Music DVD Review: Blackfield - NYC (Live In New York City)
Published December 31, 2007
When I heard that Lasse Hoile was handed editorial control of this DVD, I immediately started to get worried. For the unfamiliar, Hoile does most of the album artwork and videos for Porcupine Tree, and he was also given creative latitude on the band's Arriving Somewhere... concert DVD. His unique style can be both gorgeous and bizarre, often simultaneously, but he nearly ruined Arriving Somewhere... with his over-editing of that otherwise outstanding video.
Fortunately for us, he did no such thing with this superbly filmed and edited Blackfield video. Thanks for the payback, Lasse — just make sure you do the same for the next PT video. The DVD production quality was aces all around. I was already expecting a killer audio mix from Steve Wilson, and that is exactly what you get in the form of two dynamic DTS 5.1 surround and PCM stereo tracks. The video was clear and sharp as a razor, and the camera work could not have been handled better.
The bonus material consists of the three promo videos, "Hello", "Pain", and "Blackfield", that were produced for the debut album, as well as a photo gallery. The DVD booklet also includes some color photos, but unfortunately that is all. A short write-up about the band would have been nice, or better yet, and interview with Steve and Aviv. The opening DVD menu may also shock some people in that it features a pre-9/11 NYC skyline with the WTC twin towers prominently on display. I say good for them. They should have already been rebuilt by now - even bigger!
I highly recommend this new Blackfield DVD as well as the band's two albums. Look for it near the top of my Best of 2007 list.
Set List
01. Once
02. Miss U
03. Blackfield
04. Christenings
05. The Hole In Me
06. 1,000 People
07. Pain
08. Glow
09. Thank You
10. Epidemic
11. Someday
12. Open Mind
13. My Gift Of Silence
14. Where Is My Love?
15. End Of The World
16. Hello
17. Once (Encore)
18. Cloudy Now
Ratings:
Performance 9/10
Production 10/10
- Music DVD Review: Blackfield - NYC (Live In New York City)
- Published: December 31, 2007
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Video, Music: Rock, Music: Progressive Rock, Music: Pop, Review, Video: Music
- Writer: Paul Roy
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Also, there is no other concert DVD out there looking so amazing as this one! Just you remember that! Amazing editing and the so called effects supplement the overall atmosphere very well indeed!
I clearly said that I thought THIS DVD was edited perfectly. Your first comment is the first I have heard about "bad camera work and a ton of technical problems" being the main reason behind all of Lasse Hoile's artistic liberties with the editing of Porpupine Tree's Arriving Somewhere... DVD. Watching the two properly edited performances from the bonus disc just made we wish the main show had been edited the same way.
Jasper's misdirected anger aside, I think it's a bit ridiculous to have to grade a release based on the difficulty the artists had in putting it out. That doesn't and shouldn't matter to us, the buyers and fans. If it was so bad, they shouldn't have released it.
This is also the first I've seen mention of these problems, and, frankly, I'm not sure how "bad exposure" is possible on a multi-camera shoot. To me, the problem is simply, and unfortunately, a dull band to watch on video - which is the way it often is with highly technical bands. Porcupine Tree are an amazing band but they just don't DO much on stage that most people would need to see, hence the need for the over-editing to liven things up.
Regardless, we won't have to worry about shoddy editing as we won't be getting a DVD anyway - it'll be a live album instead, sometime this year. Cool with me - I really only get the DVDs to rip the audio for listening anyway!
Tom, I don't really buy the technical difficulties explanation either. The editor is notorious for that style of editing. The PT video did not capture the excitement of being at one of their shows, which are not at all dull. Steve Wilson indicated in a recent interview at www.dprp.net that the new live album may also be accompanied by a DVD.
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I am sure you didn't know the troubles they had in editing the video for Arriving Somewhere... They had bad camera work and a ton of technical problems like very bad exposure etc. which resulted in what you see! So, you can't blame Lasse for that buddy !