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Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux Blu-ray
Eagle Rock Entertainment | 1997 | 105 mins | Not rated | Nov 17, 2009
Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux Blu-ray ReviewReviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, November 22, 2009 Formed by Maurice White in 1970 in Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire are a band with a rich history. Together with Kool & the Gang and The Gap Band, Earth, Wind & Fire are responsible for the commercialization of funk, R&B, and black pop in America. The band has won ten Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. Earth, Wind & Fire are primarily known for their unique blend of funk, jazz, pop, R&B, disco and traditional African tunes. The band's leaders - Maurice White (who retired in 1995 for health reasons) and Philip Bailey - have also been successful as producers, arrangers and composers. Bailey, in particular, has had a notably successful solo career. During the years, he has collaborated with such music icons as Steve Wonder, Phil Collins, Brian McKnight, and Julio Iglesias. Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux takes us back to 1997 and the band's first appearance at the famous festival. In front of an exuberant crowd, Philip Bailey (lead vocals, percussion), Sheldon Reynolds (lead vocals, guitar), Verdine White (bass), Ralph Johnson (vocals, percussion), Sonny Emory (drums), Morris Pleasure (keyboards), McKnight (keyboards), David Romero (percussion), B. David Whithworth (vocals, percussion), Gary Bias (saxophone), Ray Brown (trumpet) and Reggie Young (trombone) - delivered a memorable performance featuring some of their greatest hits: "Revolution", "Saturday Nite", "After The Love Has Gone", "Rock It", and "Boogie Wonderland". The band's stage presence is terrific. These are seasoned musicians that know exactly how to ignite their audience. From "Rock That" to "Devotion", their music groves hard - whether it is a funky tune or a jazzy piece with a couple of strong solo improvisations, there is always plenty of energy on the stage. What impresses the most about Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux, however, is how genuinely heartfelt and sincere the music is - nothing is forced, nothing is overdone, nothing is repetitive. It is a giant celebration of music, really, where everyone is encouraged to contribute.
Tracklisting: 1. Introduction by Claude Nobs 2. Rock That 3. Jupiter 4. Saturday Nite 5. Revolution 6. Gratitude 7. September 8. Let's Groove 11. Can't Hide Love 12. That's The Way Of The World 13. Drum Solo 14. Reasons 15. Fantasy 16. Mo's Solo 17. Boogie Wonderland 18. After The Love Has Gone 19. Sing A Song 20. Shining Star 21. Devotion Bonus Tracks 1998 1. Kalimba Funk Intro 2. Medley: Pride/Mighty Mighty 3. In The Stone 4. Solo Percussion (Daahoud) 5. I'll Write A Song 6. Love's Holiday 7. Getaway Video  Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment. Please note that the bonus content from the band's appearance at the Montreux Festival in 1998 is in 480/60i. The transfer has a slightly dated look - the color-scheme is warm, with blacks, reds and blues at times looking somewhat pale; contrast is pleasing and clarity good. Detail varies, especially during panoramic shots, but is nevertheless good. At times, very mild "motion-judder" is noticeable. Additionally, neither macroblocking nor edge enhancement are a serious issue of concern. Though not overly impressive, the camerawork is effective (if you have seen other Montreux shows from the same period, you would know exactly what to expect from Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux). Finally, there are no serious shadow issues to report in this review. (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). Audio There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does a fairly good job of capturing the party atmosphere in the venue. Earth, Wind & Fire have always been known for putting up terrific shows where the crowds become involved fairly early, and this one isn't an exception - with the opening notes of "Saturday Nite" and then "Revolution", everyone is on their feet. The sound quality is good - the singing is crisp and clear and the guitar, brass, and percussion solos rich. There are no odd sound overlappings (Philip Bailey's vocals are very easy to distinguish). I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or background noise to report in this review. The LPCM 2.0 track is decent, but far from matching the fluidity of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The brass section, in particular, feels detached. During the drum solo, the LPCM 2.0 track also lacks the more natural (low) resonance the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track conveys. In terms of dynamics and fluidity, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is the least effective one on the disc. Supplements  Unfortunately, there are absolutely no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray disc whatsoever. Final words Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at Montreux is another very good Blu-ray release by Eagle Rock Entertainment. Those of you who enjoy classic funk, R&B, jazz and pop should definitely seek it out. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 
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