Customer Reviews

KODO: Live at the Acropolis [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a big Kodo fan, having seen them perform live on stage and owning all available audio CDs and Laserdiscs, so I was quite excited when I heard this DVD was released. My dissapointment with it is all the more shattering.
About the only good thing I can say is that the quality of video is adequate. The transfer rate hovers around 7 mbit for the most part and the picture is reasonably sharp, colors are rich and shadows deep with good delineation. Unfortunately the presentation is crippled by its 4:3 aspect ratio which is obviously unsuitable for capturing an expansive stage performance. It was filmed with rather dated TV cameras though so that fast moving highlights (e. g. drumsticks) show smearing trace artefacts.
Audio quality stands in sharp contrast to the generally enjoyable image however. We are offered AC3 compressed stereo, which is hard to understand considering there is lots of space unused on the disc (total content amounts to only 3.9 out of a possible 9 GB), so at the very least uncompressed PCM stereo would have been in order. At this day in age a quality music DVD really must offer a decent 5.1 re-mix though. The fidelity of the stereo track is nothing short of abysmal - it lacks even the slightest trace of the great dynamic range that Kodo's CDs are famous for, let alone their live performances. The volume is incredibly low and during many sequences the omnipresent hiss from the inadequate recording equipment, as well as coughs and other noises from the audience, even frequent deep rumble from wind catching in the microphones (it was an open-air performance after all) is much louder than the music itself (e. g. during passages of "Monochrome"). The sound of the O-Daiko drums is mushy, unprecise, reverberated and it lacks truly deep bass. The tonal response of the entire DVD is badly bent out of shape which becomes most obvious during the unnatural-sounding interviews and passages with applause. Any kid in row three with a portable tape recorder would have come home with higher quality audio than this production offers.
The concert presentation is badly fragmented by video-interviews conducted by host and producer, Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead drummer and producer of Kodo's latest masterpiece "Mondo Head"), a fact that is all the more infuriating since these interviews, unlike the stage performance, are recorded in earth-shattering volume. Make sure to keep your hand on the volume control at all times! The DVD authoring leaves much to be desired as well. Your DVD-player's display will reveal neither track number, nor playing time. The sole bonus feature of this DVD is a documentary on the production of "Mondo Head", which is short but informative. The DVD packaging does its own to make this an all-around aggravating disappointment, there is no noteworthy information to be found on either outside or inside, the "booklet" consists of one single piece of paper, half of which bears an advertisement in the guise of a very incomplete discography.
This DVD could have been a true gem, given that Kodo provide an inspired performance in front of the spectacular Acropolis as a backdrop. The way it turned out is a crying shame however.

Like the two reviewers before me wrote, Kodo is/are great and their energy is very evident. I won't repeat the same flaws in the dvd as did the other reviewers, but I will add an additional let down of the dvd.

Obviously the cinematographer and editors didn't know the taiko pieces or the concept of Kodo and taiko playing. There are wonderful close-ups of the various members only, there are an excess of them. I am also an aspiring taiko player and part of the essence of taiko is the beautiful flow of the players and their form. Anyone who has ever seen Kodo or any accomplished taiko group will marvel at the unison of the players' movements. They should be harmonious. In this dvd, there too few wide angle shots of the "whole ensemble". Especially in Zoku and Miyake (which is only about 10 second worth of filming), the essence is the view of all of the performers together. Taiko is not just auditory, but visual as well.

On the plus side, the documentary portions were great. It's always good to see an insight to the performers and their craft. But if you are expecting a live Kodo performance from beginning to end, you will be disappointed. It's geat to see Kodo on film and to have them in your home, but... a little better marketing and honesty go a long way. If you see "live" in a title, it's okay to insert documentary portions, but don't cut short the performances. If memory serves, there's only a couple of songs that are filmed in their entirety. The rest are only excerpts.

Yes, there are flaws in this DVD, especially the audio. As mentioned below, the interspersed interviews and audience applause are at a much higher level than the performers in concert. But, there is enough of Kodo's performance brilliance to recommend this.

This is actually an American production of a Japanese video that had no Mickey Hart interviews. It combines that video with portions of an earlier Japanese Kodo video shot on a soundstage (you'll notice that the first piece, "Irodori", is not done before a live audience). Some pieces, "Miyake" and "Sankan-Shion", are annoyingly brief. But don't rush out to get the Japanese version. The pieces are edited in that one as well. And "Irodori", absent for the Japanese tape, is one of the finest pieces on the American DVD.

I watch this DVD often and I love the performances. "Zoku", "Akabanar", "O-Daiko/Yatai-Bayashi", and the memerizing "Monochrome", are presented in the entirety.

The photography is beautiful (although I agree with the reviewer below who didn't like the excessive close-ups), especially during "Monochrome" and Chieko Kojima's dancing during "Akabanar". There are too many cuts, however. Just when you're focusing on one performer's moves, the view cuts to another.

For a better production, check out Kodo's newest concert DVD, "Kodo: One Earth Tour Special". While, I don't like that concert quite as much (mind you, this is a relative statement), it is presented in its complete form, from the audience seating themselves to the end of the encore.

My only complaint about "Live at the Acropolis" is that it's not available on DVD. Having seen Kodo live in 1999, I feel the tape does a good job of capturing the "feel" of their performance. Even my toddler is transfixed. If you can see a live performance, do-- and sit as close as you can so you can watch their faces (many of which I recognize on the tape).

This group rocks! If you've got a pulse, you owe it to yourself to check them out. See them live if at all possible and prepare to be blown away. But the video is the next best thing. (The video also gives interesting background on the group and their music.)

I was lucky to see Kodo live in Milwaukee this year in February. A friend went with me and as we were entering a restarant for dinner before the show, we could hear Kodo practicing inside the theatre across the busy four-lane street! And talk about amazing: these guys can drum their hearts out and not be tired after twenty minutes! If you get the chance, see them live and then get the video. Kodo rocks the world!

As far as Taiko drums are concerned KODO are the best on the planet. This video is an excellent documentation of drumming their power. Truly stunning.

CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS TAPE. I watch it at least three times a week and play it for everyone who comes in the house. Most people love it also. It is to be enjoyed the best when hooked up to a good sound system.

Very good to watch their performances but the show is broken up with Mickey Hart's commentary which is a bit irritating

I saw this video in my Japanese class and it was totally awesome how these talented musicians pour themselves into their work. It inspired me to do taiko drumming as a part of our japanese club. If they were this amazing on video I'm sure they are so much more so live.