The Performance
The Shadows got their start in 1959 as The Drifters and began life mainly as the backing band for Cliff Richard. It wouldn't take long, however, before their instrumental prowess would earn them a solid reputation and the group would find itself in demand on their own outright.
They really put their stamp on the music industry in the early to mid-1960's with their brand of raw, guitar-driven rock 'n' roll that artists around the world would soon be trying to emulate. Among the hit singles the British group would yield around the world are perennial favorites, "Guitar Tango," "Geronimo," and "36-24-36."
But, alas, all good things, as they say, eventually come to an end. The group would break up in 1968, only to reform in 1974 due to overwhelming demand from their fan base. They'd continue to record and perform on and off from that point on, only to disband once again in 1990, which looked to be the final chapter in the history of The Shadows. All was not said and done, however. The Shadows original core of musicians, Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, and Brian Bennett, reformed once again in 2003 for what they called their "Final Tour."
It is a night from that tour captured here on this release from Eagle Rock at the Cardiff International Arena in Wales on June 5, 2004. Not to disappoint fans, The Shadows pulled out a forty-one song set packed with their classics, including the aforementioned tracks, plus "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Shindig," and "Theme from The Deer Hunter." It's a guitar rock lovers delight and anyone who was and is a fan of The Shadows should be happy to snatch this one up.
The Picture
Originally captured in HD, The Shadows: The Final Tour shows up on Blu-ray in a thoroughly enjoyable 1080i/60 AVC/MPEG-4 encoding from Eagle Rock. The image looks lifelike and artifacts are at a minimum. There is a bit of video noise to contend with, but it does not overwhelm the detail in anyway. Flesh tones are natural, but blacks tend toward the washed out side.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless mix is big and bombastic, with deep low frequencies and loads of ambience, but balance and clarity suffer in comparison to the much more restrained LPCM 2.0 mix. The PCM offers better stereo separation, a more defined midrange, and relaxed high frequencies.
The Extras
The sole extra offered up is a decent 45-minute interview segment with members of The Shadows reminiscing on their long and illustrious career in the music business. The standard definition feature should be interesting viewing for fans of the group.
Final Thoughts
Old school instrumental guitar rock from this veteran band on their final tour should please old timers and new converts alike while the HD video and lossless sound are more than adequate for a superb entertainment experience.
Product Details
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