DVD The Cure - Festival 2005
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Review(s): DVD The Cure - Festival 2005 | |
| I wish I knew of more DVDs like this! |  |
I'm a stichler and cynic with live concert dvds, and I assure you that this one shines. I am always looking to find the dvd that really wows me, but most are only good for a few songs here and there and then they collect dust. Ironically, I bought this one ASSUMING it was going to be just another gimmick (like "Trilogy"), but I was wrong. This DVD is what concert DVDs are SUPPOSED to be all about. It's a friggin EXPERIENCE.
Let's get the "negatives" out of the way. Much of the shots are smoky looking and hazy, and just about all of the shots are done with less-than-state-of-the-art cameras. So, if this bugs you, you don't get to enjoy one of the best concert dvds money can buy. That's your punishment for being too focused on stuff that is not important! :) The reason I put "negatives" in quotation marks is that the unique camera work really adds to the experience of the concert (or combination of concerts).
The biggest plus to the dvd, and quite possibly the main reason I am in love with it, is the fact that the video wasn't spliced and edited by an idiot, which is unfortunately the case with many recent live dvds (examples: Depeche Mode, R.E.M., Devo). You actually get to enjoy each of the shots for more than a couple of seconds. With one song, the camera just stays in one spot in the center. It works!
A good concert DVD shows you what was at the show. A great concert DVD sorta leaves you feeling like you saw the show. THIS beautiful gem makes you feel like you are at shows from all different time periods and exotic concert locations, floating around in your chair, like a ghost - sort of like ebenezer scrooge going to visit his past, present, and future. I can't really describe it. I am embarassed to say, watching this dvd kind of makes me emotional...
The setting for many of the shows is dazzling, most notably Sicily, and there is one venue where there were actually carnival rides set up! (Maybe it's just me, but many Cure songs remind me of carnivals...)
And the song list! Oh, the glorious song list! You can feel the energy when "M" is playing. I think, for once, the BAND was even a little surprised at the positive reaction of the crowd. It is worth the price of the dvd just to see people crowd surfing to this song - and Robert Smith SMILING as the crowd cheers during the first chords. The people at the show are going nuts, and for good reason. What a sweet live tune. "The Drowning Man" is another rather sweet one, and EVERYTHING from "The Head on the Door" sparkles, shimmers, and gives me goose bumps. Really, REALLY good stuff.
This was a much-needed refresher on why I love the Cure.
P.S. I didn't even notice until three quarters of the way through that they didn't have synthesizers. You won't miss them.
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| Ah perfection! | |
I recently tracked down "The Cure in Orange" DVD which I remember being the best show ever....It was good but I think this one is much better...Jason Cooper is a MUCH better drummer.... and Porl Thompson actually looks cool..... I disagree with anyone who says without keyboard parts there seems to be something missing.......I would state that the keyboard parts at times ruin the Trilogy DVD ( "Pictures of You" is almost brutal)
They dig out some of their best tunes here.... I bought it for "The Baby Screams".... and all of it is great!
a must have....
Enjoy!
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| Please don't expect another Trilogy |
First of all, I don't believe that I could give anything the Cure ever released anything lower than 5 stars, but this DVD does have some flaws. first of all, i will be the first to admit that I am not thrilled about this 4 man lineup. I love the return of Porl, but a Cure without a keyboardist is like chewing gum without any teeth.....well maybe not that bad, but you get my point. Don't get me wrong though, they sound wonderful in the songs they play, but something is just lacking.
Now to the video quality. This is like a mix of home video and professional shots. By no means does this come near Trilogy visually. This is more of a raw, uncut version and probably more realistic. I can see why many people would not like watching something like this. The scenes jump clear to hazy, then back to clear, and could get annoying.
Those would be my 2 biggest complaints. Otherwise, the DVD sound is beautiful, and song list is nice also. Of course, a lot of my favorite songs would be pretty difficult to play without a keyboard.
Overall: A must have for any Cure fans.
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