Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation DVD

heiney9

I've been anxiously awaiting this DVD which I ordered over a month ago from PBS.org. Sometime last year Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation performed in Chicago which was subsequently taped for the long running and recently reinvigorated Sound Stage series on PBS. I watched the original broadcast in August of this year and the performance was so good I decided to call and order the DVD. No one told me that the DVD wasn't going to be released until October 24th. I guess since I pre-ordered I got it a bit earlier. Also I didn't expect it to be distributed beyond PBS. Look for it at Amazon.com and probably your local music retailer (if there are any still in business ) in your neighborhood. Before it get to reviewing this most excellent musical performance here are a few relevent links about this release.

http://www.glidemagazine.com/news3417.html

This link particularly infuriates me because you can see what was performed at the concert and what made it to broadcast, which IS the same on the DVD with one exception. Why not release all the songs on DVD? :mad:

http://www.pbs.org/wttw/soundstage/rplant/setlist.htm

http://mixonline.com/mixline/pbs-soundstage-chicago/

http://www.robertplanthomepage.com/2006planthomepage/pages/bigblog.htm

http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/12167/tempidx/1/menuid/1

All I can say is this was worth the wait. The video is stunningly clear even though I still have a conventional CRT TV and regular old DVD player, no upsampling or HDMI or fancy component video output. The filiming and editing are done just right, no quick cuts and the producer actually seems to know what's going on in the songs because he cuts to certain instruments at precisely the right time for the most impact. The audio is 2 channel PCM or 5.1 surround and the realism is striking. All the instruments, and there are many of them, are clear and can be heard thru out the mix. It's a very complex soundtrack and the engineer captures every little nuance of each tribal drum, guitar, looped sequence and spaced out electronic sound. Nothing is missing and the intruments are well placed so they can be pinpointed on stage. The only exception is the swirling electronic keyboards which come from every direction as intended.

If you haven't heard anything from his latest release which was 2005's Mighty ReArranger some of the textures and beats of the songs might suprise you. All of the Zeppelin songs are reworked in a way that still shows the roots of the song but no one is trying to imitate Jimmy Page or John Paul Jones or John Bonham and I for one find that very refreshing. We don't need anymore hacked up Page solo's or hacked up Bonhan drum fills or hacked up John Paul Jones funky bass lines, no more amatuer imitators please. Plant's days of shrieking are gone and frankly have been for years, but what he lacks in upper vocal range he makes up for in subtle nuance. There is no mistaking his voice and he sounds fresher and better than ever. All the songs are trippy, Eastern tinged Neo-Psychadelic, blues infused with complex arrangements. This is why he's managed to stay relevent all these years. Mighty ReArranger was nominated for 2 Grammy's last year.

Overall this is a must own DVD if you are into great performances as well as great sound and superb video work. Of course it's a no brainer if you are a Zeppelin or Robert Plant fan.

Gripes: Way too short; where's the rest of the concert from that night. The bottom end overall is lacking. I'd prefer a little more slam to the bass guitar and the drums are mixed a bit on the low side. Haven't found the bonus track: Girl from the North Country yet. Not listed in the liner notes and no way, it seems, to access the song.



Enjoy and you won't regret the purchase

H9