BUY

General		Extras
Category	Music / Concert	Theatrical Trailer(s)	No
Rating		Other Trailer(s)	No
Year Released	1994	Commentary Tracks	No
Running Time	98:46 minutes	Other Extras	Main Menu Animation Featurette - Behind The Scenes Audio Only (DTS) Track - Seven Bridges Road
RSDL/Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region	2,4	Director	Beth McCarthy
Studio Distributor	Geffen Warner Vision	Starring	Glen Frey Don Henley Don Felder Joe Walsh Timothy B. Schmit
RPI	$39.95	Music	The Eagles

    Let me say that this is the best concert recording I have every heard by a long, long, long way. I can comfortably say that this actually beats being there in person. This group of ageing rockers know how to put on a concert, and I tell you I was stunned. Multi-skilled musicians and vocalists, never was there a missed beat, or flat vocal, or a misplaced piano key. This concert just seriously rocks. Starting off relatively conservatively with the band members sitting in a row at the front of the stage, before midway through they have an entire philharmonic orchestra at their disposal.  An absolute wall of sound from start to finish, I can promise you that you will be tapping your feet and singing along like you have never done before. Watching Joe Walsh getting down with his guitar like no other, or Don Henley expertly pounding on the drums whilst singing a song is just amazingly impressive.

    The disc starts with a short 11 minute behind-the-scenes look at the band, which got together after a fourteen year hiatus back in 1994. It would appear that they put any ill feelings they felt which split them up in 1980 behind them, and just did this whole reunion thing properly. To justify the reunion, they even belt out a whole raft of new, instantly classic material every bit as good as the old stuff, which is refreshing in this day of absolute garbage played incessantly on the radio.

    The tracklisting is as follows: Hotel California, Tequila Sunrise, Help Me Through The Night, The Heart Of The Matter, Love Will Keep Us Together, Learn To Be Still, Pretty Maids All In A Row, The Girl From Yesterday, Wasted Time, I Can't Tell You Why, New York Minute, The Last Resort, Take It Easy, Life In The Fast Lane, In The City, Get Over It, Desperado and a bonus Seven Bridges Road, although this last track is DTS audio only with no vision save for a still publicity shot of the band. Every one of these songs agreed with me, and I am now an instant Eagles fan. If you like the Eagles even fleetingly, this disc is an absolute must-have like no other. If you have DTS capability, you will definitely want this puppy.

Video

    The image is generally sharp and detailed, though not as sharp as it could be since this is not strictly speaking a native PAL transfer. Whilst this disc is presented locally in PAL, the image has been upconverted from NTSC, and has subtle tell-tale jaggies now and then and a slight softness, although this is being extremely picky. There is no low-level noise in the picture, and the shadow detail is perfectly good. The exception to this is the documentary at the start, which is quite grainy, giving it a realistic look compared with the smooth concert appearance. There was little to no edge enhancement, allowing for a healthy amount of horizontal resolution.

    Colours are natural, with the stage lighting coming across boldly with strong primary colours handled very well. Some shots exhibit chroma noise, usually from long shots from more distant cameras, but on the whole the colour is very clean and certainly as good as I have seen for a video concert.

    There are no MPEG artefacts of any kind throughout, giving this transfer a solid look to it. Aliasing was under strict control, with only the slightest hint now and then from the front of the stage.

Audio

    Dialogue, or in this case vocal presence, was exceptional. Crystal clear at all times in both mixes, though more forward in the DTS track, you will hear every word. It's also nice when a band can sing, and these guys are pros in every respect. Joe Walsh has a quality to his voice that I found breathtaking, such as Pretty Girls All In A Row, and Help Me Through The Night.

    This is one the highest fidelity recording I have heard to date (the other being The Police: Every Breath You Take DTS CD), with a quality of sound a modern studio recording would die for. The entire 360 degree soundfield is used to the full at all times, with vocals and instruments spread around the entire room seamlessly. Instruments are placed discretely, with pin-point imaging whether it be directly in front of you, directly centre behind you, or around the room. The audience is spread across the rear stage, not left and right, but spread across the rears, with different people heard in different places. There were many times I found myself clapping with them, forgetting myself, and then saying "what the hey" and clapping louder. When a song started, and the audience kicked in, chills went down my back, and I kept nudging the volume up. The quality of the sound is stunning, with a great weight to the kick drum and toms, and a sweet clarity to the percussion, wherever in the room those particular sounds might be. The guitars, especially Don Felder's, had a warmth and a tone that was just outstanding. Timothy B. Schmit's bass playing was sublime. Every DTS recording I have listened to has left me completely satisfied, and this recording cements that experience. This represent the pinnacle of concert reproduction in the home, it's that simple, and it's not exaggeration.

Menu

Chapter Stops (22)

    The video is very good, almost reference for a concert, only perhaps let down by a slight softness due to upconversion to PAL.

    The PCM mix is perfect. The DTS mix is mind-blowing, and I want to give it six out of five, but I can't. If anyone wanted to be convinced of the merits of DTS, this is the demo.

    The little peek into the making of this concert is a nice touch.

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