Chicago - Live by Request
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.91 You Save: $8.01 (57%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.95 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Chicago - Live by Request
Movie Review: FANTABULOUS PERFORMANCE!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite what the critics have previously said about Jason Scheff, bad recording, bad vocals, etc. I believe that this DVD is EXCELLENT, and I don't have a better word to put it. I absolutely LOVE this band and think that Peter Cetera is no better than Jason Scheff. Peter Cetera was nothing but a big fat traitor to Chicago, leaving the band at a time when Chicago's success was subsiding (but of course later came back on track). The best vocalists were Jason Scheff and Robert Lamm. Kudos to both of you! Jason Scheff did amazing lead vocals in Questions 67 & 68, 25 or 6 to 4, Feeling Stronger Everday, and You're the Inspiration. And Robert Lamm did GREAT lead vocals in Satruday in the Park, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, Color My World, and Beginnings.
Jimmy (James) Pankow, Walter Parazaider and Lee Loughnane were fantastic with the horns. Absolutely wonderful. Tris Imbolden's beats were great, even though he messed up a tiny bit in 25 or 6 to 4, if you listen *very* carefully. Keith Howland did good vocals in If You Leave Me Now, and his guitar skills were good. And as for Bill Champlin, he was a great pianist but the vocals were not as good.
And I must mention that 25 or 6 to 4 on this performance was WAY better than the original one, with Peter Cetera's lead vocals. In fact, all the originals that Peter Cetera did are much better with Jason Scheff's vocals.
Overall, Chicago pulled on a great show, not flawless (hey, nothing is), but really really great. I watch it everyday (no kidding) and I got copies for friends and family. Get yours today and have a GREAT time with Chicago! Go Chicago (Lots of credits to Jason Scheff and Rob Lamm) !!!!!!!!
Movie Review: A Great Chicago Live Performance
Summary: 5 Stars
Chicago, in addition to being one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever, are also known for very dynamic live performances. Up until 2002, the only documents of them in concert were the classic but somewhat dated 1972 recording "At Carnegie Hall" and their 1999 live album, which was woefully lacking. But for a concise and enjoyable concert of the band performing all their hits spanning their whole career, this 2002 A&E special is near perfect. Here you have Chicago perfoming five decades worth of hit songs, including "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is", "Beginnings", "25 Or 6 To 4", "Saturday In The Park", "You're The Inspiration", "Look Away" and "Hard To Say I'm Sorry". There's not much in the way of diversity as most of these are the songs you'd hear in a standard Chicago concert, but the performances sound lively and fresh, the same way they did 30 years ago. If there's anything about the show that I didn't like, it was host Mark McEwen. He really was annoying, and I was irked when one caller requested either "Heart In Pieces" or "If You Leave Me Now", and McEwen made him choose "If You Leave Me Now. Having the group perform "Heart In Pieces" or better yet the song the caller initially requested, Terry Kath's "In Terms Of Two, (which they wouldn't have played anyway because they feel uncomfortable about playing Kath material since his untimely 1978 death) would have added some variety to the otherwise standard setlist. But other than that, this is an energetic and highly enjoyable concert, and the tributes by Jay Leno, Dick Clark and others were nice to watch. This is a dvd I would recommend to any Chicago fan.Movie Review: Chicago LIVE
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful DVD which features the performance they did on the A & E Cable network. During this show the audience could call in and request a song for Chicago to perform. It was a fantastic performance, one which any fan would love to have in their DVD collection. Over the years Chicago has, and continues to be, one of the tightest live bands around. They put out an amazing amount of sound. Of course, live performances sound different than the studio recordings because there is not the benefit of tracking. I have seen them perform three times over the past two years and have enjoyed every concert. This is a terrific DVD in which the band gives another outstanding performance, I have never heard the horns sound better and the vocals of Lamm, Scheff, Howland and Champlin were solid. Contrary to other postings in this area, Bill Champlin was great. He has been with the band for more than 20 years, and brings with him his own unique style. This was vintage Bill Champlin and it was fantastic. Most bands, when they do a concert, work from a preset song list. That wasn't the case on this night. They were taking requests, having to decide at the last minute how to set up for that particular song, these are veteran performers who still enjoy the music. Regrettably, there was a flat note hit in the opening bars of the opening song. Being that this was the very first selection I question whether the soundboard was properly set up for the artist to monitor his vocal track. But that is what live music is all about, and Chicago is one of the all time great live bands.Movie Review: Amazing, Awesome, Fantastic, Marvellous.
Summary: 5 Stars
I went to a music store this afternoon and planned to buy other DVDs, and was hesitant to buy this one on top of the other two, since there's a bad review on it. I'm so glad that I kept my 'belief' on this great band, and decided to give it a try.After a long day of work, I was not hesitant again--to play this one prior to the other two, and among several 'By Request' DVDs I own, this one is undoubtedly the champ.
These guys are fantastic, they are aging, but aging like red wine. Listening to track 21 (song 11) 'Color My World's just like rediscovering something you have long forgotten, your youth, your loved ones in the past, you also remind yourself to treausre your family and frends, and to love them as much as you can 'today'--it's intersting that Jimmy Pankow who composed this song does not play it, and the song was influenced/inspired by Bach.
After I finished watching the whole DVD (93 min. + 10 bonus), I took out their laser disc, a Japanes version called 'And the Band Played On--Live at Pine Knob, Detroit, Michigan 1992', which was 10 years before this DVD concert. Comparing the two concerts, the guys are aging, but they sound much much better, especially Robert Lamm, who doesn't only sound better, he looks more mature and good-looking than 10 years ago.
Peter Cetera is an excellent singer, but the performance by the other guys has outweighted the importance of his presence.
If I could give this DVD 6 stars, I would not hesitate to do so.
Thank you, Robert and the other guys, and God bless you all!
Movie Review: Sweet sweet music
Summary: 5 Stars
Like some others, I took a chance on buying this DVD after reading some of the other reviews. Thanks to those who recommended it. I had just seen Chicago in concert for the first time and this DVD was nearly as exciting for me. The host mentioned that Chicago was the most requested group in the history of the program. The play list was sweet. Sure, there was a strained note here and there, but that's the nature of live performances. Bill Champlin's vocals were also weak at the live performance I attended but he can still sing and play better than me, so I'm not complaining. I'm not bothered by the celebrity comments either. I've seen several of the A&E Live by Request shows, and that's expected. There didn't appear to be any ignored song requests. The one caller that requested "In Terms of Two" was apparently familiar with live entertainment. He offered "If You Leave Me Now" as an alternate choice in the event they weren't prepared to do a number that they hadn't played live in 30 years.
As far as the DVD sound quality, it sounded almost as if it was really live and in person. No tin can effect. I didn't fiddle with the 5.1 settings- just popped it into the SONY player with the concert surround setting on my RCA home theater system. I guess my channels are set to the right volumes. The vocals were clear and perfectly balanced with bass, horns and high notes. I highly recommend this DVD. It's a nice stand-in if you can't catch Chicago live and in person.