Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005

 (2005)

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
Alice Cooper's live shows are legendary for their sense of rock theater and sheer visual spectacle. This latest addition to our range of titles from the renowned Montreux Festival catches Alice Cooper at his very best. Underpinning the visual assault has always been a collection of some of the best rock songs around delivered by one of the all-time great frontmen. This show includes tracks from across his career right up to most recent album Dirty Diamonds, and incorporating all the classics you would expect.

For more about Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 and the Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray release, see the Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray Review

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, May 23, 2010

The last time I saw Alice Cooper live was back in 1989 when he went on tour to promote his then-current album Trash. I remember being quite surprised by the stylistic changes he introduced through it, but ultimately liking what he had done a lot. Top producer Desmond Child, who had previously collaborated witch the likes of Kiss, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, had assisted Cooper on "Poison", which went on to become the album's biggest hit.

For awhile, it looked like Trash had revived Cooper's career. I remember that tadio stations that did not typically cover the rock scene were playing Cooper's songs. In 1991, the legendary rocker released the album Hey Stoopid, which produced the hit "Feed My Frankenstein" for Penelope Spheeris' Wayne's World. Despite contributions from Slash, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and even Ozzy Osbourne, however, Hey Stoopid failed to replicate the success of Trash. Then, in 1994, Cooper released the concert album "The Last Temptation" and started touring extensively.

In 2000, Cooper finally released a new studio album - Brutal Planet, which was quickly followed by Dragontown. Both albums signaled a change of direction for Cooper, but the heavy social overtones and industrial sound they promoted were not greeted enthusiastically by the fans. In 2003, Cooper released "The Eyes of Alice Cooper", which was musically and thematically closer to his classic hard rock albums.

Recorded live on July 12, 2005, at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux was part of the rock star's "Dirty Diamonds" tour (promoting the "Dirty Diamonds" album, which was released earlier the same year). During the tour, Cooper was assisted by Damon Johnson (guitar, keyboards), Ryan Roxie (guitar), Chuck Garric (bass), and Eric Singer (drums).

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux has an impressive set of songs, including some of Cooper's greatest hits, such as "School's Out", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "I'm Eighteen", "Feed My Frankenstein", "Lost In America", and "Poison". What is even more impressive, however, is that the star looks as energetic here as I remember seeing him back in 1989. He is also up to his old tricks, though nowadays a lot of the "shocking" material looks anything but shocking.

Cooper fans should enjoy the show given its genuinely unpretentious, even raw look. Cooper does his best to please the audience and his singing clearly reflects it. Occasionally his voice drops, and towards the end of the show he also looks exhausted, but this only makes the show looking that much more charming.

An American Legend

Tracklisting:

1. Department Of Youth
2. No More Mr. Nice Guy
3. Dirty Diamonds
4. Billion Dollar Babies
5. Be My Lover
6. Lost In America
7. I Never Cry
8. Woman Of Mass Distraction
9. I'm Eighteen
10.Between High School & Old School
11.What Do You Want From Me
12.Is It My Body
13.Go To Hell
14.The Black Widow
15.Gimme
16.Feed My Frankenstein
17.Welcome To My Nightmare
18.The Awakening
19.Steven
20.Only Women Bleed
21.Ballad Of Dwight Fry
22.Killer
23.I Love The Dead
24.School's Out
25.Poison
26.Wish I Were Born In Beverly Hills
27.Under My Wheels

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-2 and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Even though this was one of the very first Blu-ray releases Eagle Rock Entertainment produced, the quality of the presentation is very good. Fine object detail is first-rate, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent. Many of the the close-ups with Alice's wrinkled face, for example, look terrific. The stage shots also look strong. Motion-judder is not a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. Mild noise is occasionally noticeable, but it is never distracting. Additionally, there are no serious shadow effects to report in this review either. The camerawork is excellent. All in all, Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux looks surprisingly fresh on Blu-ray, and fans of the rock legend should definitely consider adding this disc to their collections. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: LPCM 2.0, DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the LPCM 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

As noted earlier, this was one of the very first Blu-ray disc Eagle Rock Entertainment produced, and as such, it does not offer an elaborate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Nevertheless, the LPCM 2.0 that you would find on this disc is more than satisfying. Its dynamic amplitude is surprisingly good and balance excellent. Additionally, the separation between Alice's singing and the music is great. This being said, what the LPCM 2.0 lacks is depth and fluidity - and, I must say, only during certain parts of the show.

I tested a couple of songs with the DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks - "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Lost In America", "Welcome To My Nightmare" and "Poison". Despite the surround sound enhancements, as well as the prominent hall effect, I found the LPCM 2.0 to be a lot more convincing. To be clear, while testing the songs mentioned above with the Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 track, I noticed a number of balance fluctuations which, in my opinion, are a lot more problematic than the perceived lack of depth and fluidity. On the other hand, in terms of dynamics both tracks compare well with the LPCM 2.0 track. To sum it all up, do not be discouraged by the lack of an elaborate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, as the LPCM 2.0 track is still of very good quality.

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Most unfortunately, there are absolutely no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray disc whatsoever.

Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

Even though Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux was one of Eagle Rock Entertainment's very first Blu-ray releases, it still looks and sounds good. The actual show is also very good. In fact, I feel inspired now to purchase a ticket for the "Theatre of Death" tour, which goes on the road again this June. RECOMMENDED.

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