Customer Reviews

Roxy Music - Live at the Apollo

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Without rehashing the astute comments of other reviewers, here's what your 20 plus bucks will get you: One of the absolute best (in every way) concerts ever captured on film, bar none! From the material selected (Ferry said that he had a "short list of 50 songs" from which this final list emerged) to the stage set; from the DTS/Dolby surround mix to the camera work; from the audience/band rapport to the incredible musicianship, this has it all.
As good as Roxy Music's studio recordings are, they could never match the live performance, and this DVD is proof positive (compare, for example, the original version of 'Mother of Pearl' to this one). I caught Bryan Ferry in concert about 10 years ago (with Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and drummer Andy Newmark), and as good as it was, this concert was better. With four of the original members (including drummer Paul Thompson) augmented by equally talented support musicians Colin Good (piano), Zev Katz (bass), Lucy Wilkins (violin, keyboards and synth) and Julia Thornton (percussion, keyboards and vibraphone), the result is nearly magical. Flawless musicianship, exhuberant stage dynamics and thrilling versions of great songs make this an almost life-affirming experience. (Good, Katz and Thornton were part of the small orchestral backing group Ferry used in his 'Bryan Ferry in Concert-Live in Paris' release of 2000)
While some may quibble about the song selections (I would like to have seen 'Angel Eyes' included), to see and hear musicians of this calibre whenever the mood strikes (which for me is daily) is something special. It is impossible to recommend this DVD too highly.

I put the DVD into the player with some trepidation. Loved Roxy at their peak in the Seventies and Eighties, but hadn't heard from / of them for the best part of 15 years. I needn't have worried one bit. The Man and the Band are in fine form, both visually and sonically, and perform truly first rate renditions of their best album and single tracks in this 2001 concert recording.

If you weren't a big Roxy fan, there will be a few unfamiliar tunes during the first half of the disc, but keep watching as the second half is basically a back-to-back Greatest Hits sequence and is a real treat for everybody. And talk about hits, what truly great hits they were indeed. Innovative, catchy and supremely well-crafted, they have stood the test of time very well, which is more than can be said about the music from most other "visual" bands of the era. From the lilting Avalon, through the addictive Love Is The Drug and the slightly manic Street Life, this is British pop/rock of the highest caliber. The lucky London Apollo audience certainly had a good time, and so did I! Why I even caught a glimpse of Mr. Ferry smiling a couple of times!

Video production and audio quality are also excellent, though to split hairs, I would have liked more than one "overhead flying camera" route, and from memory, the lead vocals were a little more upfront in the original renditions. This can be easily rectified by increasing center channel volume in a surround sound setup. Pan-and-Scan viewers will experience exceptional camera framing, while Wide-screen viewers will feel more immersed in the entire concert atmosphere. As a personal observation, I found the drum sound a little "soft" (intentionally perhaps, for that Seventies sound?), with less transients than other recent recordings. Conversely, I found the stage a little clinical (what, no dry ice?!?) and anyone hoping to see the "trademark" seductive Roxy ladies of yore will have to make do with more contemporary versions (not a bad thing, really). Other than providing lyrics, the only other extra on the DVD is a tastefully executed short documentary, informally hosted by band member Phil Manzanera, of the band preparing for and beginning the tour series.

So here we have it Ladies and Gentlemen. A truly fine DVD memento from a band whose music and legacy will live on and on, For Your Pleasure!

Thomas Wolfe and his famous You Can't Go Home Again spring to mind when you think of bands trying to relive their glory years. Roxy Music and this video are an exception. I went to go see them during this tour with a bit of hesitation. While I love the band, the last tour I saw them on for Avalon was not the best; it looked like they were sleep walking through the performances. The video of that performance was pretty bad as well; the quality and the direction were just not up to snuff.

This time they get it right. While Eno's stage presence is missed (he was never much of a musician compared to the others in the band), the musicians fleshing out the original remaining quartet (the amazing Paul Thompson is back on drums in addition to Andy MacKay on sax, Phil Manzanera on guitar and, of course, Bryan Ferry on occasional keyboards, harmonica and lead vocals)do a great job of helping to recreate the band's studio and concert sound. I only saw Roxy one time with Eddie Jobson and can attest that, yes, they were amazing. On the other hand, this line up more than makes up for his absence. Lucy Wilkins manages to recreate Jobson's key moments on electric violin but she also adds touches of her own on Dance Away (not always my fav Roxy song nor the band's as its no challenge to peform in concert).

Unlike the recent CD release (which is also very good), this is all taken from one venue not pieced together from various performances around the world. The result is that the show has more continuity in the performance than the piece meal approach.

The song selection is fairly strong with the focus on the band's singles and strongest album tracks. Sure there are audience favs missing (and some of the song list was drawn from a survey that Phil Manzanera had on his website) but, on the whole, the song selection is very, very good.

I knew and liked a few of their songs, so rather than pick one album "out of the blue," I bought this DVD when I came across it. I've always found it easier to get into a band by seeing a concert (whether live or recorded), and that was definitely the case here.

I hate to sound like I'm shilling for them, but after watching this DVD thirty times (or more), I went out and bought all of their albums, based on the strength of the performaces here. And though I love the albums, with several songs I still prefer the more energized live performances here to the original studio recordings -- that's how strong it is.

Technically, the direction's smooth and understated (no tenth-of-a-second MTV quick-cut crap here), the video is saturated and near-perfect in recording quality, and the audio is just gorgeous -- a great, professional-quality live recording that sounds neither weak or overproduced.

Anyhow, if you're of a similar mind -- you know a few of their songs, and/or you like elegant pop/rock music that pushes the envelope a bit without being pretentious, and/or you're a fan of live music in general -- I'd definitely recommend that you put this DVD on your short list.

Cheers.

and go get this DVD. The sound, the editing, the song list is all top notch. Bryan Ferry and the gang bring it all home with this masterful release. This is what all DVD concerts should strive to achieve. Perfect harmony. There's no cheesey special effects, no cheap cliche's, just honest music, sound, lighting, and of course songwriting, packaged together for fans of the band. This is what you expect when you plunk down your hard earned dollars for a DVD concert.

This band wrote the book on style and originality, and they gave it to us mixing musical mayhem with finesse and soul. And never once took themselves too seriously doing it.

And now, 30 years later, out of the blue these geezers pop up on a stage and put on a show that puts any contemporary pretender to shame.

30 years later and they are still ahead of their time.

Well filmed, great show, good extras, and absolutely astounding music. I can't believe how good they sound. All of the smiles on stage are nice too. Looks like everyone is really enjoying themselves.

I don't understand any of the comments I'm reading about Ferry's voice. Weak? You don't get it. Ferry's voice is not a natural voice, he sings like he is an instrument. Try singing along and you'll see what I mean. No one sounds like him. He's still right on after all these years.

Please note that the mix is more a reflection of the way a concert sounds (which is probably a wise choice), this is as opposed to specific channels with locateable instruments in the sound field as some concert DVDs are recorded. U2s DVD comes to mind as more of a studio mix than a concert - don't get me wrong, I liked that one too, it's just a different sound.

Not many bands can provide a consistent output of great music for decades, but Roxy has. They have plenty of classic records and many of these catchy pop tunes with tasteful arrangements are captured on this live performance.

The concert is approximately 105 minutes long, has a good selection of tunes (most tempos are faster than the studio versions), good video, and three audio choices (DTS, DD 5.0, and stereo)... all sound great. In addition, this disc has the option to display the lyrics as subtitles, which is a feature that should be standard for all concert DVD's. Bonus feature includes a 17-minute documentary.

Responding to someone's earlier review mentioning having the
sound fade in/out during playback, I had the same issue and
realized, playing it on my new PC with DVD drive, that since
I didn't have a 5.1 or 6.1 setup as yet, just a good pair of
Altec Lansing pc speakers, I had to go into the DVD
menu and set the sound for Dolby stereo 2.0 instead of the
5.1 mixes included herein. Then the sound suddenly became spectacular and stopped fading out. Those with surround systems will probably want to set the sound for the proper surround mix, or you might get similar fade problems. The credits mention that the great Rhett Davies (who was worked with Roxy Music many times before as producer and engineer) designed the sound mix for this DVD, and he definitely knows what he's doing because in the proper mix, this DVD sounds unbelievable--it has few or none of the problems inherent (normally) in live concerts recorded for video or DVD. A few times Bryan's vocal mike could've been mixed a bit louder, but otherwise, it's spot-on dynamic. Paul Thompson's drums in particular sound larger-than-life, as if you're sitting right next to his drum kit!
I can only imagine what the 5.1 mixes sound like, I hope
I get to find out soon though.
As for the DVD itself, I watched this again the other night
in its entirety, and I caught both the 2001 and 2003 NYC
shows on the tour, at Radio City and the MSG Garden Theatre,
and this DVD brings me right back to both of those shows,
as if I'm there again in the audience. Easily one of the
greatest live concert DVDs or videos I've ever seen.
Most of them suck, but this one delivers the goods and then
goes beyond it to become a truly moving experience.
A band at the top of their form and captured on a dazzling
DVD. This a must-own if you're any kind of Roxy Music fan.
The DVD also includes some great extras, a mini-pre-tour
warmup documentary with backstage footage and interviews,
and even full lyrics you can set to play on/off during each
song or the entire concert. Outro/credits music is even
great, utilizing the instrumental song "India" from the great Roxy Avalon album (1982).

Two words describe this concert and DVD: "the best."

Here is the final night of the Roxy band's reunion concert in October of 2001 in London. It features nothing but great songs, great musicians and great visuals. This is still the best concert DVD I have ever watched, and I've seen maybe a hundred.

I have such a high opinion of this DVD because it combines great music with tremendous visuals. If there is a better job of filming an indoor concert, I'd like to see it. The editing, sharp picture, dazzling colors and fun performers/musicians and dancers are a real treat.

The concert features the Roxy Music band's regular performers for many years, meaning Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera saxophonist Andy MacKay, pianist Colin Good and drummer Paul Thompson. Added to the mix are guitarist Chris Spedding, and two great-looking and extremely talented female musicians, Julia Thornton (percusssion and keyboards) and Lucy Wilkins (violin and keyboards). Also, a third female addition, Sarah Brown, is great on vocals and I'm sorry she didn't do her solo on "Jealous Guy," as she did on the CD. Finally, Zev Katz provides solid bass play but is a low-key guy who stays in the background.

In addition to his singing, Ferry shows talent on keyboards, harmonica and even whistling! Each musician is outstanding and given opportunities to show his or her talent. Manzanera has the most guitar work.

The steady beat, thanks in large part to Thompson's strength on drums, and mellow-ish music all make for a unique sound unlike any other I've ever heard. I don't think these guys were as good when they were young but they've honed talents and now excel in the instruments they play. They (the regulars) are all probably in their mid 50s. Combine that with the great camera-work and you have a concert on DVD that is hard to beat. If only they all were filmed this well!