Customer Reviews

Ben Folds and Waso: Live in Perth

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just recieved my Live in Perth dvd yesterday, and quickly poped it in the dvd player. It is a very low budget dvd, with no sub titles exept for Watch concert, and song select. The price of this item does reflect on the overall quality of the sound presented in the dvd, it's not the best. I found the sound in Live at West 54 to be much better.(However this dvd is a LIVE concert just as it is advertised) And this is why the dvd did not recieve a full 5 stars, however this is why i've given it the 4 stars.....
This dvd included 14 of some his greatest
Zak and Sara
Smoke
Fred Jones Part 2
Steven's Last Night In Town
Boxing
Annie Waits
Brick
Evaporated
Not the Same
The Ascent of Stan
Lullabye
Narcolepsy
Rock This Bitch
The Luckiest

Ben's performance is flawless as usual, and the orchastra is simply amazing. I love the luckiest. Just a hint Rock this bith is completly different, he made up a new version, and it's really comical. I enjoyed it. ONe really amazing thing about the dvd is bens comentay between songs, he explains a meaning for most of them, and it's really cool. BUY THIS IF YOUR A FAN You'll enjoy it

I read a review here that says the quality isn't great. I don't know what DVD they were watching, but the picture and sound quality are both top notch, better than most live performances you'll see on DVD.

Musically it's a gorgeous choice, while some work better than others (Steven's Last Night in Town and Evaporated being standouts with the symphony) and I would have liked to hear other favorites (Army, Jane) it's still an incredible experience, and I found myself laughing out loud a few times at Ben's humor and interaction with the crowd.

Simply put, any fan of Ben Folds (or of well written music in general) should be able to enjoy this DVD thoroughly.

I've seen Ben Folds live in many contexts, with the new band, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, solo with piano, live indoors, outside, and everywhere else. This show is one of the best I've seen out of all of them, and the DVD gets great reviews because of it. The orchestrations are good, though there were a few things I would change that stood out. Local Perth musicians put the arrangements together and they sounded good though there were obvious off-tempo sections and wrong notes from the otherwise great orchestra. My complaint with this DVD is not the accompanists, however, but with the main mix. It's definitely better than a high quality bootleg of the show, but it's not what you would expect from an Epic Records DVD. Because of the live environment, there is a good deal of feedback at times, and when the sound gets very loud there can be a drowning out effect as the trebles take over the mix, but otherwise it's done well for the amount of sound being produced from the stage.

Overall verdict: Fantastic show not to be missed with disappointing sound quality for the audiophile.

I suppose I'm biased when reviewing this, as I was one of the lucky West Australians that was at this show. Yay!

The great thing with Ben Folds is that he's not afraid to step outside the safety of what has previously proven to be a successful combination.

When Ben Folds Five departed, his first solo album was anything but Ben Folds Five sounding, then with Songs for Silverman his comfort as a solo artist clearly shone through.

This DVD is basic, but it's that simplicity which makes it so good. Whilst it may not be the greatest live music DVD ever produced (I'd probably award that Pearl Jam's Touring Band 2000), Anyone that's into Ben Fold's won't be able to fault this. A simple DVD, with beautiful songs, arranged with intricate complexity.

For those of you who thought Orchestral music was for old folk, or the Star Wars movies scores, think again. Fantastic interpretations on some classic Ben Folds songs.

What a great show. The arrangements are fantastic... even ones that I thought sounded "off" at times are starting to grow on me. My favorite so far is Smoke, i get chills down my spine every time I listen. here's a tip... rip the dvd to mp3 files and listen on your personal player with headphones, it's insanely good. Peace.

Ben Folds is once again on top form and this time he's brought the whole of the Western Australian Philharmonic Orchestra with him!

It's classic Folds but with a whole new dimension and the orchestra really compliments his music. He interacts with the orchestra in the same great way he interacts with his audience and with the great camera-work you really feel like you're there.

No special features to talk of but you have the option of 5.1 or DTS which makes for excellent sound quality.

All in all, this is a must see for all Folds fans, and WASO fans alike. Go buy it!

Guys, there are two audio formats, the main one is absoletly awful, you need to change it from "STEREO" to 5.1 . using alternative AUDIO option.

I must say i personally wouldnt have chosen some of these songs, but its a nice mix. Definitely Smoke is awesome, but ive heard a strings version some time ago.

I am a very big BF fan and was delighted when i stumbled upon this DVD in the shops. Have you heard BF at West 51st street? That is excellent.

Anyway, Change the audio straight away!!!!

Daz

Ben Folds is not only one of the finest songwriters of our time, but a truly authentic performer who knows his strengths and plays to his fans. His talent is so incredible that being backed by a symphony orchestra is truly fitting. I have worn out this DVD from playing it so much. His songs are heart-wrenching and the arrangements highlight his songwriting talent. I saw Ben backed by the Baltimore Symphony, and although nothing can compare to a live Ben Folds performance, especially with a symphony, this comes very close.

This is one of the best concert DVDs I've ever seen. I highly recommend it!

I'm baffled as to why Sony wouldn't also release this as a live album. I ripped this to CD and gave it to some friends to listen to in their cars. All of them became instant fans.

Ben's performance is top-notch, but the stunning part is how the orchestrations highlight what an incredibly strong songwriter he is.

It's tempting to compare this to Elton John's "Live in Australia" album, but they're really night and day. "Live in Australia" is an Elton John concert with a really big backing band. At the end of the day, the orchestra fills out the sound, but it doesn't add anything you didn't already know from the studio albums.

"Live in Perth," on the other hand, is an orchestral concert fronted by Ben Folds. It truly transforms some of his songs. "Zak and Sara" and "The Ascent of Stan" are standouts, "Narcolepsy" sounds like it was written for a full orchestra, and the arrangement of "Boxing" is far superior to the studio version.

This is a must-own for Ben Folds fans, and an excellent introduction disc for non-fans.