Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
“Blu-ray includes the material from DVD in Hi Def and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, plus the original live album as downloadable MP3 audio files.”
Rating:  List Price: $ 38.98 Price: $ 19.93 |
(out of 9 reviews)
Review by Philip A.Cohen for Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
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The people who have criticised this Blu-Ray disc fail to consider the following:This concert was filmed in 1983 on 16mm film at a time when even the best consumer video format(Laserdisc) had resolution less than what DVD has today. We can all agree that the performances and surround sound mix on this Blu-Ray disc are superb. I’ve purchased both the Blu-Ray & DVD editions from Amazon’s British website and viewed both on my 54″ plasma T.V. and can assure you that the Blu-Ray disc’s picture is dramatically superior to the DVD edition, even if Blu-Ray makes the film grain more visible(the concert was filmed under low-light conditions).
I should explain that the reason why the U.S.A. price on the Blu-Ray & DVD editions is quite high is because Universal Music in the U.S.A. is merely importing the British discs instead of pressing their own. It’s much, much cheaper to import them yourself from Amazon’s British website. The British DVD set has been pressed with NTSC video/All regions, and the British Blu-Ray disc has been pressed for worldwide(all regions) playback compatability. Universal in the UK also offers a set which pairs the DVD with the 2-CD audio set. Universal can’t officially distribute that edition in the U.S.A., where Warner Brothers’ license on the group’s CD releases is still in effect.
As for the music in this concert, it finds the group touring behind their “Love Over Gold” album, at a time when the group had added keyboards, saxophone and a more proficient drummer for a more exact reproduction of the group’s increasingly melodic & complex arrangements. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t improvisation and elaboration. There is, and the group finds a groove and stretches out with renditions that are typically much longer than their studio counterparts.
But I do have two very valid criticisms: “Love Over Gold”(which is included in the CD version) is still omitted from the video version, though the film footage exists and has been used in video compilations such as “Sultans of Swing” & “Dire Straits-The Videos”. And, of course, the annoying piece of hair fluttering around inside one of the three film cameras(during the last two songs) remains present with no attempt to retouch it, though certainly there are things that could have been done in the digital domain to retouch the image(techniques that were used on the DVD of “The Who-The Kids Are Alright”)
Review by Gavin Cato for Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
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The PQ is rubbish – 4:3, incredibly grainy, noisy, soft, lots of camera dirt – even one camera has a (large) hair or something on it and very distracting when that camera is used for closeups.
The AQ is superb, crystal clear – 96khz, massive use of the surrounds, really feels like you are there. lots of crowd noise and the actual music itself sounds awesome and the vocals are always very clear. A surprising amount of low end as well. Really stunning audio, which makes up for the horrible video.
Review by Robert I. Hedges for Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
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I couldn’t be happier that “Alchemy” is on DVD at last! Over the years I have worn out two VHS copies, and the CD is among the most played in my library, so I’m thrilled to finally have a shiny new DVD in my hands. Some have criticized the DVD for having imperfect picture quality, and it’s true that there are imperfections, the notorious “hair” on one of the cameras’ images towards the end of the show is the most objectionable artifact, and I too wish the picture had been cleaned up a bit, but it is certainly not as onerous as some make it sound. Remember that this DVD is from a single show that occurred at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on July 23, 1983, and was shot on 16 mm film: given the vintage of the footage, I think the image is more than acceptable (though I’m not sure it’s worth the extra for the Blu-ray disc) and any imperfections are more than made up for in the quality of the audio track, which is superb.
I have always been a huge fan of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler, primarily because of their musicianship. It’s pretty amazing that the musical craft was so highly prized that there was a point made to put a note on the cover reading “This is a recording of excerpts of one Dire Straits performance, it contains no re-recordings or overdubs of any kind.” It is not uncommon for live albums to be tweaked in the studio, and given the complexity of the material here, it’s astonishing that the concert is musically flawless.
This concert was done at the heights of pre-”Brothers in Arms” fame, and contains much of their best material. With the much improved sound quality of the DVD (versus VHS) the crispness of the recording is readily appreciated, and people who have watched it on both will notice differences between the two readily (I noticed the biggest difference in Mel Collins’ saxophone part on “Two Young Lovers.”) There is nothing to critique on the performances, and I still think of these versions of “Telegraph Road” and “Going Home” as the finest ever recorded.
The DVD also comes with a couple of extras including the captivating BBC documentary on the exhausted band after “Communiqué” was released. At the time the band was still a foursome and interviews of the original four members are extensive, as is footage in the studio revealing the song development process. I found it especially fascinating to watch how “Making Movies” progressed from the embryonic form shown here to the final recorded version. Any fan will love to have this feature, and it justifies the cost of the DVD by itself in my estimation.
I highly recommend this DVD. Despite some visual imperfections, the music is sublime and more than makes up for any shortcomings in the image, but that’s what you should expect from Knopfler and company: the bottom line is always about the music, and overdubs are never required.
Review by Richardson for Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
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Hi Folks,
this just arrived and while Amazon.com claims its run time is 60 minutes its actually 1:30 for the concert another bit for a couple of classic TV appearances and another hour for a very cool documentary which is archival quality not something produced recent…so I feel pretty darned happy for my 12 dollar investment indeed!!
Whether I would upgrade to blu-ray is debatable….the picture is not poor but its of its age and not something perhaps benefited by that format…
Jump on this one folks!!!
Review by Gregory A. Chance for Dire Straits Alchemy (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
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This is by far one of my favorite concert recordings. One of Mark Knopfler’s big things was to record the concerts and INCLUDE the mistakes, and there are mistakes. There’s a hum during Once Upon a Time In the West. Yes, there are some cheesy camera effects (that’s not Mark’s reflection in the camera lens, but you probably figured that one out).
All that said, the mistakes are what makes this show great, along with Mark’s guitar proficiency. This is Dire Straits at their finest. Be sure to watch for the rock star Joop DeCourt jumping around in the background while playing one key at a time!