* Their first ever DVD * Features 24 Live tracks recorded in November in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre * Filmed in High Definition & Mixed in PCM Stereo & 5.1 Surround Sound * Bonus features include Multi-ang... more »les on selected tracks« less
1) This was broadcast on HDNet for all of a couple weeks around the beginning of November. Thankfully they took advantage of this benefit- the DVD is enchanced for widescreen (anamorphic), as are the menus. Big plus.
2) This has a stereo PCM track. Meaning, if you buy the DVD, you can make a CD out of the soundtrack w/out needing to source lossy DD 5.1 surround. Greedy record companies charge $25 for the 2-cd audio-only recording, while the concert DVD featuring the exact same audio is only $14. This doesn't happen much anymore. From that end, this is a good deal all around.
3) Nice gesture from the band- releasing this concert seperately from Hipomymous (sp?) box set, so a lot of us are not stuck buying the same music we already own. A breath of fresh air.
Outside of that, it's the DVD we've been waiting for. Nicely done, if you're reading this you know you want it.
You will not be dissappointed."
AUTHENTICITY at its best
N. Foucault | Montreal,QC Canada | 01/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I saw the Hip live in Montreal on dec. 1st of 2004, at which time I knew the band just a little...but WHAT A SHOW! I was blown away by Gordon Downie's stage presence and the pure, no-holds-barred, raw Rock'n Roll energy that the Band spread around the Bell Center. This live DVD was recorded 5 days earlier and is just as awesome as the concert I saw...plus, the fact that there's no editing on this disc-meaning that everything you see is in "real time"-and the low price at which it is sold REALLY makes it worth it (...for Hip fans)."
Not A Disappointment
Paul Tiseo | Florida, USA | 08/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Let me begin by saying I am a long-time fan (not rabid) of this band. I can still remember the second blowout show in Montreal in '91 for their "Road Apples" album. The first night's show had been panned by a local big music scene critic. The gist of the review was his belief that the Hip had lost their "nitty gritty edge". After coming on stage and dropping in, straight from the hip (pun intended), with a handful of back-to-back, stomach-crunching rock songs, Gordie then mentions the review in the Gazette, which most people of course have read, and then asks the crowd if *they* think the Hip's lost their edge.
At this point, the crowd was totally into it and cheered and screamed for what seemed like forever. Heck, I still remember it 16 years later!
That's the Tragically Hip. They don't go on stage and revisit/lip-synch their material. Many of the bad reviews here seem to expect a regurgitation of the album. They want to hear the album again, but live. That's just *not* the Hip and has never been so. They perform in the true sense of the word; their shows extend the Hip "experience", instead of simply repeating the digitized audio.
Basically, they are true musicians and poets that have never forgotten to reach out to their audience.
On the down side, the quality of the DVD footage is not that great. It's good, but not the best I have heard. The music is not carefully balanced and recorded, even for a concert source.
All in all, if you are a long-time fan who has seen them live, you should really like the DVD. I did."
Better each time you watch it!
brigid13 | Washington State | 08/02/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you think Tragically Hip is a good recording band, you'll love them live, and every time you watch this concert you'll enjoy it even more. A great band, a great performance, and a great value. Well worth the money."
Excellent
J. Braun | B.C., Canada | 06/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I really enjoy this DVD, the "Hip" at their best, in concert.
A good selection of songs and an excellent snap shot of a tight band in a concert environment stretching and having fun with songs that they've played many times before.