Peter Gabriel's extraordinary mix of sound, visuals, and theatrics gets the widescreen digital treatment in this remixed and remastered edition of a 105-minute concert recorded in 1994 in Italy. But not without some controversy, it seems, as several viewers have protested that the new version contains some not-so-deft lip-syncing with poor visual quality. The complaints may be valid, but chances are most viewers won't notice; in any event, the performance by Gabriel and his international band (with violinist Shankar, drummer Manu Katche, and bassist Tony Levin, among others) is strong, featuring versions of well-known material like "Solsbury Hill," "Sledgehammer," "In Your Eyes," and the always-moving "Don't Give Up" (with then-backup singer Paula Cole capably handling the Kate Bush role). Bonus features include a delightful "time lapse" view of the concert setup and breakdown, a "making of" documentary, and a brief preview of Gabriel's 2002-03 "Growing Up" tour.
--Sam Graham
1 DVD or VHS........I have both
First off...when I bought the tape many moons ago I was absolutely in love with it for a very long time. I recognized it as a "live" concert film...one where a great deal of effort had been made to create a means of escape into Peter's "secret world". I had seen another version on t.v. and immediately saw the difference -the t.v. one was straight tape for a more concert feel, while my VHS version was obviously very carefully worked over to create a movie like experience (does this make any sense to anyone). Anyway, it worked wonderfully for me and the DVD I bought is the same version. I played the two formats simultaneously tonite and flipped back and forth to see the difference both sonically and visually. I played the DVD first and did recognize the grainy issue for many in previous reviews however the tape was far worse!! I think the bottom line is that they put this down on film for effect and this isn't exactly a bright concert so just sit back and enjoy the color changes and "mood" shifts. As for sound...the tape wins! (I never would have guessed). It is much richer, deeper, brighter. All in all, however I think we all adjust to whatever we have so I don't think anyone would be too disappointed in buying what I believe is a truly wondrous music experience (in whatever form).
2 A must-have despite the simply horrific video quality
I can forgive occasionally obvious fact that the singers don't always have their mouths closed when they are supposed to be singing... I can forgive the fact that sometimes Tony isn't even touching his bass when bass notes are coming through the speakers... I can forgive the post-concert processing that makes noises appear in the soundtrack that are supposed to be live but have no discernable source on the stage... I can forgive the DURING concert processing that plays recordings that could've been produced live, but inexplicably aren't... I can forgive the fact that the low frequencies that really should have a good kick appear to have been attenuated in many places... I can forgive the often palpable sense of goofiness that is part and parcel of any Peter Gabriel stage show... I can even forgive the fact that the version of Solsbury Hill on this DVD is nowhere near as good, in terms of performance and in terms of overall sound, as the stereo-only version on the "Plays Live" CD from the 80's.
I can forgive it all because he's one of my favorite artists, and because I saw two shows on this tour so I know what "the big picture" was in terms of the visuals of the show, which are given a little less emphasis than they should've on this DVD. Overall the performances themselves range from the very good to the mind-blowingly good, and some of Peter's songs sound better live than they do in their studio versions. I simply can't stop listening to "Come Talk to Me" and "Secret World".
What I can't forgive is the picture. One reviewer advises against getting the DVD versions produced early on, but the "new copies" you can get at the store are identical in every way, both in packaging and content, to the "old copy" I have... Purchased less than two years ago, as this DVD was released in mid-2003. Others refer to "user error" in their monitors... And I'm here to tell ya, it' ain't user error. This is the worst-looking DVD I own (out of nearly 300) short of the 1st edition of "The Right Stuff" and the original release of "Highlander". The picture really is THAT bad when viewed on a large, high-def screen. I'd love to hear the excuse from the producers of this DVD, since the Led Zeppelin DVD (highly recommended, BTW), using thirty+ year-old source material from handheld consumer-grade film cameras, looks much better... And clearly the equipment used to tape this concert only a dozen years ago would be much better. It's all in the transfer and the transfer STINKS.
As one said, imagine you're looking through a pall of smoke and it won't irritate you quite so much. Another reviewer called the video "crystal clear"... And I have no comment on that other than "HUH?"
Still, if you're a fan, you have no excuse not to own this DVD... Especially if you are a particular fan of "Us", since this concert was in support of that album. If you want a better picture, go get "Growing Up Live", though be forewarned... The better picture in that DVD is offset by the generally lower-energy performances of a decade-older Peter Gabriel and Friends as compared to "Secret World Live". To steal a phrase from someone else, "Who kidnapped Peter Gabriel and replaced him with my grandfather??"
Poor picture quality aside, this is a worthy DVD, though I am praying they will eventually "fix" the picture when the inevitable re-issue comes out in support of one of the upcoming HD-DVD formats.
3 My Favorite DVD Concert
Four stars, not five, because the video quality is not crystal clear. (By the way, Growing Up Live has great video quality). The sound quality is very good on a 5.1 system (both Dolby and DTS). Yes, the sound quality of the 5.1 tracks on regular stereo does not transfer well.
However, Peter Gabriel knocked it out of the park with this concert. In a word: Stellar. To me, this concert is the gold standard for all modern rock concerts. It is that good. Secret World Live represents a very unique ability to take two albums (So and Us), and combine them to create a new conceptual piece.
Call it rock opera, call it performance art, or just call it great music, it is all of these. Great passion and emotion is the hallmark of each song. It is so good the two CD set is just that much better after seeing the DVD. The band and back-up performers are great. Paula Cole's performance provides the sexual tension that pervade many of Gabriel's songs. The interaction with regulars Tony Levin and David Rhodes is great. The energy and pure joy of the performers is incredible. There is even a magician's trick with the band disappearing into Peter's suitcase as the final act of the regular set.
This is one performance where you can't help but say "I wish I could have been there". This is great artist at his absolute peak.
4 Very impressed!
This dvd has excellent sound quality (DTS rocks!) The video quality is a 4 star rating. I highly recommended this for your dvd concert collection, especially if your big on sound quality as I am. Crank up first song "talk to me" and "don't give up"
5 Secret World Of Lip Synching
I purchased this DVD in good faith; Peter Gabriel performing his excellent songs live. Imagine my surprise and disapointment when after 2 songs I became suspicious that Peter was lip synching the entire concert! After a few more songs I was convinced. I myself am a musician and have played in many bands over the years. I have also been to many concerts and I know what a live show sounds like. The musicians are playing their instruments but over many different sequenced tracks; keyboards, percussion etc. The female back-up singer is singing but poor old Peter is simply prancing around mouthing the whole thing. He manages to actually address the crowd on two occasions (I assume). The lip synching is particularly noticeable on the end of "Solisbury Hill" where, if you look closely, Peter forgets to even open his mouth as he dances around with the band. Now, whilst the stage show and theaterics are well done, I can't help but feeling ripped off when something is packaged as live but in fact is not. Some people may disagree but I felt compelled to write to warn people who were considering buying this DVD that they may not be getting what they think are buying...
6 The VHS was better
I am a musician and my first choice in having any gig I wanted would be Peter Gabriel. I first bought the 2 CD set which I found astounding. Then, a couple of years later, I bought the VHS and was floored. I recently bought this DVD and was extremely disappointed. What I was hoping for was the exact same performance on DVD that was on my wornout VHS cassette. What I got was an approach of "more is always better". The DVD has been enhanced with guitar overdubs and remixing. The visual portion of the DVD isn't very good quality either. If I knew then what I know now, I would search for another copy of the VHS tape.
7 Awesome...
This is really an awesome concert. I downloaded a couple of songs from the usenet.. and was truly taken by the show. So I decided to by the DVD... and to my surprise.. the DTS sound makes it SOOOOOO much better. I would definitely recommend it to all PG fans.. btw, I am not a big PG fan.. but still love this DVD... cause it's a great concert.
8 If you're a newbie, it'll be the best you've ever seen...
Absolutely stunning concert performance here. I bought the VHS when it came out, and literally wore the tape out. Visually, the DVD *is* better - crisper, cleaner, just better. But the audio mix on the VHS tape is far superior to any of the DVD mixes. Tony Levin carries this band, and for some reason the mixes on the DVD do not reflect this fact. It is vaguely reminiscent of the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" DVD, where the songs are great, the video editing well done, and the audio is just wrong. If you're a casual listener, you will never know, and you will think that it sounds great. The more you know about audio, the more you are disappointed by how good this thing could have been, and wasn't.
9 Ignore the obvious, and have fun!
If you are a "purist" who does not wish to listen to a concert DVD with any studio overdubbing, then you should not buy this. If you want to have a wonderful time watching an excellent "performance" (which I do almost once a week)then this is among the best concert DVD's you could buy. Yes, the vocals are overdubbed, and yes it certainly appears as if Tony Levin is playing a bass with frets, but sounds like most of the recording is done on a fretless. However, if you can "forgive" these anomalies you will experience an extraordinary concert DVD. The bass work of Levin is alone worth the price of admission, the drumming is excellent, and the energy is overwhelming. My girlfriend, my kids, her kids, are no particular fans of Gabriel but everyone likes this DVD. $15 couldn't be better spent.
10 Disregard negative reviews. Read this, then decide.
I taped this concert from TV a decade ago and literally wore out the tape. I almost didn't buy this DVD because of the negative reviews here. (The criticisms were not about the concert but picture/sound quality, transfer to DVD, etc.) I got my DVD from Amazon today and let me tell you it is a beautiful thing. Crisp clear sound and picture, widescreen, Dolby 5.1, DTS, etc. This DVD is the 2003 remaster of the 1994 concert and has LOTS of previously unavailable bonus features. There may have been a substandard disc of this concert in the past, but this isn't it. Buy this item new from Amazon with confidence. I'd avoid used copies of this particular item since there has been problems with this title in the past. There are probably about a dozen killer concert DVD's that no one should be without. This is one of them. Excellent show. Great quality disc.
11 El Maestro Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel es un maestro. Este concierto no solo muestra la calidad de musico que es, sino que tambien la innovacion en el aspecto visual del concierto. Efectos Visuales sincronizados con un grupo de mœsicos de primera. El DVD vale la pena, yo le dar’a mas de 5 estrellas.
Solsbury Hill, Steam, In your Eyes, Sledgehammer.... son las mejores. Buen’simo Concierto !!
12 Superb, fake sound - great stage show
This is my most-watched concert DVD - partly because it appeals to a wider range of visitors than most of my DVD's (Neil Young, Talking Heads, etc).
Peter has his usual stunning array of musicians and singers on hand to help out. Paula Cole is a great addition as the female backup singer. The DTS soundtrack is superb, flawed only by the rather egregious overdubbing of Peter's vocals. Not that most people seem to notice.
13 no words !
I have the video tape of that concert. But, I couldn't listen stereo due to my player.. I decide to listen it stereo and I bought DVD of that concert. I've been still listening and watching it. Can you imagine?
14 Poor video quality
A few words just to say that the video quality resembles a VCD not a DVD
15 hmmm....
Peter Gabrial: Vocals, piano, harmonica, tamborine and paddle Tony Levin: Bass, piano, tamborine and vocals David Rhodes: Guitar and vocals Shankar: Violin, tamborine and vocals Paula Cole: Vocals Levon Minassen: Doudouk Jean Claude Naimo: Synthesizers, piano, organ and vocals Manu Catche: Drums, tamborine and vocals
Whilst I dont have the DVD I have the video which has a fine transfer and no dubbing so this review is based mainly on that. This is very good. The band play well and Peter shows his abilities as a dancer and actor (the visuals in themselves are amazing). Peters vocals are as strong as ever and the compositions (all as always written or cowritten by Gabriel are all great. Forget Phil Collins Live, for the ultimate live music expieriance watch a Peter Gabriel concert.
16 "Secret World Live" DVD: Pleasing The Ear Less On The Eye
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When I first played "Secret World Live" DVD on my 1080i 46" HD set I thought my monitor was malfunctioning. Yes, the picture is that bad. Forget about progressive scanning coming to the rescue for it only appears to make things worse.
Initially, I was going to return the DVD, that is until I really had a chance to listen to the concert itself. The audio track is thoughtfully mixed in 5.1 with creative sound artistry. In other words, stunning sound! The stage performance is quite good with great choreography and presence.
Steam, not one of my personal favorites due to over play, has new life breathed into it with a brilliant arrangement and interlude that is truly hypnotic. You'll find many of the songs on this DVD are arrangements you wont experience on "Growing Up Live" DVD; a style and arrangement that is somewhat unique to the performance's period of time in Gabriel's live genres.
True Gabriel fans would find this DVD a welcome addition to your collection.
Realworld Productions has yet to explain as to the poor mastering of the video. My observations on poor video quality: master tape was produced under less than optimal circumstances, is of multiple generations in existence, perhaps stored incorrectly, a fit-to-screen process that may have had a 4:3 image pulled-in to fill 16:9 aspect ratio and not processed optimally for DVD.
Gabriel is about 41 in "Secret World Live" DVD concert footage and in "Growing Up Live" DVD he was 53. It's interesting to contrast the two; makes you realize you're not getting any younger!
Enjoy!!!
By the way, visit petergabriel.co.uk - a very interesting site.
17 The best concert DVD
This is more than a concert; it is a show, a drama. The musicians fit perfectly for Gabriel's sound. Paula Cole adds so much with her voice to the feeling of the songs that I would say at times this is a concert of Gabriel/Cole. The song selection is excellent. The stage design which changes all the time according to the theme of the song is inspiring. Every action of the musicians adds so much to the concert. I write this much, and yet at this moment I am frustrated, cause I know, my words are not describing sufficiently how I am touched by this concert. I have Gabriel's last DVD as well, simply because I bought this one first. Had I bought the other one first, would I buy this one? Maybe not, and that would be a terrible mistake.
18 Very Dissappointed
I probably would have bought this DVD even after reading the reviews, but I too thought that with all the differing opinions that it was a case of "operator error" and differing equipment. I was wrong.
(Please note that this review is primarily about the VIDEO TRANSFER ONLY - I too have been waiting for a pristine DVD version of this concert after enjoying the VHS for so long. The magic of the performance almost draws your attention away from the horrid transfer, but if you are a video-phile, it will drive you up a wall! Maybe the best advice has already been given - look at it as a decent 5.1 DVD-audio disc and call it a wash!)
I too work in the "video biz" (I'm an editor) and cannot believe how awful this transfer is. Yes, the concert was originally shot on film. I have no real explanation as to why the transfer is so bad. Perhaps it was not originally anamorphic? (What really bothers me is the label on the packaging promising a "16x9 remastered Anamorphic transfer." What a joke.) The "film grain" look is not the fault of the original material. It is simply a bad transfer/compression to the DVD format. When you watch any theatrical anamorphic movie you don't complain about "film grain" right? Apparently PG isn't quite as "technologically savvy" as we are all led to believe. Either that or he just has no control over this stuff.
Either way, this DVD will dissappoint anyone who is enjoying the thrills of HDTV. As someone mentioned in one review, the Bruce Springsteen in NY is the video standard by which all DVD concerts must be compared. I understand that Bruce was shot in native High Def, but my copy of the '70s B-horror movie "Frogs" is a better film transfer than Secret World. For a filmed concert comparison, watch PG/SWL and then watch the Criterion DVD of Gimme Shelter. It was shot in the late '60s on film and the transfer is absolutely incredible! I had such high expectations while unwrapping this disc and the moment I hit the play button I knew that I had thrown away $16.99 and would seldom watch this disc again. Just too painful.
Are we suppose to be waiting for the "special edition" of Secret World Live? Silly me, I thought this was IT!
A very big dissappointment from a very great artist.
19 Nothing has ever topped this concert...
Can't add a whole lot to what's already been
said.. but Everytime I watch it, it is just like
watching it again for the very First time. Very
Powerful.. concert
Best concert I've ever seen...highly recommend..
20 Warning - This DVD has 2 problems.
The left channel and the right channel. Perhaps on a 5.1 system everything is OK. But if you plan to play this on a two channel system, forget it. It appears that they simply just removed the other 3.1 channels from the 2.0 mix. The volume levels are all over the place, there is no way you can listen to this. It appears that every time the mix is panned to the rear channels, the front channels are lowered. Forget the supposed lip synching, you won't even get that far if you have ears. It is just terrible. And to prove I'm simply not a raving lunatic or a grumpy person. I bought Growing Up Live before this DVD and it is spectacular, the 2.0 mix is outstanding. The audio, again, in 2.0 on this DVD is horrendous, the volume never stays constant for more than 10 seconds at most. Buy Growing Up Live for yourself if your a Gabriel fan, it's incredible. BTW - my reference system is an NEC 20" ultra-fast LCD panel, JBL studio monitors backed by PSB subs and studio reference audio gear.
21 poor quality
i was counting the days,waiting for this dvd to come and now that i have finally got it,i am very disappointed!i hate being negative like this but i really didnt like what i heard and saw.first of all the video/audio is out of synch.its not a big deal(someone would say)but the whole time i had the feeling im watching via satellite.but what really bothered me was the remix,and the fact that i did not hear many things i was expecting to hear. entire passages that are on the cd were missing(example:drum solos on "shaking the tree").and i really do not understand why this has been done.i have listened to the cd 1000 times,and i know every small detail.further more i consider it one of the most beautiful pieces of so called pop music recorded and i think things should have been left just the way they were.for me as a result of this remix some great pieces of music have been lost on the dvd.i was really disappointed to see all this damage done to such a masterpiece.
22 Houston, we have a problem...
I own the VHS version of Secret World Live. I would like to get the DVD, but many of the reviews scare me. To name a few: poor video quality, lip synch, out of synch audio/video, no bass, bass dropping in and out, and poor remaster of both video/audio. I know some have suggested checking audio options. For example, use Dolby 2.0 if you only have a 2 channel audio system. On other settings, sending low frequencies to a subwoofer that does not exist will certainly diminish the bass quality.
This begs the question: How much of the difficulties are operator-related? When this issue is brought up, people get defensive and start talking about the equipment they own. I don't care if you have a 50 inch plasmatic Sony Wega TV with an Onkyo THX Star Wars receiver. To me, more is not always better. Do you know how to use your equipment? (No sexual pun intended).
Please somebody answer the question: Is the DVD version greatly inferior to the VHS? Are many of the difficulties experienced by others operator-related? For example, I found my bass went in and out Growing Up Live until I turned off my Auto Audio option. You know, that default feature that is supposed to keep commercials from blasting you out of your seat. Believe me, I do not want to be cheated out of Tony Levin's bass. If there is something definetly wrong with the DVD version, I want to know. Some things I can live with if they do not affect the overall enjoyment of the show such as: added vocals, grainier video quality, added video clips, etc. Will a PG fan who owned the VHS first, now owns DVD, and knows A/V equipment in/out please give his or her objective opinions?
I gave 5 stars to the VHS version only. I need more info on the DVD before I purchase it.
23 Molto Bene
after reading the reviews i am just amazed at how people actually notice any problems(?)I saw pg live in Glasgow,Scotland in 1995 and this dvd just took me back to that fantastic moment in time ( what a moment that was!)It was a visual and musical masterpiece of an evening. Obviously some of the other reviewers have bad copies or tv's etc as has been mentioned before,but i say just sit back,relax and take it easy(remember you can always go back to the old fashioned way and listen to the double cd version of the concert)Stop looking for holes,dodgy bits etc and chill!
Buonanotte
24 Creative performance
Peter Gabriel certainly challenges the traditional realms of music today and this concert reveals his creativity. A very unique stage and show concept in use, as Pete does best. This is a cool live performance to have in your collection. Although not the best effort placed in video quality, the content and enthusiasm of the musicians carries the concert through.
25 I'm so disappointed !
The poor quality of this DVD is unworthy of Peter Gabriel, his musicians, Robert Lepage and this amazing show. Nothing less ! I could do a better job with my own DVD recorder. The technical team responsable of that should be dismissed. It's awful to discover that such a great artists like that are so badly disserved. Deeply sorry for Peter, his fans around the world and for me.
26 Non-diehards be warned: this dvd is awful
I'm a huge fan, have all the CDs, DVDs, etc. blah blah blah. BUT, this concert BARELY sounds live. In fact, when they're not inbetween songs, it COMPLETELY doesn't sound live. And what's with the pedestrian synching? Watch Manu Katche's drumming to see what I mean -- the sounds he makes come a half beat AFTER you see him hit his drums. The same problem can be seen with various mouths not matched up to the words being sung. I've read the other reviews and I can tell you (with my musicians ears, mind you) that I don't have a sense disorder and I have a stellar TV. After this recording, it was brought back into the studio and simply OVER-remixed, OVER-edited, and OVER-produced. If I wasn't such a huge fan of the songs and the artist, I'd call this DVD "awful."
27 Excellent
I agree the picture is a little grainy but the sound and the performance of Peter and his band make you forget about the imperfect picture. I don't know what other people are talking about with the lack of bass. They mustn't have the audio set right because the bass coming out my sub is phenominal. When the dome lands on the stage my whole house rumbles. I'm not even a big PG fan but this concert is one of the best I've seen second only to Pink Floyd's Pulse, which I am anxiously waiting for to arrive on dvd.
28 Best concert video ever. Bar none.
I like concert videos and I have both DVD and VCR versions of this. I am glad I read these reviews because I learned that the sound is much improved if you change it from the default DTS to Dolby 2.0 (unless you're using DTS in which case never mind).
There have been some changes made for the DVD and not all for the better. I think some of the "grainy" complaints are because the filmmaker has chosen to add closeups which weren't really there... i.e. picking a small portion of the frame and blowing it up to make it a close up and naturally that makes those shots a bit grainy. Some of the choice of shots is a bit disappointing in comparison with the original and there's a bit more of the MTV jerkiness (in every sense of the word) about camera mix in a couple of numbers. You get grainy close-ups and disconcerting cross-cuts at the expense of the wider views that show you what's actually going on. OTOH there's also a few places where the choices of shot are better than the original - patriculary giving a little more prominence to the fabulous Manu Katche (sp?) in the opening number.
That stated, this is still absolutely the best concert video bar none that I own or have owned. House of Yes comes quite close also 90125 - but that was rather more than a concert video anyway.
I've always liked PG's music without ever being a real fan but this is an almost perfect mix of styles and theatrics and special effects.
Yes it's highly choreographed - that's the show he's putting on. You don't go to a ballet and complain because it's too choreographed and the same complaint is just as out of place here. The musicians are all phenomenal, the show is wonderful and imaginative, it's long but never gets boring. Every song has its own identity both musically and visually. The musicians, even while they're following their choregraphed movements, are plainly enjoying themselves - and the music - and even the slight campiness of putting movement to the music; enjoying themselves enormously.
When I watch this video, and I do often, I get a gut sadness that I wasn't at the show to experience it live and a real joy at the recorded experience I AM getting. The very best music can bring up emotions and touch you very personally and this is the very best.
I love this video.
29 Goofy AND Cool
This concert is excellent, Peter Gabriel puts on a terrific show with an excellent support band and gorgeous vocalist Paula Cole.
The music in this DVD is mostly taken from the "US" album ("Come Talk to me","Steam", "Blood of Eden","Secret World" "Kiss that Frog" "Washing of the Water" and ) which is a great album.
The high points of this concert are indeed from it : "Come talk to me" and "Secret World". The greatest hits are included too: "Sledge Hammer", "Don't give up", "Solsbury Hill" and the other highlight in this DVD : "In your eyes".
Peter Gabriel and the Band put a great show that manages funny, sharp, dramatic, goofy AND very cool. Sound quality is excellent though I only listened to it in a low end 2.0 system. The video transfer is poor - as in grainy - but totally watchable because of the great show. The extras are not nearly as interesting :
a)Slow Steam Photo Gallery has very nice pics but Steam should have never been slowed down.
b)Concert Set-up Timelapse : Once you've seen a concert timelapse you've seen them all and this one has no music to it so it's quite dull
c)The "behind the scenes" is barely insightful or interesting but you would miss it if it hadn't been included.
d)The film "taster" of Growing Up is just that.
The show and music are great so this DVD is a must-have in any collection.
4 stars out of 5 because of the grainy transfer and poor extras.
30 You'd expect more from Gabriel
I own a high end home theatre system (sony XBR CRT display, lexicon processor, B&W 7.1) and I am a professional in television so I feel qualified to comment on the technical quality of this disc.
Other reviews have noted the graniness of the film; the concert was recorded on film, not tape, and there's a lot of classic Gabriel moody lighting so maybe this accounts for the abnormally high graininess. It's certainly not unacceptable but is, admittedly, a little coarse.
The DTS mix is not up to speed...I find it too compressed and shrill lacking sufficient depth and bass, in particular. The imaging is pretty weak too.
The camerawork is frustrating at times, cutting off the arms of (virtuoso drummer/percusionist) Manu Katche. There is some gawdawful lip-syncing too which really removes the viewer from the illusion that you're watching a live performance.
My biggest complaint is that the show is self-conciously choreographed to the point that there's not a single moment that has any spontenaity. As with all Gabriel shows, there are some fabulous lighting effects and smart use of props but the show is far too restrained and Gabriel looks rather stiff as he swings around the stage trying to look free and improvised but obviously following rigorously well-rehearsed steps.
31 Bad set? Bull.
I agree that this is a great concert, and a "must have" for anyone who enjoys collecting concerts, but the quality of the video is just plain terrible, period. And yes, I have a high-def 57" television, so it's not because I'm viewing it on a small tv. Grainy doesn't begin to describe it. So when I watch it, I pretend that I'm there and viewing the show through a thick smoke :)
32 Very bad video, great audio
It's a shame that more effort was not put into the video portion of this DVD. The audio is outstanding, one of the best I've heard, but by the same token the video is the worst. I have a 50 inch Sony rear projection HDTV which is capable of true 1080 line resolution. My television is not the problem. Other DVD's like Bruce Springsteen live in NJ look great, this is clearly a bad video. The reviewers who claim that it is not bad, clearly don't know what a good video should look like. On the other hand, if you like Peter Gabriel, you'll forgive the video quality because the audio is outstanding. This could have been a really great DVD if they given the video more attention.
33 Turned me into a fan
I had not witnessed Peter Gabriel live until I saw this dvd at a friends house.I purchased it the next day.My 5 and 8 year old kids are asking me when we can go to see him live.Truly,a performer second to none!People who criticize picture quality and integrity of this live performance,in my opinion ,are a little misguided.I buy concert dvd's to be entertained ,and if that means touching up to enhance the listeners enjoyment,so be it.PG admits to the sonic enhancements,and to my ears,the touch ups are minimal.I have a very nice system to play this on and I can tell you that,of the 20 or so concerts that I own ,this is top 3 for sound and number 1 for performance.The dts track has beautiful separation,is rich and immersive.For those who question a lack of bottom end,you need new equipment.Forward to digging in the dirt and hold on to the couch.Picture quality is ok,but wasn't on the radar until I read the reviews here.A great concert from a great artist.5 stars!
34 5 Stars Terrible DVD
Looking over the various reviews for this DVD its easy to conclude that people are largely divided on whether to review the concert, or the DVD. For those who have never seen this performance before, and who will be considering this purchase because this is the version of the conccert that is easy to buy, consider this... no one would be this upset about the quality of the DVD compared to the VHS tape or the laser disc if they were not first and foremost passionate about the quality of this performance. There are simply no better concert films available. The energy of the performance, the concepts of the staging, and the quality of the band mean there are no better film records of a live music show available. There may be others that are in the same league, Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" for example, but this is definately in the top tier. Now, having written that, its staggering how badly the transfer to DVD was butchered. Yes, a high end DVD player should be able to sharpen the image enough so that there are no artificats, but at the end of the day, the picture quality is simply inferior to what was available on tape. The audio mix IS slightly different than it was on the original release. This is as often pleasing as it is frustrating, and will boil down to a matter of taste for previous fans of this show. I found some changes to be in poor taste, others gave me a sense of renewed discovery. Still, at the end of the day, there are only a handful of changes to have an opinion about. One more important note. The bass is completely audible. As one reviewer notes below, it is important to understand how the menu on this disc is configured. If you have a two speaker stereo setup, be sure to select the stereo mix, otherwise all the bass information will be sent to a non existant sub woofer. That's probably the issue that aflicted the reviewers who note an absence of bass. So, to sum up... if you are considering this perfomance for the first time... do not hesitate. The live energy of the show, and the conceptual cleverness of the staging and art design, not to mention the chance to catch glimpses of drummer Many Katche and Bassist Tony Levin in flight along with the rest of the band make this a must see. After you buy it, if you find that you are one of the people that this show can work its magic on so much that you find yourself returning to it again and again... consider UPGRADING to the VHS tape! As a final note for everyone here... send an email to Real World asking / demanding they make a new transfer to DVD.
35 Gabe's is never dissapointing
I have been a loyal and obsessed fan of Peter Gabriel since the 70's and he never has let me down ever.
This DVD ROCKS THE HOUSE!!!
I do not understand you whiny babies out there who say that it is a
lousy remaster. GET OVER IT.
It is Just like being at the show without Gabriel's traditional feedback and forgetting the words :)
I am looking forward to (hopefully) a DVD release of his POV 1987 SO Tour in Athens.
Lighten up you Yahoos!!
D.I.Y.
36 Check your audio settings *BEFORE* you play this DVD
I've read the reviews and can understand the frustrations expressed. I've heard complaints about video quality. While the quality could have been better, it could have been much worse. There may be other issues with video but I didn't have them. I suspect those with large screen TVs will notice a bit of graininess as I did detect some when examining the picture closely.
I wanted to discuss the audio. It should be noted that this DVD has three different audio tracks. Dolby 2.0, Dolby 5.1 and DTS. When I originally popped in the DVD I paid no attention to selecting what audio track I wanted. I figured my DVD player would select the appropriate track. During the playback I was extremely disappointed at the lack of 'depth' and bass in the recording.
When reading reviews of a couple people saying the bass was great, I went into 'audio setup' to see what it was set at. Lo and behold the default was set to **DTS** when I just have a basic 2 speaker setup. Switching the audio to Dolby 2.0 made a significant difference in the audio quality and brought back bass quality to the recording. It's not quite as strong as it was on VHS, but it's still quite decent.
So if you do get (or have) this DVD, use the audio setup from the main menu if you're not using a DTS receiver. If you have two speakers, choose Dolby 2.0 - only use Dolby 5.1 mode if you have that setup (6 speakers) and only use DTS if you have a DTS receiver. Make sure your audio is set BEFORE you play this disc!
I won't dwell too much on the issue of overdubs. I would have wished that Peter didn't overlay new audio over old. It's not so much that destroys the audio (it doesn't) but moreso that this was a show in it's own time. Like a glimpse into the past, it's meant to be seen and heard as it occurred.
Nevertheless, it's an outstanding show. I agree with others in that it plays more like a performance and not a simple concert. I consider this a must buy for any Peter Gabriel fan, as well as anyone who appreciates music of this genre.
37 Picture me really glad and much healthier.
I caught this concert on television a few months ago and knew I would end up getting it cause it's Peter, right? I am so glad I did. I have probably watched it all the way through at least 20 times. Am I obsessed? Well maybe, but I've been watching it while walking on my treadmill every morning for over a month. I still see things I didn't and hear things I hadn't caught. Tired of it? I don't think so. I love the music and the band is really cool and fun to watch as well as Paula "I don't want to wait" Cole. Oops, that was bad, sorry. (-:
38 Pitfalls of the DVD transfer didn't ruin the concert for me.
I was first introduced to Peter Gabriel's live shows on his 2002/2003 "Growing Up" tour, being too young to have caught him on his previous tours 10 years earlier. His concerts are fantastic, combining art, music, and theatrics (and often acrobatics). "Secret World Live" was his 1994 concert in support of his "Us" album, and is one of the finest concert films ever released. The DVD release is great, save for some technical problems.
The highlight of the concert were "Come Talk To Me", which has Gabriel emerging from a phone booth and he inches towards backing vocalist Paula Cole, "Solsbury Hill" (a classic!), and "Shaking The Tree". Most, if not all, of the songs are book-ended by African vocals and tribal beats. It is beautiful how they meshed together the songs. With strong musicians (his longtime bassist Tony Levin especially) and backing vocals from Paula Cole (who has had some fleeting success in the mid-90s as a solo artist) and Shankar on violin and vocals makes the sound well rounded and pleasing to the ears. Gabriel himself is always an energetic and spirited presence, dressed like Han Solo and doing his odd dances and mimes throughout the show.
While the concert is fantastic, the DVD release has a few problems with the picture and sound. The picture is grainy at times, which would be most noticeable to people with big screen, plasma, or projection television sets. While the DVD boasts "Re-Mixed and Re-Mastered", but it appears that the source material was a bit frayed. The picture is not horrible, but it could be much better, considering the capabilities of the DVD format. The sound is mostly well mastered, but there are times when the backing vocals are muted, making them almost indistinct. The bass also fades out on occasion, but this is less noticeable and therefore less of an inconvenience. These are not serious problems that would prevent me from recommending the DVD, but DVD purists would definitely find things to complaint about.
The supplements are nothing spectacular. There is an insubstantial "Making Of" featurette, which is good for a one-off viewing. There is also a nice promo for Gabriel's ":Growing Up" tour, where he goes into detail about the setup of his new concerts, including the giant hamster bubble that anyone who has seen his recent concerts loves. My favorite supplement, though I don't know why, is the time-lapse of a concert in Berlin, Germany. Over the course if a minute, we see the stages being set up in an empty arena, the full concert, and everything being dismantled, packed up, and shipped out. It is a lot of fun.
"Secret World Live" is a fantastic concert film that cannot be ruined, even by a sub-standard video transfer and iffy sound quality. It contains some of his best music during one of his best concerts. Highly recommended.
39 Amazing power
I've been waiting for this concert to come out on DVD for several years, now, and now that it has arrived, I am certainly not disappointed. The joy, feeling, and power are evident in all of Gabriel's performances on the disc. Truly amazing disc for the Gabriel, Genesis, or general music fan.
40 Didn't experience technical problems
I own a Toshiba player, and when I played this DVD, I experienced no "blotches" nor "blobs."
As far as the sound, I didn't notice any major phasing problems between visual/audio.
The vocals, yes, are (i believe)perhaps overly-processed, but I find equal enjoyment in the theatrics and setup of this particular concert.
I'm a relatively new Peter Gabriel fan, and I have never, until I purchased the DVD, been able to see this show. It was a convenient purchase, and I'll take what I can get.
41 A Major Disappointment
I'm very careful about the DVD's I buy, but I wish to god I could return this one. A total waste of money.
I've long felt that Peter Gabriel's albums are so overproduced that they lose any sense of real musicianship, but his live albums reveal just how good his musicians are without all the studio tricks. Characteristically, though, his "live" recordings are still prone to what he calls "cheating," meaning lots of overdubs.
I have my doubts that any of the vocals on this DVD were actually performed live in any concert setting. It's not unusual for concert films to be culled from several performances, but you have to really search for evidence of it in Talking Heads' amazing Stop Making Sense. Here, there seems to be no concern for what makes live performance lifelike. The fact that at one point all the musicians leave the stage and the music keeps playing pretty much says it all. Why does he even bother bringing them along?
The visuals in this concert are artful and well mounted and, in most cases, smartly filmed. There is one sequence (Digging In The Dirt) which is most obviously not a live performance, but in some ways it's the most honest part of this film. This is not a record of anything that ever existed in real time--it's a poorly refined addendum to what must have been an extraordinary event.
I've owned the audio cd of this show for several years. It's wonderfully produced, allowing for studio overdubs, but the mix on this DVD is apalling and completely unprofessional. I've listened to it in both 2.0 and 5.0 and find it totally mystifying. The volume keeps shifting, usually dropping out every time the vocals come in, meaning there's a continuous volume differentiation that is maddening.
My tenuous respect for Peter Gabriel has fallen by the wayside. Rent this falsified document if you must, but don't bother adding it to your library.
42 Sorry they have NO EXCUSES
No excuses. I own a video facilities company and we made DVD as well. This DVD for reasons I can't understand is the worst quality I ever saw. It's simply too compressed. It's not only "little graininess here and there", it's not a"television set's fault". It's the trasfer that is not done properly. Incredible from a production like this and an artist like him.
Save your money and wait for the DVD of the new tour shooted in Milan this May....and let's hope they choose another company for the dvd compression..........
43 It's awesome to me!
Well, first, I am a huge Peter Gabriel fan. I have been watching the Secret World on VHS for about 9 years and think it is the most amazing rock concert one could hope to see. Saw Gabriel live last November and I like this video better. Now, I have been blessed with the DVD. Second, I am not a videophile or audiophile. Still, I enjoy a good picture and good sound. I played this on the DTS audio track on my Yamaha home amp and JVC flat screen TV. I thought the picture was great and the audio track was awesome. I often heard very strong bass coming from Tony Levin and do not have a subwoofer. I commented at the outset that the sync was very good and noticed how often the lips and vocals seemed together. Now, maybe there are a few places where this is not the case. But, third, I don't watch a video to see how many mistakes I can find. Sitback, relax....watch and listen. This is amazing music from a man who has been and is one of the most creative musical minds around. When I have a lot of time on my hands, I might do a side by side comparison with the VHS, but not for now. If you like Peter Gabriel more than a little bit, then get this.
44 Great show - bad transfer to DVD
I have owned the VHS of this show for several years. It is one of the best shows that I have ever seen. The DVD on the other hand is pretty bad. The picture quality is no better than the VHS, is sometimes even compromised (watch MK's drum fills on "Come Talk To Me" - they cut off the bottom of the picture - you can't see his stick work on the snare drum anymore).
My biggest gripe is the sound. What happened ? The sound is out of sync with the picture - it is terribly remixed. The vocals and drums have been mixed higher (and possibly added to ??) and the bass is GONE !! T.Levin's playing is great on the tape - but he is only there to watch on the DVD. Too bad.
Maybe it will sound better on a 5.1 instead of a stereo - but that still won't put it in sync.
45 Look, Listen & Learn...!
I have read most of all reviews preview purchasing it from Amazon.com and as I can see the common are critics on quality video and/or sound. I think we can divide this review in two aspects:
First, the PG show, what is, in escence, quite excellent. When Peter came to present Secret World Tour in Argentina (1994) he didn't brought at that time all the scenography that he present in Italy. So, for all who didn't see the italian (or european) show this is a very good piece to have.
Second, the media quality, meaning by this sound & video, depends on the DVD player you use. Video is enhanced for wide-screen so it seems a good idea playing the film in a big, wide and huge screen (or the bigger one you can access). Regarding the sound, it also depends on the sound capabilities of the system you use to play it. For instance, playing it on a computer looks quiet different than playing on supersonic multi-speaker home theater.
Because of this, now I can understand why we have different comments regarding the quality of the picture and the sound.
This is what I learn reading most of all reviews. Hope this can help others to make their own opinion.
46 Wonderful concert, horrible DVD
This is a great performance by a really exciting performer backed by a first-rate band. Unfortunately, this DVD contains the worst video transfer I've ever seen, with compression artifacts visible throughout. I'm not crazy about the audio mix, but don't hate it as much as some other reviews I've read. But I think a campaign needs to be started to demand a re-issue of this DVD with the problems fixed.
47 New PG fan!!
I was not a fan of PG, though, I`d heard some of his most popular material before. I rent this concert thru Netflix a month ago and was totally blown away! This is by far the best concert audio/mix that I'd heard before (I have over 50 concert/music DVDs). And the performance, I don't have words to describe how awesome it is. Needless to say, I went to Borders that same day and bought it. Yes, the video is a bit grainy, but film medium is naturally that way. Besides, even if the video quality is not good (which this is not the case) it still worth every penny.
48 A Masterpiece almost.
After having read the reviews of this dvd I was at first a little worried whether I would be wasting my money buying this dvd. Some of the complaints are justified, such as the grainenees at times in the picture and the lack of bass which has been taken out of the audio mix in several songs, in particular Solsbury Hill. There are however improvements over the original in the audio, in that both guitar and keyboards are given more prominence than before. Some of the vocal parts have also been re-done and sound alot better, particulary on songs like Kiss That Frog and Sledgehammer. The highlight for me however is the audio mix on San Jacinto which blew me away the first time I heard it, as it was the song I would always fast foward on the video. All in all a great dvd well worth buying despite some minor complaints.
49 Great Audio Mix, Mediocre Video, Fun to Watch
One of the better live concert mixes I now own. Obviously lots of post-processing. But I don't mind as long as it sounds great. Wonderful balance of the instruments and vocals. DTS rocks as always.
If you can look past the mediocre video quality...then this is a fun disc to own. Talented musicians. I think Paula Cole is especially wonderful. Check out "Don't Give Up". Stellar performance.
If only they would have used high-def cameras...
50 Overhyped concert.
I like Peter Gabriel. I loved his music with Genesis. I loved "Shock the Monkey". And I loved his "So" album. But this concert, I did not like. The reason being that he lip-synchs throughout the show. Apparently, this is done to enhance the actual "showiness" of the concert. That might be ok, if there were an interesting story or theme to become involved in, but here it was all just so boring. I just couldn't take the fakeness of it all. In addition, the song selection did not flow together. Did I mention this concert was boring? Sorry to all fans of Peter Gabriel. As I said, I think he's made great music in the past (I have every CD he made with Genesis), but this was not his finest hour.
51 Phenomenal, but Peter's vocals are better on VHS
I have both the DVD and the VHS of this incredible concert, a show I now deeply regret missing. While the overall quality and clarity of sound is superior on the remastered DVD, I have to say that I like Peter's vocals much better on the original VHS version. They are more natural, more "live" and far less processed. There is no sense that you are listening to overdubs. I don't know why Peter felt the need to improve on his impassioned performance in the first place. He is one of those rare artists whose voice is as amazing live as in the studio. That said, this is one of the most moving and uplifting concerts I have ever seen. Watching the band's childlike joy during 'Solisbury Hill' will never cease to put a smile on my face.
52 long awaited
This has been out on LD and VHS for years, but finally we get a DVD version of this excellent concert. The video quality itself could be better, I have many concert DVD's and they're not nearly as grainy, but they have much better cameras now so hopefully the DVD of the Growing Up tour will look better.
The set list is the same as the double Secret World Live CD with excellent back-up vocals by Paula Cole. It's great to see her here before she was known to the world or even had an album. Peter Gabriel's always been a fantastic performer and does not dissapoint.
Extras include a fun time-lapse of the whole setting up of the stage through breaking it down, as well as an interesting documentary.
53 EXCELLENT
I cannot understand everyone's complaint on the quality of the film. I first watched this on DISNEY, viewed the VHS version, and watched the DVD. All look and sound exactly the same.
Don't be picky, and enjoy.
54 Waited years for this concert on DVD, slightly disappointed
After owning the VHS tape and putting up with muddy sound and slightly grainy video but still very much enjoying the concert I kept sending emails to the Peter Gabriel website asking when a DVD version would be coming out and finally it did.
Having read the other reviews I would have to disagree with the negative reviews on the video side, on my system the video is quite crisp with solid colors and I see no Macrovision artifacts.
However, the sound mix is extremely disappointing to me. Although the clarity and crispness are what I have come to expect from DVD multichannel digital mixes WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LFE (Bass) Channel ?!!!???!! Sometimes there are slight bass differences between Dolby Digital versus DTS but in this case both mixes have serious issues with the LFE track, its almost non-existent. I have directly compared several songs from the VHS to the DVD side by side and although not as clean or distortion-free, the VHS mix has a much stronger bass line. One of the prior reviews mentioned Tony Levin should turn his bass up, well he did have his bass turned up and listening to the DVD my subwoofer is barely breathing compared to the VHS mix. As a huge Tony Levin fan from his King Crimson days to his solo appearances and sit ins with the California Guitar Trio the clarity and power of the bass signal was one of the items I was most looking forward to from the DVD. I do not have a spectrum frequency analyzer but to my ears there is very little content below 60hz.
I also have to agree with a slight time alignment issue with the vocals and the picture, apparently my receiver (Onkyo Integra DTR 9.1) has some compensation for that so I will have to try that out but overall I was so upset about the lack of bass it is hard to listen/watch the DVD much anymore.
55 good concert
very good concert if u dont have leave ur seat and go buy it now
56 Epic Rock Concert Theatre
I was forunate enough to attend this concert in person and to view this recording on VHS stereo. The precision and musicianship were astounding. A friend "borrowed" by VHS copy and did not return it - but that's ok - it gives me an excuse to buy this version for the DVD features.
If you are going to have any concert in your DVD collection - this is it. It has astounding performances by the band - with an extra bonus from Paula Cole before she cut her hair :)..
The theatrics and visuals are wonderful, sound clarity is great and the special effects are nice - not overdone at all.
To be even handed - I did not like the "fish eye" camera work on "Digging in the Dirt" but overall it's great. I highly recommend this piece.
57 macrovision problem?
I think I have an answer to what some people are seeing. I think what happened is they over did the macrovision signal when mixing the main concert. I have an apex player. The menus and extras and preview play great. However, when I play the main concert it's a mess. Blotches and other problems come and go all through the show. Can the people that have problems try it in a different player and verify. Can the people that don't seem to have problems list the player.
58 Masterpiece
This is definitely my favorit live concert ever.I have both Cd and Vhs for almost ten years.This DvD is on my most wanted list of DvD's from the time when a buy my first DvD player four years ago.So it was a long wait.But now it is over.I just get this DvD and i am totaly blown away.I won't be talking about the performances of Peter Gabriel or the band because it is EXCELENT and i think the names of band members talks for itself.So i will be strictly technical.
The video quality could be better for an anamorphic widescreen and there are some places where can be seen some compresion artifact.The grain is ok and i think they wanted to be like this.And i like it this way anyway.It is a film not TV broadcast.
But what realy hit me,from first second to end was the sound.When i found out this disc will be released in Dts i was realy curious about the improvement in sound quality,but nothing prevent me from what i hear when i push the Play button on my remote.If i name you every improvement in sound quality it will be a wery long list.The dynamic is tremendous you can hear every tiny sound of cymbals, the bass drum is a killer (San Jacinto) the guitar flashes to surrounds (Digging in the Dirt) vocals in all songs stands up and they brings tears to my eyes (Blood of Eden,Don't Give Up) etc.Now i understand why they all have a head mics.Yeah they are all singing.You have feeling that you are there,and that is for me the best thing in sound.This is for me a true refference DvD for sound quality along with Nine inch Nails DvD.
So if you like this concert or never seen it before,it make no difference this is true master piece from all aspects.There can be some things done better,but lot things worse,and maybe they will release this concert on some better medium in few years,but believe me i will be enjoying this DvD till that time.
59 Poor video quality, but great concert
I feel very qualified to speak out on the awful video of this embarrassing DVD. I have 300 DVDs, 150 laserdiscs, 3 TVs and 3 DVD players, and well over a decade of experience in professional digital imaging. I know the difference between a poor transfer and grainy film. I know what compression artifacts look like. I know when something has been oversharpened or otherwise fiddled with. So, beleive me when I say the video on this release is pathetic. It is inexcusable, easily the worst looking DVD I own or have seen. The sound is excellent, yes. But I can't bear to watch the terrible image, which effectively reduces it to a re-release of the Secret World Live CD.
The laserdisc of this title looks much better than this remastered release. Given gabriel's tight control of his material, I wondered if this was mastered on a home computer? It really looks like an amatuer job.
Bottom Line - great sound in a great concert by a great artist, but watching this on anything larger than a 17" is going to be disappointing for discerning collectors.
60 I think I'm gonna cry....
[$$$] theater system including a plasma TV. Worst DVD I have ever bought. This is my favorite concert of all time and I am so heartbroken! Do yourself a favor and take the video of this show into the kid's room and watch it on your 2 head [...] VCR. You will get a much better playing. Trust me. I'm so disgusted that I can't even write anymore.
61 a feast for the ears and eyes
I've been a Peter Gabriel fan for years and have been to several of his shows, but until last week I'd never seen the "Secret World" concert footage before (although I've listened to my "Secret World" CD hundreds of times.) After seeing it, I can't stop smiling. What an amazing show - right up there with Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" and U2's "Live in Boston" as my all-time favorite concert movies.
I shouldn't be surprised, given Gabriel's gifts as both a musician AND a visual artist. Certain images will forever remained burned into my brain... trapped in a bright red British phone booth during COME TALK TO ME; his "breathing shadow" at the end of SAN JACINTO; rowing down the conveyor belt "river" during SLOW MARIMBAS then happily skipping around the stage while singing SHAKING THE TREE; and ending with a completely exuberant IN YOUR EYES.
I'm not going to quibble with video quality (it wasn't apparent to me) or sound synching (very minor... don't worry, this ISN'T Britney Spears lip-synching our National Anthem, for crying out loud!) What I was left with was an immense appreciation for Peter Gabriel's infectious energy and charismatic stage presence. Add to the mix a VERY talented band (Paula Cole is luminous) and one of the most innovative stage shows you'll ever see = an incredibly satisfying way to spend an hour and a half... over and over again!
What a feast for the ears and eyes.
62 Ghost in the Machine? At Least for Me
This was my favorite video concert for a very long time and was ecstatic to see that it was coming out on DVD. Well I played it through my DTS sound system and it sounded great, but my Wega Flat Screen (ran through RGB) did not like good, more like broken up mosaic pieces of video. I have over 50 DVD's and this is the first one that has ever broken down like this. Now I did take it to my friends house and played it on a 3 gun projector and it looked fine, what gives, I do not know? My Synopsis: it looks good on VHS, but on DVD only the sound is full proof and the video,,, well I do not know why is falls apart on my system as many others after looking at several reviews.
63 Gabriel and band's performance equals 10 stars!!
True, there is some grain to be seen on this DVD, being that it was shot on film in 1993, mostly in low light. It looks a lot like the first half of U2's "Rattle and Hum," but not quite that grainy. There are some moments on the DVD when the grain can't be seen; even when it can, it isn't that big of a distraction, at least on my 37-inch TV. Gabriel and his band are nothing short of amazing. Their sound is tight, energetic and moving, for lack of better descriptives. Some have complained that the sound and video don't always link together - I only counted a couple times where it is obvious, when Tony Levin takes his right hand away from his bass on "Sledgehammer" although his playing still is heard. (They did film/tape two nights at the same venue in Italy, I think.) But hey, let's face it, almost every concert film has had some post-gig doctoring - Levon Helm has gone on the record saying his drumming is about the only thing live on the Band's "The Last Waltz" becaues he refused to overdub his drum parts. "Secret World Live" is one of the greatest concert films ever, period. This version of "Solisbury Hill" could be the greatest incarnation of Gabriel's declaration of independence from his former band, Genesis. The sight of him trapped inside a red phone booth on the opener, the then-new "Come Talk To Me," is great music theater without ever being campy or overblown. Gabriel is a true master of the stage - he spends about 97 percent of his time in motion. The DVD is well worth its affordable price, even though the picture isn't immaculate like some think it should be. Actually, the grain adds atmosphere and character to the film, at least on smaller to mid-sized TVs.
64 Great performance
I bought the original performance in laserdisc, so I've been spoiled up to this point. However, I am mystified as to the complaints about the DVD. It is as good, and better in several ways, than the laser, and is 10-fold better that the VHS. The performance is, of course, spectacular, one of the best concert performances by any artist. The DVD is clear on a good HDTV-capable set, and I recommend the bigger the screen the better. Very few artifacts from the digital transfer. Focus on listening to the DTS mix rather than the Dolby 5.1. For some reason, it has more punch and sounds much cleaner, with better multichannel separation. Even if you're not a Peter Gabriel fan but are wondering what all the fuss is about, you won't be disappointed with this DVD.
65 Peter Gabriel is a genius! Gabriel fans must have this DVD
It was amazing to relive this incredible concert almost 10 years after seeing it live! Thank God it was recorded and released! Gabriel, as always, brings music and theatrics together to keep the audience in awe! All I can say is WOW! My 8 and 11 year old children have become TRUE Gabriel fans after putting a visual to all his music I have subjected them to over the years! There is no way to sit still while watching this show! You will be up dancing and singing! I can't believe anyone would say ANYTHING negative about this concert that so obviously had so much time, effort, and thought put into it! Gabriel is my hero!
66 Outstanding
I got the VHS of this concert a couple of years ago. The DVD is a vast improvement in almost every way.
For me, this tour was one of the best PG concerts I've ever seen. The "Growing Up" tour was incredible, but I think this show had better showmanship and activity--and also a bit of a better selection of songs.
Really, who is a better showman out there than Peter Gabriel? I don't think any other act--with the possible exception of Pink Floyd/Roger Waters or *possibly* Tool--approaches a concert as theater to the extent that PG does. It isn't just the songs, it is an artistic push for mood, costume, lighting, and *story*. On this tour, Peter and band use two stages (one male, one female) connected by a catwalk and moving sidewalks.
The extras are also great with a "making of" doc that has Peter deconstructing the show and the sets. Rather than pure self-promotion, this segment really gives you a feel for all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into creating this show. There's also a really great remix of "Steam", a pretty neat timelapse of setting up and striking the show, as well as previewing "Growing Up".
My one complaint about this DVD is that it is pretty clear at least some of Peter's vocals were re-recorded in studio. There's no breathing (PG spends about a third of the concert in motion), no mic fades, and the audio doesn't always match up with the video. This is pretty typical of PG who apparently did the same for the VHS version, the Secret World CD and Peter Gabriel Plays Live CDs (he said as much in the "Plays Live" liner notes). For me it is maddening. I've seen PG live 6 times now (soon to be 7 or 8 as the Growing Up 2003 tour shapes up) and I have never heard a missed note or a crack. Even if such a thing should show up, it's a LIVE performance, isn't it? The perfectionist leanings that PG has are admirable, but I believe this goes to far and takes away from his live recordings.
Most people don't seem to mind this, but I wanted to point it out.
To those of you complaining about the video compared to the VHS version, I have both and I've watched them closely: The VHS is full-screen and cuts off the edges. The DVD is not a cropping. The picture in the DVD is a little darker, but a whole lot sharper. I'm no expert but I believe that when the VHS edit was mastered, it was "sweetened" to make it look more like video: a little more colorful and brighter but a little more distorted. This looks more like film.
As for the audio, you can't compare the two: the VHS comes nowhere near the quality of the DVD. I can't compare it to the LD version, but the DVD mix is much more discrete and allows for a better feel for the full range of percussion--though Tony Levin fans might want to turn the bass up a bit; I think the low range was de-emphasized a bit to keep it from taking over.
Overall, this is an excellent DVD and well worth buying even if you've already bought the VHS. If only more acts put as much effort into their live performances as Peter does.
Enjoy!
67 An honest review from a Peter Gabriel fan
I'm a big Peter Gabriel fan, and a fan of the Secret World CD - so I thought I would love this DVD. I'm really quite disappointed, however. I read the other reviews, and since I have an EXCELLENT sound system, the sound issues that are reported in some of the other reviews didn't discourage me. It's not the quality of the sound that disappoints me most, it's the entire quality of the DVD (audio + video).
It's apparent to me that the concert video does not match the music very well. It's almost like you're watching a video of the concert and listening to the Secret World music CD. It's apparent that the 2 were not recorded in synch. I'm not an over-critical person, but when I compare the quality of this DVD to The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over, or Elton John, Dave Mathews Band, etc. there is simply no comparison. I'd love for Peter Gabriel to come out with a DVD that was recorded in concert - live (audio and video). But for now, the reason I am giving this 3 stars is because I simply love the music.
68 DTS format has a factory defect
I have bought this dvd a 2 different stores...the DTS format on the sound did not work properly. I have a brand new Kenwood Vr60-70 with 6.0 THX, Dolby, and DTS and at first thought was there was something wrong with the dvd player and receiver but this was not the case. It was the dvd's and was probably was the manufactior of the product.
69 PG SWL DVD (I love it anyway!)
Like many of the others, I've been a PG fan for a long time, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this DVD. And, like many, I've found that it could have been much better in video quality. I suspect that the source film used in the transfer is showing it's age, or that, as some suspect, that the video 16x9 version is really just cropped from the original video master.
The audio is a new mix, and I'm not sure I'm fond of it yet. I will say that unless your surround system is properly calibrated, this mix will sound like .... to you. I hadn't calibrated my speakers in a while, and a couple of songs into the DVD I stopped and calibrated. HUGE difference. Much better. That being said, there are some major differences between the old mix and this one. I like some of the effects done with discreet channels, but I'm still not sold completely on this mix. I love the old mix too much.
This mix was done by Pete Walsh, who worked with Peter on the original mix. And although this new DVD mix really does have great moments, I don't think Pete took the time to really A/B the new mix with the old one enough. There are very significant differences in the EQ and volumes of the DVD mix tracks from the old laserdisc mix. Some song mixes sound similar, yet others are totally different. He also may have underestimated the love that so many fans have for the original mixes on SWL. It's a bit like colorizing B&W movies - it may look better but people loved them the way they looked in B&W.
It appears to me that this project may have been mixed and edited rather hastily. Peter has been on tour for the past six months or so, and I wouldn't be surprised if this DVD was QC'd and mixed in facilities other than Real World, which is where the original mix was done. I'm also really suspicious of the source of the video masters used for this version. Did they go back to the original film and re-transfer? Did the entire show go through a re-edit? Was the 16x9 version just cropped from the original footage? Did Peter and Pete both work on the DVD mix together, or was it mix by proxy?
All I can say is that maybe they will go back and do this one more time and do a THX-certified version or something where QC against the old version will be more a part of the process. I dunno. I love it just because it's really finally on DVD, but it is DIFFERENT.
BillJV
70 Some people need new sound systems
This is the best DTS concert that I have in my collection of around 100 concerts. The sound is phenomenal. Someone here also mentions "questionable SACD". I can play both DVD-Audio and SACD and there is nothing questionable about either format. They are both much better than CD's (which I quit playing and buying about 6 months ago as stereo is dead) and Dolby and DTS.
The person that said there wasn't enough bass should turn their subwoofer on. This disc rattles everything in my room especially near the end of San Jacinto. Do yourself a favour and get rid of that theatre in a box and get some good equipment.
71 great concert - too bad they ruined it on the DVD
Have owned the VHS since '94 and was really looking forward to the DVD version. All the comments you have read about the grainy picture are true. Some of the reviewers dispute this and lay the blame on poor quality tv's. I played mine on a Sony XBR 53" screen, and while the video quality is better than the VHS it is embarrassingly poor when comparing it to many other concert DVD, even some that were filmed well before this concert. The sound is allright, but even there they did not improve on the versions that precede it.
To sum it up, if you have never seen the concert, buy it - you will enjoy it. For those of us that have seen previous versions, don't waste your money. I wish I would have taken previous reviewers seriously and skipped this one.
72 Fire Trucking Amazing
There is nothing else out there that is even close to this DVD purchase.
PERIOD.
You will spend this same amount on an unrewarding stereo CD.
For that same expenditure as an ordinary CD: you get an unprecendented DTS sound recording with video.
Forget about any other previous commentary about the video quality, they don't understand that this recording was made pre-digital almost 10 years ago in 1994 . You must understand the technology displacement and dismiss deficiencies as "history".. Will the video grain bother you? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
just close your eyes, you won't need to watch anything.
I seriously doubt your ability to remain seated during the very first track: "Come Talk To Me"
If you get to track 5 "Shaking The Tree", and you are still sitting down...
you and I do not share music compatibility. Quite simply: Go away.
You can NOT possibly get to track 8 "Kiss That Frog", without jumping up to your feet...
At that point you are half way through the DVD, and the excellence is totally sustained throughout the next half of this incredible DVD.
***Fire Trucking Amazing.***
Sledgehammer!
Secret World!!
In Your Eyes!!!
Over and over and over again you will play.
Is this a positive review? DUH!!!
I recommend:
You must have an "Air Guitar", "Air Drum Set", or some another phantom instruments to play. Have it ready on your very first play this DVD! You're gonna need it.
If you already have the 6 speakers:
you pay only [$]. You will finally understand why you paid whatever big bucks it was you paid for your existing DTS surround sound environment.
If you don't have all 6 speakers or DTS:
this DVD accommodates what you already have with simple Stereo or Dolby 5.1.
But I warn you.... Scary!! this DVD will compell you to spend $$ hundreds, even a $$ thousand $$ dollars $$ to upgrade your system.
Is is THAT GOOD? : Yes it is. Period. I love my 12" subwoofer!. You're gonna want one.
The 1994 video is : 1994 technology. Close your eyes. You won't need the video.
The DTS remixed 1994 audio is : Priceless.
I got a bunch of DTS DVDs. Sure, I like "Armageddon" and "U-571" and "Shrek"....
but this... ! Fire Trucking Amazing.
73 Not too good really
Don't get me wrong, I love Peter Gabriel's stuff but he sure makes some poor decisions with reguard to video representation. This package, like P.O.V. before it, fails in many ways to present the show to the fan.
The Secret World Tour was a stunner of a show in the arenas, I saw it four times. This package really doesn't capture the essence of the show that well. I have to admit that I have only seen the video version of the last half of this show twice. Once when I mistakenly purchased a Pay-Per-View package on cable for the Woodstock II performance ( which shamelessly cheated viewers out of the first half of the show for what I suspect were business reasons) and the other time on a TV freeview I stumbled apon the other night. Of the parts I saw, I really don't feel compelled to see the rest. What I did see was way too many extreem close ups of the faces of; PG and his band: Tony Leven, David Rhodes, Paula Cole, Papa Wemba(I think), Rabbie Shankar, Manu KatchŽ. All these wonderful expert musicians and all we get are close ups of their faces! What about their instuments? What about the skill of the musician? Tony Leven is one of the most respected and awe inspiring bass players on the planet Earth, and all they can do is show his face? Odd editing choice to say the least.
The performance lacks some other subtleties as well. During Digging In The Dirt PG uses an elaborate head gear video camera to project an image onto a screen behind him, it was an effect that was wonderful in concert because it was obvious to the audience that the image on the screen behind was captured in real-time and instantly projected for the crowd on hand. And it was very strange to look at PG wearing the alien looking head gear, juxtaposed with the image it produced. However, very little of this was captured because the directors of the DVD and video really only show the projected image with very little visual information as to why it is there and what we are seeing. In short the head gear worn by PG was part of the image behind him. To only show the projected image misses the point dramatically.
All this "tarting up" of sound quality, (as Steve Hackett calls it), and as referenced by another review or two, is a bummer, I would like to see and hear a concert as it was performed THAT night. To remove that element is a gross misjudgment of my intelegence as a music lover and fan. I don't want another studio album I wanted a live show in a video presentation, P.O.V. made the same mistakes only that time by adding MTV style video elements that were not very interesting and only served as a distraction and annoyance. Like PG isn't interesting enough on his own.
Peter Gabriel is one of the most interesting performers in Rock Music today, and I will always watch what he is doing and probably purchase it too. Perhaps he is so big and busy a talent that he has lost control of his scene a bit. To the producers of this package and the one before it, I can only ask one thing;
What was it you were thinking of?
74 Great Concert, Video Sucks
Yep, the video blows. I think what's going on here is that they had a 1994 4:3 film of the concert, and basically did a zoom and a pan and scan to "convert" it to 16:9. That's why the video quality isn't that great.
But the concert rocks, and the sound is crystal clear. Excellent 5.1 DTS, and I'm not sure of the complaints that I read that Paula Cole isn't loud enough. Excellent mix.
75 disappointed
I was quite disappointed from the video quality. Actually, it the worst I have seen on a DVD.
76 Superb..... and a nice surprise for European's fans
It's nice to finally have this on DVD. The sound quality is superb and different, I guess the DVD has different vocal tracks for some songs, I own the VHS version too and there are songs like Solsbury Hill or Secret World qhere you can notice interesting differences vs the DVD (vocal errors included).
The audio mix shows some nice details that were hidden in the VHS version like soft touches of David Rhodes in guitar, Shankar inviolin, Manu katche and Mr. Toni Levin astonishing job on Bass guitar, stick, etc but hides or reduces some others.
I haven't had picture problems in my DVD the picture quality is by far better that thr VHS versions. At least that is true for home DVD players I have tested.
There's a very interesting surprise in the DVD. I live in spain (Pal format and Zone 2) but I bought the SWL DVD since I own a Multi format / multi zone DVD. The surprise was that it is labeled as Zone 0 (the world logo with a 0 inside) instead of Zone 1 as is announced by Amazon. That means that anyone with a NTSC compatible DVD (PAL/NTSC for europe) could play this one.
To have this DVD is good warming up for the oncoming PG concert, the Growing Up tour bonus documentary is excellent and shows some of the things we can expect (production musicians, commentaries, etc)
IMHO this is the best concert DVD money can buy right now
Felix
Barcelona, Spain
77 Phenomenally uplifting rock & roll
Beautiful, intense and deeply mooving, 'Secret World Live' is one of the greatest concert DVDs ever. Before seeing this DVD, I only knew Peter Gabriel as that somewhat odd guy who used to be with Genesis. This concert blows far beyond what most shows even try for. The music is great, the images are beautiful, and the staging for the show is quite unusual. This disk has awsome sound with DTS and Dolby Digital, as well as some interesting extras. This is a DVD you will want to play and play and play...
78 The next best thing to being there...
If you've never experienced a Peter Gabriel concert, this is the next best thing. The audio on this disc is great! Perfect for showing off a high end home theater. Peter Gabriel shows you some of the feeling and imagery that goes into his music and it's very entertaining. Paula Cole sings back up vocals, Tony Levin (of course) is on the bass, David Rhodes on guitar, the whole crew. Of course the music is amazing, GO PETE!
79 Love Gabriel, but the truth about this dvd is........
it is simply unwatchable. I have daily access to professional theater systems that are stunning in every way with plasmas, lcd, crt, dlp and three interchangable sound systems with Sim2, McIntosh, Rotel, Integra and B&W gear. the laser disc was ok and i figured that pg's wizards would have cleaned it up, but it is awful. sound is ok. makes me sad. you deserve better.
80 ALRIGHT, HERES THE REAL SCOOP ON THIS DVD...
While the overall remastering of the sound is good (could use more bass though), it's the reMIXING i'm a little ify about. Some of it is good, but a lot of it ISN'T. Long time fans of the film and accompanying CD will notice several things in the performance that weren't there before. Extra vocal ad libs (one of which during "Shaking the Tree" when it can clearly be seen that Gabriel's lips aren't moving, and another at the tail end of "Secret World" where his voice suddenly sounds a whole octave lower - strange. Over-sight? Laziness?)
For the most part, these changes don't intrude too much (kinda nice actually to hear a different mix since i'm so used to the regular one), but there are times when it just should have been left the way it was. In particular, "Solsbury Hill", which has always been my favourate part of the film. Different/more vocal ad libs, and the end of the song has been totally rearranged. After the last chorus, it goes right to the "hey hey hey..." bit, and THEN the keyboard lick comes in. For me, it's really quite annoying, but for others it may not be.
EXTRA FEATURES:
The features i was thouroughly happy with (i was thrilled to know there were going to any "extras" at all). The "timelapse" feature was neat, showing the equiptment being rolled in and setup, the lighting and sound checks, people filing in, the concert in it's entirety, people leaving, and then finally packing everything away for the next show... all in ultra fast motion (it takes a little over a minute). Theres a couple of nice little "behind the scenes" documentarys to, one for "Secret World", and one for his more recent "Growing Up" tour. Both are informative and show some cool offstage footage. Worth seeing. Also included is a remix of "Quiet Steam" (the song itself is not a remix of "Steam", but a total re-recording), over which a montage of photos from the tour are shown. The photos aren't very interesting, but the remix of "Steam" is quite cool.
_______________
All in all, it's WORTH GETTING, even if you already have the VHS, or laserdisc. If your a huge fan, like myself, i'm sure your gonna get this anyway (you know you are), so whats the point of the review, but i hope this has been informative for those unsure of what they're getting into.
LONG LIVE PETER GABRIEL!!
81 Gabriel remastered in widescreen and DTS 5.1
First I preordered this DVD, since it is one of my favourites concerts on VHS. Then I read all the bad reviews on this DVD-release. Finally I got my own copy and whatched it to judge for myself.
This is more than a concert, it is a piece of art. The show is like a musical play, delivered with a diversity and such a warmth. All band members seems to have a good time. There is only one Gabriel... and the musicians are extraordinary good. Bassplayer and drummer really grooves tight together.
The widescreen video is not that good, a little grainy and blurry, especially when the whole stage is shown. But it is not that bad that some other reviewers have stated. I really like the 16:9 format and I do not bother if the video is not perfect.
On the other hand you get a splendid DTS 5.1 audio track. The mix is perfect with Gabriel's voice up front. The female singer's voice is a bit burried in the sound on some tracks, but perfect on some, like Don't give up. Alltogether the 5.1 sound is an incredible improvement compared to former CDs and VHS. If you do not like the DTS track on this DVD, go out and buy yourself a new audio equipment.
The last issue: Do I hear what I see? On this one I can agree with some of the critisism. Even if the vocals and playing are live (maybe not 100% though), the editing is done so that you, from time to time, loose the presence feeling that is so important on a live DVD. For some strange reason this aspect was better delivered on the VHS. In all other aspects this DVD blow the VHS version away totally.
82 fantastic audio - adequate video
Man am I glad I didn't let the negative reviews talk me out of grabbing this concert dvd. Even if there was NO video the DTS 5.1 sound would be worth the price alone. Too many current concert dvds use the rears for mostly audience ambience and not for music. This disc uses all 5 speakers to the max with each having their own discreet sounds, truly one of the best sounding concert dvds I have heard. The video is not on par with a brand new movie but on my sony that squeezes the picture with it's anamorphic capabilities it is certainly adequate. If you are a Gabriel fan don't let this one pass you by, you will love it.
83 Audio and video out of sync
One of my favorite concerts on video; however, the audio and video are out of sync for the entire video!
84 Great concert. Wish this DVD let me hear it.
I'm a fan of Peter Gabriel's from way back. I bought this DVD excited to be able to see a concert I wasn't fortunate enough to attend in person.
While I find the concert to look like a great one, the sound is absolutely horrible. Without using technical terms to describe the sonic attrocities here, I'll simply say that it sounds like someone is playing with the volume control. The volume is contantly changing and not by small amounts. Some of the tunes sound like they're fading out shortly after they begin.
Makes me wonder if Peter Gabriel listened to the DVD before approving the release. If not, whoever did the final audio approval should not be hired again as it sounds like they didn't even bothered to listen. And this is touted on the package as being re-mastered for this disk.
Had I rented this prior to purchase, I don't think I would have bought it. If I didn't like the concert part so much, I might even return the disk as defective, which the audio portion certainly is.
85 A must for Gabriel fans!
Peter Gabriel does not disappoint on "Secret World Live." The performances of Peter and the band are excellent. There are a lot of complaints I have read about the video quality, but I find these to be exaggerated. I own a great deal of concert DVDs and this is one of my favorites. It's well worth the small price.
86 Great concert...Poor video and sound quality
I agree with all the other negativ ratings. Just one addition, the DTS Soundtrack is simply unusable.
87 The BEST Concert DVD Disappointment Ever!!!
Let me not waste too much of your time: Frankly, this is, hands down, the most amazing concert I have seen! This DVD offers a glimpse of why Peter Gabriel has a superb reputation as a live performer. The sound quality is spectacular! Unfortunately, I am SURE that Peter Gabriel had next to nothing to do with the planning for this Laser Disc converstion to DVD format. The picture quality is mediocre at best, due to the grainey picture quality. Peter Gabriel is one of the greatest showmen ever, and I am sure when you see this DVD that you will be in full agreement with me when I say that Peter Gabriel was violated by his video production company. An improved picture quality could make this the best concert DVD in publication. Still, this is a nice DVD to own if you've missed Peter Gabriel's shows. Just don't expect much from this DVD as an example of year 2003's DVD picture quality capabilities.....Sorry!
88 EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED!
What a letfdown. Gabriel should be ashamed of himself for letting this get released. I have videos from the 1960s that have video quality twice as good as this. I thought my copy was defective until I read the other reviews. Try again guys....
89 Heartbroken
I've been waiting for this concert to come out on DVD since the launch of the format. Hoping that it would improve on picture quality (which it does, slightly) and match, if not improve on the sound of the laserdisc were the primary reasons. Like most filmed concerts, it favors being shown on analoque displays with minimal processing. Video scaling just can't handle the lighting and color of most stage events. The picure is notabley quieter than the laserdisc version. The real bad new is that the recorded sound on this DVD is not the of same performance as either the CD or the Laserdisc (I've not heard the VHS). There is a different set of compromises from the previously mentioned versions, what's alarming and extremely disappointing is to watch one performance while hearing another. It's reverse lip syncing. What we see is an energetic live performance full of life and excitement. What we hear on the DVD is some compressed live sound way in the background with layered studio sound in the "foreground." The studio sound is of a performance with little energy at best. It's lifeless and awful. The laserdisc and pressumabley VHS versions on good gear will move the viewer to tears, or raise goosebumps, this is a mockery of the live performance it attempts to convey.
The fidelity of live performance is never the same as studio recordings. What makes live shows work is the complete performance, warts and all, if you will. The laserdisc and CD are not great from a pure fidelity standpoint, but they were "live" for the most part. The previous versions were "enhanced" with some studio gimmickry. The track:"In Your Eyes" on laserdisc being obviously rerecorded with some of the flaws evident on the DVD, only to a lesser extent. There is plenty serious compression too, but at least we got to see and hear the performance more as it happened. I had hoped the DVD would be better, I hadn't guessed it would be taken back to a studio and completely recorded over again. This is not "live" anymore.
I can only guess that Peter Gabriel is getting poor sound advice, the technical aspects of his recordings has generally gotten better over the years. There was the announcement that his catalogue was being re-released in the questionable at best SACD format which is some cause for concern for those concerned with fidelity, and now this. Where these decisions come from is an unknown, but we have no choice in the matter. We want to hear this music, so we buy them as they are. This concert is absolutley stunning. We just don't get to hear it on the DVD.
Too bad, as consumers, we aren't given a choice between the sing along audio version we have here and the sound from the actual show as two audio choices instead of the DTS/Dolby Digital options.
Make sure you know what you are buying. This is NOT live sound.
I vote with my dollars and support my favorite artists with loyalty. I can only hope this concert will be re-released someday with the performance we are seeing in the film in tact. I'll buy that one too. The show is that good.
90 Brokenhearted
I've been waiting for this concert to come out on DVD since the launch of the format. Hoping that it would improve on picture quality (which it does, slightly) and match, if not improve on the sound of the laserdisc were the primary reasons. The sound on this DVD is not the same performance as either the CD or the Laserdisc (I've not heard the VHS). While the quality of the sound is subjective, and a different set of compromises from the previously mentioned versions, what's alarming and extremely disappointing is to watch one performance while hearing another. It's reverse lip syncing. What we see is an energetic live performance full of life and excitement. What we hear is live sound way in the background with studio sound in the "foreground" from a "performance with little energy at best. It's lifeless and awful. Previous versions on good gear will move the viewer to tears, or raise goosebumps, this is a mockery of the live performance it attempts to convey.
The fidelity of live performance is never the same as studio recordings. What make live shows work is the complete performance, warts and all, if you will. The laserdisc and CD are not great from a pure fidelity standpoint and some folks will complain about that as always (they want live to sound like the album, sorry.) The previous versions were "enhanced" with some studio gimmickry, and some pretty serious compression, but at least we got to see and hear the performance more as it happened. I had hoped the DVD would be better, I hadn't guessed it would be taken back to a studio a butchered.
It appears Peter Gabriel is getting poor sound advice. First was the announcement that his catalogue was being re-released in the questionable, at best, SACD format, and now this.
Too bad, as a consumer, you aren't given a choice between the "sing along" audio version we have here and the sound from the actual show as two audio choices instead of the DTS/Dolby Digital options.
Make sure you know what you are buying.
I vote with my dollars and support my favorite artists with loyalty. I can only hope this will be re-released someday with the performance we are seeing in the film in tact. I'll buy that one too.
91 DVD worse than VHS... too bad...
I love this concert. At least the VHS version. I have been waiting for this DVD for two years and I am very dissapointed. The grainy video is distracting, and the concert is different than my VHS version. The tempo is not the same, and the energy seems less intense. I guess if I hadn't watched the VHS version so much I wouldn't care, but I love that video. Maybe one problem is the Dolby 5.1 mix which (on my system) supresses Paul Cole, which is a big negative to me. It is still one of the greatest concerts ever (IMHO). Guess new isn't always better...
92 The Good, Bad, and the Ugly
At the risk of being very unpopular (given the previous reviews of this video), I can only give the "Secret World" DVD two stars. Before detailing the reasons for that rating, let me say that I love Peter Gabriel's music - the deep spirituality conveyed in his songs and the intensity in which he delivers each musical offering are beautiful every time I see him perform. Also, he is such a beautifully unique visual performer - the movement he seemingly improvises to the music as he performs reminds me of a cross between Twila Tharpe and Bob Fosse (as done by an aging guy with the beginnings of a paunch :~)
Now for the critique...
Knowing the exacting technical standards P.G. has brought to his music videos and recordings, I find it hard to believe he would have approved the technical production of this recording. In regards to the audio, I can't believe I listened to the same disc as previous reviewers (althought this review refers to the DD5.1 mix, not the DTS). It sounds almost like AM radio - muted highs, muffled lows, and the vocal mix is WAY in the back of the 5.1 soundstage. I finally had to crank up the center channel to adequately hear his and Paula Cole's vocals. And, the post-production studio-added musical bits were NOT seemless - they stood out like a sore thumb, sometimes relegated arbitrarily to the surround speakers, sometimes panned around. The added vocals sounded like they were done in a cheap basement studio and then rather ham-handedly thrown into the mix. Even the levels were off, sometimes hugely - several times my wife and I jumped as a chorus of tinny, disembodied voices shouted at us from the rear. On some tracks, the sense of "additional music" added in post-production to the live mix was so overwhelming that I felt that I was watching a video with a different CD providing the audio. Also disconcerting was the use of pre-recorded rhythm tracks. I realize that the sound P.G. was aiming for would have made for a very complicated live mix and would have required more musicians and staging, but sometimes the pre-recorded tracks (or maybe they were midi loops from the keyboards?) completely overwhelmed the competent (I think?) drumming by Manu Katche... All in all, not engaging or enveloping, but claustrophobic and disjointed.
As for the video portion, the film stock that the DVD was transfered from was grainy, washed out in color, and with terrible shadow detail. You would have thought this was footage from a late 70's concert rather than shot in 1994. The grain and video noise in the picture was distracting, and the washed out color palette rendered what looked to be a wonderful lighting design pretty impotent - Either hot whites or murky grays. I will say that the camera shots and coverage, in fact the entire visual concept of the show were beautiful and creative. Too bad about the lousy capture of both audio and video.
That being said...if you can fight your way through the poor audio and video, Peter Gabriel himself is a revelation to watch. Each song is a psalm of praise or discovery- pure poetry that transcends the banal and the earthbound.
93 Disappointing video, disappointing audio
I must agree with other reviewers' criticisms of the video quality of this DVD. It doesn't look good. Not only is it grainy with a number of obviously visible MPEG macroblocking artifacts, but the widescreen presentation is simply ill advised.
Compare it to the Laserdisc. Unlike many DVDs which take what was originally a widescreen presentation "panned and scanned" for videotape and return it to its original form, this DVD takes the 4:3 original material and zooms in on it, chopping off the top and bottom. In general, this isn't too badly done, but I must ask what is the point? Why not show all that was recorded? I suspect that the zoom also magnified the film grain.
This is widescreen for the sake of a marketing bullet, not for the sake of a quality presentation.
Also, although others may disagree, I think that the color is under-saturated. Maybe it's just because I'm used to the Laserdisc, but the rich colors in that format were very pleasing, and the DVD's presentation, while possibly more accurate, is less pleasing somehow.
What's even more disappointing than the video, though, is the audio remix. This is, after all, a musical event. I have the Laserdisc of the concert, and I also have the 2-disc CD album. They are slightly different mixes, but pretty similar.
This DVD is a completely new mix, and one that I don't particularly like. Why? Although there are some areas where the mix is clearly nicer and the instruments are better defined, there are others where parts of the audio that I found really enjoyable on the LD and CD are missing.
For example, Tony Levin's Moog bass line on "Shaking the Tree" and his synth bass line on "Digging in the Dirt" both lack the sub-bass rumble and punch of the CD and LD presentations. It's as if, in trying to make the bass sounds "tight" and "dynamic", the mixer totally rolled off anything under about 40Hz. Also, the snarl of Levin's Chapman Stick glissando is missing when the band enters on Solsbury Hill, which in my view simply ruins the dramatic moment of the tune.
The disc has some nice extras, and for this reason I gave it more than 1 star. But, it's really quite disappointing, and it will not replace my Laserdisc.
94 Poor video killed great DVD!!!
All I can say: great audio, audio engineer should be proud of highly professional job. On the other hand, video is absolutely unacceptable and video tech should be ashamed for ruining what could be one of the benchmark concert DVDs. Five stars for audio, minus five stars for video!
95 5 Star Reviews ...I bought it....I HATE it......
I guess I don't hate it BUT...I bought this because of all the great reviews I saw on Amazon.com...I hear know great musicians here, there ok, but nothing extrordinary...Some reviewer said the stage was great or something...wow...A tree comes up...and a dome comes down...I say this performance and DVD is a master of mediocrity...
96 Great concert, poor DVD
I was really excited to get this DVD, only to face dissapointment. I actually bought this at a store, and I had to exchange it three times because each DVD skipped in between "Digging in the Dirt" and "Sledgehammer." I still haven't found a disk that doesn't do that, which makes me think that this DVD is destined to be re-called.
The quality of the film looks cheap (but that's already been mentioned by other reviewers). I was dissapointed that there were limited extras--multiple camera angles would have been wonderful, considering that there is a lot of action going on the two stages and the camera offers a limited view. Also, this may sound a bit picky, but I wish the menu had larger print. It took me a while to realize what I was choosing... Overall, only Peter Gabriel fans will appreciate this DVD...
97 Up In Smoke: DVD is Hazey
The performance was stellar but the DVD version of this show is technically disappointing. The 5.1 DTS Audio is fine but the Visual film quality is bogus. For Peter Gabriel this is simply unheard of. It appears that where ever this show was filmed (Italy in smokey Europe. No non-smoking laws there, people) you can cut the arena smoke with a knife! I got lung cancer before Solsbury Hill went 'boom,boom,boom'!!!
All I can think of is the greedy record company released this show without the imput or permission of Gabriel. Grainy picture looks like 1970's super 8 family movies. Hate to rag, but try to find this one used or as a freebie. Sorry Peter but this one Peter'd out visually.
98 Stand by - Technical Difficulties
As a long-time PG fan, I was anxious to watch this DVD, and I am referring to the DVD here, a number of reviews are for the VHS. What a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, the content is absolutely fabulous! But along with the [poor] looking video, this DVD could easily be used as an example in audio engineering school on how NOT to master a live performance. The loudest thing on the DVD is the audience clapping! The audio track is so heavily compressed that the louder the band gets, the less you can hear. Everything gets pushed way back, to the point where you can't really hear anything. The audio mix is excellent, which is evidenced when the band plays a soft part. But, instead of getting blown out of my chair, instead I'm left straining to hear anything but the compressor breathing. What a disappointment. The only reason I give it three stars is because the performance is excellent, the staging, the lighting, everything is great. Too bad you can't hear it. By the way, I have not seen or heard either the VHS or laserdisc, so I have nothing to compare to.
99 Disappointing video quality, actually the worst I have seen
I don't understand how you can produce such a bad quality video on DVD. It doesn't even match VHS quality. The picture is extremely grainy and when a fast movement occurs, it disintegrates into large square pixels. Otherwise the concert and the audio are great... but you will have to listen with your eyes closed?
100 quite simply, the best concert video ever made!
From start to the glorious finale, there's not a lull. The band is a collection of some of the best musicians on the planet. David Rhodes and Tony Levin are incredible; as is Peter's voice. The special effects are truely amazing but don't get in the way of the music. I've made alot of new Gabriel fans by showing them this concert. Glad it's finally out on DVD.
