Peter Gabriel: New Blood Live in London (3D)
Distributed by Kayos Productions
3 Discs: Blu-Ray, 3D Blu-Ray, DVD
DTS-MA 5.1, LPCM 2.0 Audio
Scratch My Back..
In 2010, Peter Gabriel released his Album "Scratch My Back". Working with artists like David Bowie, Paul Simon, and others he re-interpreted the works of others to put his own spin on their efforts. He put a new spin on several popular songs and updated them to express what he felt was unique about them. As he reworked these songs, he looked to find a new way to view them, a spin to make them true not only to the original artist but to what Gabriel found in the lyrics and music. Songs like Paul Simon's "Boy in the Bubble" became more dark and melancholy; others moved into a more ballad. But New Blood isn't just about Scratch my Back, it's also about a long and popular song catalog that pulls quite a few people to go see Peter Gabriel.
The song list from the Blu-Ray:
TRACK LISTING
1) Intruder
2) Wallflower
3) The Boy In The Bubble
4) Après Moi
) The Drop
6) Washing Of The Water*
7) The Book Of Love
8) Darkness
9) The Power Of The Heart
10) Biko
11) San Jacinto
12) Digging In The Dirt
13) Signal To Noise
14) Downside Up
15) Mercy Street
16) The Rhythm Of The Heat
17) Blood Of Eden
18) Red Rain
19) Solsbury Hill
20) In Your Eyes
21) Don’t Give Up
22) The Nest That Sailed The Sky
* Not on 3D version
You'll notice a list of old favorites and several new (my wife had joked that he must face a 'Freebird' type problem with Sledgehammer, which isn't here, and frankly I'm not sure if it would work with the New Blood orchestra setting). Some of the numbers are frankly stunning - beautiful, the kind of thing you hear playing in one room of your house and suddenly find yourself walking that direction to watch it. I sat through the entire concert twice (3D and non-3D) and never felt the need to zip ahead, but a few times felt the need to go back (I will openly admit I watched "Rhythm of the Heat", "Blood of Eden" and "Power of the Heart" several times in both formats). This is a concert as it should be filmed; the performance is captured dead on, with incredible camera work, solid performances and real attention to details. Tight focus on the orchestra in moments where you could feel the strings section leap out at you; backup singers who played along. I spent this month reviewing concerts, and I've said that what I look for in a concert put on a disc is whether or not it gives me the feeling of what it's like to be there - and if it's a ticket I would buy. Frankly, "New Blood" is one of the better concert films I can remember watching. Part of it is that I enjoy the artist, but it is also the real effort here to put out a truly high quality product.
The 3D Effect 4 / 5
I had prior to this read reviews that commented on the limited use of the 3D effect. And that's true. This is a concert; 3D effects aren't constantly popping off the screen. But, when the 3D effects happen, frankly, I found it pretty rewarding and quite cool. Behind Gabriel and the Orchestra, a "light bar" of sorts comes down with displays; and from that display you will see discs, streams or rain, "blood" pump off the screen and directly at you; in a few moments it was quite stunning - once was enough to make me feel as though I needed to get out of the way of the oncoming floating discs from the screen. The effects were well done and they reminded me greatly of the Peter Gabriel that did unique and unusual music videos that caught the audience attention.
But it wasn't just the 3D Effects, in many cases, it was the way in which the layout of the stage, the small movements of the hall seemed to have an added layer of depth that really made the 3D in this worthwhile. I found the use of stagecraft here to be very well presented in 3D, and it made me think of how plays and other stage would look in 3D. Sometimes, subtle is good. When there was a big effect, it showed and it worked. But subtle effects worked to really flesh out the title.
I do want to say something about the 3D Disc though - it's short 1 song (Washing of the Water), and does not contain the documentary at all. It also has a very sparse menu in comparison, so what you get is exactly the concert, one song short, presented in 3D. This is largely due to a lack of disc space; the title completely sucks up the space as provided on the 3D disc. I have no problem with this. They went for quality vs. badly done, and I'm OK with that.
The Audio 5/5
Can you make a better concert mix then this? I don't know. If you can, I can't think of it. The audio absolutely soars off of this disc; as the Symphony fills your room, the rise and fall of the strings, percussion all fill in to flesh out the experience. The vocals are fantastic, the presentation of audience really gives you the feeling of the concert. I have most of Gabriel's work, and this is a great addition to that. If you're a fan of the music alone, this is a must have item in your collection. What really makes this work is that the mix is so good that the audience never takes over the audio, they stay clearly in the background or used as needed so the Orchestra & Gabriel become the front and center of the experience. This is ideal to watch.
Extras: N/A
While there is 1 extra (A short documentary of the making of) it's really not applicable to what we would think of as an extra. Those buying the 3D Blu-ray pack also receive the Blu-Ray and DVD in the combo, So, if you view it that way, the real extras here are the 2D Blu-Ray and the DVD. The DVD presentation is about as good as a DVD can get; but once you see the 2D Blu-Ray or the 3D Blu-ray, it's VERY hard to go back and watch it. Still, as a combo pack, this is a great value. The sparse menus and quick start jump you right in and make this a very enjoyable watch.
Conclusion: 4.5/5 This should be in your collection
If you're a Peter Gabriel fan, this is a no brainer. You've already run to the store and picked up a copy. If you're a fan of concert films, you may waffle a bit, but whether you enjoy the 2D or 3D presentation, the performance here is the kind of thing that will make you crank up the audio in your home theater, and really enjoy how crisp this performance is. Other reviewers were envious, and frankly they should be - this is one of the better concert presentations I've seen in any format. The audio is crisp, the performance is solid, and you get a full, long form show - at more then two hours you absolutely get your value.
If you've been on the fence, you're missing out. I'd find a way to snag this title, and give your ears a treat.
NOTE: I will have NUMEROUS screen captures tonight, so look for thumbnails and captures this evening!
