Customer Reviews

Enigma - MCMXC a. D. - The Complete Album DVD

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

 

 

Enigma has been in the forefront of electronic music since their stunning debut in 1990 with the album MCMXC a.D. What most of us here in the States didn't know is that they also released this video a year later. Now for the first time, Enigma's American audience can finally experience this masterpiece.

This DVD is basically the entire 41-minute album as you hear it on the CD with an array of visuals to accompany it. Lots of the footage you've probably seen in the official music videos for the album's four singles (Sadeness, Principles of Lust, Mea Culpa, Rivers of Belief). Some scenes may look a bit cliche nowadays, but putting yourself back in 1990, you can see Michael Cretu's vision. The scenes include landscapes, monks, knights in armor, and trippy illusions.

The DVD fortunately includes Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS. This makes songs like "Sadeness", "Callas Went Away" and "Mea Culpa" sound absolutely powerful and breathtaking. Also included is an interview with Michael Cretu from 1996, mostly dealing with the album Enigma 3- Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi.

All in all, this is an absolute must-have for ANY Enigma fan. It's a chance to hear a classic album as never before!

I have the audio CD of the first Enigma album, and it's one of my favorites; I've played it at least 25 times. This video version, however, is a disappointment. Overall, I have to agree with the reviewer (below) who gave it one star... although I think his judgment is a bit harsh.

Basically, there's about 10-15 minutes worth of visuals, which are recycled over and over. Much of the imagery is self-consciously symbolic, and the supposedly erotic portions get tiring after a while; how many shots of women caressing swords can you take?

So, five stars for the music, two stars for the visuals, 3.5 stars overall.

Being a fan of enigma for many years , I always wanted to have the video collection of MCMXC. This is one of the most beautiful dvd's I have seen. The scenery is impressive, with monasteries, castles, and many landscapes from europe and egypt. I definitely recommend this DVD, especially if you like enigma or simply want to sit down, turn up the music and let it transport you to another world.

Borrrrring. The imagery chosen to represent this audio masterpiece is so uninspiring and insipid it's laughable. I had very high hopes that my eyes would be as happy as my ears, but was sorely disappointed. The images consist of loops (and loops and loops) of the same characters doing the same things. Not only that, but the visuals are purposely made to seem dreamlike, but just come off as fuzzy. There is absolutely no relationship that I could find between the out-of-focus imagery and the incredibly beautiful sounds. Stick with the cd and create your own mind-based imagery.

This DVD release is a video version of the double-platinum classical/dance hybrid album that brought Gregorian chant to the mainstream. The video consists of montages of medieval scenes, quasi-religious and mystical imagery, and vocalist Sandra Cretu. The visuals are pleasant but the music is so evocative on its own that the additional visual element almost seems trite.

The music is presented in surround (your choice of PCM, DTS or Dolby 5.1) which sounds fantastic. Since that's one advantage the DVD has over the traditional album release, I recommend playing the DVD with eyes closed for the best experience. Actually, that's probably the best way to listen to any of their music.

In the extras there are four music videos which are almost superfluous. They are the single versions but except for some minor editing (most noticeably the addition of a haunted house organ intro to "Back to the Rivers of Belief") they are identical to what you get in the main feature.

There is a fifteen-minute interview with Michael Cretu regarding the Enigma project and its third album in particular. It includes the video for "Morphing Thru Time."

Though this isn't a terrible release, I can't really recommend it for its primary feature. The sound is better than a CD, but I can't see myself sitting through and watching the whole thing again. It might be good for ambiance at a chillout party, but beyond that it's difficult to justify its existence. Unless you think the better sound is worth a few extra dollars and the trade-off of limited playability, just get the CD album. Five stars for that.

If you love Enigma, you will love this one. The best album from Enigma, the classic Enigma, now on DVD with all the features and an incredible sound. Enjoy again the magic and sensuality from this fantastic group.

MCMXC.AD is a ground breaking fabulous DVD full of the songs of the first ever album of Enigma plus a bunch of great featurettes. It indeed is the complete compendium of anything and everything an Enigma fan would want or need.

The interview with MC Curly is great and gives fans a insight into what is the essence of Enigma. The Beyond the Invisible video clip is my favourite.

Again good going Enigma. Great combo DVD.

This is a fantastic disk to purchase if you are an early Enigma fan. It's too bad many artists don't include both a regular CD and DVD of all new releases, the additional punch on DVD especially for 5.1 and 7.1 systems really kicks it up. I always wondered what Enigma would sound like on DVD and now I know--better than before! The vocals come out of no where and the music whispers about......it transports you right along with it. I wish more of their early releases would also come out on DVD.

I originally had this on VHS 18 years ago and DVD is even better. This is one of the finest audio/visual experiences you could ever have. Enigma has always been one of the greatest musical experiences of my life!

I bought this dvd with high expectations to hear it in 5.1. But honestly I became very quickly disappointed. When I listen the intro, I was very exited, but when Sadness began, I could hear that bass is weak and instruments are not recorded separately, so the 5.1 is not a true 5.1, its a stereo sound that sends sounds through the center and surround speakers, but not an specific instrument or sound into an specific speaker as 5.1 music is supposed to be. If you really love this CD, you should go to the Analog Quality (AQCD) Version. Unfortunately its not sold on amazon and is more expensive, but if you can find it, you wont regret it. Its not 5.1, but its the best stereo sound you will ever get.