Sarah MacLachlan - Afterglow Live

[Bob Romano]

Nice 2 disc (DVD/CD) package from SM live in concert.

Quite a rockin' show (more rockin' than the albums for sure). Beautiful 16x9 presentation with a 5.1 mix by Tom Lord-Alge. More than just ambience in the back there is some keyboard and guitar stuff in the back as well. Nice full mix. 114 minute show plus 3 videos (2.0 only). The cd is an abridged version of the full show and, according to the label on the front of the DVD box, is copy guarded.

Oh and did I mention she looks great!!! Check out the video for World On Fire (yeowwww).

 

[Bob R]

Nice 2 disc (DVD/CD) package from SM live in concert.

Quite a rockin' show (more rockin' than the albums for sure). Beautiful 16x9 presentation with a 5.1 mix by Tom Lord-Alge. More than just ambience in the back there is some keyboard and guitar stuff in the back as well. Nice full mix. 114 minute show plus 3 videos (2.0 only). The cd is an abridged version of the full show and, according to the label on the front of the DVD box, is copy guarded.

Oh and did I mention she looks great!!! Check out the video for World On Fire (yeowwww).

I'll have to check it out. Thanks, Bob.

I have a very technical and audiophile purpose to try this out.

I love girl singers !!!

 

[Bob Romano]

how's this?

 

[timw]

Nice 2 disc (DVD/CD) package from SM live in concert.

Quite a rockin' show (more rockin' than the albums for sure). Beautiful 16x9 presentation with a 5.1 mix by Tom Lord-Alge. More than just ambience in the back there is some keyboard and guitar stuff in the back as well. Nice full mix. 114 minute show plus 3 videos (2.0 only). The cd is an abridged version of the full show and, according to the label on the front of the DVD box, is copy guarded.

Oh and did I mention she looks great!!! Check out the video for World On Fire (yeowwww).

Well said Bob! I agree! I've been looking fwd to this DVD and it's even better than I expected! I'll just add that the stage design is really cool too!!!
Correct me if I'm wrong but the only thing missing was an audio setup icon on the main menu. The DVD defaults to 2.0 and I had to press the audio button on my remote once the concert started to get it to play in 5.0. Nothing too major but just wanted to point this out.
TimW

 

[Bob Romano]

Yeah I missed it too...

On the main page the last "option" is Options & Credits. Audio setup is in there. I thought the exact same thing when I didn't see the ol' "Audio Setup" function.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I think this is a great concert DVD. Sarah is attractive compared to women you might see walking down the street but by movie star or recording artist standards, not so much. Video highlights problems for attractive women with facial symmetry problems. Her left nostril sort of puffs out, for lack of a better explanation. Jewel with her crooked teeth is another example of annoying on video. Nearly perfect faces like Faith Hill and Shania Twain in conjunction with a beautiful body is required these days to really be considered beautiful by DVD critical viewing standards.

I love the music, mix and her singing. The only other Dolby Digital concert DVD that I recall as being even better is Dianna Krall, "Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival". This DVD is just another example of how we aren't really without good surround music despite the apparent demise of DVD-A and SACD. This disc will get lots of play here, although the included CD isn't of much use to me this time. I normally like DVD/CD packaging so I was glad to see it, but I don't plan on carrying this CD in the car and won't play it at home.

This was a customer return and based on the label attached appears to have been returned because of the copy protected CD which was clearly stated on the case, but I guess whoever bought it couldn't play it on their computer or couldn't copy it or had an other problem with it. It plays great here.

Chris

 

[elmer]

I think this is a great concert DVD. Sarah is attractive compared to women you might see walking down the street but by movie star or recording artist standards, not so much. Video highlights problems for attractive women with facial symmetry problems. Her left nostril sort of puffs out, for lack of a better explanation. Jewel with her crooked teeth is another example of annoying on video. Nearly perfect faces like Faith Hill and Shania Twain in conjunction with a beautiful body is required these days to really be considered beautiful by DVD critical viewing standards...

Chris

I'm sure I misunderstand or at least I hope I do, but what does her physical attributes have to do with the price of tea in China??? Sara Maclachlan is a musical artist not a Playboy pin-up. Who cares what her weight or left nostril looks like. Janis Joplin was no raging beauty but you couldn't take your eyes off her when she performed - and yes when she sang and poured her heart out she was sexy - not because of her outside appearance but because of her soul and the passion of her performance.

I do not mean to compare Sara MacLachlan and Janis Joplin either musically or physically but I don't think someone's appearance should come into play ever in this regards. Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Pete Townsend, David Gilmour, and any number of male artists are not exactly GQ material but I don't believe that their appearance has ever come up as a point of criticism on this forum.

I have this DVD, and what sticks out from a visual standpoint is the lighting, production and the interaction between her and her stellar band. Perhaps you didn't mean to, but focusing on her appearance as the lead comment marginilizes her artistry and is unfortunately quite sexist - this is 2006 isn't it?

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I'm sure I misunderstand or at least I hope I do, but what does her physical attributes have to do with the price of tea in China??? Sara Maclachlan is a musical artist not a Playboy pin-up. Who cares what her weight or left nostril looks like. Janis Joplin was no raging beauty but you couldn't take your eyes off her when she performed - and yes when she sang and poured her heart out she was sexy - not because of her outside appearance but because of her soul and the passion of her performance.

I do not mean to compare Sara MacLachlan and Janis Joplin either musically or physically but I don't think someone's appearance should come into play ever in this regards. Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Pete Townsend, David Gilmour, and any number of male artists are not exactly GQ material but I don't believe that their appearance has ever come up as a point of criticism on this forum.

I have this DVD, and what sticks out from a visual standpoint is the lighting, production and the interaction between her and her stellar band. Perhaps you didn't mean to, but focusing on her appearance as the lead comment marginilizes her artistry and is unfortunately quite sexist - this is 2006 isn't it?

Did you read the posts before mine, complimenting her good lucks? I was not aware that making statments about a woman's appearance is now considered sexist which if true certainly makes the annual beauty events far more sexist. Feminine beauty is hard to quantify but facial symmetry seems to be the criteria that most affects how a movie star's appearance is judged based on what little I have read. Certainly female human beings are the world's most beautiful creation and men routinely offer opinions on female appearance. If that is now considered sexist, I guess there are many hundreds of millions of us that are sexist. Hiring or promoting or offering favoritism based on appearance for any position not requiring beauty would certainly be wrong. Buying a video or watching a movie or picking a winner in a beauty contest sure shouldn't be held to such a standard, consumers have the right to make purchases using criteria including appearance. Movie critics often point out the beauty of movie stars when evaluating a performance.

The opinion was only stated if someone considers performer appearance in addition to music, production, lighting and performance when deciding whether to buy a DVD of a concert. Again, I think she is an attractive woman but not compared to other beautiful female singers. You can say so what and not consider appearance, that is your right. I will continue to consider appearance when purchasing concert performances of women as will most males. I am trying to understand what you said as well. Do you always offer the sexist opinion when you read mention of the performer's appearance? Was there something horrible about what I said? It seems rather easy to understand and I expect you agree by your comment but believe it shouldn't be said?

Chris

 

[elmer]

Did you read the posts before mine, complimenting her good lucks? I was not aware that making statments about a woman's appearance is now considered sexist which if true certainly makes the annual beauty events far more sexist. Feminine beauty is hard to quantify but facial symmetry seems to be the criteria that most affects how a movie star's appearance is judged based on what little I have read. Certainly female human beings are the world's most beautiful creation and men routinely offer opinions on female appearance. If that is now considered sexist, I guess there are many hundreds of millions of us that are sexist. Hiring or promoting or offering favoritism based on appearance for any position not requiring beauty would certainly be wrong. Buying a video or watching a movie or picking a winner in a beauty contest sure shouldn't be held to such a standard, consumers have the right to make purchases using criteria including appearance. Movie critics often point out the beauty of movie stars when evaluating a performance.

The opinion was only stated if someone considers performer appearance in addition to music, production, lighting and performance when deciding whether to buy a DVD of a concert. Again, I think she is an attractive woman but not compared to other beautiful female singers. You can say so what and not consider appearance, that is your right. I will continue to consider appearance when purchasing concert performances of women as will most males. I am trying to understand what you said as well. Do you always offer the sexist opinion when you read mention of the performer's appearance? Was there something horrible about what I said? It seems rather easy to understand and I expect you agree by your comment but believe it shouldn't be said?

Chris

I went back to review the DVD yesterday and for the life of me, could not find the offending nostril I agree with Neil on his "about this section" post from earlier today..."Finally - the one thing to bear in mind here is that it should be predominantly about the music content - Video content here is a minor issue IMHO. After all, it is the music that is supposed to matter - not the alleged spectacle of talentless bimbos and himbos gyrating on a stage whilst miming (badly, more often than not) to some trite piece of throwaway garbage..."


Let's focus on the music and quality of production and leave the "beauty" critiques to more qualified sources such as Cosmo or Maxim.