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Boney Fingers Jones
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Joined: | 03 Aug 2006 |
Posts: | 40801 |
Location: | Sunny Massapequa Park, NY |
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Calling all Porcupine Tree fans! The Blackfield performance at the Bowery last March is finally on DVD and its great.
It snowed like hell that day so I missed the show. Bad news for me because if I had been there, I would have been in this DVD.
Very intimate club, this DVD had great DTS 5.1 sound and also looks almost HD.
Steve Wilson really shines in this performance.
Don't miss this one. $15.99 at Amazon.
Here's the review from Amazon:
Just in from the official B.F. UK web site...let me be the first to cast some light on this release to the "world's marketplace", Amazon. (Shocking there are no reviews already). I was at this show, so I'm a bit partial. HOWEVER...this is sonically stunning. What a wonderful keepsake from an unforgettable evening. Although BLACKFIELD features our guitar~driven Steve, the man makes no effort to steal this show with one-ups-manship solos, riffing or posing. To the contrary, this is a well mixed (by Steve) and beautifully recorded outing. A TRUE document of the night. Not to rub it in, but those folks trapped on international or domestic flights that could not make this show due to severe weather in NYC are gonna kick themselves (or the airlines) for missing this! We almost did not make it either!
When I heard that Lasse Hoile (major respect here) was directing this, I sort of expected an "Arriving Somewhere" part II with Super-8 scratchy film footage, bizzare imagary, video screens, huge lighting, and the like. Nope, not here. The focus in the Blackfield world is on harmony, lyrics, choruses, instrumentation, and brilliant, dark but wonderful songwriting. How fantastic that this captured the moment at that small, almost clastrophopic club. I'm so thrilled that this was not portrayed as a "look at our grand show" concert. The grand show here is in your head, as soon as you open your ears and LISTEN TO THIS.
The mix is so, so solid. Drums and bass will bouce your balls around throughout, and, the keyboards perfect (thankfully, not in a prog-rock "look at me player" style like some others. Steve and Aviv balance singing their parts wonderfully. Oh yeah, there's lots of KILLER guitar too and stellar showmanship (more glitter, Aviv!!!).
With only 2 releases and a few singles, you wonder if you need a "back-catalogue" to back up your performance? No sir, not here. Behold the sonic tour-de-force that IS Blackfield.
As someone present at the show, I will say this: If anyone thinks "It's all done in the studio"....not so! This sounds real because it was real. Trust me. The Bowery Ballroom was screaming for more. Amazingly, a highlight is the cover of "Thank you" by Allanis (not someone I follow..) Powerful vocal work there, Steve. When it's time to rock, they rock, when it's to chill, they chill. There is a sense of perfection here...
In the age of "let's go download it for free" ....don't bother. You NEED to own this release. (Gee, I should get a commission, huh?)
Let's see more reviews on this as the domestic release becomes available, ok? Fans worldwide will go crazy for this, critics will awake, and life goes on. It's all in the BLACKFIELD! All hail.
Cheers.......
_________________ "Every day a little sadder, A little madder, Someone get me a ladder."
ELP
“You can't have everything. Where would you put it?”—Steven Wright
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