Todd Rundgren - Liars Live
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Movie Reviews of Todd Rundgren - Liars Live
Movie Review: Essential For Any Music Fan.
Summary: 5 Stars
Loyal fans like me -- and probably all of the other reviewers of this DVD -- always go to Todd shows. Always.
Still, for years now, it has seemed Todd has been calling it in from a touring perspective. More or less the same material, increasingly sloppy performances, but usually a quality night out with an old musical friend, so to speak.
This tour -- and this DVD -- reverses that trend. In a big way.
As some have already pointed out, the production on this is impeccable. Next, he had some amazing material to promote for a change...Liars was a real comeback for TR, winding up on many critics' best-of-2004 lists.
Reason #3 has to be that amazing band he had backing him up -- unbelievable all the way around. Prairie Prince was on fire. Kasim Sulton's bass/background vocals were exactly what you'd expect from someone who goes back three decades with Todd.
But enough about how this sounds. This show looks almost as good. The shooting, editing, art direction, stage and wardrobe combine to make this thing a retinal treat...a concert DVD that's infinitely more watchable than most concert shows.
In short, Todd truly was "on" this particular night. Actually, this entire tour.
As a result, this DVD clearly demonstrates that Neil Young and The Boss aren't the only old rockers who remain musically relevant.
While most of Bruce & Neil & Todd's peers either continue do reunion/greatest hits shows, switch over to Motown/Jazz Standards to make a fast buck or sell their songs to advertising agencies, Todd has made an album -- and now a live DVD -- that holds its own with Radiohead and, yes, U2. Very high praise, I realize.
But in 2004/2005, Mr. Rundgren rediscovered his A-game.
Hopefully, he can keep playing at that level. (However, just hearing that he has decided to replace Ric Ocasek in The Cars on their reunion tour makes me think he's already returning to more familiar musical territory.)
Movie Review: Sweet!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been anxiously awaiting this dvd since seeing this show almost a year and a half ago. I had seen three shows on this Liars tour and I personally thought that the strongest show I had seen was at the turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. There was a real energy at that show that just seemed to be missing at the Show that this dvd presents. (The egg show, presented on this dvd was the last night of about a 2-month leg of this tour. Just prior to the band going to Japan) The night of the performance I thought to myself there's no way Todd's going to put this show out on DVD. There had been a bit of tension that seemed to emanate from the stage, starting with the first song "Truth". After singing the first couple of lines Todd walked backstage to get the monitor engineer to straighten out a thing or two. As soon as He walked back through the stage props a cameraman appeared and stands in place shooting in the direction of Kasim. When Todd tried to re-enter the stage he nearly plowed the cameraman down. Todd looked pissed! Well, some quick cut editing has pretty much removed that instance.
Todd mixed the sound and edited the video on this production and the job he did is unbelievable! This sounds so good!!!!!!!! WOW!
It was well worth the wait to get this out finally. The inclusion of the Japan video scrapbook is pretty cool. I enjoyed seeing the Japanese fanclubs party segment for the band. Todd had brought his family along for the ride and this segment gives you a slightly candid look at Mr. Rundgren.
Buy this DVD and crank up the sound, you'll be glad you did.
Movie Review: No lying! Great Todd show on DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this tour about a week before this particular performance was filmed. It was only my third Todd show but it was easily the best. I'd heard Kasim Sulton on Todd's records and seen him on Todd's other DVDs, but it was an absolute treat to hear him play live. And Prairie Prince? I've been a big fan of his since the Seventies, so I'm biased.
Visually, this DVD is a bit of a compromise. The colors and lighting are so thick and saturated that it doesn't translate well to film. In person, however, it was arresting. But there's more to a concert DVD than lighting --- there's energy, musicianship, and the performance itself. And that's where this concert DVD hits all the right notes.
"Liars" is perhaps Todd's strongest record since "Second Wind" in 1991 (a personal favorite). Unbelievably good fortune for us that Todd chose to capture this tour on film for us. This is a great companion piece to a great record. Todd's tour for "The Individualist" was interesting for the fact that the songs from that album sounded great live but weren't so interesting on the studio CD. Some argue the same thing for the "No World Order" tour and CD. But this "Liars" tour and CD make up for all of that, no question.
Can't believe the record store in my little dink, un-hip town had SEVEN copies of this DVD in stock yesterday! At least the store manager has taste, even if the majority of record buyers don't. I bought two copies of this DVD -- one for me and one for some future deserving soul.
Movie Review: "Underneath it all we are here together, shining still"
Summary: 5 Stars
I am surprised that the other reviews did not mention the unique lighting for this show, so I will. Ever the innovator, Todd invented a way of using LED lights for a live show (another Rundgren first!), and he also designed the Gothic-arched structures that you see onstage in this video.
Apparently the LED lights were part of the reason for the very blue cast. The edited result is full of intensely saturated color.
I saw the live "Liars" show twice and wish I'd been able to travel to see more shows. "Liars" was the first fully realized album from Todd in several years, and it is brilliant. But Todd created it almost entirely with software on a Mac, so bringing the songs to life with a band of great musicians was an experience not to be missed.
My view is that going to a Todd concert is like going to church -- not as in "Todd is Godd" -- but rather the sense of relinking to everything that you have been before and everything you wanted to be, with a whole bunch of other people who are doing the same thing. Thirty years on, here we are again at a Todd show. It is such a pleasure to see him perform, to hear the gorgeous richness of this voice, to watch him stride and shuffle across the stage and to hear those passionate guitar solos.
The next time I have a bad day and need something to smile about, I think I'll pop the "Liars" DVD in the machine and just click straight to "Just One Victory".
Movie Review: A Wizard Indeed!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you love Todd the way all his fans do you already own this DVD. If you don't own it, get it. If you don't get it, you just don't get it. It showcases Todd with the most amazing band he's had in some time performing much of the material from his simply incredible release "Liars" along with some other later tunes like Buffalo Grass, Love Science, Feel It, I Hate My Frickin' ISP and The Want of a Nail. Todd's guitar of course does gently weep (scream) and his bandmates are absolutely born to synthesize (blow you away). Todd, Jesse, Kasim, Prairie and John perform with such intensity I'm surprised the Empire State Performance Center at the Egg didn't hatch that night. The lighting, costuming, staging, and performance are sublime. And oh those backing vocals. You just melt away like Frosty in Florida during the soulful second half of the show. Then there's the wonderous encore of Hello It's Me and Just One Victory. All captured exquisitely in 5.1. I was lucky enough to be at the Egg that night and was transported to another level then as I was again upon viewing the DVD. I don't care what kind of music you like, just buy this and you too might experience the worldwide epiphany all Todd fans have experienced. Don't be an onionhead, order it now!!