Review:Portishead NYC 97
05-07-02, 10:22 AM
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Review:Portishead NYC 97
Portishead hit the scene hard back in the mid 90s, right away the dub sway, mood hip-hop sound hit hard thanks to the haunting vocals and lyrics of Beth Gibbons.
2 original albums and a live release (of this show) later they have dropped off the map for the most part.
This DVD harkens back to those halcyion days of the late 90s. Available on VHS for some time PORTISHEAD: NYC Roseland '97 finally has made its way to the , concert friendly format of DVD.
Finally an end to those warbly attempts at recreating a concert experience at home.
Offered in 2.0 Dolby and 5.1 the set list of the concert is as folows:
Humming
Cowboys
All Mine
Half Day Closing
Over
Only You
Seven Months
Numb
Undenied
Mysterons
Sour Times
Elysium
Glory Box
Roads
Strangers
Western Eyes
+Videoes and short films-Road Trip
Wandering Star
To Kill A Dead Man
Numb
Sour Times
All Mine
Over
Only You
the image is full frame (some of the videos are letterboxed) and the quality varies on a couple of the videos, but remains sharp. Comes with a terrific booklet of photos and credits in a clear case with a piture of the
venue on the flipside of the cover.
If you are a fan of Phead get this, if you aren't its a great addition 2 your live concert dvd collection.
The real boon here is the sound, and the short films.
It is also reasonably priced 13-15$.
2 original albums and a live release (of this show) later they have dropped off the map for the most part.
This DVD harkens back to those halcyion days of the late 90s. Available on VHS for some time PORTISHEAD: NYC Roseland '97 finally has made its way to the , concert friendly format of DVD.
Finally an end to those warbly attempts at recreating a concert experience at home.
Offered in 2.0 Dolby and 5.1 the set list of the concert is as folows:
Humming
Cowboys
All Mine
Half Day Closing
Over
Only You
Seven Months
Numb
Undenied
Mysterons
Sour Times
Elysium
Glory Box
Roads
Strangers
Western Eyes
+Videoes and short films-Road Trip
Wandering Star
To Kill A Dead Man
Numb
Sour Times
All Mine
Over
Only You
the image is full frame (some of the videos are letterboxed) and the quality varies on a couple of the videos, but remains sharp. Comes with a terrific booklet of photos and credits in a clear case with a piture of the
venue on the flipside of the cover.
If you are a fan of Phead get this, if you aren't its a great addition 2 your live concert dvd collection.
The real boon here is the sound, and the short films.
It is also reasonably priced 13-15$.
Last edited by Apocrypha; 05-07-02 at 10:33 AM.
05-07-02, 10:27 AM
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Portishead is one of my favorites and I wish they'd put out another CD already. i have the PNYC cd, and while it is excellent, i generally just stick in one of their studio albums instead. can anyone who has the CD compare this and comment on whether the DVD is worth an additional purchase if you already have the CD?
05-07-02, 10:42 AM
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Buy the DVD. Seriously. While I don't have mine yet (expected in today), I have owned the VHS for a few years... If you have any interest at all in Portishead, this is a no brainer and it's a GREAT show. You get all of the tracks... The CD only contains, if I'm remembering correctly, eight tracks (about 1/2 of the show) from the Roseland gig. The other two are from a different show.
BTW, they have been in the studio and are bouncing some ideas around for another release...
BTW, they have been in the studio and are bouncing some ideas around for another release...
Last edited by Johnny Zhivago; 05-07-02 at 10:44 AM.
05-07-02, 01:24 PM
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I'm all revved up for this to arrive (it's piggybacked on The Last Waltz) and will probably write a full review when it shows. I can't wait!
05-07-02, 03:06 PM
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Get the DVD for the Only You video alone. It's great.
I have promo VHS copies of Portishead's videos but I no longer have a VCR so the DVD is nice plus it ha a few videos I didn't know even existed.
I have promo VHS copies of Portishead's videos but I no longer have a VCR so the DVD is nice plus it ha a few videos I didn't know even existed.
05-07-02, 04:25 PM
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Is that the promo tape with the Only You and Over videos, and All Mine from roseland? They handed them out at one P show to folks who got there early. Pretty sweet perk.
05-07-02, 09:10 PM
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I love Portishead, (as well as Massive Attack who recently released a DVD compilation), and I was really excited to see this DVD was going to be released.
Of their 3 albums, I prefer the live recording to their studio albums .. it just has a bit more 'organic' feel to it than the cold distance and clinical feel of their studio albums - but that may be the charm of the studio versions for other people - it's a question of taste.
If you have the CD, I would would still recommend getting the DVD for the music videos on it. Also, watching Beth Gibbons sing in concert, so completely lost IN the music is awesome in its own quiet way.
As for the actual concert footage .. Portishead isn't the most dynamic or visually spectacular band that there is .. so you're not going to be awestruck as you would be with a band like say Rammstein, but dammitt .. if you're a fan of this band at all .. you're going to LOOOOOVE this DVD. I'd recommend it whole-heartedly.
Of their 3 albums, I prefer the live recording to their studio albums .. it just has a bit more 'organic' feel to it than the cold distance and clinical feel of their studio albums - but that may be the charm of the studio versions for other people - it's a question of taste.
If you have the CD, I would would still recommend getting the DVD for the music videos on it. Also, watching Beth Gibbons sing in concert, so completely lost IN the music is awesome in its own quiet way.
As for the actual concert footage .. Portishead isn't the most dynamic or visually spectacular band that there is .. so you're not going to be awestruck as you would be with a band like say Rammstein, but dammitt .. if you're a fan of this band at all .. you're going to LOOOOOVE this DVD. I'd recommend it whole-heartedly.
05-14-02, 08:29 AM
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hmm,
I am getting sub and center action on the 5.1 portion of the disc, but I hear occasional flanging.
I think the Dolby 2.0 is a better mix.
I am getting sub and center action on the 5.1 portion of the disc, but I hear occasional flanging.
I think the Dolby 2.0 is a better mix.
05-14-02, 10:21 AM
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Originally posted by Apocrypha
hmm,
I am getting sub and center action on the 5.1 portion of the disc, but I hear occasional flanging.
I think the Dolby 2.0 is a better mix.
hmm,
I am getting sub and center action on the 5.1 portion of the disc, but I hear occasional flanging.
I think the Dolby 2.0 is a better mix.
05-15-02, 09:14 AM
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damn your right
5.1 on the videos is full but the 5.1 on the concert isn't true 5.1 I thought something sounded off-- I just listen to it 2.0 on the concert section oddly it is a much better mix. Rich and bass laden with no flanging.
5.1 on the videos is full but the 5.1 on the concert isn't true 5.1 I thought something sounded off-- I just listen to it 2.0 on the concert section oddly it is a much better mix. Rich and bass laden with no flanging.
05-15-02, 09:36 AM
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Originally posted by Apocrypha
damn your right
5.1 on the videos is full but the 5.1 on the concert isn't true 5.1 I thought something sounded off-- I just listen to it 2.0 on the concert section oddly it is a much better mix. Rich and bass laden with no flanging.
damn your right
5.1 on the videos is full but the 5.1 on the concert isn't true 5.1 I thought something sounded off-- I just listen to it 2.0 on the concert section oddly it is a much better mix. Rich and bass laden with no flanging.
So, the Roseland portion is either 4.0 or 4.1 (I'll have to check it again to see if there is sub activity) and the video section is 5.1.
Guess I'll check it out again with the 2.0 track...
