Search - Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers: Three Nights on the Town on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 10/20/2018...

If you are a fan and know his music, get this BUT I only found one song I knew.

The One We've Been Waiting For

R. Clark | Ridley Park, PA United States | 08/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, a concert video that actually comes close to capturing the experience of a Bruce Hornsby concert!

Previous Hornsby videos have been OK for what they were - TV specials, staged concerts, stunt events full of "special guests." Hornsby's music and talent are too good to produce a bad show.

But this one, recorded at NYC's Town Hall during last year's Halcyon Days tour, is the real deal: Bruce and his band, the Noisemakers, in what feels like a complete show (it probably isn't, since they usually play longer than this, but since every Bruce show is different it doesn't matter that much; the editing is true-to-life, so it looks and feels like a real, complete show).

When you watch this band play you can see how closely attuned they are to each other, and how well they know Bruce's moves, and how well Bruce understands their capabilities. He can take off on an improvisation in the middle of a song and they know how and when to follow him (and when not to), and they can bring each other back to the song as if they're all mind readers. While there's a bit less adventuring in this show than usual, you can still feel that tightness, and the video captures it very well.

The video puts you right on stage, up close and personal, with cameras everywhere and plenty of face time for everyone. The editing is excellent, very sane, very attuned to the music, almost never getting in the way. The sound is equally good, a clean, clear concert mix that puts you in the front row without overwhelming you with audience ambience. DTS would have been nice, but the DD 5.1 is fine.

If you attended any of the band's concerts in the last year, this video will become a treasured souvinir. If you are a fan or Hornsby but haven't seen him live in a while, you will be amazed at how versatile and spontaneous, effortless and masterful his live performances have become. And if you're only casually familiar with Hornsby from his hits, you will be simply astonished by one of America's most talented musicians, performing here at the height of his powers, supported by a band that complements him in every respect.

I had high hopes for this disc since I first heard about its planned release, and for once my expectations have been exceeded.

Very highly recommended.

RichC
"

Astounding Music with Other-Worldly Virtuosity and Musician

Eee Tee | Brooklyn Park, MN USA | 07/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, in my 51 years on this planet, I've never heard anyone who encapsulates, integrates and unifies so many musical influences, with jaw-dropping virtuosity, improvisation and musicianship like Bruce Hornsby. If you listen 'inside' Bruce's music you can hear elements of Bluegrass, Folk, Country, Blues, Jazz, Rock, Cajun, Soul, Gospel, and probably a few other genres I can't think of right now.

In my humble opinion, Bruce Hornsby is the finest musician in America, and arguably on this planet, today.

This DVD captures performances that are timeless, memorable and mesmerizing. The documentary is fascinating and informative. I'll leave it to the other reviews to go into specifics songs critiques.

However, I'm disappointed by the video quality on this DVD. I was disappointed to find that the DVD is not anamorphic, only letterboxed, limiting the image potential.

On my HD home theater setup (720p Epson 550 projector / 106" Optoma screen / Oppo 720p HDMI DVD player), the image is slightly 'foggy'. The image lacks the clarity, impact, and 'punch' of most well-recorded concerts. The focus is soft as well. The color balance is towards the yellowish cast you get when you use outdoor film indoors with incandescent lighting. This may have been the directors attempt to give the image some 'warmth', but it looks unnatural. You never see color like this in person, at a real concert. Had this been shot many years ago, I could forgive the mediocre image. Sadly, I imagine the cameras used to record the concert are the culprit, and not the DVD mastering, so a future HD DVD is likely to be of little improvement.

Man, I HATE giving this only four stars!!!

I have to, though, to be objective and informative to those who consider all aspects of a DVD release.

Sound quality is five stars, music and performances are worth ten stars, but had the video clarity been that of an average modern concert DVD, I could give it the five stars the music deserves."

Great Live Concert!

Robert Pendergrass | West Plains, Mo | 07/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was looking for a Bruce Hornsby dvd and after reading reviews on what was available I decided to take a chance on this one. Glad I did as this was a great show with a killer band! I've always liked Bruce and was hooked from the first album and bought the second cd when it came out. But for whatever reason I didn't keep up with him after that. This dvd exposed me to alot of great music that I've missed over the years and so I had to go purchase several cd's of Bruce Hornsby that I didn't have. The sound and picture are great on my surround sound system. If your a Bruce Hornsby fan you'll not be disappointed and if you aren't familiar with his music then it is a great place to start."