Plot: What’s it about?
I’ve never really given much attention to The Psychedelic Furs, but I’ve heard some of their songs, so I decided to check out this disc. Aside from a handful of songs, I wasn’t too impressed with the music involved, but the show itself was quite good. The band put on a heck of a show here and at House of Blues, that’s what the audiences expect. I was pleased to find the set list was rather extensive, with a total of fifteen songs and not just hits either, which was cool. This disc from Pioneer includes an excellent audio track, plus select commentary on songs, a trivia game, featurette, and even some bonus acoustical performances. Although Pioneer has released this title in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 editions, this review covers the DTS option. This release is well worth a look for fans of the band, but remember there are two versions, so pick up the one that best suits your needs.
1. India
2. Mr. Jones
3. Heaven
4. No Easy Street
5. Ghost in You
6. Alive
7. Love My Way
8. Wrong Train
9. Heartbreak Beat
10. Sister Europe
11. Anodyne (Better Days)
12. Only You & I (Angels)
13. Into You Like a Train
14. Pretty in Pink
15. Dumb Waiters
Video: How does it look?
The concert is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As expected, the image looks a little rough at times, but this is common on live performance recordings, so no real reason for concern here. The show features a lot of colorful lights and such, which this transfer handles with ease, so hues remain vivid and bright. No issues in terms of contrast, as the black levels are accurate, even in this rather dark setting. The main problems are minor ones and due to the nature of the feature, so I can’t blame it all on this transfer. I saw no compression flaws or the like either, leaving me to score this one quite well.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is where the disc had to deliver, as this is an audio based release, of course. I found the included DTS option to be quite impressive, with a dynamic overall presence and no real flaws to report. This is a live performance however, so it might not be as refined as prerecorded, but for what it is, I think the track sounds excellent. There is some great separation between the elements, which sort of puts you right on stage at times, very cool indeed. The music sounds immersive and very alive, just as you’d want from a live performance release. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, which makes you wonder why two versions were released, when this edition has all the features the other one has, plus DTS.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains a brief behind the scenes featurette, audio commentary by Richard Butler on select songs, and a trivia game. You can also view bonus acoustical performances of Love My Way, Cigarette, and Wrong Train.
