7) Galician Overture Medley / Dueling Chanters
8) Carrickfergus
9) Maneo
10) Murphy’s Hornpipe and Dance
11) Matt Molloy: A Fig For A Kiss / Mulhares Reel / Gravel Walks
12) Guadalupe
13) Did You Ever Go A Courtin’ Uncle Joe
14) Give Me Your Hand / The Trip To Durrow / Flogging Reel

 

 

It is mostly traditional music I am only so familiar with, but hardly anyone does it as well as they do and sometimes you have to watch them again to be reminded how good they really are.  Even as a non-fan, this is impressive enough.  If you don’t know much about them, this is the DVD to start with.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is on the soft side and seems to be early low def widescreen recording on video, with some haloing, but color can be good.  The venue has uneven lighting at times.  Of the three sound mixed, the DTS 5.1 is better than the Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM 2.0 16/48 Stereo, but the range is limited and the recording itself sometimes compressed and certainly not conceived for multi-channel.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo