Haarp CD/DVD Set [LIVE]

Muse

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 1, 2008)
• Original Release Date: March 18, 2008
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live
• Label: Warner Brothers
• ASIN: B000XTLUW0
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #745 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk
It takes a certain sort of band to fill Wembley stadium, one unafraid to embrace scale, flirt with pomposity, and perform the odd grand gesture. Watching Muse's live CD/DVD H.A.A.R.P--recorded over two nights in June 2007--you're left wondering if Wembley is quite big enough to hold them. From the grand opening, when Muse ascend from an underground chamber and walk down a central ramp flanked by men in yellow chemical splash suits to Matt Bellamy's lengthy, florid turns at the grand piano, no opportunity is missed to make H.A.A.R.P seem anything less than a spectacle. Shot in high definition, the camera-work is as snappy and dynamic as any movie blockbuster, with special attention to the crowd, who are picked out with sometimes breathtaking detail. Fans may gripe over the tracklisting--the DVD has been edited down, meaning four tracks, including "Bliss" have been left on the cutting floor–-but casuals should be satisfied with the selection: there's the hits ("Supermassive Black Hole", "Knights of Cydonia") and on the DVD, a noble rendition of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good". --Louis Pattison

Product Description
The fan base for Muse grows with every release. 2006 s Black Holes And Revelations broke into the U.S. Top 10 while hitting #1 in the U.K. and much of Europe, where it sold 1 million copies and was #3 on NME's Albums Of The Year list. A multiple BRIT Award winner for Best Live Act,
Muse then staged two massive sold-out performances at 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium in London last June, which increasingly are recognised as amongst the definitive live moments of the year. The best performances from those concerts, as well as bonus backstage footage, are presented on the CD/DVD set HAARP. The concerts once again demonstrated the raw power and unquenchable ambition of one of the UK's most successful long-term bands and one of, if not the, greatest, most ambitious live act in the world at the present time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Want to know why Muse is the best live act in the world today?, April 1, 2008

By	Daniel Aldana (North Bellmore, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

HAARP is the answer to the question of why Muse scoops just about every single "best live act" award that they are nominated for. We're talking about a band that has been able to master every single aspect of live entertainment on a career that has spanned over the past 10 years.
Being lucky enough to witness Muse on stage 6 times, I have to say that their performance never gets boring, and it's never short of fascinating. Matt Bellamy's voice, guitar riffs and distortions bring all that on-stage magic, backed of course by the stunning drum performance of Dom Howard, and the brilliant bass lines and backing vocals of Chris Wolstenholme.
Anyone who's been lucky enough to witness the Muse live experience knows that it's powerful, over the top, and enchanting.
In other words, Muse makes U2 look like Hannah Montana.

I truly wanted to give this DVD a 5 star review, but the only thing that stops me from doing so is the lack of extra features. Certain songs from the performance on the night of June 17th are missing, as well as songs from the 16th that weren't played on the 17th, including:

- Sing For Absolution
- Bliss
- City of Delusion
- Citizen Erased
- Sunburn
- Man of Mystery
- Microcuts

Let's just hope that we will be able to witness these performance, on a Blu-Ray release of HAARP.
Nevertheless HAARP could easily be considered among the best concert DVD releases ever.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Own for Any Muse Fan!, April 1, 2008

By	Cale E. Reneau "audiooverflow.com" (Conroe, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The last time Muse toured through my city, they were the opening act for My Chemical Romance. Such a thing doesn't seem fair for a band that can sell out Wembley Stadium, one of the world's largest sports facilities, twice in two days. This CD/DVD set is from those two famous shows and contain almost every great song Muse has ever written.

Unfortunately, I've never been a fan of live CDs. Why pay money to hear a band perform something live when you can just pay the same amount and get a better, studio-quality recording? The same holds true for the CD in this set. Though the songs are performed greatly and it has one song that the DVD doesn't (boo), "Microcuts," it's just not the same experience as watching the DVD. A live show, especially one on this scale, is equally about visual stimulus as it is audio. That's why I'm focusing this review mainly on the DVD, because it's amazing, awe-inspiring, and it make me wish that I actually went to the Muse show the last time they came through my town.

In a word, this performance is massive. The band enters the stage from the middle of the stadium, rising up onto a platform, before making the long walk down to the absolutely gigantic stage. Once there, they embark on a nearly 2-hour long concert that is one of the most mind-blowing spectacles I have ever witnessed on a DVD. The set goes through different phases, opening with huge numbers like "Knights of Cydonia" and "Hysteria" and really pumping the crowd up. Matt eventually moves over to a grand piano where he plays "Apocalypse Please," "Hoodoo," and "Feeling Good." Things pick back up soon after and the band plays a couple of their more heavy tunes before leaving the stage for a brief intermission.

They reenter shortly after, Matt carrying an acoustic guitar on which he plays "Soldier's Poem" and "Unintended." This is really the most flawed portion of the act, as "Soldier's Poem" isn't really a crowd pleaser by any means. Fortunately, this section is followed by the performance of "Blackout" which is truly breathtaking. During this amazing number, there are actually trapeze artists suspended from gigantic orbs overing hundreds of feet over the crowd. It is worth buying this DVD to witness, as it"s probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen at a concert.

Overall, I've found Haarp to be an awesome piece of media to add to my collection. Though the experience given on the CD is nowhere near as impressive as that found on the DVD, for the price, you really can't go wrong. Though I'm a little upset that "Citizen Erased" is nowhere to be found on this set, I'm more than happy with it. After seeing The Flaming Lips live, I was pretty much sure that I would never see a show quite as entertaining. After viewing this DVD, however, I can safely say that they have some stiff competition. If you call yourself a Muse fan, you owe it to yourself to pick up this set. Disappointment is not an option.

Key Tracks:
1. "Knights of Cydonia"
2. "Butterflies and Hurricanes"
3. "Invincible"
4. "Microcuts"
5. "Take a Bow"

CD: 7 out of 10 Stars
DVD: 9 out of 10 Stars

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You know, I already liked Muse a ton..., April 7, 2008

By	Christopher Wood "anima300" (North Haven, CT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

... But this stupid live set had to put it above just about every band that I like and love (aside from Dream Theater). I don't typically buy too many live DVDs of bands, but, I had heard by a lot of people that Muse puts on one hell of a great show. Since I would someday love to see them live personally, I figured I'd see what I was getting myself into.

I was a little constricted on time, but I got through just about all of the DVD portion. Let's be honest, I didn't care about the CD part of it. I DON'T EVEN LIKE THE SONG "KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA" THAT MUCH! And they made it terrific on their show. Everything was near perfect. So thanks to this stupid set, I was late to an engagement I had to be at, because I seriously was completely enamored with their talent. Matthew Bellamy sounds every bit as good live, as he does on the studio albums, if not BETTER! There isn't all that much Origin of Symmetry or Showbiz on here, but, enough to satisfy I'd say.

I would point towards those who are huge fans of Black Holes and Absolution to buy this set first and foremost. Buy it even if you love Showbiz and OoS. Actually, just buy it. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll miss tomorrow's really boring management meeting due to having too much damn fun watching Matthew Bellamy completely eradicate your chances of wanting to listen to anything else for the next couple of days.