Customer Reviews

Journey: Live In Manila

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I will not discuss the price of the DVD as part of this review, since the DVD is a Walmart exclusive and the only way to get it for the tagged price is if you go direct to merchant.

With this DVD, Journey marks the first time it tops the Billboard's Top Music Video Sales chart. Their 2005 release Live In Houston 1981 - The Escape Tour peaked at number nine. Also, Live In Manila has the second best DVD debut sales week of 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

This concert was indeed shot at 4K resolution, but you are not getting that kind of resolution except nothing different from the regular DVD quality movies you have in your home. The quality is actually limited by the DVD format.

The concert was made by the team from "Wizard", who brought with them an army of "Red Cameras". They shot at 4K, beyond high definition of display resolution. Even Blu-ray cannot touch the hi-res of a 4K. OK, it is a DVD, and for now it does not mean anything. But somehow, it is nice to know that maybe, hopefully, sometime in the future, there will be a chance to see it in its full lifelike resolution.

The first thing that will catch your eyes is the nice art work. Classic 80's, psychedelic, LSD inspired :), both inside and outside, a magnificent showcase of album art. It is a nostalgic trip back to one of the golden eras of music. It includes an 8-page brief retelling of the succession of events that lead to this historical concert. Journey stayed for 2 weeks in the Philippines. Their new lead singer brought them to see his humble beginnings; his old neighborhood, his old school where he was forced to drop out for lack of money. Homeless at the age of 13, he brought them to the park where he used to sleep at night, often in an empty stomach.

No doubt, this live performance (March 14, 2009, in front of close to 30,000 fans) is one important piece of history for the band. As we know, the band had their ups and downs, the break up, the succession of singers, and even a scandal. Journey is one of the monster melodic rock bands in the history of rock & roll. 80 million records under their belt, including their last album, "Revelation", which is now a cinch to become double platinum. The "Journey: Live in Manila" debuted at the Oprah Winfrey Show, which made a lot of people searched the internet to find out who the hell is Arnel Pineda. That special appearance propelled Arnel Pineda's name to #8 in Yahoo's top ten searches the next day.

The concert is very special to Arnel. 2 years ago, he was virtually unknown. Then Schon's discovery on YouTube, and then everything happened so fast that even Arnel admitted that all the blessings that he has received has not sunk in yet. A story that reminds you about the movie Rockstar, but this time it is happening in real life.

24 songs, the 2-DVD package is a 2 hours and 25 minutes of classic Journey hits including 7 songs from their last album. You can really feel Arnel's emotion and happiness performing in front of his fellow countrymen. He is bouncing around, jumping, covering every inch of the stage. Guitar god Neal Schon never fails to amaze the audience which is why he is one of the greatest living guitarist of our time. At the same time, he is showering the front stage with his signatured picks as fast as a ninja throw his stars. Jonathan Cain and his multiple level of keyboards still hammers those keys like he used to in the MTV version of "Separate Ways". Ross Valory always is the band's clown, making as many faces as Jim Carey can in his "Dumb and Dumber" days. And lastly, Dean Castronovo (who used to play with Black Sabbath) provided well appreciated respite for Arnel by belting out "Kepp on Runnin'", "Mother Father" and "Still They Ride". An incredible singer/drummer combination.

I agree with the other reviewer that all new DVD releases should offer a Blu Ray version because Blu Ray would offer both enhanced sound and picture quality.

The concert in Manila was very special because it was the hometown for Journey's new lead singer, Arnel Pineda. Arnel and his bandmates did not disappoint the fans. Arnel has a great voice and sings with a lot of heart. This DVD provides a great selection of Journey's hits and also quite a few of their new songs.

Running time 2:25:25

With regard to purchasing at Wal-Mart, not everyone lives close to one. Especially Journey fans who do not live in the U.S.

As a longtime Journey fan, I think "Live From Manila" holds its own against any other live Journey performance. The band continues to sound great, the playing is top notch all around, and I think Pineda embodies what the rest of the band wants and needs in a front man. He's energetic and lively, plus playing in front of his hometown probably amped him up a few more levels for this performance. My only knock against the package is that there's no backstage/interview type of feature. Especially considering Pineda has been in the band about 2 years now, I'd thought this would have been the perfect opportunity to get some one-on-one face time with him. But still, it's 2 hours and 25 minutes, and it's $10 at Walmart. That's just simply an unbeatable deal. (And I realize some people outside the US may not have easy access to a Walmart location, in which case I would say, $20 would not be too much to pay for this package. Any more than that............ you're on your own.) If you're in the US, there's no good reason to be buying this package from online sellers here at Amazon or anywhere else. All the hits are here, as well as a few deeper cuts from the late 70s and early 80s. (As always, one of my favorites "Girl Can't Help It" is not included, but that's happened so many times, I can't/don't hold that against them.)

And finally, this last part is just a rant. Feel free to skip it if you'd like. Arnel Pineda is a great singer, and he covers Steve Perry's voice nearly flawlessly. Despite what some angry, bitter people type on places like this, yes, THIS IS JOURNEY. Just because the band doesn't have the same lead singer anymore, it's still Journey. (And for the record, Perry was Journey's 3rd or 4th lead singer, depending on whether or not you count Fleischman). People usually decide what "their" version of a band is based upon what they grew up hearing, and anything that isn't that exact same version is "fake". That's simply not correct. This DVD (along with their album "Revelation") is Journey since 2007. You can feel free to not like this version of the band, but yes, it's Journey, whether you like it or not. Plus, these people don't even listen to the music. They just want to complain. (For a good example, read some reviews for Foreigner's new album "Can't Slow Down" or Skynyrd's new album "God & Guns").

As far as this DVD goes, the newer songs are good, and the classic songs sound true to the way you remember them. Congrats Journey on another great offering!

I just viewed the concert on the HD concert channel, "Palladia". I have read all of the reviews of the poor video quality but it was crisp and clear on Palladia.
My complaint is it sounds like Neil Schon did the final audio mix and mastering. I tried listening in 5.1, stereo and other settings with the same results. Schon's guitar dominates the mix way way way too much especially on the right channel. The drums are lost and muddy and the keys are almost nonexistant. "Seperate Ways" is a keyboard driven song and I couldn't even hear them over the guitar.
The new singer sings great but even his vocals are overshadowed by the guitar and like another review said the backup vocals were weak.
I was wondering if others noticed this on their DVD copies of the concert before I make the decision to buy or pass???

Neal Schon? Face facts folks, he's a monster guitar player, and rock master of his instrument with riffs, solos, and harmonics/overtones for days. And his fast runs are amazing. But holy smoke, his guitar is WAY TOO up front in the mix. As for me, the Drummer is the most important musician in a band, and unfortunately Deem's drums are not mixed correctly to reveal that he's a virtuoso, but you can only tell by watching him perform, because his cymbal work can't be heard clearly. And his full stroke snare shots explode when you can hear them. He's a great singer too. But Cain's keyboard work is buried, Ross' Bass is there, but barely and the GREAT on pitch vocals are overwhelmed by the guitar 1/2 the time. Frankly, it doesn't sound like the 'whole band' is there. But in spite of all of this, this DVD is still recommended because of the songs.

Not so bad, but expected more from it. The setlist is a long one(doesn't bother me at all), including all hits(the good part).....but a little dissapointing for me. Hoped to feel all the magic and energy from like other Journey Concerts(DVD or live tour). Didn't like the way the concert is presented/filmed(video format).

Just my personal opinion, as I compared this concert to the Arrival 2001, which is one of my favorites from any artists.

First of all, to like this DVD, you have to like Journey, with their pop-rock brand of music. If so, I think you'll generally enjoy this, though the DVD isn't quite perfect. For example, Neal Schon and Deen Castronovo give enthusiastic performances, with Castronovo turning out to be a surprisingly good singer, but the sound quality of the guitar and drums is a bit muddy. On the other hand, the sound quality for Jonathan Cain and Ross Valory is fine, but their stage presence strikes me as a bit dull.

But the high point of the whole performance, and clearly the new soul of the band, is Arnel Pineda. No, his voice doesn't quite have the unparalleled richness and layered complexity of Steve Perry's voice, but Pineda is still exceptionally good and I think he does capture Perry's essence. And of course Pineda's rags to riches story is heartwarming and inspiring, so the fact that this performance is in his hometown of Manila adds unique magic. Kudos to Pineda, and kudos also to Journey for being open-minded and generous enough to give him this opportunity. It works out to be a win-win outcome. Or, rather, win-win-win, since we the audience also benefit from this little musical renaissance.

Highly recommended, particularly to Journey fans.

What a great concert! Arnel Pineda is a great singer and you would not notice Steve Perry is not on the band anymore. Although Steve Perry has been the best Journey singer so far, Arnel shows he wants to be in the band for a long time. Excellent image, sound and song versions. A must for any Joruney fan

I am very pleased with the production and setlist of the Live in manila dvd. The camera work, lighting, and stage design is very appealing. The setlist covers a good portion of their hits spanning from 1978-2009, with over 20 songs. You definetly get your money's worth with this product and you will not be dissapointed.

The only complaint I have is the sound is not as good as it should be. Its hard at time to hear the crowd and the backing vocals from the band.

By far this is the best post Steve Perry Journey dvd out there.

the only songs i know and love from journey is open arms and faithfully,now i enjoy all the music.live in manila is the best,i recommend this to everyone,i'll buy blue ray when it comes out.i bought mine at sam's club,cheap on a quality concert/dvd.