Customer Reviews

Peter Gabriel - Growing Up Live

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

After much ado, it's finally here.

A few things up front, there is some overdubbing. No big deal, as the original concert had Peter talking to the audience using almost no English. There are reportedly a few scenes where Melanie Gabriel was given the opportunity to re-sing a few lines, but other than that this concert is basically untouched audibly.

Some other people, (Fabio Vampel from NYC USA who thinks we won't notice that he posted twice) will lead you to believe that the video quality is poor and the camera angles are limited. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are sometimes ten cameras visible in a single frame at a time let alone the other 15 they used in shooting the concert. The transfer has more than enough bit rate cursing through it, it's anamorphic, and any DVD player with a good deinterlacer and a DVI output to a High Def TV will show you just how fantastic this picture transfer really is. For those who think that's unfair and it should look great on all TV's and DVD players... sorry, it ain't gonna happen. ^_^;

The recording style/mix is a lot more raw than the Secret World concert. Sounds a lot more like the sound of a 'real' concert. And the 5.1 DTS mix on this disc is truly spectacular. Peter's vocals on quieter songs will be a revelation for those who have the proper sound set up to take advantage of it.

The picture quality ranks among the best I've seen for concerts. Not quite as sharp as Bruce Springsteen's latest live DVD that was shot for HBO, but Peter's comes off as smother and more 'film like'. Green hues just pop off the screen and the darks are very prominent and moody. The disc being anamorphic was seen as a given but it's VERY much appreciated just the same.

Now that I've watched it, there's much to criticize in way it's shot. Actually, more like in the way they chose to edit it. It leaves very little to the imagination. There's too many under the stage shots and they don't make ANY effort to hide the camera guys and technicians running around in BRIGHT orange?! You get the feeling they wanted you to think you were 'in on their secrets' but it comes off as distracting from the songs instead. Also there's some head scratching sceen cutting and editing. Let's face it, stilling the frame and having it fade to B&W looks so... dumb. Frankly it's all the more irritating because most of it looks so cool.

Take note, though, that the positive stomps the negative. We have a solid list of classics and new tunes (though having Rythm of the Heat instead of Animal Nation would have been nice). We have an incredible audio mix of it all. And we have superior packaging along with a well crafted tour to pick from. Songs like Mercy Street and Signal to Noise will remind you why Peter is a master at show atmosphere with visuals never overtaking the reason we're all here.

Which is to enjoy the music.

---and you should. This concert is nothing short of breath taking with its visuals. It was directed by Hammish Hamilton, who also directed U2's Elevation concert, and he does an excellent job of going back and forth between the performers and the stage hands. I don't know why Amazon doesn't list the songs he performs, but here they are:
Here Comes the Flood
Darkness
Red Rain
Secret World
Sky Blue
Downside Up
The Barry Williams Show
More Than This
Mercy Street
Digging in the Dirt

Growing Up
Animal Nation
Solsbury Hill
Sledgehammer
Signal to Noise
In Your Eyes
Father, Son
If you still feel a bit apprehensive about buying this DVD, it should also be noted that the picture and sound quality are perfect, which cannot be said of the Secret World Live DVD. I only wish there were some mutliple camera angles and more extras.

This DVD compares favorably with Gabriel's last live outing, 'Secret World Live'. 'Up' has the considerable advantage of being produced with DVD in mind, while 'Secret' was originally made for VHS, with all the limitations imposed by that now-obsolete format. While 'Secret' did make the upgrade to DVD, the video was compromised (excellent DTS sound, though).

The new live DVD is simply a pleasure to behold. 'Blue Sky' is worth the price of the DVD all by itself; the Blind Boys of Alabama deliver spine-tingling harmony. The other songs are no less impressive. I do miss Manu Katche on drums on this disc, however. His playing is as much a part of the Gabriel sound as Tony Levin's or David Rhodes - no doubt about it. Gabriel's use of props and the circular, moving dual-level stage is both original and an enhancement to the concert in general. Somehow Gabriel manages to pull these things off without seeming cheap or overly theatrical. Other reviewers have complained about the under-stage shots and stage hand work as being a distraction - I disagree. Far too frequently the yeoman work roadies do is invisible. Apparently Gabriel saw fit to include them in the overall scheme of the concert, and wanted to show just how much his success over the years has been owed to these unsung heroes (I was once a roadie/soundman for a band, so I do indentify).

The DTS sound is simply among the best I've heard in ANY concert DVD; all 5 channels are clear and precise. One feels covered in sound from all directions. Marvelous!

Overall, this is a terrific concert DVD. Now I don't feel quite so bad about not seeing this tour in person! I just hope I don't have to wait another 10 years before P.G. decides to tour once again!

I've never been a huge Peter Gabriel fan. I bought "SO" when it was released, and I like it as well as his radio hits, but beyond that, I haven't paid much attention to him.

The other day, I was flipping through the channels and came across this concert on the INHD channel. I was mesmerized.

What a show. This concert is more like performance art than a rock show. Bike riding, walking up side down, rolling in a ball, all "props" that add to the excellent sound quality.

Although I was only familiar with a few of the songs, I found myself enjoying this performance immensely. I bought the DVD the next day and have watched it (or portions of it) over and over.

Even now, I still don't quite love the music as much as others, but the performance is enough for me to enjoy this DVD very much.

Visually speaking, there exists no official video/DVD document of
Peter Gabriel's legendary live performances before the "So" era (candidates for release include the Genesis '73 Oxford show, the one-hour Rockpalast performance from '78 and several worthy
documents of the '82/3 tour, all of which are
extraordinary). Fortunately, "POV" and "Secret World Live" were amazing, and now comes "Growing Up", featuring a Gabriel so old that he no longer need wear the old man mask that he used to close out "The Musical Box" with, but in great form nonetheless.

"Up" was a good album, vastly overlooked, although the tour did sell tickets and gave millions throughout the world good exposure to some of the darkest, artiest material in his entire career. "The Barry Williams Show" might still make one wince (the singer seeming a little out-out-touch with a trend that peaked years before this song was finally released), but the rest is soulfully performed. Even "Sledgehammer", which has become a bit of a mill around his neck, still sounds fairly fresh and comes at the right point in the show. The highlights include an elegant "Mercy Street", a ferocious "Digging In The Dirt", an intense "Signal To Noise" and the naked piano renditions of "Here Comes The Flood" and "Father, Son". There is some overlap between this and "Secret World Live" (5 or 6 songs total), although the performances and visual dramatics are different enough to warrant inclusion. All the visual tricks--
the upside-down walk, Zorb ball, bicycle ride, etc. look good on screen although the whole show was much more powerful when experienced live (esp with good seats, as I had at his Anaheim
performance). Still, this is a must-purchase if you are a Gabriel fan and not a bad intro to his later work (the show concentrating almost exlusively on songs from 1986 and after; one small disappointment being that absolutely nothing from "PG III" or "Security" was performed). As said by many here, the picture and sound is top-notch, although there could be more bonus features. And I didn't mind the orange guys at all.

Compared to Secret World Live this is a very different concert movie with a completely different feel. There are many different camera views being used. Sometimes you're watching the show in the audience, sometimes you're soaring over the stage like an eagle and sometimes you're right there on stage with the band, just inches away from the face of a musician. Crystal clear professional shots are alternated with half-blurred home movie-like shots. Most of the footage is slightly dark, but this does create the right atmosphere.
One of the most special things are the orange crew. Those who have seen the show live know that there's a small army of orange-clad crew members walking around and under the stage (re)arranging the stage settings during the show and filming the musicians for the big projection screens which hang high above the stage. Normally a concert movie goes through a lot of pain and effort not to show any other camera's or crew members. Not this one. You can actually watch the orange crew fully at work and the camera even dips below the stage every now and then to see what they are up to, making the concert movie sort of a documentary at the same time. The latter might not be to everybody's liking since it takes away a bit of the magic in the show. Personally I like this approach a lot since it makes you feel like you're part of the whole thing, much more than in the Secret World gig.
For Growing Up Live there was basically one round stage and a round scaffolding which is lowered during certain parts of the show. Band members also move to different spots on the stage, which also has a rotating outer ring. Thereby the lack of space to move around compared to Secret World is partially compensated. Nevertheless, this show feels less dynamic than the previous one, but at the same time this creates a more cozy atmosphere. Bravely opening and closing the show on his own with Here Comes the Flood and Father and Son suits this atmosphere very well.
The Barry Williams Show is the only song where a lot of tinkering with the footage has been done. Using lots of static, test images and control room switchboards the atmosphere of a TV show behind the scenes is created. Nice ! Less pleasing are the visual slow motion and split-second still effects in Sledgehammer which are a bit tiring to watch and soon become rather annoying.
Instead of the often overused overlaid images this concert movie switches to split screen images every now and then with the upper part and lower part of the screen showing different perspectives.

Another fine thing as far as concert registrations are concerned is the fact that in a Peter Gabriel show there's lots of rearrangements and new additions to songs, making it a new adventure from the audio side as well. And what about throwing in a brand new song, Animal Nation ? Surely not one of his best, but with some fine audience participation in the end section.

Compared to Secret World Live the concert sounds much more 'live'. It was no big secret that Secret World had a lot of overdubs. This seems to be less the case on Growing Up Live. Still, this concert most probably has it's own share of minor 'cheating'. For instance, a song like Growing Up sound very different in the vocal department compared to e.g. Digging in the Dirt or Sky Blue. Then again, considering that it must me darn hard doing some decent singing while walking around in a big plastic ball I can live with this. ;-)
I found the collective Secret World band tighter and better than the band for Growing Up Live, nevertheless there's a lot of splendid musicianship to enjoy. Also, unlike the show I saw in Rotterdam, the Blind Boys of Alabama actually join the band on stage for Sky Blue. And that's just one of the treats in this amazing show, all of which are captured on this DVD. Every song has it's own atmosphere and special effects or theatrics. The spooky little house hiding the drummer in Darkness, the egg descending from the ceiling in Secret World, Peter and his daughter walking on the ceiling in Downside Up, Peter walking on the rotating stage in Sky Blue, the camera in Barry Williams Show, the flaming globe in More Than This, Melanie in the boat moving around the stage in Mercy Street, Peter in the big ball in Growing Up, the little bike in Solsbury Hill, the transmission pillar in Signal to Noise, the lightbulb jacket in Sledgehammer, you name it.

Another integrated part of the whole visual spectacle is the Italian audience, which is marvellous. I can see why Peter prefers to shoot his concert movies here. They are very enthusiastic, as one can see and hear during songs like Digging in the Dirt, Sledgehammer and Animal Nation.
Whereas the concert itself was excellent, I found the DVD extra's to be quite disappointing. There's some still photographs of the tour, accompanied by an interesting ballad version of More Than This in the background. The 'making of' documentary The Story of Growing Up was rather disappointing. Not only does it feature some material that was already available in the sneak-preview on the Secret World
DVD. It is also quite short (less than 10 minutes)

Last but not least: the packaging. The DVD comes in a slip-case and folds open until you have the DVD with two booklets on each side, thereby displaying the trinity earth, moon and sun. The two booklets contain credits and nice pictures of the show and behind the scene. All done in a very tasteful way.
To sum up: a great concert movie and some disappointing extra's. Still highly recommended because of the main feature, but adding up to a bit less than the Secret World Live DVD.

First off, I have to say that I consider Secret World Live to be one of the great live concert documents of all times. I can't even begin to count how many times I've watched it since it came out, and it still moves me. Now that I've watched Growing Up a couple of times I can say it is a worthwhile purchase for a solid Gabriel fan but that in some ways it just doesn't stack up to Secret World Live. For one thing, Gabriel is simply a decade older now: bald and looking decidedly chunky, he doesn't have quite the same presence that he used to. Secret World Live was a very physical--even athletic--concert and that aspect of the Gabriel show has been toned down quite a bit in the present release.

Secondly, I'd have to say that the Growing Up band is just not up to the absurdly high standard of the Secret World Live group. Mainstays Tony Levin and David Rhodes are still on hand of course, but drummer Ged Lynch is no Manu Katche and, most significantly, Gabriel's daughter Melanie is no Paula Cole--but then, she's not trying to be. Melanie Gabriel has a sweet little voice which is used to good effect, but the memory of Cole's powerhouse vocals on Secret World Live is pretty much impossible to get beyond. The new guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Richard Evans is fine too, but Shankar's electric violin added something special to Secret World Live. It's just a different flavor, I guess.

A major stylistic difference between the two films is that Secret World Live was shot on two nights and carefully edited so that you almost never see a technician or a camera person onstage--it was pretty much seamless. Growing Up is shot with the absolute opposite idea--the guts of the production and the crew are an integral part of the film. They're all dressed in these odd orange smock outfits and they're crawling all over the stage throughout the concert. I found it rather intrusive. With one notable exception--a rather awful new song titled Animal Nation (what was Gabriel thinking??)--the material on Growing Up is quite strong. After performing Animal World, Gabriel's introduction of the band members seems to go on forever.

The staging of Growing Up is pretty amazing and full of neat visual surprises. If you're a Gabriel fan, you'll want to own this, but if you loved Secret World Live as much as I did--the music and the film--the comparison between the two may find the new release somewhat lacking. Remember the incredible energy of In Your Eyes on Secret World Live, with the whole audience going nuts with Papa Wemba and the band? Remember the buzz during the song Secret World when that huge video screen starts spinning? Spectacular though it is, there's nothing that quite matches those moments on Growing Up. Nonetheless, I'm glad I got it. Gabriel is one of the greats.

Peter Gabriel always manages to find new ways to present himself and his music. The "Growing Up Live" DVD is no exception. This show is a refreshing blend of sight and sound that manages to put a new spin on the concert experience. Gabriel chose not to lumber around the concert circut in 2002/03 armed with pyrotechnics, lasers, and mammoth video screens commonly found on most concert tours. Instead, he chose to present both music and visuals in a striking, yet simple way.

You are not bombarded with effects here, but they do make an appearance when called for and the result is seemless. Nothing appears forced or silly. The unique mix of images that accompany "The Barry Williams Show" fit the song's subject matter perfectly. The simple motif of a boat moving around the stage for "Mercy Street" enhances the loneliness noted in the lyrics. And Gabriel's ability to sing "Downside Up" from his postion on stage during that song is quite an impressive feat for a gentleman of 50+ years!

Yet, Gabriel also manages to show he doesn't necessarily need massive props or effects to do what he does. The stellar performances of "Here Comes The Flood" and "Father, Son" that bookend this concert show him to still be a talented singer and outstanding songwriter. Many of today's performers fall flat without lavish production or dressed up instrumentation. However, Gabriel does not and produces his most impressive performances as a result.

Technically, the DVD enhances all of these qualities and builds on them. The picture is flawless digital perfection and the DTS soundtrack is stunning to hear (if you have the equipment capable for it). And if your curious as to how on earth this was all put together, there is an excellent documentary on creating the stage show.

"Growing Up Live" is an outstanding concert packed with truly original ideas, both visually and musically. It is a unique presentation for a truly unique artist.

I saw this tour TWICE last year, in both Toronto and Vancouver and loved it. Being a professional musician myself, i am usually very critical of concerts and music in general, so i am very happy when i find something that impresses me as much as this concert did. This being said, i am a little disappointed with the quality of music on the dvd. I bought the secret world dvd when it came out, and the music on it is amazing and flawless. This in combination with how much i loved the growing up tour, i was really anxious for growing up live to be released. However now that it has been, i wish the musicality was as good as on secret world live. First and foremost, Ged Lynch (drums) doesn't even come within worlds of being able to top Manu Katche form the secret world tour. His grooves don't lock in with Tony Levin (bass), his drums sound terrible, and his fills are tasteless. The absence of Paula Cole from the secret world tour is also greatly missed. Even though the background vocal parts are not always very present, Melanie Gabriel (vocals, and Peter's daughter as well) certainly is no substitute for Paula Cole.

Now with that criticism out of the way, the other additions to the band are great. Tony Levin (bass) and David Rhodes (guitar) are long time members of Peter's band, and there's no doubt as to why he has kept them around for so long. The addition of Rachel Z on keyboards is also very impressive, and does a great job juggling between her piano skills and synth skills (which are very demanding in Peter's more recent music).

All in all, i think maybe my anticipation for this DVD was too great, which is what has caused my frustration. If you're expecting music that can match up to Secret World LIVE, then you're in for a disappointment. But Peter does still put on a great show, and the DVD is still worth viewing to see how he can still entertain arenas the way he does.

I originaly bought the DVD for my father who couldn't stop talking about it. I got him the DVD and the duel CD set "Hit" for Christmas last year. He also recieved a new 5.1 stereo system for Christmas, and in tradition (like a little kid), he set everything up that night and had to play it. I had just discovered Peter Gabriel's musical genius the year before when I listened to his latest work "Up". I was finishing up cleaning up the wrapping paper when i caught a glimpse of the Barry Williams show scene. I at first was confused when I saw the "Do Not Adjust Your Set" across the screen. Then I sat and watched it, since I loved the song. I was in awe with the cinematography for the song and then was hooked and watched the rest of the concert. The theatrics were fabulous; an ingenious idea to use a round stage and the lighting was fabulous. The props were incredible (how great was the gigantic bubble and how he could jump around in it on beat!). As a performer myself, I was amazed by the genious and immediatly wanted to watch it over and over again. I have seen many concerts of different genres and perform many myself. This was by far the most thrilling and energized performance that keeps the audience enthrawled, even at home! Only wishing I could have been one of the lucky people to be able to see this live! A must have for anyone, even if you like Phil Collins better in Genisis!