Customer Reviews

Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Club Date - Live in Memphis

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was actually in Memphis the night this concert was taped and was lucky enough to be in the audience for the first show. He actually played two shows that night. The room was warm. The beer was cold. The crowd, tightly packed into a small space, was lively. But enough about atmosphere, you want to hear about the concert.

You know how it is when you go to a concert of a well known artist and all you really want to hear is the old stuff, mainly because the new stuff is pretentious and lame...that was NOT the case here. Elvis varied it. He played both. But honestly, the best part of the show was when he played the new stuff. The duets with Emmylou Harris were also outstanding. And it might just be a personal preference, but I really dug the purple suit he was wearing.

Check it out for yourself. And look for me while you are at it, I may have been imortalized on the DVD. I am the curly haired girl in the red and white shirt.

I thought it was a corrupt disc, but after the production company sent me another copy I realized there were problems in the same area. Tracks 7-9 have some sort of digital audio hiss. Very annoying to say the least. If you can get over the hiss, the rest of the tracks are fine. I keep wondering why they would release compromised audio like that..

After a long long wait, I was excited to finally see an Elvis Costello DVD. Anyone who has seen this man live over the years (for me its been about five times) knows what a phenomenal live show he puts on. The first thing I can say about this DVD is that the picture and sound quality are unsurpassed--turn it up and it really sounds like you're at the concert. I don't even have my tv hooked up to a stereo system and I was impressed. I imagine it is even better with a really good sound system. On the negative side, (the reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) I think the show is too short. When there is so much room for material on a DVD and we know that Elvis' concerts typically last 2 1/2 hours and more (with 28-30 songs being the norm), why oh why would they cut this performance down to only 20 songs? Even with the four extra bonus tracks (which should have just been included in the concert) the concert is severely cut down. For us fans that have seen him live, it left me wondering what great songs I was missing. The track listing is composed mainly of the Delivery Man songs and all of the most popular (but overplayed) "hits" (Pump It Up, PL&U, Alison, etc.). The best part of seeing Elvis is getting to hear many of the other classic surprises that he pulls out of his reportoire, but sadly, other than Waiting For the End of the World, Blue Chair and High Fidelity (which are great by the way)that is it. I'm sure some of the best songs got cut. I also thought the documentary was a little boring as I had no clue who or what they were talking about most of the time. Its the kind of thing you'll watch just once. But the concert itself really is a terrific slice of live Elvis and I'm glad I have it.

A few reviewers have given this DVD indifferent ratings. I'd like to change this.

The disc is great on many different levels. Elvis rocks his heart out on stage, and his duets with Emmylou Harris are nothing less than sublime. He also takes us on a long tour of the Southern locales that have inspired him throughout his career. His vocal and instrumental chops are first-rate, whether he is performing solo or with the band, acoustic or electric, before stomping, hooting crowds, or alone with a piano in a small studio. He meets performers and fans and really seems to enjoy talking to them.

(I saw Elvis in a one-man show in Seattle in 2005, and he has never been better. At the peak of his form, and with just a guitar and an empty stage, he put on a long, ebullient, and amazingly rich performance, filling a stadium with thousands of his fans who stood in rapt attention when they weren't cheering and singing along, playing hit after hit from the length and breadth of his oeuvre.)

Get this DVD to understand the power of Elvis live!

If you love Elvis Costello,then this is the dvd for you...a very playful and energetic Elvis and a very tight band...The doc is very entertaining and educational as well...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! Now,how about releasing A CASE FOR SONG and THE VERY BEST OF ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS on dvd next???

I found the club date DVD a great bargain and a wonderful show. While there are some glitches in the performance, it shows what goes into a live performance and how the artist interacts with the audience.

As for the live performance and quality, this is superb. Elvis still sings in the original key, which is something not many performers his age can still do. (I know this because he still plays the songs in the original key. I played guitar along with the DVD.) There are plenty of closeups since this was a small venue, and it's easy to see the audience reaction. (I haven't seen the PoGo dance for quite some time.)

I suggest you pick this up. If you're a die hard fan or are new to his music, I believe you'll be in for a treat.

No one loves Elvis more than I do, but I have to say that he is not at his best in this concert DVD. His singing, which is usually out of this world, is not as great as usual. For instance, during Blue Chair, I noticed him take the low road on the high notes a lot. High Fidelity, one of the highlights of his catalog, rarely performed live, and here it is rushed and just not that great.Elvis seems over weight, puffy, and really sweaty. Not looking comfortable at all. Remember the time he sang God Give Me Strength on Letterman a few years ago? Remember how he loosened his tie and seemed to launch into the song and just leave the planet? After he finished it seemed to take him a moment to come back down. That was one of the greatest live performances ever captured on video. Alas, Elvis fails to reach anything close to that in this concert. I say, if he is playing in your area, go! Go by all means. This DVD? Eh.

I had seen parts of this concert a few times on a cable music channel, and was happy to see it was available on blu-ray. It's great to have this show on disc because it has some songs that weren't on the televised version, and the picture quality is amazing. Elvis' purple shirt, and the outfits of Emmylou Harris and the Imposters, really pop! Of course, the best part is the music. There are songs I hadn't heard before and I like them every bit as much as the familiar songs. It's fun to see the band in an intimate setting, too, as opposed to a bigger hall. The crowd reaction is part of the payoff. Worth every penny!

The reviews on this disc have ranged from 3 to 5 stars which seems about right. If you are an EC fan, you'll like this DVD but you probably have memories of him that are better than what you'll see here.

In my case, I saw this show (sans Emmylou Harris) in St Louis and the band seemed more pumped than they were at this show in Memphis. I also remember the first time I saw him in 1979 when the Attractions ripped through a 60 minute set and Elvis left the stage in a huff because he was po'd at the radio station that sponsored the concert. No one could claim he wasn't pumped up that night.

His career has been so prolific over the last 30 years there is no way one concert could cover all his major works and this Dvd is no exception. I liked the Alison/Suspicious Minds number and has there ever been a bad version of Peace Love & Understanding?

If you are a Costello fan you will like this show but probably want more. If you are new to him, this is a pretty good place to start but not to end.

I thouight the DVD was utterly outstanding. Elvis Costello and the Imposters give an enthusiastic and appreciative audience a commanding performance in the intimate setting. EC and company have a sound that is both tight and raw. Great stuff here, folks!