Customer Reviews

The Corrs - Live in London

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My thirty-something son, twenty-five years my junior, told me about a group called The Corrs several years ago. Since his musical taste and mine have never been too similar, I shortly forgot the group's name, and didn't listen to their music. That was until about a month ago, when I happened to buy The Corrs - Live in London, along with five other concert DVD's to view in our new home theatre. Wow! Now I'm a believer and after viewing this DVD for the first time, immediately called my son to apologize for doubting his recommendation.

The video, on a large screen front projection basis doesn't seem to be as good as a movie DVD, but does an excellent job of conveying the energy of this group. The sound, on the otherhand, is absolutely spectacular, particularly when listened to on the DTS tracks. The reason is that DTS, unlike Dolby Digital, doesn't use a compression process, which can definitely degrade the subtleties of music like this. Regardless, the sheer magnitude of this group's musical talent is almost more than I can stand. They sing beautifully, each play a variety of instruments and have arranged a wonderful group of musical performances that truly blow you away!

I absolutely love the Irish influence evident in the music, and everything about the arrangements themselves. Anyone that can listen to this music, at a reasonably similar sound level as the original performance would provide, and not start moving their feet or body, isn't alive. Don't miss the opportunity to own this magnificent music DVD.

Did I say they are three of the most beautiful women (sisters) I've ever seen perform together, plus of course, Jim (their brother)? And Caroline has to be one of the best drummers I have ever seen! The final result...you're in for a real treat.

that sums up this concert DVD nicely and I can not recommend it highly enough:
Beautiful music.
Beautiful pictures.
Beautiful people.
Beautiful sound quality.

This London concert was shot in digital video shot and is presented in anamorphic widescreen. And it's appropriate because it's hard to imagine 3 more beautiful subjects for the camera than Andrea, Sharon, and Caroline Corr (I suppose the ladies might say the same about Jim).

Miles above the trashy norm of flesh, profanity and sleaze in popular music today, the Corrs sing a siren's song that is incredibly seductive, genuine, and entertaining that everyone can enjoy young or old. That alone represents stellar talent.

It might be tempting to pass the Corrs off as just another girl band. But you would be missing some very talented and polished musicians and songwriters bar none. Each Corr wears at least 2 hats (sometimes 3) during a tune and keep a guest bassist and lead guitarist busy as well.

Before I purchased this DVD I liked and was familiar with their songs. I purchased this DVD mainly because it is one of the few anamorphic widescreen concert videos. But after buying it I can say that I'm a huge fan.

Who should buy this DVD:
1. Any casual Corrs fan.
2. Any rabid Corrs fan.
3. Any videophile needing a reference DVD for sound and picture (it's that good) (at least the dolby, I have not tried the DTS).
4. Any fan of popular music.

This is one incredible DVD package of the Corrs at the top of their game. After seeing the Corrs VH1 Live in Dublin performance, I was expecting stripped down versions of the "In Blue" material. I was surprised at the full realization of the Mutt Lange touches on "Give Me a Reason", "Radio" and "Breathless" -- full of the full electronic whistles and bells present on that CD. Perhaps the most incredible part of the performance is when Caroline joins Andrea and Sharon up in front for "Runaway","All the Love in the World" and Thin Lizzy's "Old Town." The camera work is top-notch. Beautiful sweeping shots of the entire family and occasional split screen coverage during Sharon's brilliant violin solos. The staging is also dazzling in this large scale event. The "Live from the Albert Hall" DVD is perhaps a little more intimate performance, but this is a slice of the Corrs in the big league. Outstanding.

If you're here shopping for a Corrs concert DVD, then you are already a fan and are probably trying to decide which one to get. My recommendation would be Lansdowne Road as first choice, followed by Albert Hall, and this one (London) last. All three DVD's have different advantages and disadvantages. This one is the newest, so it has more features than the others and it has some of their newer material. BUT, the videography makes for a frustrating watching experience. A big part of the beauty of the Corrs is that their music and their skill stand on their own. The "fancy" camera work that the London dvd is very heavy on seriously detracts from the enjoyable experience of watching this concert. Lets face it, you don't know or care who produced these dvds and what their video "style" is...you buy them to see and hear the Corrs. If I wanted a music video, I'd be watching MTV. So why, every three minutes or so, do they have to turn black and white? Do closeups of Andrea's nostrils contribute to my enjoyment of the group? This concert is shot in a bizarre style. Lots of very tight closeups (partial faces), frequent cuts, frequent cuts to slow motion and/or black and white, and odd camera angles. Again, all of this is just distracting. If you must have Breathless and the In Blue hits, or want to collect all the Corrs concerts, then this is worthwhile. But both Albert Hall and Lansdowne are more enjoyable concerts to watch. I have a review posted of Lansdowne (far and away the best) if you want my two cents on it. Albert Hall is also a nice DVD, with a more intimate setting, excellent audio, Mick Fleetwood and more traditional video technique. But the London DVD is just too distracting.

I don't buy recordings of concerts. Very often, they are so staged and over-dramatized that the music is lost amongst the theatrics. This DVD, however, is proof that great concerts can be immortalized on film -- and if you want to experience a great show, the Corrs are a sure bet.

Recorded at London's Wembley Arena in December 2000, this show is packed with energy, adrenaline, audience participation, and, of course, great music. On this DVD, you can experience the passion of 'Only When I Sleep' and 'Runaway', the mysticism of 'Dreams' and 'Forgiven Not Forgotten', the energy of 'No More Cry' and 'So Young', and the overall greatness of 'Breathless' and 'What Can I Do'.

The Corr siblings are amazing performers, and it really shines through at this concert. They are passionate about their music, yet sing with a professional gracefulness lacking in many acts. When Andrea Corr laments about lost love, you believe her, but she doesn't need to smash guitars or take off all her clothes to get her point across. This is a show that I WOULD watch with my parents -- there is nothing hard or obscene about it.

The special features are a nice bonus for those wishing for something a little extra. "Access All Areas" is a half-hour documentary behind the scenes of a day in the life of the band, from rehearsals to performace, as well as their thoughts on performing, writing, and traveling as a group. The special camera angles are a great way to view your favorite band member throughout a song -- for instance, I can watch Caroline Corr play the drums without interrupting shots of her siblings. The bonus track, 'Happy XMas (War Is Over)' is a classic holiday song played with a gentleness the John Lennon would've admired.

One of my biggest regrets about living in the United States is that I have not been able to experience the Corrs live. This DVD has allowed me to "attend" a concert and feel the passion, excitement, and fun that goes into a live show -- all without leaving my living room.

The thought that there are better Corrs concerts out there on DVD is certainly encouraging because "The Corrs - Live in London" (a.k.a. "The Corrs at Christmas") is pretty good. There are some clips on the documentary of the Corrs performing at Lansdowne Road that makes it clear how this one is different. Obviously the audience is not as big, even at Wembley Arena, but the stage is a lot bigger which means the group is spread out much more for this gig (I assume fans know how the Corrs line up on stage so those who want to be on the Sharon side or the Jim side or in the middle with Andrea and Carolyn can purchase tickets accordingly). The other difference is that the digital photograph shows up great on my television set.

The 116-minute set includes songs from their third album, "In Blue," and is directed by Hamish Hamilton, who would also do the group's Dublin concert in 2002 (he has also done multiple concert films for U2 and Robbie Williams). There are some points where the director pointedly reminds you he is around, when the images turn to black and white or the close ups of Andrea Corrs became a bit too close, but for the most part you can just enjoy the concert. Ultimately, you do not even have to really watch this one because just listening to it is pretty good, but special mention must be made that they make it real easy for you to sing along on this one because the subtitles are labeled "Lyrics," and you have probably caught enough concert DVDs where that is not an option, so appreciate this one.

The group's most recognizable songs are here with "Runaway," Breathless," and "So Young," along with their covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" and Tin Lizzy's "Old Town." But the tracks I kept replaying as soon as I heard them were when Andrea picks up her tin whistle and the Corrs go to town on the instrumental numbers "Joy of Life" and "Paddy Cathy." After all, the sound of the Corrs is the blend of Irish music with contemporary pop-rock, and those two pieces represent the high energy points in the concert. I have been to Irish fest in Milwaukee several times and once this type of infectious music gets into your blood you are pretty much hooked for life. There is also an unplugged section where Carolyn gets out from behind her drum kit and joins her siblings down stage for several numbers.

When you get to the bonus features you can pick your favorite member to watch during the performances of "Dreams," "Radio," and "Breathless" (or watch each in turn). It is interesting to watch how animated Sharon is while singing versus playing her violin, but I must admit watching Carolyn wail away on the drums is captivating. There is a documentary that gets the group to sit down long enough to talk about their music and touring and a video of the group doing an unplugged version of John Lennon's "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)," which they give a simple elegance by virtual of their soft harmonies. For me that last part is key, because ever since I started listening to the Smothers Brothers I have had a special fondness for sibling harmonies, and the Corrs certainly fit that bill.

I watch the Corrs live in Manila concert here in the philippines and I was pretty excited when I bought this dvd,in here you can find all the latest songs perform live in a concert bec unlike before you can only find those new songs in MTV video. I especially like when they perform the song "give me a reason","breathless","dreams","radio" and so much more,a must have for all those fans of the corrs.

Caught a couple of their songs while surfin' the cable channels and remembered their name when I came across this DVD in a Frye's store. I was totally unprepared to be so captivated and enthralled with their skills and performance. I went back to the store a week later and bought the Albert Hall DVD and the Best of the Corrs videos, but this one remains my favorite. I absolutely cannot get enough of "Radio". Some words and phrases come to mind when I think of each of the girls, with Caroline it's "Hurt me again, please", with Sharon it's "Class, Elegance, Cream", with Andrea it's "Bruised rose petals". I may have to buy a spare disk or two just to make sure that I have a viewable one for the rest of my life, which ain't all that long as I turn 63 in a couple of months. Bottom line, if you have any love of music at all and listen with any degree of passion and emotion, then you must have this disk!!!!

This DVD is light years better than any of the other Corrs DVD's to date. It has camera angles, backstage footage, interviews and everything else you would expect a DVD created today to have. The sound quality is great and the picture is sharp, the way it should be when looking at a band as photogenic as the Corrs. If you buy only one Corrs DVD, this is the one. If you bought one of the others, buy this one as well. There's just too much going on here you don't want to miss.

Not to much to say about this DVD. If you are a fan then buy it. The DTS track is nice to finally have on a Corrs DVD. Video quality is great and there is really nothing else you could ask for, except maybe more DVD's available for us here in the States.