Paul Rodgers: Live in Glasgow on Blu-ray Disc Review
By Brandon A. DuHamel
"If I had those golden dreams
Of my yesterdays
I would wrap you in the heaven
'till I'm dyin' on the way"
The Performance
Fans of classic rock will be encouraged by Eagle Rock's steadfast support of Blu-ray with yet another concert title, this one from veteran hard rock frontman Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company fame. Over the course of his career, Rodgers has also performed in another supergroup with one of his 1970's era colleague, Jimmy Page, when in the 1980's The Firm was formed after Rogers left Bad Company.
Apart from Free and Bad Company, Rodgers hasn't exactly been a staple on the airwaves and pop charts, but he's a journeyman in the truest sense, and as evidenced by this captured performance, the man can still rock and can still pack the house.
Like many others of his era, his music is very much rooted in the blues, and this show is laden with 12-bar swamp rock and pentatonic riffs that'll make you want to get up and shake your moneymaker. Rodgers' voice is still strong and gritty, and when he wails on "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "All Right Now," it's like the 70's never ended.
His backing band is also tight, and full of energy. The licks squealing from Howard Leese's guitars are raw and moving whilst Ryan Hoyle thumps out the rhythms with authority.
Other highlight performances include "Bad Company," "Radioactive," and the acoustic show closer "Seagull."
The Picture
Paul Rodgers: Live in Glasgow is supplied on Blu-ray in a 1080i/60 VC-1 transfer that was originally captured in high definition. The image is clean, detailed and consistent with little video noise to speak of, good black levels and only occasional blooming contrast and subtle motion artifacts, possibly from the 1080i source. Otherwise, this is a superb live video presentation from Eagle Rock.
The Sound
Thankfully,
Live in Glasgow is leaps and bounds above the previous concert BD I reviewed from Eagle Rock, Asia's
Fantasia Live in Tokyo, when it comes to audio quality. The guitars crunch, drums sound full, and vocals are clear and balanced into the mix properly. There's a lot of air around the instruments, low frequency extension is good and there is an overall energy that really captures the rock and roll spirit. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is open with a nice wide soundtage, mixed from an audience perspective, and it has loads of ambience in the surrounds, but thankfully a subdued amount of crowd noise. The LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/16-bit) mix is no slouch either, however, and shows great balance and instrumental delineation with good midrange punch. Both mixes are mastered with dynamics intact and nice smooth high frequencies.
The Extras
The supplemental materials provided on this release are hardly a windfall, but there is a very lengthy sit-down interview with Paul Rodgers discussing at length the various stages of his career and his love of music which fans should really enjoy I'm sure, and a bonus track of Rogers' son performing a tune, and, boy, does he sound like his old man!
- Interviews:
- Paul Rodgers (1.78:1/HD) -- A lengthy and informative interview with Rodgers.
- The Band (1.78:1/HD) -- Rodgers' backing band is interviewed backstage.
- The Fans (1.78:1/HD) -- Rodgers' fans are interviewed outside the concert venue and offer their views on why they enjoy his music.
- Bonus Track -- Steven Rodgers "Sunshine" (1.78:1/HD/LPCM 2.0)
Final Thoughts
Eagle Rock and Paul Rodgers prove classic rock is still alive and can get people moving in this finely produced Blu-ray release that comes with well done picture and sound. Fans of good, bluesy hard rock won't want to miss this one.
Where to Buy
Product Details
- Performer: Paul Rodgers
- Video Codec: VC-1
- Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/16-bit), Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish
- Studio: Eagle Rock Ent
- Blu-ray Disc Release Date: March 31, 2009
- List Price: $24.98
- Extras:
