Search - Back In Action: Live 2003 on DVD

Killer rock show from a forgotten rock band

George Dionne | Cape Cod, MA | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Good
I was first introduced to Starz on a Metal Blade Records compilation a few years back. I was surprises for two reasons; I was surprised that they weren't actually a metal band, and I was surprised at how good they were. Describing their sound is easy, it falls right in line with late seventies arena rockers like Boston, Foreigner, and Bad Company. They keep that sound alive on Back In Action. Although the band members show their age, their music is still as fresh and catchy as it was the day it was originally released.

Shot during a small bar show in 2003, Starz nail 19 of their most popular and demanded hits including "Fallen Angel," "Detroit Girls," "Tear it Down," and "Cherry Baby." Hands down the best performance is "Waiting on You/Coliseum Rock." It's a memorable track because it blends Starz signature sound with some classic arena rock songs that they grew up listening to. The jam session that rounds on the song is simply phenomenal.

The Bad
Besides the fact vocalist Michael Lee Smith looks like they just woke him up before the show, there's not much to complain about. However, Smith probably should have worn black (instead of orange) like everyone else. Nothing says rock like a bright orange T-shirt.

The Verdict
Back in Action is a killer rock show from a forgotten rock band. Starz delivers the goods from beginning to end without skipping a beat. I only wish they'd release a CD version of this performance."

STARZ~A Great Rock Band!

Joseph Werner | Boise, Idaho | 06/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD is from 2003 and I can say that the band still has the chemistry! Besides being older they still click very well and the guitar from Richie and Brandon are excellent! Great Bass from George and as always great drums from Joe X Dube! Micheal has still got the vocals and the song selection is great! This is excellent for any Starz Fanz!!"

A great live show!

Mark Lahren | Bismarck, North Dakota USA | 10/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you're a Starz fan, you need to own this! It's a bit of an amateur production, but its many small flaws only add to the realism of it, and makes you feel like you're right there watching it live, warts and all.

Michael Lee Smith forgets a couple of lines, but he's a great sport about it. These guys don't take themselves too seriously, and I can respect that. All the original members are here, with the exception of Peter Sweval, who passed away years ago. The replacement bassist however, does a great job, and oddly, he's the only one wearing a Starz shirt, and even more oddly, he seems to know the songs better than the rest of the band, who do a good job overall, but could have used another rehearsal or two.

Video quality: Middling.
Audio quality: Decent, but definitely not the gloss-job you'd expect from say, Pink Floyd. What you are hearing is real, with no overdubbing patched in later.

It ain't perfect, but the overall show is MUCH better than the sum of its parts. TERRIFIC FUN!"