Recorded on a single night in June 2000,
In the Flesh: Live is a thrilling live testament to the strength of Roger Waters's peculiar artistic vision. Backed by a crack ensemble of both fresh and seasoned players, the former Pink Floyd songsmith powers through Floyd classics, underserved relics, and highlights from his spotty solo career. The man is in great shape, physically and musically, and he obviously has a blast playing live.
What of the axe work? Accept the fact that Waters and Floyd guitarist David Gilmour no longer play together, and you'll appreciate stand-ins Snowy White and Doyle Bramhall II--and the degree to which they honor the parts and solos immortalized by Gilmour. (See the lavish but impersonal Pulse for a healthy dose of Gilmour's Floyd.) The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix is massive, presenting both the music's inherent spaciousness and the favorable acoustics in Portland, Oregon's Rose Garden Arena. The DVD's 18-minute documentary is long on downtime and short on musical interplay. Any way you cut it, though, this is a must for Floyd fans and a real treat for lovers of arty, intelligent rock. --Michael Mikesell
Columbia recording artist and Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters toured the United States for the first time in 12 years in 1999-2000 with his highly acclaimed "In The Flesh" show that presented, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of Waters's music including: early Pink Floyd material; classic compositions from his masterpieces "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon;" less well-known pieces from "Animals," "Wish You Were Here," and "The Final Cut;" songs from the solo tour de force "Amused To Death" and "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking;" and the debut of a new song, "Each Small Candle." Songs: In the Flesh, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall Part 2, Mother, Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert, Southampton Dock, Pigs on the Wing Part 1, Dogs, Welcome to the Machine, Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-8), Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Breathe (In The Air), Time, Money, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking Part 11 (5:06 am? Every Stranger's Eyes), Perfect Sense (Parts I and II), The Bravery of Being Out of Range, It's a Miracle, Amused to Death, Brain Damage, Eclipse, Comfortably Numb, Each Small Candle.
1 AWESOME LIVE PERFORMANCE
"In The Flesh" features Classic Pink Floyd Songs performed flawlessly by Roger Waters who is backed by a group of incredibly talented musicians. The well-choreographed concert showcases the genius of each performer. Lead Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II effortlessly covers Gilmour's leads with precision and passion while three female back-up vocalists add a beautiful presence to the music. A large selection of songs from different albums are highlighted. Hearing a rare, live performance of "Dogs" was pure magic! The production value of this DVD is top notch and has a permanent place in my DVD player.
A MUST HAVE DVD FOR ANY PINK FLOYD FAN.
2 Dolby Digital maybe, 5.1 Surround Sound...NO WAY
Don't get me wrong..this is a great concert, great repertoire. However, I have to say that although the option for 5.1 surround sound appears on the menu, what you get is only sound from the two front speakers and the subwoofer. No sound comes from the central speaker and surround sound speakers.
One past review mentioned this...he is right. I would have loved for this music to come on real 5.1 surround sound but it still sounds good though...2.1 surround sound maybe....that's why I give it only 3 stars.
3 Major Score!!
Picked this up for 9.99 (at another major retailer, but that's hardly the point, 11.99 is a great price) yesterday, got home and popped it in.
Starts out with "In the Flesh?" and you can clearly see that Waters is having a blast being on stage performing. The sound quality on this first track seems to waver at points; almost made me think the whole disc was going to sound this way and be a "one-timer" (one watch). NO WAY. I was wrong. If you're a die-hard Floyd fan, order it now, you won't be disappointed. 170 minutes of classic PF with a few of Roger's songs added to the mix. His guitarists switch leads and each do a fantastic job of emulating the sound of David Gilmour and if you close your eyes, this IS Pink Floyd. I'm not going to get into the track listing, you can get most of it from the other reviews and from the companion CD's track listing; but believe me, it's worth every penny.
4 In a word: Spectacular, Tremendous, Awesome!
OK that's three words, but a DVD this great can't be summed up easily. Especially to think you can pick this up for less than $10, it's unbelievable. What a great group of musicians and a great collection of songs. Really, REALLY well done. Ok, the documentary is inadequate, but who cares! The performance is what counts. I bought this and watched it 3 nights in a row. Even my wife, who is a so-so classic rock fan, sat through all three playings. If you don't have it, order it now!!
5 Stunning
Almost no footage of Pink Floyd has been released on DVD, so this concert video featuring Floyd lyricist Roger Waters is especially welcome. Featuring an ace lineup of crack session musicians (most of whom work regularly with Eric Clapton), Waters serves up a generous slice of Floyd classics - including the bulk of the "Animals," "Wish You Were Here," and "Dark Side of the Moon" albums, all performed with both passion and professionalism. Even Waters' solo material, which is preachy and one-dimensional by comparison, comes across as exciting.
The result is amazing, and is only enhanced by the tasteful camerawork. Both previous Floyd concerts on VHS ("Pulse" and "Delicate Sound of Thunder") were hampered by kitchy, corny direction; this is a common flaw among concert films. "In the Flesh" avoids these problems, and holds up exceptionally well. Indeed, this might have been an even more enjoyable show on DVD rather than live, due to the great work by the camera crew.
This is one concert DVD I'm happy to watch in its entirety.
6 pomp and no circumstance.
I wonder if it's ever occurred to Roger Waters that for all of his carping about how the concert milieu has diminished the performer's ability to communicate directly with the audience, he plays right into that stereotype of "big, bigger, biggest" and has since THE WALL. What is so freaking "direct" about all of this stage puffery on display in this video? What, Rog, too scared to find out that if you stripped all of it away, people would find out you had nothing to say?
On it's own terms, IN THE FLESH LIVE makes for a decent enough rock concert spectacle, but, please Roger, spare me the sanctimonious garbonzo about audiences being "amused to death." Want to communicate directly? How about showing up with just a guitar and see waht happens? Until that time, welcome to the machine!
7 Breathe Deep- Breathtaking Performance
This is an excellent video. The excitement and power came shining through loud and clear. Roger certainly has assembled a top notch band of musicians for this performance. I felt the same way about "The Wall-Live in Berlin," which has left me with the opinion that Roger was without a doubt the driving force behind the great ensemble that we know as Pink Floyd. I have written a review of David Gilmour's live video and there is simply no comparison as David came across as very dull and boring, there wasn't a trace of enthusiasm in his video whereas Roger breathes new life into this material with every ensemble I have seen him perform with. Breathe deep.............and enjoy a thoroughly entertaining video.......but remember to just breathe deep or else this video has the potential to take your breath away. It had me riveted to my seat the entire time, excellent work!
8 A truly great show
This DVD collects a show Roger did in Portland Oregon, in 2000.
The setlist:
1. In The Flesh (4:41)
2. Another Brick In The Wall (7:27)
3. Mother (5:36)
4. Get Your Filthy Hands Of My Desert/Southampton Dock (3:11)
5. Pigs On The Wing (1:18)
6. Dogs (16:26)
7. Welcome To The Machine (6:57)
8. Wish You Were Here (4:54)
9. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (14:20)
10. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (7:15)
11. Breathe (3:22)
12. Time (6:24)
13. Money (6:11)
14. Every Stranger's Eyes (5:19)
15. The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range (5:05)
16. Perfect Sense (7:06)
17. It's A Miracle (8:30)
18. Amused To Death (9:24)
19. Brain Damage/Eclipse (5:50)
20. Comfortably Numb (8:10)
21. Each Small Candle (8:17)
Though the soul of the original Floyd might not be here, Roger has an excellent backing band, and he gives them a chance to flex their muscles. It takes four guitarists and two keyboardists to do the parts originated by David Gilmour and Richard Wright. And in another surprise, Roger doesn't sing the parts originally sung by David and Rick, guitarist Doyle Bramhall and keyboardist Jon Carin handle those passages. The live versions are almost all improvements, especially Mother(where a female singer does the Mother's voice) and Welcome To The Machine(which now has a more solid rythm section). There's even a degree of showmanship; during a long keyboard solo on Dogs, Roger and his guitarists reacreate the classic "Dog's Playing Poker" painting. The album that's best represented on this show would be Wish You Were Here, with all but one song covered, followed by Dark Side Of The Moon. But we also get the early gem from A Saucerful Of Secrets, and some of Roger's solo material, including a new song, Each Small Candle. There's also an option that some will like and some will not: an option to see the song lyrics as subtitles. This is a default feature, so if you don't want the subtitles, you must go to special features and fix it before you play the show. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go watch this yet again.
9 The cd is worth it, too
The song selection, sound and video quality is really good. I recommend the cd release, also. Amazing how it sounds too close to perfect for being a live show, wish I saw the tour. Backed by some of the best, Roger puts on one hell of a show. Some extras including back stage footage, and the rehearsal at a small theater in West Hampton.
10 Truly Fantastic Concert
I was lucky enough to be able to attend this tour 3 times in a 2 week period. and even though it was the exact same concert each time, it blew me away.
The DVD does not dissapoint in the least. The sound quality is excellent and the video is produced simply but wonderfully. Often times, concert videos produced today change camera angles every couple of seconds, giving the viewer a headache. This focuses on the correct soloists and singers and does nothing to distract from the music itself.
Dogs live is mind blowing, both in concert and on the DVD.
Water's solo material fits in very well with the classic catalog of Pink Floyd's music.
A pleasure to watch an icon of Water's stature on stage as often as I would like.
11 A Very Good Lesson For Any Musician...Terrible DVD...
This is a very sad DVD, because Roger Waters was once a musical genious and his downfall does not make any less of his previous accomplishments. The only reason i gave this DVD a 2 instead of a 1 is because its worth seeing to learn a very valuable lesson, but the actual performance is sickeningly aweful. Roger Waters has really lost his mind, he considers himself to be some kind of untouchable GOD in this DVD, he is more of a Las Vegas Seigfried & Roy theatrical performance, than a musician, just like every other gutless pop hit in todays music industry. If you cant pick this up from the intro and the performance itself (i love his hair flick ever time he hits an important note, lol) then check out the behind the scenes feature, which is more of an "undercover with a corrupted musician" and you will see what i mean. Its actually rather sad and disgusting, but a very valuable lesson for any quality musician.
12 "IT'S A MIRACLE!!!"
"It's a miracle!" By the the time you get to that song on this DVD that's what you'll be saying! First of all it's a miracle that this DVD only cost about 12 bucks! The CD of the same concert cost more than 22 bucks! Second it's a miracle that Roger Waters is creating music that is just as good if not better than Pink Foyd! In my opinion Pink Floyd should have been called "The Roger Waters Band." His albums "Amused to Death" / "Pro's and Con's of Hitchhiking" and "Radio KAOS" could have easily been Pink Floyd classics if they had been created back in the day! I think the group must have been holding him back and it was only his determination that produced such gems as "Dark Side of the Moon" / "The Wall" and "Final Cut." Trust me on this: this DVD is worth much more than what they are asking for it. If this DVD was not available for 12 bucks, I would buy the CD for 22 bucks and still be very happy!!!
13 yeah, not that great....
as far i'm conerned, Roger Waters can do whatever the hell he wants to songs from The Wall, after all it was his brain child. But oh my holy god in heaven what has waters done to "wish you were here" ????!??!?! he just massacred the song to put it nicely. I have a certain liking to Snowy White because of his work as rythm guitarist for the Animals tours during the 70s (plus he looks friendly), but he sucks sooooo baaaad at lead guitar!!! just listen to the "wish you were here" intro solo!! i can do better! (i'm not joking i actually play guitar)argh, and the rest of the song is just murder, the vocals, everything...it's like pissing on Syd Barret's face. anyways, there is some good stuff on this dvd..."dogs" for example is quite good, even though the beggining vocals are not that great (once again we sense Gilmour's absence). In my opinion Gilmour's dvd is TONS better than this (it's a completely different atmosphere too), it seems he was able to move on to different topics in his songwritting, as opposed to waters constantly whining about how bad his childhood was and how his daddy died in the war....it's like dude, get over it!!! even though it seems otherwise, i love waters and most of his songwritting and bass playing...with the Floyd. unfortunately that will never be again *sighs*..... one final thing: unless you were solely a Waters fan (rather than apreaciating the rest of the floyd) or you only like The Wall,you'll probably love this. but if you liked the Floyd, especially gilmour's contribution, get the David Gilmour in concert dvd. to all of you other reviwers saying how well the other guitarists replace gilmour: go screw yourselves. The other dudes just play, verbatim (hey, music's a language, ain't it?), the SOLOS THAT GILMOUR CAME UP WITH!!!
14 Awesome!
I absolutely love this concert. I saw Roger Waters in Florida on the 2000 leg of his In The Flesh tour and it changed my life. So I was very happy to finally get this DVD. I also have the CD of this show and I play it in my car constantly.
Waters looked great and was in a great mood during this show and he certainly didn't disappoint.
The show begins, ofcourse, with :
In The Flesh - I remember when I saw this show in West Palm how surprised I was when Roger starting singing this song, because I very much expected the show to start with the first half of the song - In The Flesh? Starting the show with the second half of the song - In The Flesh (without question mark) was truly inventive.
The Happiest Days of Our Lives - I'm so glad he decided to do this little bit, complete with helicopter sound before marching into
Another Brick In The Wall (part 2) - an extended version of this song, feauturing two seperate solos by two seperate guitarists.
Mother - I had longed to hear this song performed live, and Roger did it beautifully, with some lovely female vocals on the Gilmore parts.
Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert - When I first saw the show..I had never heard this song before and was not familiar with the Final Cut album.
Southhampton Dock - better than the original studio recording.
Pigs on the Wing (part 1) - I was not familiar with the Animals album either, but it later became one of my favorites.
Dogs - All eighteen minutes of it! Great!
Welcome to the Machine - A new updated version of this song with the entire band instead of just acoustic, twelve string guitar as on the Wish You Were Here CD.
Wish You Were Here - with Roger on vocals! Though he sounds nothing like Dave Gilmore, it was really cool to see the artist perform his own song.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts 1 and 2) - putting both parts together to form one long song, with the really cool instrumental placed in the middle.
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun - From A Saucer Full of Secrets. Awesome updated version of the song with the full band.
Breathe - Starting off the second set of the show with the legendary heart-beat of Dark Side of the Moon. Doyle Bramhall II on vocals.
Time - With Roger on vocals. I think he did a phenomenal job.
Money - With Doyle Bramhall II on vocals again. Waters has said that this was his favorite song to perform on this tour.
The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking (part 11 aka Every Strangers' Eyes) - Beautifully done. Showing off the full range of Water's abilities.
Perfect Sense (part 2) - Better than the original studio recording. P.P. Arnold does a wonderful job on the female vocals. On this song, Roger decides to put down his bass and let Andy Fairweather Low play for a while. This song was staged wonderfully and gave Roger a chance to get out in the light, up close and personal with the audience.
The Bravery of Being Out of Range - I've always liked this song. Singing about war as Roger oftens does, he tells the story as if he were actually there.
It's a Miracle - Sounded very similar to the studio recording. Once more, without a guitar, Roger picks up a mike and tells the story of this song as he walks about the stage.
Amused to Death - Extremely moving performance of this song.
Eclipse - It was nice to hear this song. After he didn't do it at the beginning of the set, I really didn't expect to hear it. It was a pleasant surprise.
Comfortably Numb - this was really the song I had been waiting for all evening. Roger delivered it wonderfully, playing rhythm guitar instead of bass, once again letting Andy Fairweather Low have it. Doyle Bramhall II sings the Gilmore parts and he and Snowy White share the guitar solos.
Each Small Candle - Roger closes the show with a new song. It's since been recorded but not yet released. It tells the story of the crisis in Albania under the moron Vladmir Putin.
All in all, this is a wonderful concert and is ideal for any Waters fan or Pink Floyd fan. You will be suprised at how much Roger Waters stays true to the old Pink Floyd flavor. It was a great night seeing this show live at the Mars Music Ampitheatre in West Palm, and even better being able to relive it over and over again through this DVD.
15 Seems to be "going through the motions". . .
Waters seemed disinterested with no energy. The background musicians were not of the caliber to be expected. Perhaps I made the mistake of watching David Gilmour's DVD first. The performance of everyone participating in that concert was enthusiastic and energetic--they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Frankly, I expected no less from a legend's concert. Waters disappoints. He does not live up to my expectations.
16 Very intelligent
Very intelligent track order as well as selection (you get all the jewels with one exception of Us and Them). Very intelligent, relaxed filming that allows you to feel like you are there rather than watching another fast-cuts nonsense. Very intelligent stage decor.Your perfect gig. Roger Waters.
17 It Makes You Wish You Were There
I gotta start by saying that I am a DVD collector. I own over 100 music DVDs ranging from Supertramp, Fleetwood Mac, Depech Mode, Sade, Pink Floyd (of course) to America, U2, Dylan, Springsteen and you name the rest.
In the flesh does by FAR outperform all of them in terms of sound, arrangement, production, performance, and above all music. Roger Waters is just amazing. The guitar is out of this world. The background vocals are mesmerizing, and the instrumental arrangement is absolutely awesome.
Just a glance at the crowd and you will feel the passion, excitement, and pure cheer in their moods. I envy every single one of them for attending the concert.
A Pink Folyd fan or not, this musical tour-de-force is undescribale. You gotta see and feel it. I am still in search for another DVD out there that can outdo In the Flesh. If you know of one, please share it with me.
Bottom line, I am not biased since I used to lean much more toward Gilmore than Waters, but this performance proved me wrong. It will prove many other Gilmore fans wrong as well.
Pink Floyd is not dead by any means, it just switched name to Roger Waters.
18 Where has the Pink Floyd sound gone ?
I'm a all time Pink Floyd fan. I own a dozen of their albums and I was at the unforgettable 1978 concert in Paris.
I was so excited to buy this DVD after all the great ratings I read about it.
Sure it's a nice selection of titles, the image is good and the sound quality is technically superb! But that's all. :(
Where has the Pink Floyd sound gone ? Where is the magic? Where is the emotion? The arrangement is terrible. Take "Shine On Your Crazy Diamond" for example. The voice misses completely the desperation it has on the Wish You Were Here album, the 3 background choir girls are good looking for sure and probably talented, but gosh, they have nothing to do here, it's a sabotage.
How dare you play PINK FLOYD like SOUL music ? Appaling. I could not stand it and switched to the "real" albums.
If your are a real Pink Floyd fan, you'd better listen to it before spending your money in this mascarade. The Pink Floyd touch is definitely not here.
19 pink FRAUD indeed??? yea, right......hardly.
After glancing over some of the reviews, I think its evident that Pink Floyd will never be better than it was. This DVD isn't about Roger trying to outdo the past. It's about giving the fans what they want. David and CO. can hire on whomever they want and the truth is, they can't reproduce Roger's concepts, lyrics or music! But the simple fact of the matter is......Roger can't replace one of the greatest Lead Guitarist ever!! So, you see, there is no debate, unless your completely turned off by one of their styles.
This DVD has nothing to do with what fans know about music. Such an idiotic claim. If you have have decided in one's own mind to side with the Roger or Dave crew, than fine. I'm not going to debate the obvious.
I have enjoyed viewing this concert but the truth be known, it isn't a 5* rating as compared to viewing Roger Live in concert. I would have revised some of the choices on the playlist and dropped songs such as; Money, ABITW and others which have been re-produced a dozen of times on other releases.
Also, imagine the stir this DVD would have caused if Nick Mason would have shown up on here, instead of later on?? I'm sure Dear Ol' Dave, would have loved that!
Enjoy the memories.......these guys arn't getting any younger!!
20 Don't waste your time...
Roger, get back with the Floyd. Your solo career is pathetic.
21 Incredible
This is a 'must-have' for every Floyd-fan. It is a very good registration of a live concert with many highlights and top musicians. More than 2 hours music/songs from several Floyd albums, from the early years untill 'recent' albums.
22 Roger's best live DVD of the two DVDs
In 1999, former Pink Floyd bassist/vocalist/mastermind Roger Waters went on his first US tour in 12 years.
Roger did very well on that tour as his ex-bandmates were not touring that year.
At the time, Roger was going to record his first proper live album but there was a clause in Roger's deal with EMI in Pink Floyd that he couldn't re-record his songs after he switched to Sony worldwide.
After Roger got the rights reversed, he set off on a second US tour based on the success of the 1999 leg and recorded and filmed the In the Flesh album/DVD, released in December, 2000 and December, 2001 respectively.
I think he performed better on the second leg than the 1999 leg but in retrospect, the final show in Providence should have been recorded.
However, the performances from Oregon and Las Vegas on the album is good as it was that July night in 2000 I saw Roger.
The renditions of the numbers here don't sound too different than their studio versions but some of the songs are slightly different than the way Waters' ex-colleagues played them.
Floyd fans are pleased to know that Roger included material from Animals(including a spirited Dogs) and The Final Cut(Get Your Filthy Hands/Southampton medley) which Roger's ex-bandmates don't play live(Animals is too venomous while The Final Cut is despised by David Gilmour and Rick Wright).
The bassist's solo efforts are represented as well, like a spirited Every Strangers Eyes and Perfect Sense(pts. 1 and 2) and It's a Miracle.
The album closes with the new track Each Small Candle which is a worthy song and sounds like an outtake from The Final Cut or Animals.
23 Roger Waters best performance captured on DVD
Roger Waters is definentley one of my favorite song writers of all time. I am almost definently sure he wrote everything that he performs on this dvd with the excpetion of Comfortably Numb (David Gilmour.) He wrote all of the good Floyd songs. And he knows just how to perform them. If you are a Pink Floyd fan you must own this dvd. There are way more performances than Live at Pompeii, but it lacks the rest of Pink Floyd. I give it 4 stars, because some of these songs were written with the intention of Gilmour and Wright singing them. The guy who sings them isn't bad at all, but it just isnt the same. The guitarist is really good and plays Gilmour's solos perfectly. None the less, watching Roger Waters sing some of the songs that he sings on the albums is bad @ss. Roger Waters is the $hit. He even plays bass and acoustic guitar the whole time. Unlike in The Wall Live at Berlin where he hardly even touches one. The band in this concert is unbelievable and this would have been me favorite Floyd DVD if it werent for Pompeii. Definently buy Pompeii if you like seeing the original Floyd all together, but if you like the songs on this DVD get this. It's defineently better than David Gilmour's because it has more Pink Floyd songs. Unless they come out with an old Floyd DVD of one of their old concerts this will remain the best Floyd all concert DVD (because Pompeii is more of a hanging out with the band movie.)Basically if you like Pink Floyd, buy this DVD.
24 pink FRAUD indeed!
wow. where to start off with what's wrong with this horrible disgrace of a "concert"... first off, there's no emotion whatsoever. i watched in horror as roger waters, a wonderful lyricist and concept-writer of our generation COMPLETELY mangled some of the greatest songs ever produced. i'll sit through a video of a band i think is even average, but i couldn't sit through this. i guess roger thinks it's acceptable to try to "recreate the magic" by bringing in faux-floyd members and having them play the parts nearly note-for-note written by the original band members. this is most evident and disgraceful in the case of the extremely talented young guitar player (the next jimi hendrix? he could be, if he stopped playing for roger). this video proves completely once and for all that david gilmour cannot be replaced.. the guitar player can play the notes, but the guitar tone and emotion that gilmour provides isn't even closely duplicated. overall the band is very BORING.. a horrible thing for a rock band to be. roger seems happy though. good for him, he doesn't have to be in the audience. the audience looked even more bored than me... i've literally never seen such a bored audience in a rock concert in my entire life. they would clap more for a penguin with a little suit on.
the fact that so many people are impressed by this DVD is pretty laughable, and can probably be attributed to the facts that most people don't know much about music (they've never been in a band or written a good song) and the people that bought this were hardcore waters devotees.
ideally, waters and gilmour would be united in one great rock behemoth, but since they've parted ways, you must ask the question "who is the real pink floyd?" or "who is the closest to the 'real' pink floyd?" the answer is unquestionably david gilmour, rick wright and nick mason. if waters didn't want to join the party and rock the world, he could at least have the self-dignity to not mangle the floyd songs in the worst way possible. he is obviously a very psychologically sick person now.. it's obvious he rules over the other "band" members, not giving them enough leeway in improvising parts for the floyd songs, which could breathe new life into them and make them listenable.
i love roger waters.. he's very talented and did some great works in his day. unfortunately, he's washed up now. gilmour chose to move on with life and make great music (watch "pulse".. enough said), while waters chose to carry a grudge, probably to his grave.. it's sad really. and why? because david gilmour was tired of his controlling ways? because pink floyd used to be more than "roger waters solo"? boo-hoo! this DVD is a disgrace not only to floyd fans, but to all music. maybe roger waters will get a heart again one of these days.
25 Great
I must say, I very much enjoyed this concert. I had previously seen Pink Floyd @ Pompeii, and some of Davif Gilmour's Concert both on DVD. This was better than the two.
The Pros: A great band, Doyle and Snowy White are awesome at guitar and the keyboard/slide guitar/vocal/acoustic guitarist is an extra treat, especially since he has the closest thing to Gilmour's voice in the band. Roger Waters looks and sounds great for his age and his bass/guitar/vocals are in top form. And, the song choices are superb. All my favorite Floyd tracks and the solo projects are wonderfully chosen. The extra track at the end (Each little candle) is cool. The drummer is also a great substitute for Mason.
the Cons: Not enough Final Cut, Pros and Cons of Hitch-hiking and pre-DSOTM songs were done and he played Pigs on the Wing 1 instead of Sheep or Pigs (Three different ones). And there was no spectacular light show.
I actually ran out of cons, wow. Usually there's a list five pages long full of them. Any how, as a complaint to a previous reviewer, there are no dress wearing pop-divas at all, and just because somebody chews gum during a performance dosn't mean you give it 3 stars. Better than Gilomour's and Pompeii and better than I expected, Buy it!!
26 Perfect Sense
I'm not going to compare this to Pulse or Delicate Sound Of Thunder. Pink Floyd's only DVD release to date (and probably ever) is Pompeii, like it or not. Pulse and Thunder is what is left off Pink Floyd since Waters left. They were nice enough, I have them both on VHS, and I watched them from time to time.
But this is something else entirely. The post-Waters era Floyd is a very good band but not a groundbreaking band. They made The Division Bell, a great album by today standards, but they no longer make cult records. Waters, on the other hand, made Amused to Death, maybe his greatest achivement ever, maybe greater than The Wall or Dark Side.
And this DVD is the testament to his present status. Of course, you already read a thousand reviews praising the sound quality as well as the cristal clear picture. Of couse you did! It is even better than they say, and I can only add that you must experience this video, reading is no more than a mere prologue to it.
I might add that the visual direction is incredible, maybe one of the best ever. And the set list is a knock out. Now, some people complained about some changes in the performances (an electric guitar on Wish You Were Here, Waters singing Time, band members singing Money, Dogs, and etc). You know what? It actually makes it better! You already have those versions on the albums! Why make a copy when you don't have the original elements. Gilmour is not here, so you have to play and sing his parts somehow. So Waters reinvented them, and they work! They are just different ways to approach the songs.
Also, the songs from his solo albums are beautifully executed, specially the one from Pros And Cons, since it is also very different and much more emotional.
Truth be told, when you watch Pulse, you can feel something missing. It is good, mostly because of the show and the musicianship, and a fine rendition. But something quintessencial is absent. Of course, you guess it's Waters. But when you watch this DVD, you don't feel that. You will find it compelling the first time, and by the third, you won't even think of Gilmour and company. This is Roger Waters, this is his show and he is in peak condition. Everything is flawless from start to finish, and nothing ever felt truer to the real Pink Floyd live of the late seventies.
My advide is, if you love classic PF, and that means Animals, WYWH, Dark Side, The Wall among others, this DVD is for you, if you can handle the fact that PF no longer exists. But Waters is out there, writing great songs and brilliant lyrics still. And now he proves that he is a great live performer as well.
Words can't do this one justice. Just watch it and feel it, and prepare for the incredible.
27 Great Sounding DVD
Roger Waters In The Flesh is the best sounding DVD on the market. The sound on the Klipsch GMX D 5.1 sound system is Excellent. If you want a DVD two check your sound system this is the one. (Note this is a Q sound) sound track. TAS called it Excellent
John E Jack
28 Totally Awesome
Light some candles, turn off the lights and sit back with your honey, close your eyes & crank up the sound. You'll swear your listening to the original group.This DVD will blow you away. If your a Pink Floyd fan, then you need to have this as part of your collection. This show rocks. Excellent sound and picture quality.
29 Bleeding Heart Band reunion
I'm just going to give some history, for what its worth.
The Bleeding Heart Band was formed by Roger Waters after he left Pink Floyd. He made 1 solo album before forming The Bleeding Heart Band using session musicians from The Wall and Final Cut together with Clapton. With the new band he made a film, a concept album, a live benefit concert double album, and one last huge studio album between 1986 and 1992.
The core of this new band was Graham Broad on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Andy Fairweather-Low on electric guitars, usually strats. Female vocalists had become a part of Waters' sound texture during the first solo album and they remained a vital part of The Bleeding Heart Band sound. Katie Kissoon and Doreen Chanter did most of the backup vocals from the start and Katie is also in this concert.
No songs from the first two efforts by The Bleeding Heart Band appear in this DVD, which is a shame. Their first release was the soundtrack to When The Wind Blows in 1986. Their second was Radio KAOS in 1987. However, when they toured in 1987, they played most of the Pink Floyd songs that are covered here. There are bootlegs of that tour, but as most fans know, the other former Floydians were promoting their own album and playing these same Floyd songs in their concerts and that was a very successful live album.
The biggest success for The Bleeding Heart Band came when they staged The Wall Live in Berlin. They released an album, a single, and a DVD. They do cover some of those songs here. Snowy White, who plays a gold Les Paul Standard throughout this DVD, covered the Gilmour leads in the Berlin concert.
The Bleeding Heart Band recorded its last studio album, Amused To Death, in 1992. Four songs from that album are covered in this concert. This concert is from ten years later. During those years some members of the group had joined Clapton's band. Another odd slowhand connection is the young guitar player on this DVD, Doyle Bramhall II, the son of Stevie Ray Vaugh's drummer, who is now also in Clapton's band.
Each Small Candle seems to be the swan song of The Bleeding Heart band. For a few years now they have been telling us that this song and others (they have released demos of two) will be part of a new album. Some parts of the new album were reportedly recorded during the rehearsals for this DVD.
Other audio/visual treats from this group are: When The Wind Blows (animated), Radio KAOS videos (shows the band playing in a sound booth), and The Wall Live in Berlin.
p.s. A new album is coming soon. Most of the Bleeding Hearts should be involved. Note the absence of Andy from Clapton's lineup over the summer of 2004. He was probably busy working on the new Waters album. Two songs were available for download just prior to the US election, along with an interview in which Roger voices his hopes about regime change in the US of A.
30 This dvd proves who Pink really is
Let me start by saying I have Pulse, Gilmour In Concert, Delicate Sound of Thunder and Live in Venice and none of these are even in the ballpark of In the Flesh Live. That is not to say the others aren't good dvd's but Roger Waters is far above the rest. He didn't have the light and lazer show that Pink Floyd still does but all that does is make him focus more on the music and he did. Waters was in peak form. Being from Austin I have seen Doyle Bramhall II and his dad many times but he was at his best that night as was Snowy White. I didn't miss Gilmour at all.
After all it was Eric Clapton who called on Doyle to work with him and BB King as soon as he finished the In the Flesh tour. The sound is increadable the band very tight and a minimal of theatrics which were not needed. If I had it do to over the only Pink Floyd or Gilmour dvd I would have bought would have been Pulse. Owning In the Flesh makes the other offerings irrelevent. This is a must have dvd for any Pink fan and it clearly shows who was the creative force in the original band. To end on I will say I am a big David Gilmour fan and a better guitar player is hard to find but check out Doyle and Snowy on In the Flesh and you will see Roger never missed a beat from Gilmour not being there.
31 I'm now a believer. Roger is Pink!
Don't get me wrong, I was one of those who thought it was arrogant of Waters to try and unilaterally disband Pink Floyd. And I was (and still am) glad they went on without him. But I've got to say that after watching this DVD it becomes clear that Waters was the one with the creative vision for the band. This concert has a certain vitality that seems to be lacking in the glossier Thunder and Pulse videos. I even liked the concert's emphasis on the music rather than the light show. And the cuts from his post Floyd era come across surprisingly well. I say this as someone who never cared much for Roger Waters' solo efforts. However, in light of recent world events, his post Floyd songs seem especially relevant today. Of course it's always been apparent that Pink Floyd never had the same lyrical depth after Roger left the band. The contrast seems even greater in light of this video.
If Roger Waters was trying to make a point - Okay, I've got it. Point taken!
32 un "show" de Pink Floyd sans les grand effets!
J'ai bien aim? ce DVD. Waters nous fait revivre beaucoup de moment de Pink Floyd, avec comme arri?re plan les pochette de disque des pi?ces qu'il performe. Un peu sp?cial avec les choristes, son lead guitariste ?nerve un peu avec sa gomme dans la bouche qu'il m?che comme une vache espagnole! Mais il interpr?te bien les notes ? Gilmour. C'est s?r que ce n'est pas Pink Floyd mais pour les fans je trouve ce DVD tr?s acceptable. Le film sur la tourn?e est aussi tr?s int?ressant. Personnelement je recommande ce DVD au amoureux de Pink Floyd; l'audio est ? son meilleur, et le visuel est tr?s bien. Il enfile plusieurs bonne pi?ces de Pink Floyd...vous ne serez pas d??u car il faut se le dire c'est Waters en spectacle!
33 Higher than superlative...
Words can barely describe the brilliance and musical genius displayed in said concert/opera brought to you by Mr. Waters. I doubt there is another music DVD on the planet that compares to this colossal tour-de-force. Zeps recent one, and Rush in Rio are excellent, and worthy runner-up's, but In the Flesh is so far out there that it's within the grasp of Syd Barrett himself - Shine on you crazy diamond.
p.s. this DVD is the antithesis to the "Say No to Drugs" campaign.
34 Great DVD
This is a great DVD. It bought Rogers the Wall live in Berlin DVD and I liked his songs in there especially another brick in the Wall pt. 2
In this DVD, it was even better. It took us more into the concert instead of the cameras just flying around. It was very good visual stuff in the DVD. The songs were great, the sound was great, the picture was clearer than any other DVD I have, except for Lord of the Rings DVD, it was probably the most high-definition DVD I have. I recommend this to anybody who likes rock.
35 The best thing until "Delicate Sound" comes out on DVD
Great show, show awesome in surround sound, Rodger is on top of his game.
Until "Delicate Sound" is released on DVD this is as close as your going to get to a Pink Floyd concert on DVD.
36 Pink Floyd is dead
I only have one thing to say. Pink Floyd is dead, people who buy this dvd buys a roger waters dvd not a pink floyd dvd as you can see on it. So please don't make your evaluation comparing it with Pink Floyd but make it only by itself. And by itself , although pink floyd sounds better, this dvd has a great quality.
37 Waters vs. Gilmour?
I watched the concert live at the PNC Bank Art Center in NJ, sometime in the summer of 2000. It was an overwhelming experience, as I had never been to any live show by any Pink Floyd member or the whole band for that matter. I recently purchased the DVD out of sheer nostalgia, as I think I have experienced the best of Pink Floyd in one form or another already.
First, about the DVD. The thing that put me off most was the guitarist, who kept on chewing gum during even the most sombre solo pieces. His dress was equally hideous and so were his movements. He should join one of the neo-pop divas. He may be skillful but was unable to capture the Pink Floydness. He will be an extreme disappointment for people who have heard a very matured Gilmour of recent times.
The editing and camerawork is lacklusture and so is the DVD organisation. I believe for most people it is the first Floydian experience on DVD and superior sound systems which explains so many of the five stars. I would not recommend this DVD to newbies. Die-hard Floyd fans can buy and ruminate over this DVD.
There is this ongoing debate about who captures the essence of Floyd most - Waters or Gilmour. I belong to the camp that believes both had equally important roles to play to make the legend what it is today. However, please note that while Waters has been the concept, creative and lyrical force behind the band, Gilmour supplied the musical softness and sublime beauty. Unfortunately, since Waters has not been very creatively eloquent in the recent times, you are better of with the Gilmour faction - which exhibits superior musical execution, not to mention more skillful musicians over all.
38 The Man Behind the Curtain
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters' genius as a lyricist has not been disputed (except by a few misguided, ill-informed David Gilmour fans) but his work as a performer has always been something of a mystery to the casual Floyd/Waters fan who could not see him in the stadium monstrosities staged by Pink Floyd or in Waters' relatively intimate (but rare) live performances. This DVD displays Waters' mastery of the visualization which give purchase to his poignant, intelligent lyrics and melodies. Waters' voice, a unique rock and roll treasure, is in fine form and shared by talented sidemen and women with whom Waters graciously grants stage and vocal time. The set pieces, the lighting and the structure of the show make this a must-have for all Floyd fans. It is also a nice introduction to Waters' brilliant solo work, though I honestly wish he had chosen different tracks from "Radio Kaos" and "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking." The former would have been better served by "Sunset Strip" and the latter by the title track. No matter. There are no throwaways here--as a matter of personal taste, I just wish this song-packed concert had featured more from "The Final Cut" and less from "Animals." The DVD extras are great, giving a glimpse into Waters as a human being, but sparing us the usual trite tripe you get with many such "backstage peeks." Waters was the heart and soul of Pink Floyd and "In the Flesh" is a triumph for This Man Behind Pink Floyd's Curtain. This DVD will demonstrate just how shiny and souless Gilmour's Pink Floyd is without Waters at the helm. Have A Cigar and get this DVD.
39 Holy s#%t! This is a GREAT concert!
OK, I was skeptical reading all the other 5-star reviews here, and I decided to take the plunge. I liked Pink Floyd, but this concert makes me LOVE them now. Everything about it is perfection: musicianship, camerawork, song selection, moods, lighting, singing, EVERYTHING. Oh, I forgot to mention the audio....absolutely the best I have heard on DVD. I will be buying several more of this DVD to give to others for X-mas.
Is it as good as everyone else has been saying here on Amazon?
Yup. It is. It isn't just a concert, it's a MAJOR experience.
40 "In The Flesh" is a masterpiece of a dvd!..
All concert dvd's should be this good! Roger Waters is a master!
41 Missing something, but still great.
This DVD is wonderfully put together, from the stage set to the performances themselves. Waters always was the most theatrical member of Pink Floyd, as it still shows in this concert. As needed, there are two guitarists- Doyle Bramhall and Snowy White. If you can accept that David Gilmour does not play here, you can really appreciate the guitar playing. Some of the highlights are when White and Bramhall trade guitar solos back and forth, which really intensify the songs. There is also a third guitarist (his name escapes me right now) who also sings and plays keyboards, showing his versatility. "Dogs" steals the show for me. It was performed full-length, 3-minute psychedelic keyboard section and all. Even better, all band members but two, who are the ones playing, set down their instruments to go and play a game of poker (get it? "Dogs?" Poker? The famous picture?).
However, the DVD seems to be lacking something for me - the rest of Pink Floyd. Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason alone are all great musicians, but together they make up the super-entity known as Pink Floyd. This DVD featuring only Waters is pretty good, but if you're looking for a genuine Pink Floyd sound, you might be a tad disappointed. The DVD is still great, nonetheless.
42 Astonishing DVD from a Master Musician...
I have written very few "Amazon" reviews, considering the massive number of CDs and music DVD's I've purchased over the years. But Roger Waters' "In the Flesh" compels me to put my feelings into words. I am a big fan of early-to-mid '70's "intelligent" rock -- bands like Yes, pre-pop Genesis, ELP, and of course Pink Floyd fill my CD shelves. Like many other fans, I eagerly (and painfully) await the release of "Pulse" on DVD (will that EVER happen...?). But, I thought, in its place, let's give "In the Flesh" a try. I am SO SORRY that I missed this show live when it came to my area. This is by far the most sublime and masterful rock performance I have ever seen, and the video and audio quality are nothing short of astonishing. But what really stands out -- as it should -- is the intensity and quality of the music itself. Waters & Co. play with consummate skill on track after track of classic Floyd material. But the absolute crowning jewel of this collection is the full-length, album-perfect performance of "Dogs". Now, I happen to believe that "Animals" was Floyd's best work, and that "Dogs" was the brightest gem on that astounding album. The performance of "Dogs" in this DVD brought tears to my eyes at the musicianship, the power of Waters' composition, the dagger-sharp sting of his lyrics, and the skill with which it was all presented. The theatrical sequence, when Roger sits down to a game of cards with his band-mates (in mid-song...!), is both bizarre and genius, all at once. Do not hesitate -- BUY this DVD now, and thank me later.
43 Roger Waters Live
Giving this concert-dvd a five star review did not take much thought -- simply because after Waters fired his lighter at the end of -Each Small Candle- I knew that I had seen a great live performance -- perhaps one of the greatest. What makes this frustrating is that I did not see this tour live when I had the chance to. Discouraged because I thought, "Oh, Roger Waters has a band covering Pink Floyd songs," I did not go; frankly, I was hardly motivated. What a mistake I made. Again: What a mistake I made. I have owned this dvd for over a year now and have watched it, in its entirely, at least once every month. Friends who did not like Pink Floyd now appreciate -Animals- because of this dvd. Call it an obsession if you will, this is one of the most brilliantly composed and professional shows I've ever seen; and until I saw this video, U2's Popmart World Tour and Depeche Mode's Singles Tour ranked as the top two highest-energy concerts I'd ever seen. Except I saw those performances live. That one could have a live experience, with the constant chills-up-your-spine reaction -- the thrill of being live -- with a dvd, is beyond me.
Above all, I cannot urge all of you who read this to check out Doyle Bramhall ii -- his solo work. Picked by Waters, over Jeff Beck, to sing and play the parts of David Gilmour -- quite the daunting task -- not only does Bramhall succeed triumphantly, he plays these songs and solos upside down. And that is not a metaphor. Bramhall was taught by Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan, and is a champion of honest and good music. His latest album, -Welcome-, is inspired by his work with Waters. Alongside Bramhall is Snowy White whose fine guitar playing literally crackles, especially during -Shine On You Crazy Diamond-. Both of these "hired guns" together make for one intense show.
And then Jon Carin playing the part of Richard Wright. Jon Carin. Having seen Jon back Richard up on the Pulse/Division Bell Tour, there is no better man for this job. Watching Jon play (as he sings -Dogs-, plays a beautiful Martin acoustic, slide guitar and Wright's parts on keyboard, (sometimes all the same song!) makes him, in my opinion, one of the most talented musicians on the stage.
And Roger Waters -- there is no explanation I can give, no persuasion. He is in top form. His voice carries on. Most importantly, though: know that this is not Pink Floyd; this is Roger Waters. This is what he wants. Watch this dvd and then watch Pulse. One is not better than the other. It all comes down to "vision". In the Flesh Live is Waters' vision.
I could go on and on about this dvd because I love it that much. Again, I return to my regret that I did not see this show live. You can, however, purchase it; and if you're at all like me, express a similar regret that you did not see it live; or, if you saw it live, know you saw one of the best shows that ever came to town.
44 Waters or Gilmour?
Roger demonstrates his ability to put on a full blown arena rock concert. Unabashed showmanship is his forte and this DVD captures that very well. Excellent sound and video. This is completely opposite of his former bandmate David Gilmour's DVD David Gilmour-In Concert where David puts on an intimate and very musical show. Any yet, it's not Pink Floyd. How could it be? While Roger's band is skilled and puts on a great show, the vocals and guitar of Doyle Bramhall II don't contain the same smooth eloquence of Gilmour. In the same manner, Roger's voice is sorely missed on Gilmour's rendition of Comfortably Numb. Both Waters' and Gilmour's DVD's remind us old Pink Floyd fans (I was there in '73 for Dark Side of the Moon) that it's over, but we can remember how it was thanks to these two exeptional recordings. Buy them both!
45 Pink Floyd
Roger Waters is Pink Floyd, no doubt about that.
46 The Best
If you are trying to decide between "The Wall (Live in Berlin)" and "In the Flesh (Live)", you may be interested in what I have to say. While the concert in Berlin has much more historical significance, I don't think it comes close to the sonic perfection of this DVD (yeah, I said "sonic"). First of all, the Berlin concert feels more there, whereas "In the Flesh" has a more here feel. Especially with a decent 5.1 system, you will notice that it really feels like the performance is in your living room rather than on the TV (as with "The Wall"). The guitar solos really stand out, just wait 'till you hear that wonderful Strat sound, followed by the even sweeter Les Paul wail. The only complaint I have is that Roger gives up on singing a lot of the higher pitched passages, and relies on other vocalists or the backup singers to fill his place. That said, whether you like Sepultura, James Brown, Pink Floyd, Santana, Korn, Bob Marley, or anything under the sun, if you could only own 2 concerts on DVD, they would have to be "In the Flesh (Live)" and "Led Zeppelin".
47 "In The Flesh" best DVD I own !!
I attended this concert at Darien Lake, New York. The dark skies threatened to open up and pour on the thousands of fans assembled at this outdoor venue. Moments before Roger and his band took the stage, the Sun broke thru the clouds, a Rainbow appeared and a night of magic was upon us. The surround sound was awesome and this DVD brings you all the sights and sounds of this excellent show right into your living room. I thought it was much better musically than The Pink Floyd show I saw in Toronto a few years before that. In that, I mean the mixture of songs from past P. F. albums. Floyd had the better stage show however. I bought this DVD a few months back and have played it 20 or more times. I recently purchased Roger Waters "The Wall" Live in Berlin. This DVD is also worth picking up if you are a serious Floyd fan. I only have about 10 concerts on DVD but I will say that "In The Flesh" is the best DVD I own. So Ya thought Ya might like to go to the show. If you missed this tour, buy this DVD. You won't be sorry !!
48 roger waters the great man of his own ground
IS THERE ANY BODY OUT THERE can't tell me Roger waters is a great, serious artist?. I've been a fan of Pinkfloyd for longtime .To my deep reget I could not attend Roger waters IN THE FLESH concert. After i first watch the DVD. the music,lyric,musicians, programming,video just perfect. let the old Floyd songs alone.Roger waters solo songs prove that he is the man of his own philosophy [And of many people out there]. Listenning to "It's miracle". the blend of music and lyrics make the song MIRACLE. Thank Jon carin you should be one of Pinkfloyd member.And the rest of musicians as well.The DVD must have in yours Pinkfloyd library
49 No Lasers here...Just Pure Musical Joy!!!
I had the good fortune of seeing this live concert twice and this DVD is as good as it gets! Great song list, great camera work and superb sound quality. Roger and band take us on a journey through time to the very genesis of Floydian mystique, capturing the essence and soul of an extraordinary musical vision. Highly recommended.
50 It would be great, if we weren't talking about Roger Waters
You know, it's always hard to listen (or to watch) anything former Pink Floyd members have done after the band split up, back in 1981. Recently, Gilmour released David Gilmour in concert, which is a rather boring acoustic set of old Floyd Songs. A little earlier, Water had released this In The Flesh.
First of all, it is necessary to be said that Waters's choosen a reasonably good set list. It includes all Floyd phases, completed with his solo career material. Heart-breaking classics such as Dogs, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Time, Comfortably Numb, Wish you Were Here, SOYCD are all there, highly loyal to the originals versions. So, what am I complaining about... ? All Floyd classisc, an all-star line up performing them, a big crowd and high-quality image and sound. What's missing... ? Oh, come, you all know the answer. IT'S NOT PINK FLOYD. David, Nick and Rick are missing. The astonishing magic surrounding the band, which is at its best in Live At Pompeii, is not there. Great guitar players perform David' solos, but it's not David. The biggest problem with In The Flesh is maybe its best quality: it's a great collection of live songs. And that's just it.
Pink Floyd used to do magic live. Without his former band mates, Waters can do only music.
51 IN THE FLESH
I recently bought this dvd on a whim. I was pleasantly suprised.
The live show while lacking some of the early Floyd youthfulness,shows a well tuned and almost spunky Roger in full glory. The sound is wonderful. The camara angles just right. It truly made we wish I was there. If you are a Floyd or Roger fan don't hessitate. Wish there were a few more tunes from his solo work though.
52 Found Him!
I forgot to set the mood! This is a truly excellent video by one of the great masters of rock-n-roll. A favorite in my growing collection ! ! ! Sabbath2112 . . .
53 Where's Pink?
I'm sorry but I just don't agree with all the hype about this show. The short time that Roger Waters is singing is drowned out by back up singers and the other person that sings lead I never heard of. I am 40 years old and the magic that was Pink Floyd for me growing up is definately not in this DVD. The simply amazing lazer and light show that I expected to see was also absent. A good show but I was very dissapointed . . .
54 Must Have!
I was at the concert, I own the CD, and now I have the option to relive that night again and again. What more can a Floyd fan want? As mentioned in the other reviews, this is the whole concert, and it sounds awesome. To achieve that level of mixing a live concert is very impressive, and shows that Roger Waters is indeed a master, what an ear. I do have to say that I miss David Gilmour though. Sure Snowy White and Doyl Bramhall II do a great job, but there is only one David Gilmour. The fact that Snowy plays a Gibson most of the time, is a bit confusing to me. Since very rarely did Floyd ever use Gibson guitars but who wants to hear the song exactly like it is on the album? Never the less, it's a must have for anybody who likes Roger Water's, or has not seen a Floyd show. Being an old Floyd fan, the tracks off Roger's solo stuff on this DVD are a pleasant surprise. And after listening to these live tracks, the original song's on the original CD's pail in comparison to me. The extra footage on this DVD is great too. You get to see the making of the tour. If you are a Pink Floyd fan, get this DVD, you will not be disappointed!
55 excellent sound
this dvd sounds great in dd 5.1, but i did not hear any sound coming from center channel speaker. is this the way it is supposed to be? someone please let me know.
56 THE BEST
THIS IS THE BEST DVD IN MY COLLECTION. THE SOUND IS AWESOME!!!
THIS IS BETTER THAN "DAVID GILMORE IN CONCERT". I CAN'T RECOMMEND A DVD ANY HIGHER. IT HAS SO MUCH MUSIC ON IT COMPARED TO THESE 60 MINUTE THINGS LIKE THE EAGLES. AND THE MUSIC IS ALSO BETTER(AND I'M AN EAGLES FAN TOO).YOU REALLY HAVE TIME TO GET INTO THIS MUSIC WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTIONS. IT IS SIMPLY SUPERB IN ALL WAYS. YOU'LL NEVER FIND A BETTER DVD IF YOU LIKE THIS TYPE OF MUSIC. I LOVE PINK FLOYD MUSIC AND IT HAS THIS SOUND. THE MUSICIANS AND WATERS AND THE BACKUP SINGERS WILL SIMPLY BLOW YOUR MIND!!!!
57 By the way...this one's Pink
Leaves no doubt about the genius behind the Floyd. Excellent musicianship that brings it all home.
58 THE ONLY THING BETTER WAS BEING THERE
I've read a cross section of the reviews posted here and I agree with most of them. I did attend the concert and I was just absolutely in awe of the talent on stage. When I saw the DVD come out I had to have it, although I thought I would be dissapointed by sound quality and production as I have been on several other DVD concerts. BOY WAS I WRONG !!! This (at the time) was the best sound I had ever heard from a concert DVD, if your a home theatre type of person you will REALLY enjoy this DVD, it's a marvel of sight and sound. If you're a Floyd/Waters fan you'll love the concert. What a great collection of songs !!
( I won't waste space listing them ) The energy is contagious !
I wasn't a big fan of his solo stuff until after I saw this concert, I'm now a fan. This isn't the type of DVD that sits on your shelf and you never watch, you'll watch this one over and over again.
59 I was AT the concert and regretted it.
A floyd fan since the 80s and a follower of the solo carreers to a lesser extent since about the mid 90s, when the opportunity came up to see Roger Waters in concert, I jumped at the opportunity.
It had its moments, but as a show, it left much to be desired. After doing a couple old Wall tunes, he closed with his Amnesty International dedication. Fans were incredibly disappointed that the progression of tunes they were used to from Floyd albumms and shows was not followed. It was a TERRIBLE closing tune and everyone knew it. Before it was even over, roughly half the seats in the MGM Grand stadium were emptied. It was SAD. The fact that no encore followed only drove home what I'd heard all along (from fans as well as from Roger's interviews) that he didn't really have much respect for fans.
Hold your money. With a little luck, they'll all get over this childish garbage and do a Wall reunion. Until then, I'm not supporting this garbage any further.
60 I'm now a believer. Roger is Pink!
Don't get me wrong, I was one of those who thought it was arrogant of Waters to try and unilaterally disband Pink Floyd. And I was (and still am) glad they went on without him. But I've got to say that after watching this DVD it becomes clear that Waters was the one with the creative vision for the band. This concert has a certain vitality that seems to be lacking in the glossier Thunder and Pulse videos. I even liked the concert's emphasis on the music rather than the light show. And the cuts from his post Floyd era come across surprisingly well. I say this as someone who never cared much for Roger Waters' solo efforts. However, in light of recent world events, his post Floyd songs seem especially relevant today. Of course it's always been apparent that Pink Floyd never had the same lyrical depth after Roger left the band. The contrast seems even greater in light of this video.
If Roger Waters was trying to make a point - Okay, I've got it. Point taken!
61 Good show but boring in parts
I found this show to be boring in parts. I find stuff like "in the flesh", "money", "shine on...", "comfortably numb" , etc, to be rather overplayed by Pink Floyd and Roger and it would be good to hear totally different tracks never before attempted live. I also think there are songs that Roger should stay away from such as "Wish you were here", "Time", "Shine on.." etc, because he just cant sing them properly, they were sung by Gilmour originally. He does have particular band members singing tracks such as "Money", "Dogs" etc, but why go down that road, it may as well be a PF cover band in that case. Having said all that, he made a good job of "Southhampton dock" and some of his solo stuff but it would have been such a treat to hear a few more tracks from The final cut and more from his solo stuff.
62 In The Flesh DVD Best Value For Money
I have been to the Roger Waters concert at the Bellville Velodrome in South Africa. My opinion still is that Roger Waters WAS Pink Floyd. All the Floyd classics that HE WROTE, come to their real value in this concert. The DVD captures so much emotion and musical excellence - it is unbelievable to think that I experienced exactly the same atmosphere as on the DVD. The quality of the concert is also of highest quality. According to internet sources The Wall Live In Berlin DVD will be released in April 2003. That is another great release to look forward to. Get this DVD! Pink Floyd will never be the same without Roger Waters!
63 Roger waters was good but the guitar playing was bad.
Brought this recently, while roger waters looks great (in shape, voice ) etc. I did'nt like the guitar playing. There is no way anyone can beat David Gilmour. It always looked like the guitarist were struggling to match upto David, just to produce the right sound. Maybe i have been listening to pulse a little to much, but no one can beat the fuild and smooth guitar playing David has, which was sorely missing here for Pink Floyd songs (which had lots of guitar playing). For Rogers own (From Amused to Death etc) i loved the way they were played out. Especially "Bravery of being out of Range". Also "mother" was awesome. His voice is still fantastic. But for the above mentioned points this dvd only gets 3 stars.
64 Great Show!!
I was lucky enough to see this show live, and was delighted to find the DVD was filmed THE NEXT NIGHT in Portland. It absolutely lives up to my expectations. My fifth row center seats at the Shoreline show were great, but this DVD allows me the luxury of not standing for two hours, not to mention the lack of "aromatic herb". All in all an excellent film of an incredible evening with an incredible talent.
65 Pleasantly suprised
I have been a big fan of Pink Floyd for years. But when Roger Waters brought out his solo projects, they just did not impress me much, therefore I placed his work in the back of my mind.
What a mistake. This DVD looks and sound incredible. Not a flashy stage show like Pink Floyd, but Roger Waters are skilled musicians and it looks like they are having fun.
I will also be using this DVD to show off my home theater. It's that good.
66 Amazing concert from Mr. Waters
Roger Waters has always been amazing. Ever since 1967 when the very first Pink Floyd album came out. This DVD spans his entire catalogue of music. He plays early and late Floyd classics, and also his solo work. My only complaint is that he didn't more from his first solo albums, the Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking. Otherwise, this is a great DVD for any Pink Floyd or Roger Waters fan. Or, for any music fan for that matter.
67 Excellent Concert
Having seen the concert at the Bellvile Velodrome in February 2002 I think that this is a great concert. Got the DVD as soon after the concert as I could. It is not possible to describe the experience of seeing Roger Waters live. He is a genius songwriter and knows exactly how to capture emotion and atmosphere through this concert. Get it. You dont know what you are missing!
68 the man behind Floyd
a stunning achievement. Here is the real genius behind the magic of Pink Floyd combining the best from those days with selections from his solo material. Backed by wonderful vocalists and musicians who complement him nicely, Waters brings new life to historically great songs. He manages to capture the essence of Floyd without the others. I find this material so much more entertaining than the other incarnation. Long live Roger Waters!
69 Pure sound and visual
I was at the concert they filmed and it was sensational...far beyond expectations. This DVD sounds so good, it seems better than a studio recording. The female singers really added a new dimension and the guitarist seemed as good as the original (David Gilmour). I highly recommend this DVD for both it's audio and visual experience!
70 THAT SPACE CADET GLOW
After seeing this tour live in Darien Lake, New York I had to see if the DVD captured the magic of this extraordinary concert. It does. Roger Waters and his ensemble stunned witnesses to his "In The Flesh" concert tour across America and this DVD enhances that experience with revealing camera work of the performers and considerable attention to the super-wide Waters-like images that backed the stage. At the center of the stage Waters looked humble, as if unaware of the devotion and and gratitude the fans offer him, acknowledging them with a shy but commanding stage presence as if he was doing nothing more than offering them a beer. He and his ensemble became a dynamic collective force blasting out a unity heralding Water's solo career with each member becoming an integral component to the astounding musical package. Andy Fairweather Low's blazing guitar solo during "Money", Jon Carin's letter perfect vocal rendition on "Dogs", Doyle Bramhall II's constant virtuosity in interpreting Pink Floyd and David Gilmour's lead guitar work; all these performances and the rest of the musical cast brilliantly recreated Water's and Pink Floyd's music. I was reminded while watching this how much alt-music fans have to be thankful for in Roger Waters. His is a humane and intelligent delving into the psyche, questioning where we came from and fearing where we might go but always with a respect for the weakest human condition. He has remained consistent, alternative, stimulating, and challenging at a time when most contemporaries will abandon their past for the lure of a hit record. At the outdoor venue where I saw this show live, to the dismay of thousands of concert-goers, dark rain clouds threatened the sky just prior to the scheduled time, and as if on cue, to the cheers of the crowd a sudden rainbow dissipated the grey clouds like a Pink Floyd album cover just before Waters made his entrance. It was like God himself was the set designer. Yes, this DVD captures the magic of that blessed evening. Far out man.
71 I'll make this short
instead of the novelettes by some reviewers who insist on "hipping" me to their own personal knowledge of Roger Waters and Pink Floyd. But I digress, The DVD concert is wonderful, Waters band is top notch and gives an inspiring performance. If Waters can do tours like this one (and he can) who needs Gilmour's Pink Floyd. The Floyd songs cook and Waters' solo stuff is superb. 5-stars!
72 Awesome....
Being a long time Floyd fan I was skeptical about this purchase. I immediately jumped to Money and realized that I had a keeper. I then started the DVD from the beginning and finally found the sound I've been missing for a long time. David who? Excellent group of musicians that have a powerful but polished sound. DVD quality is flawless and illustrates the best of 5.1 surround. By far the best 20 bucks I've spent.
73 Absolutely fantastic
This dvd is awesome. It should be ten stars. If you are a floyd fan, this is not just a no brainer, but a true treasure. If you are just a mainstream top 40 floyd listener, then the different interpretations of many classic floyd tunes may not appeal to you. But if you are a die hard floydian, you will salvate everytime you press play. From the ancient "Set the controls for the heart of the sun's" sensually psychedelic vibe to the new "Each small candle's" socially poignant message and all the classics, you are sure to be pleased. These are all top notch musicians who are amazingly tight as a band, but play relatively loose on the stage. They are genuinely enjoying what they're doing. As a lucky person who happend to catch this act on tour the music is as dynamic as I can recall live. The only knock is the audience seems subdued. The show I saw in Denver matched the intensity on stage and the subsequent feeling was Magic. Everyone I have shared this dvd with runs out and buys it. Don't miss out, get yours today!
74 Very Good - Wished I was there
If you like Roger Waters ~ Amused to death CD Audio & Pink Floyd, with Waters, you'll like this! I rate it a strong buy for all fans, (Five Stars). For non hard core fans still a four.
75 This is a great DVD
From the intro the the finale this is classic. Roger can still sing too.
76 don't believe the hype
I really can't believe people think this is better than Pulse! The sound quality is good, but the back up singers are too high in the mix (very distracting, and the camera man seems to be infatuated with them). An electric guitar starting Wish You Were Here?!? David Gilmour, where are you when we need you? Given the fact that these are some of my favorite songs....this DVD was uninspiring. The only good thing about this DVD is getting to hear Roger Water's voice again. Hate to say it but Guy Pratt's (on Pulse) bass playing is far superior to Roger's in every aspect. Same goes for all of the other musicians. Release Pulse on DVD and we won't have to settle for .... imitations anymore!
77 Superior Quality...... Great Performance!
This is how a concert Dvd should be done! Great camera work.... Great audio....AND ABOVE ALL, NO INTERRUPTIONS!!! Roger Waters and the band were excellent. Great live concert.
78 Amazing!!!
Just a few words... I saw this dvd with a friend who is a
black metal fan ( no comments ). He got shocked :-) Now when
the discussion comes to music he says "When are we gonna see
it again? PLZ!" :-) The best word to describe this dvd is
FEELING. And the last song ( a new one i think ) "Each small
candle" is perfect. Whether you are a Pink Floyd / Roger Waters
fan or not, just buy it.
79 This is the best, and I'm not even a Floyd fan.
I bought this DVD because I had a hankering to hear some of my favorite Pink Floyd songs, and I was unable to find a Pink Floyd DVD at the time, so I settled for this. And this has turned out to be the best music DVD I have in my collection. All the Floyd songs are faithfully played by this excellent line-up. It is a huge yet understated production, and the lighting and visuals fit the music to a T. Sound and picture quality are excellent. The performances are flawless from beginning to end. The guitar work is first-rate as is everything else. This is a definite must-have for any music lover, Floyd fan or not. You will be astounded! Classic.
80 Simply amazing !
Roger Waters at his peak performance. This DVD comprises from the very early Floyd ages (¬Set The controls...¬) through the most creative era (¬Money¬ , ¬Wish You Were Here¬) till the latest solo creations (¬Pros and Cons...¬). It resumes creativity, power, and emotions. Nothing would be a surprise considering it comes from that huge musician, of course. But you'll be amazed about how songs are played. Guitar players (there are three in some passages) have their own mood and, though no one could rival Gilmour, it is true that you will not miss him there.
Camera is very good, direction does not abuse of video effects, therefore video never distracts your attention from the music.
Sound is tremendous: Dolby 5.1 makes you feel in the midle of the audience.
Whether you agreed or not with Water's departure from PF, whether you like or not an average album that was Radio Kaos, give a chance to this DVD. You'll not be disappointed.
81 Simply The Best.
I own approx 50 music DVD's and this is just the finest of them all.
The picture quality is not the the best but still very good.
When it comes to the sound, and most important of all, the content, then this is where it scores so very highly. If I could award this 10 stars then I would.
Roger Waters is quite superb with his brand of music and lyrics. I am not sure whether it is my age that draws me to this genre, but having said that, my son likes this very much aswell.
There is no substitute for sheer and utter class...
82 a must for the pink floyd fans!
This concert is 2 hour and a half of very good music, mostly Pink Floyd songs(great selections)and some of Roger Waters solo career. The stage is big and have a large screen behind where you can see some pictures that represents a concept of each songs. The best moments are again taken from the Darke side of the moon album. The picture and sound are great, if not perfect.
83 Second best live Pink Floyd album
This is a DVD from Roger Waters 2000 concert tour. The music itself is about 2 and a half hours long. It has the exact same track listing as the 2 CD set of the same name. For special features, there is a very short biography on each member of the band, a gallery of still pictures and a 15 minute video of the group preparing for the tour. The video isn't very insightful, except that it shows how well scripted the concert is. Even the "thank yous" between songs are planned in advance.
The is a very good DVD, but it isn't the best concert DVD I have seen. For instance, King Crimson's Deja Vroom is better technically, artistically and has better features. In The Flesh does come in stereo or Dolby 5.1. The sound quality is excellent. The picture is high resolution, but the camera work isn't that spectacular. It doesn't give you that feeling of being immersed in the concert. It is more like you are sitting in the back row. The camera focuses on the wrong parts of the groups and the wrong time. Someone will be doing a solo, while someone else is featured in the video.
But, the important thing on a concert video is how good is the music. This is the second best live album put out by any members of Pink Floyd. It is better than Pulse or The Delicate Sound of Thunder, and on a par with Ummagumma. The best Pink Floyd live album is "Is There Anybody Out There".
The unfornate thing is that none of the best Pink Floyd live material is available anywhere. They were simply amazing and creative during the seventies. They were constantly experiementing with the material. Dark Side of the Moon was originally played as a suite called "Eclipsed". Later, the group did a 60 minute version of Dark Side of the Moon, where they really strectched out the material in amazing ways (not like the lame version on Pulse). Animals and Wish You Were Here were first played in concert before turning up on record.
Roger Waters has done a better job playing many of these songs on his earlier tours in 1982 (with Eric Clapton) and in 1987. David Gilmore's solo tours were better than his tours with Pink Floyd in the eighties and nineties.
There are some very good tracks on this DVD. The real stand out is Set The Controls For the Heart of the Sun. Then there are tracks that aren't that spectacular. The studio versions of the songs from Amused To Death are much better.
In 1999, Waters got up the courage to tour again. He was worried about touring again because his 1987 tour was a moderate flop, only half filling arenas. But it was different in 1987. He had just released the horrible "Radio KAOS", which turned off many fans. Plus, Pink Floyd was touring at the same time. It turned out that Waters played more real Pink Floyd songs, and did them better, for the most part.
Now it is 1999. He just released "Amused to Death", which was the best Pink Floyd album since "The Wall". He had no competition from Pink Floyd, which hadn't toured in 5 years, and the word of mouth got out on how good his 1987 tour was. Waters rapidly sold out the small concert halls and had to switch to medium sized arenas.
In 1999, his show was around 2 and half hours (slightly longer than 2 CD's). In 2000, Waters modified his set list. He dropped some songs and added a few others and ordered everything so it would now fit nicely on two CD's. The change was for the better. He dropped some unnecessary songs like the Powers That Be, but some good ones like Another Brick in the Wall Part 1 and What God Wants. But he made up for it with adding Set Your Controls For the Heart of Sun (the best thing on the CD) and the new song Each Small Candle (which is about 8 minutes long).
For this tour, Waters has a good supporting band, of a guitar onslaught (three guitartists), keyboards, saxophone and backup singers. Some people complain because the guitarists don't sound like David Gilmore. Well, that is good. It adds new dimensions to the songs. When I buy a live CD, I don't want to hear a duplication of the studio song. When I want to hear David Gilmore, I will listen to the real thing.
Waters does a nice job of playing the Pink Floyd classics, but he has done it better before. In 1987 he combined Another Brick in Wall Parts 1 and 2. Here he just does Part 2 by itself, leaving off the fantastic guitar intro from Part 1. His 1987 version of Welcome to the Machine was the best I have ever heard, with a very powerful machine driven beat. Alot of reviewers praise the version of Dogs, but I found it to be too close to the studio version to be anything special.
There are a number of winners on this CD. Shine on You Crazy Diamond is especially good. I like that he plays it as a complete piece, as Pink Floyd first did in 1975. The version ofMoney is refreshingly different.
In summary, this is a very good live DVD, but it could have been better. Too much of the material is too close to the studio version. Waters and Pink Floyd have played some of these songs much better in the past. The real treat would be getting Pink Floyd live material from the seventies. Before releasing Dark Side of the Moon, they had an experimental version called Eclipsed. After Dark Side of the Moon was released, they stretched it out to an hour in concert and played experimental versions of Sheep and Dogs called Raving and Drooling and You've Got To Be Crazy and were evolving Shine On You Crazy Diamond, with soaring keyboard solos.
84 Musical orgasm
Then the stage, the cheering, opening with the first few bars of "In The Flesh", lights, slides, action and we are away. Waters in the spotlight at the rear and above the stage, wonderfull back up singers led by the amazing PP Arnold set the tone for the evening.
Waters joins the other members of the band at stage level for "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives". Waters half yelling/talking vocals can be a bit grating for some but it suits his style and the mood of the song.
"Another Brick In The Wall Part2" begins with it's familiar opening. Waters takes a bit of a backseat to the backup singers and the guitar work of Doyle Bramhall II and "Snowy" White with great affect.
Waters brings out the acoustic guitar out for a quieter moment with "Mother". Journeyman guitarist Andy Fairweather Low assumes the bass role. Waters in the spotlight on guitar and vocals. Clear, strong vocals augmented by the female backing vocals. Female vocal solo and the mood becomes a bit uptempo with Doyle Bramhall II on guitar. Back to Waters and the whole band .
Lights, expolsions, keyboards "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert" begins, same acoustic instrumentation. A moving "political" song. "Southhampton Dock" Waters really has a great voice for this type of song. Emotions flowing, tight acoustic guitar work.
Jon Carin on acoustic guitar as well as keys on "Pigs" and "Dogs". Graham Broad belts out the dums to Bramhall's electric guitar. Good to see some tracks from "Animals". Bramhall and White working tightly together to share the lead guitar work. Fairweather Low content to take a back seat. Bramhalls vocals are good but not great. I feel he has been practicing the "guitarist grimance" in the mirror a bit too much.
A table is set up and Waters, Bramhall, White, Fairweather Low have a drink and a game of cards watched by the backup singers as Carin, Broad, Wallace continue on. A nice way to have a small break.
Another acoustically driven song in "Welcome To The Machine", Waters voice sounds a little weak but it may be the mix. The keyboard work of John Carin is becoming a real hightlight of this band now. Atmospheric, moody.
John Carin on Pedal Steel leads us into "Wish You Were Here" with Bramhall and I wish I was there. Waters and the band are tight and seem to be just warming to the occasion. Close your eyes. The magic of Floyd is still alive in another incarnation.
Silence as the haunting strains begin "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Snowy White absolutely nailed the guitar intro and Broad on drums then Bramhall set up the scene for Waters vocals. The huge screen at the back taking on the image of the subject. The "jam" sequence really let this bunch of talented musicians show their wares. This is a song that really moves me when I hear it and this is no exception. One of my all time Floyd favourites. Waters finally talks to the crowd to say "That was for Syd"
"Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" and Waters on acoustic guitar, Broad on drums and the 3 female back up singers and the sax solo really put a lot of feeling into this before the whole band getting into it. Snowy White (he could be a young Gilmour) pulls off another great solo. With Waters back on Bass and Carin on pedal steel Branhall on vocals "Breath (in the air)" comes to life. Carin doing backup vocals may have been better doing lead vocals on this.
This leads up to "Time" and "Money". Graham Broad on drums is having a ball on the intro. This is what a lot of people have come to see and hear. Floyd. It may not be THE Floyd but this is not a tribute or clone band either. Andy "The Librarian" Fairweather Low even comes out to nail an amazing solo as if to show the upstarts (Bramhall and White) that the old guys cam still do it.
"Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking" has Waters in fine voice in his half talking half singing style but the back up singers of Arnold, Kissoon and Melvoin "make" this song. "Perfect Sense" has the crowd on its feet and is probably one of the highlights led by Waters and Arnold of this "Anthem". Waters brings out the electric guitar for "The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range".
Swirling keys of Carin and Wallace, bass and brushed drums begin the "cynicism" of "It's A Mirace" for a quieter more sombre piece. Tight harmonies, keys and drums are a highlight on the very moving "Amused Itself To Death". "Brain Damage" and close your eyes again and your with Floyd, there is no escaping it and surprisingly (or maybe not so) this seems to be where Waters is the most comfortable.
A bit of banter and then into "Eclipse" I feel that Branhalls lead vocal bits would be better left to Carin. "Comfortably Numb", "Each Small Candle" round out memorable performence .
A great band, visuals, lighting, sound, songs. Waters has assembled a very talented group of musicians and vocalists. All the musicians were very competent but I feel that the back up singers led by PP Arnold added so much more to the overall sound of the performance in front of a very appreciative crowd. Not a bead of sweat to be seen anywhere but this was a true performance of heart and soul. You know when you have seen a great group of musicians. They make it look so easy.
Not Floyd but they live on in the music. Waters and crew really nailed this.
Criticisms?
Maybe Bramhalls lead vocal sections (and guitarists grimances) could have been left to Carin, but this is only a minor "blemish".
Highlights ?
Pushing >PLAY and being transported for a few hours of a musical orgasm
85 Benchmark
I'm going to keep it simple, hope this is refreshing.
Four Channel effects= 10
Video Quality= 10
Sound Quality= 10
Overall Value= 10+
Well, listening to again, gives me goose bumps every time.
Enjoy!!!!
86 Brillant,Great 5 stars!!!
I bought this DVD and popped it in and was blown away, The sound quality is great and the songs are great as well. Roger takes you thru his Pink Floyd days w/ Set the Controls,Wish You were here,Shine on Crazy Diamond, As well as his solo stuff, my personal favorites "Each Small Candle" and "Miracle". The band is fantastic the Gtr players are first rate. Excellent cd, If your looking for a rock concert on DVD , here it is!!!!
87 Roger Waters still rocks
Excellent soundtrack and picture although I would definetly like to see more impressive works such as PULSE or the Delicate Sound of the Thunder
I know that Waters wants to leave the Pink Floyd age behind but those 2 video works made history and deserve to be in DVD format
However this DVD is fantastic, a must have
88 Flawless
Could be the best music DVD available. The video is unparalleled and the sound is up there with the best DTS disks I have listened to (i.e. Hell Freezes Over). The song selection is great. The performance of "Dogs" is nothing short of astounding.
89 Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii have become Comfortably Numb
After reading all the reviews about how great the concert is, I waited a very long time for it to finally arrive in New Zealand. Well, 7 months later it did and i am happy to say, it was well worth the wait. The camera work is amazing, the interactive menus are very well done, the sound qaulity is superb and, man this concert rocks. Plain and simple, it rocks. I wish that Roger had come to New Zealand as i know many people would have loved to see him perform. The guitarists do their work amazingly, the way the guys make those guitars sing, it brings a tear to a guys eye. :) I would tell any floyd fan, even if they dont like Roger Waters solo works, to buy this DVD, as the floyd classics are there and played brilliantly. Another thing that i like about it, as a learning guitar player, there are plenty of shots of the guitar playing and it is easy to slow the dvd down to note it and learn from it. Just sad about one thing and that there was no music from Roger Waters Radio Kaos album. they could have played the tide is turning or something like that. :( ah well, guess have to save that for the next tour eh.
Enjoy this DVD and shine one everybody
Scotty
90 Amazing
The quality of this recording is incredible. The selection of songs for the concert was very good. ... I have watched many concerts in DVD and this is one of the best. For me, this one and U2's Elevation are my favorites by far.
91 They say the toothless get Ruthless........
One of the best Music DVD's in my collection. Great Mix of classic Floyd tunes and selections from Roger's solo career. Sound Quality is A+++. Graham and Snowy on guitar will almost prompt you to say David who? Backup Singers are right on the mark also. Highly Recommend this DVD....Roger Waters IS PINK FLOYD!
92 Roger Waters is King!
If you remained a Pink Floyd fan through its post-Waters era, then you may find your loyalties challenged by this DVD concert. I found the "Pulse" concert (laserdisc version - crisp and clear audio and video) to be damn near perfect. But Waters has raised the bar with "In The Flesh". The band is tight, the execution is flawless! Waters mixes equal parts old Floyd material and his solo material, which is equally good if perhaps a bit more political in nature. If this concert and tour had been presented on the massive stadium scale of Pink Floyd's last two tours, then we would have been in for a real spectacle. But the leaner, meaner Roger Waters lets the music and musicianship do the talking for him. Great show, substantial length, and most of the band sits down for a brief game of cards about 2/3 through it. If you are a Pink Floyd and Roger Waters fan, this DVD will be your favorite. If you aren't a fan (or are just a casual fan), then you will wonder why your other concert DVD's aren't this good.
93 Pink Floyd
If your a Pink Floyd fan and have a DVD system with 5.1 sound then this is the Best you have ever heard! It's as good as being there!
94 Music that will live on when all else is forgotten!
I bought this DVD thinking I'd be automatically disappointed as I thought nothing could top the reincarnation of Pink Floyd and their "Pulse" tour. Was I ever surprised to sit through this wonder of a concert! There are just not enough artists out there anymore who convey the emotional depth of a Roger Waters. As someone who has always resented the emphasis on Waters to Pink Floyd, I never listened to his solo stuff. I can guarantee you that will change. Amused to Death is a dynamic song sung by someone who has all but apologized for his spitting in the face of a fan at Olympic Stadium in Montreal(?) Though his vocals falter a bit, he nevertheless is clear and concise in his vision of a world that doesn't always look pretty. If only one final reunion tour could be organized.
95 This is a must have!!
I'll make it short and sweet (the previous reviews covered most of it).
If you like Pink Floyd/Roger waters (and own a DVD player of course) You must own this DVD!
Excelent sound, beautifuly produced.
96 The Concert I Missed
I really wanted to go to this concert when Roger Waters was touring America a few years back, but the logistics made the trip impossible at the time. Well, here it is in all it's glory. The band is remarkable and the DVD quality played over a really good stereo brings the whole experience to life. Especially powerful were the excerpts from AMUSED TO DEATH and it was great to hear SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN from the old-old Pink Floyd days. The abreviated version of SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND serves as a nice tribute to Sid Barret.
Another highlight of this DVD is the behind the scenes video showing the involved process leading up to the staging of this impressive tour.
Highly recommended to fans of Pink Floyd and Roger Water's solo career.
97 Among the best concert videos
Well done! Sound, performance, and musical selection all excellent and among the best concert DVD's on the market. First rate band assembled by Waters. I'm not a huge "Floyd" fan, and I have a short fuse for psychedelia and other such theatrical nonsense so I was almost surprised to find this concert (and the DVD format) excellent across the board. My personal highlights: "Mother" and "Southampton Dock". I don't always agree with Waters' predictable and politically pedestrian stabs, but he is a genius mixing material and mood. This DVD reminded me again of the overlooked brilliance of "The Final Cut".
98 GREAT DVD, Great concert, Great Quality, Legendary Music!!!
In The Flesh is a world tour Roger Waters will be finishing this June, and while he was visiting the states, he releases a double cd and a DVD.
Both are divided in an all Floyd half, and the other one is a half-floyd, half solo career and a new song.
Here are the pros and cons of In The Flesh DVD:
Pros:
- I actually found the DVD at a cheaper price than the cds.
- The Band (Snowy White, Doyle Braham II, Fairweather Low, The 3 singing chicks....) are awesome throughout.
- The sound on the DVD and on the tour is tremendous, and I was glad that acute attention was paid to every little sound effect from the albums.
- Once you 'get over' the fact that there's no dave (guitar and vocals), no Rick and no Nick, you can really appreciate what these talented group of musicians are doing.
- The concert starts off with a bang with 'In The Flesh'. A song which I always thought would be the best concert opener. Followed by a tight rendition of 'Happiest Days Of Our Lives' and 'Another Brick In The Wall Part 2'. This section along with 'Mother' almost made me cry. 'Happiest Days' is great and Waters adds even the slightest sound effects from the original songs (Hey you, stand still laddy). ABITW 2 is different, hearing the 3 women sing we don't need no education was a shock.
But once you get into Waters gimmick of having them as back-up vocals so as his voice wont sound as weak, you find they actually add to a lot to the songs.
- Next is a mellow and heartfelt perfomance of 'Mother'. Roger actually plays the guitar in this one. Dave's lyrics (mother) are done by the three singing chicks, this actually feels at home since mother is a female character. Roger sings with a lot of emotion IMO on this track, beautiful end to 'The Wall' Section. In my opinion, adding 'Mother; was a very good choice.
- Next off are 2 songs from 'The Final Cut': 'Get Your Filthy Hands off my desert' and 'Southhampton Dock'. Both are played and delivered beautifully but very short. 'Southhampton Dock' is particularly beauitiful. But all in all, a short section.
- This is followed by 2 songs from 'Animals': 'Pigs on the wing Part 1' and 'Dogs'. 'Pigs on the wing 1' is short and sweet, followed by 'Dogs', now THAT was a gutsy move by Roger. 'Dogs' is cut down to size and some of the notes are changed, and Dave's lyrics are sung by the keybordist/guitarist (a very talented guy with a good voice), I can't remeber his name as of now, and he does a good job, but still, one can't help miss Dave's voice. Roger ends with his section of the lyrics. All in all, this was a tight and stupendous number, I was really glad he added this one on his tour.
- This is followed by three songs from 'Wish You Were Here': 'Welcome To The Machine' was another very, very gutsy move on Roger's part. He sings it nicely, and they play it beautifully, again I was VERY happy he added this one along with Dogs, two songs I would have loved to see on PULSE.
- Wish You Were Here is sung by Waters. I'm actually glad he chose to sing it himself, it's different but it still feels heartfelt. Next is 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' which is all over the place, the sections are shifted but still, it IS a great song and feartures IMO Snowy White's best guitar work.
- To top the first section off we have 'Set the controls for the heart of the sun'. This old floyd classic gets a welcome R&B groove and a very bluesy sax solo (yes, sax solo) in the middle. I think this actually improves on the original, even though I still miss the original bass lines and taken as individuals, they both seem like 2 different songs. I still like the original though.
- The second section starts off with a bang: 3 songs from Dark Side. 'Breathe' is surprisingly waterless bocally, so is 'Money'. But it was very brave of him to sing the first part of 'Time', when I heard 'Ticking away, the moments...' delivered by Waters, it sent shivers up my spine. This section is actually pretty tight and well played, Breathe is ok, Time is very well played (or immitated if you wish), but Money gets into this very welcome jamming section that gets the audience more interested and Waters' bass is better than in the rest of the concert.
- This introduces us to 5 selections from Waters solo years. First off is 'Every Strangers Eyes' from 'Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking', it is sung very emotionally and the lyrics are so beautiful, it perfectly goes into 'Perfect Sense 1 & 2'.
- Next off are 4 selections from Waters amazing 'Amused to Death' solo album. First off is 'Perfect Sense 1&2' that song seemed perfect for a live gig, and man oh man does it work. It really gets the crowd going and it's a real energy-charged section because it is followed with 'The Bravery of being out of Range' a real heavy song that is played and sung with a lot of energy.
- This adrenaline infused section prepares the audience to withstand two mellow but beautiful songs. First off is 'It's a Miracle', if it didn't have such beautiful lyrics and Roger's emotion-driven voice, it would have ruined the tempo of the concert so far, but it doesn't. Next off is 'Amused to death' a gem from that album that is sung flawlessly by Waters and the female backup vocalists. Beautiful.
- This is closely followed by the orgasmic section of Dark Side: 'Brain Damage'/'Eclipse'. This really builds in energy and explodes. By this point you can see the band is really into it and so is the audience.
- This leads to 'Comfortably Numb'. David's part (Pink) is sung by Doyle Braham II. He does a good job but still... Waters' part (Doctor) is delivered perfectly and with amazing energy and precision. The solos of course don't compare and that's good because these guys don't seem to want to immitate Dave, but do their own stuff with the notes. Even though they needed two guitars to complete Dave's sound.
* Doesn't compare to the CN on PULSE, but again we 'SHOULDN'T' compare.
- To top it all off is a new song called 'Each Small Candle'. The first verse is a poem written by a torture victim. Really heartfelt lyrics delivered beautifully by Waters. Really is a ray of hope in contrast to Water's other gloomy lyrics. I'm glad he introduces us to this song on this tour.
- By the end you get the sense that Waters isn't such a [jerk] after all. By watching the concert and him closely as well as the 20+ min. documentary you really get the idea that if Dave, Rick and Nick would get off their [rears] and propose something theyre might be a remote chace (2 or maybe 3/10 of a chance) that they might do something together.
- Great image quality and the 20+ min. doc. is a welcome special feature, so are the stills and the band biographies. Did I mention the sound is awesome.
Cons:
- Why those two short songs in representation of 'The Final Cut'. Why not two of those 3+ min. masterpieces like 'Fletcher Memorial', 'The Final Cut', 'One of the Few', 'The Gunners Dream' or 'Not Now John' (now that would have been something!).
- Why in the hell not play 'Pigs on the wing' extended 8-track version. I mean he had Snowy White, he was right there!!!
The extended version is actually parts 1 & 2 united by a bridge solo played by snowy white, all in all a fuller song, that just aches to be played live.
- Why only 'Every Strangers Eyes' from 'Pros & Cons', that album had so many good songs on it. Would have preffered 'Pros & Cons of Hitchhinking', 'Go Fishing', 'Sexual Revolution' among others.
- No Radio KAOS??
- Roger doesn't sing as much as we want him to, we know that he's got a weak voice by now, but still...
- Guitar notes and bass lines are changed here and there, I don't really know if this is a con, but there's gonna be the usual guy that says "hey he missed some notes on 'Dogs'". Be open-minded, we don't want the same song, that's why we have the original album. Changes for live performances are 'almost always' welcome.
All in all...
Well worth owning. Is it as good as PULSE (the video, images withstanding)? Well no, not as, but pretty close.
99 Unbelievable!
I truly don't know what to say about this DVD. The only word that comes to mind is - AWESOME, and the only thing better than buying this DVD would have been to be at this concert.
If you love PF - buy this DVD. You will not regret it.
100 Good job
Buy it, it has good quality video and it was well recorded in 5.1
Good music too.
