Customer Reviews

Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions (Bonus Dvd)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I fell in love with James Blunt back in November, and I've been starved for anything of his ever since...which is why it's no surprise that I bought this the day it was released.

It's worth every penny, and more.

With this DVD/CD pack, you get a full CD of his songs (live, which is equal - if not better - to his studio-recording), plus a few others (Sugar-Coated, Where Is My Mind) that you won't get on the regular CD.

You also get a live DVD version of him playing all his songs (in a studio with about 30 people), and the quality is stellar. The video is excellent, giving great footage of both him (up close) and his band, and the sound quality is equally great. He's a stellar performer, singing brilliantly, if not better, than his studio version. In particular, his piano versions of "Goodbye My Lover" and "No Bravery" are gripping and heartwrenching. Unlike most popular singers today, Blunt digs into the soul with each song, reaches for that part of himself that he tapped into when he originally wrote the song, and it makes for a stellar piece of work when he's singing it. The raw emotion and talent therein is astounding.

And if all of that wasn't enough, you get all of his music videos (excluding the most recent re-release of Wisemen), plus Making-Ofs of his music videos (the Making-Ofs for the original High and Wisemen video are hilarious, but the rest of them are less than stellar because they don't actually feature James speaking at all in them; rather you have the boring director blathering on about nothing for about 30 seconds). You also get two extremely long and hilarious interviews with James about his songs, his life, his career, and where he aspires to go. All awesome stuff.

It's worth every penny, people. It's worth double the price. If you even remotely like James Blunt, and like seeing an awesome live show and getting a great bargain, pick this one up. You won't regret it.

EDIT: I'd recommend for those that are getting faulty Amazon discs to get a refund/exchange immediately; but for those that don't want to bother, and have DVD players on their computers/laptops, just toss the DVD in your computer and when it prompts you to change your region code, switch it to Region 2 (or whichever), and you should be good to go.

Please be aware that the DVD contained with is product is Region 2 encoded and will not play on most US DVD players which are Region 1. You can buy player which will ignore the region code on Amazon - just search for "multi region dvd player".

I just got my CD/DVD, and like everyone else, was disappointed that the DVD would not play. Luckily I did not delete the BBC concert from my DVR (it was broadcast several weeks ago and I taped it.)

For those who want to watch the DVD, the freeware VLC media player will play it just fine on your PC. Download VLC from http://www.videolan.org/vlc/. It is a small file and easy install. I realize this is not as good as watching it on your TV, but it is better than nothing while we wait to see what Amazon and Atlantic are going to do for us.

Listening to James Blunt for the first time, I wasn't sure what to think of this artist. I've listened to many types of musicians during my time and I'll have to be honest it took me only two times to enjoy his music. When The Bedlam Sessions came out, it took no time for me to purchase this item. Watching the DVD of his performance shows how much passion and desire he has for his music. Not only this, but the CD/DVD also contains songs that are not on the Bedlam CD plus the shows are done a bit differently then the actually Bedlam album. It has more acoustic versions/piano versions as well as a beautiful remdition of "No Bravery" only with the piano and violen. The complete package is great. You get a live recording of a show from Ireland and then a DVD from a show at the BBC. On top of that, several videos of his songs, which have yet to be shown here in the states, plus an interview and documentary. The DVD can only play on Region Free or Region 2 DVD players but can also be played on your computer as well. If you enjoy the music of James Blunt, you'll be sure to enjoy this great package.

Amazon.co.uk ship all around the world, including the US. Like the dot com version though, you will have to pay for shipping outwith the UK, though if you do ship outside the UK the price for the product will be 17.5% less than the price on the page as Amazon won't charge you VAT (the UK equivalent of sales tax) - though US customs may charge you! So yes get it from amazon.co.uk it's cheaper.

Onto the DVD/CD. This is a nice stop gap to maintain James Blunt in the public consciousness until his second album comes along. Acoustic versions recorded live (for an Irish concert) are nice as are the videos, but if you're looking for new music this DVD set isn't it. Still good though.

I had ordered this knowing that I probably wouldn't be able to watch it on my tv (having already read the comments) but I wanted the Live Cd anyway. I absolutely love the cd and I love listening to the couple of songs I haven't heard. I tried to play the dvd at a few different places to know avail, without even trying my own dvd player. I got it at Walmart for $17.oo the day after Thanksgiving and I'm cursing it every time I go to watch a movie because what would normally take 1.5 to watch a movie takes 2 or more due to the frame just freezing. But, this isn't the case 100% of the time, it will play a brand new one just fine. And imagine my amazement when I was able to watch James Blunt on my Tv with my cheap dvd player!!! I was literally ecstatic! He is so passionate and he has definetly touched my soul like no other musician/artist ever has. I know James has so many fans and the number grows every day I'm sure, everyone of them should own this dvd. It's fantastic!

If you're a big Blunt fan, this is definitely for you. I was on the fence about buying this because of the dvd region coding. It did not work on my DVD player. I downloaded the videolan as described on a review below, it was a fast and easy process and now can watch the DVD on my pc. Great bonus features, and some songs which are not on the US CD or on iTunes. All in all a great purchase.

Just a heads up to all James Blunt fans, that you can save yourself about $10 by buying this import cd/dvd directly from Amazon.co.uk
Check it out.

Like many others, I bought this when it was listed as region 0 and it was supposed to work in the U.S. The fact is, I can watch the DVD on my computer, not the same as my TV I know, but it still works. Putting that issue aside, the content is what I really wanted to share.

The CD is amazing! The live performances are fantastic and offer another side to each of the songs on the "Back To Bedlam" album. The added treat is the inclusion of three additional tracks. Sugar Coated, previously un-released, is classic James Blunt and a new favorite. The additions of two covers, Fall at your feet from Crowded House and Where is my mind? by the Pixies are real jewels. I have to admit that I find his versions not only honor the originals but they improve on them!

The DVD is packed with treasures as well... get past the region code issue and you can revel in a priceless interview, "making of" special features for the included videos, and an emotion filled BBC concert. Worth the effort of finding a way to view it in my book.

This CD is out of this world!! It's like being at his concert all over again. Thanks to R. Willits for the link for Videolan. (look for the review for the link)Although I can't watch the DVD on my TV, I CAN watch it on my computer. All in all I'm a very happy girl.