Customer Reviews

The Brian Setzer Orchestra: One Rockin' Night - Live in Montreal

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just want to make a point about the video quality that some people have written in their reviews. I have an HDTV and a great 5.1 sound system and so high quality video is beautiful to see. The video of this concert is definitely not a problem. It's just not crystal clean clear like we're all used to these days. But after reading the reviews here I was expecting poor video quality but I still knew I wanted to see this concert and purchased the dvd anyway. The video is great. No problem in this regard. The most important thing is the sound. And this concert rocks. The Dolby Digital sound is comparable to any other concert available today. Just turn it up and you'll feel it! This is a typical Setzer show. Big bass, big drums, big horns and great vocals by Brian and of course the killer Gretsch sound by the King Cat himself. The concert is fantastic. The only downside to this disc is they're no extras. No interviews or backstage stuff that we've been spoiled with on the other Setzer dvd's. But the title says it all I guess. It's about One Rockin' Night, not One Rockin' Extras.

I have always listened to this concert from the Ultimate Collection cd. I was looking forward to finally seeing it. The song selection is some of the best they have ever done. This concert was extreme high energy and the band and Brian looked to be having a great time. You get the feeling that they are just playing for the fun of it and they are very loose. The version of Rock this town is totally different than you have ever heard it before. Brian is sizzling through out. This is not a fancy production at all. It looks like someone just showed up and recorded it, and I am glad they did. This is BSO, when they were just starting out and were trying to prove themselves, and they quickly make believers of everyone. One of the best guitar performances of all time is on this dvd and it is in the song Honky Tonk. If ever someone wanted to see what Brian is all about with his guitar, watch this song and you will then know why he is the best there is on the guitar. All this said, this is one great concert.

As one of many who pre-ordered this DVD I couldn't wait to track it upon delivery. Much to my surprise it's the same show released a few years back on CD (BSO: Ultimate Collection - Recorded Live). I'll be quite honest in saying that I eagerly looked forward to ripping the audio from this DVD to add to my already large BSO bootleg collection but such is not the case.

Still, after watching it this morning it's a fabulous show recorded when the band was still hungry and trying to prove their worth. Filmed in 1995, Brian was still mostly on the svelte side with that all-knowing Setzer attitude, confident of what he'd created - an incredible hard rockin' and hard driving band.

Even though I've enjoyed the audio to this gig for some years now, it's even better to see things as well. The band along with Brian clearly are in synch this night and the enthusiastic crowd helps fuel the fire. I loved seeing Setzer as well as some of the horn section knocking back a few cold ones during the show. And watch for one of the sax players who throws a towel to a front row audience member after they've been whipped in to a frenzy. All in all, a very special night.

From a standpoint of bonus material, the Montreal throng keeps bringing the band back for more. So much so, they have to resort to re-playing three tunes that they did earlier in the evening! The three bonus tracks all played a second time are: Brand New Cadillac, Hoodoo Voodoo Doll, and Rumble In Brighton. Clearly, the BSO in 1995 was still in its infancy and lacking the wonderful catalog we know today.

Another point this concert cements for me is what an incredibly talented guitarist Brian Setzer is. I'll easily put him up there with the greats of all time and that's not an easy statement to make. The guy owns more 1960 model Gretsch guitars than any other person alive but can walk the walk. A truly gifted player.

I'm extremely pleased to add this DVD to my collection and recommend it highly. Kudos to Setzer and Company. Do keep them coming!

Setzer tears it up again on the screen but the quality of the video is not that great...the audio is fine, but I do like the live in Japan video better. He still has rockin' tone and tons of energy! This dvd is still a great watch!

I've been following Brian's career since the early days and enjoyed his music from The Stray Cats and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Lately I've seen many of his arrangements on Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. I decided to see if he had a concert DVD out and was pleased to find this one. He is the ultimate performer. His voice is great and his songwriting and music arrangements are spectacular. During the show he also shows his expertise in playing several instruments. If you like big band, rock and roll, swing, dance or rockabilly music, this is the show for you. I personally thought he put on an excellent performance and the audience seemed to agree, as they were rocking along with every song.

Brian Setzer is known as a guitar virtuoso, and that's true. However, the Stray Cats front man is also a great big band frontman, and this DVD is a gem. If all you know of Setzer is "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town", you should know more. A great party DVD and a must for those serious about guitar, rockabilly, swing, and big band.

Quite simply, the Brian Setzer Orchestra (BSO) rocks! Their music enters your ears, passes through your head, and makes your body want to groove along, whether it be dancing or just stomping your foot along with the beat. The ex-Stray Cats guitarist and his seventeen piece band, kind of fill a unique musical niche, one that includes elements of rock, rockabilly, big band, swing, jump, and jazz, among others. However you choose to classify it, if you are a fan of this groovy retro type of music, you will absolutely love One Rockin' Night a live performance from 1995, recorded at the world famous Montreal Jazz Festival.

Playing with frenetic enthusiasm and emotion, Setzer displays complete mastery of the guitar, with some heavy duty picking, lots of twang, and a lot of rapid fire licks. Attired in matching pink coats, the orchestra is fully integrated into the performance, playing with spirit and gusto. The combination of electric guitar and orchestra is special thing, particularly the way that this band does it.

The setlist of 15 selections features a couple of classic Stray Cat tunes, BSO compositions from the albums, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Guitar Slinger, and The Dirty Boogie, along with standards in the genre. There really aren't any low points, as the energy level remains mostly high throughout the show. There is a dynamic going between Setzer and the orchestra, where they are each able to take turns and catch their breath a bit. The one exception might be drummer Bernie Dresel, who is continuously pounding out the beat.

The show opens with a near perfect rendition of Monty Norman's James Bond Theme, and BSO are at the absolute top of their game, on the menacing Rumble In Brighton. Other highlights include Good Rockin' Daddy, Route 66, Hoodoo Voodoo Doll, Rock This Town, My Baby Only Cares For Me, and Your True Love. On the encore numbers As Long As I'm Singin', Setzer channels Sinatra, and Honky Tonk has enough twang to make Duane Eddy proud.

The only downside is that the main performance is only about 70 minutes. There is additional live footage, consisting of repeat performances of three songs included in the main concert, which totals about 18 minutes. Unfortunately scenes featuring the audience waiting for the band to return to the stage for their encore, are not edited out. Brian Setzer is a charismatic performer who brings immense energy and attitude to the stage, and an interview or a featurette about him, would have been a nice bonus. One Rockin' Night is a fine representation of the early days of BSO, while their DVD, Brian Setzer Orchestra: It's Gonna Rock 'Cause That's What I Do (2010), is a more recent performance that demonstrates how the band's set has evolved too about 100 minutes in length.

This concert is up there with the best. Could the video and audio be just a little bit better? Sure they could, but the producers had no idea what they were in for with this show... otherwise they would have gladly thrown a LOT more budget at it.

Suffice to say, the performance is what knocks this one out of the ballpark. As another reviewer said, Brian Setzer is up there with the greats. He's the whole package- writing, arranging, playing, singing, performing... and he's got the 'tude to match the talent, which is all too rare these days when mediocrity runs rampant with pre-packaged auto-tuned talentless hacks.

If you're in the least interested in this type of music, this one's a slam dunk.

Brian is the worlds finest rockabilly artist, everything he does is a 100%, and this is clearly shown in this concert, great sound and video quality, a must have for fans.

Energetic, wild-n-crazy, the talent on the CD never seems to let up; the man has the most distinctive sound since Mozart and couldn't be better on this collection.