Review of James Brown Live from the House of Blues

Introduction

“The hardest working man in show business” ™ hits the small screen with this stunning DVD release. Featuring many of the great man’s finest moments, including such classics as “Sex Machine” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, James Brown demonstrates that he still has what it takes to compete in today’s pop industry.

Now knocking-on close to 70 years of age, James Brown is a legend. Although he has had a chequered past, most notably during his spell in prison for (allegedly) attempting to shoot his wife, he remains one of soul’s greatest stars and is still loved and revered by millions. Indeed, most will remember him for the gallons of sweat that he produces during his performances, and he is quoted as saying that he “showed wet how to sweat”.

This DVD features a high-energy live concert from the Las Vegas “House of Soul” and is played in front of an enthusiastic crowd of all ages.

Video

What is immediately striking about the video is the sheer quality of the image. Filmed using state-of-the-art Sony HDTV cameras, this anamorphic presentation is about as good as you will get for live footage. In fact, it even puts most ‘normal’ films to shame.

The colours are vivid and accurate and the detail so good that at times it seems like you can almost count the number of beads of sweat on Mr Brown’s face!

Audio

The DD5.1 audio is lively and involving with a good sound stage and the surrounds help to envelope the viewer and really make it seem like you are inside the club with the crowd and the exuberant Mr Brown. There is also a DTS soundtrack available on the disk, but I was unable to test this. I would imagine that it is even higher quality than the Dolby track.

Features

The key extra is a short interview with the producers and a spotlight on the talented Tomi Rae. Included in this is some pre-show footage showing the venue being setup with some video of James Brown warming up before the performance. A short interview with James demonstrates that his talent is certainly not talking as all he seems to be able to manage are some of his characteristic grunts.

Conclusion

For fans of the great man, this makes a sound purchase. It is great to see this soul legend still doing what he does best at nearly 70. Boy, if I can still move like that when I retire, I will be one happy man!