Search - Bryan Adams - Live at the Budokan on DVD

Bit of a surprise, but oh so good

Joseph E. Royland | Gorham, ME USA | 07/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this DVD as the DVD/CD combo, which was a really good deal for the price. I've been a fan of BA for many years, but, sad to say, haven't seen him live since the late 80's. I was looking to get some new concert videos on DVD, and when I saw what was available from BA, opted for this one over the "Slane Castle" or "Unplugged"(which I already had on VHS).
Not really knowing much about his current "band format", I must admit that I was initially shocked to see it was just a three-piece - with Bryan on bass, no less! I wasn't sure, at first, if I was going to enjoy the show as much as I had thought I would - worried how a smaller combo would pull off the songs. But, I needn't have fretted - as this concert was fantastic!
22, plus four bonus, songs on the DVD (which could have/should have just been included as part of the regular show), that were all quite solid! (the CD has only an abridged 15, but is still good). Picture and sound quality (Dolby 5.1 or Dolby suurround) were outstanding, and the camera's focused on Bryan and the band, and rightly so. Pretty much all the hits are here throughout BA's career - and I was especially pleased to hear "Remember", which I don't believe I've ever heard him do live.
About the only downside, is that the three-piece format isn't as "full" sounding an experience as you may have expected from BA. There were some songs that really could have used an extra guitar, or keyboards to fill out the sound. Still, the band rocks, and BA is quite the bass player, I must say. That, and aside from the four "bonus" cuts, there are no additional special features on this disc. If it had had more, I would have rated it 5 stars, but since it doiesn't it only gets four."

Could have been better - but still pretty good

L.A. Scene | Indian Trail, NC USA | 08/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bryan Adams has always been a good artist when it comes to making live material available on either CD or DVD format. Thus, I immediately was excited when I heard that Bryan Adams was releasing a live performance DVD called "Bryan Adams: Live at The Budokan". The Budokan is basically the Madison Square Garden of concert venues in Tokyo. Whenever I hear the word "Budokan", I think to what might be one of the most legendary live performances ever - Cheap Trick's 1978 concert which became a legendary album. I've seen and heard the energy of Bryan Adams live in person, on the "Live Live Live" CD, and the "MTV Unplugged" performance. I know Bryan Adams is as capable as anyone when it comes to delivering a knockout with a live performance. When I heard that he was releasing a live performance at the legendary Budokan - now I was really psyched. This particular DVD has its moments, but it is more of a TKO as opposed to the slam dunk knockout I would have expected.

Bryan Adams has always surrounded himself with a top band. For the 2+ decades of his career, I have always thought of Bryan Adams as "Team Adams". For most of this time, Bryan has had Mickey Curry on Drums, Dave Taylor on Bass, Tommy Mandel on Keyboards, and Keith Scott on Lead Guitar. On his last studio album in 1998 "On a Day Like Today" - gone was Tommy Mandel. By the time 2000 rolled around, gone also was Dave Taylor. The performance at the Budokan is a trio performance. I look at this as a double edged sword. From one standpoint, I do think the stage presence of Tommy Mandel and Dave Scott are missed. I also think having any extra players on stage to fill the roles would have been nice. Keyboards have played a key role Adams' music. As for the role of the Bass, Bryan himself takes on that instrument for most of the concert (except for the acoustic numbers), so the band is down one less guitar player. However, there is an upside to this - Bryan, Mickey, and Keith Scott really turn it up a notch. They produce every sound on stage and in the process do a fantastic job in the process - especially Scott who in addition to some incredible guitar work really shines on background vocals.

The stage itself is disappointing. To me, it almost seems more like a stage for an 'A&E By Request' concert than a concert that is at one of the most legendary venues of the music business. The band itself is all dressed in white, and this doesn't enhance the stage presence visually. I also think the production work wasn't the best. You don't get a real good feel for the crowd during much of the performance. What has always been a strength of an Adams performance - whether in person, on CD, or on video is the connection with the crowd. Yes, Adams connects with the crowd, but visually you don't see this as much due to the editing. Much of this live performance has more of a feel of a private performance as opposed to connecting with the masses of the audience.

The performance gets off to a bit of a slow start. I don't think Adams really starts to connect with the audience until the fifth number ('Summer of 69'). There are some very good highlights in the concert once it starts cranking. Despite no Tina Turner on "It's Only Love", Adams is able to pull things off without a female vocalist thanks to some amazing guitar work and background vocals by Keith Scott. Adams doesn't do a lot of stuff from "Into the Fire" (an amazing album), but there is a rare performance of the title track from that album. "Into the Fire" had been included on the "Live Live Live" album, but this version is much more hard rocking and is much better than that one. Adams also does a rare performance of "Remember" (from his self titled debut album 'Bryan Adams'). "Remember" is one of the highlights of this performance and once again Keith Scott really shines added some terrific background vocals. There also is a terrific version of "Run to You" that is delivered - this is probably the best live version of the song I have seen and heard of this signature Adams tune.

A couple of other disapponting things.. The version of "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" is the shorter version and doesn't contain the great instrumental at the end that are heard on the "Waking Up the Neighbours" CD. The girl he picks from the audience to do co-vocals for "When You're Gone" (a tradition at Adams' concerts) is disappointing. I can understand that she might not know all of the words - but I've seen other girls deliver a lot more passion and energy than this girl did. There are also 4 "Bonus Tracks" ("Fits Ya Good", "I Don't Wanna Live Forever", "Before the Night is Over", "Still Beautiful To Me") and I don't undertstand why these aren't just part of the regular performance. The four bonus tracks would have much been better if they were integrated into the flow of the concert. There is not a lot of interaction with the crowd and really seem like a private performance. On the plus side, these are four excellent tracks - with "Before the Night is Over" being the MVP of the four songs.

The DVD contains some a booklet that gives credits for the songs, but nothing that will give you any additional insight into the performance. Despite many of these shortcomings, this is still a pretty good DVD - but it could have been a lot better. All in all, it will keep the Adams fans happy and may even be good for the casual Adams fan."

Worth it

Matt Wagner | Lawton, Ok United States | 10/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a BA fan since "This Time" (OK I'm dating myself)... I'd say this project wasn't as tight as the Shane's Castle ... but if you like the material on "A Day Like Today" this is worth getting - especially since the CD comes with it. I happen to like 3 of the cuts off that project, so it works. If you have to pick one live performance - go with Shane's Castle. Much better sound quality and performance. If you're a fan, this won't dissapoint."

BA Rocks!!!

mailvamsee | muncie,IN | 09/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a BA fan for ages and I just picked up the dvd the moment I saw it. i was really surprised to see just 3 guys in a live show with almost no lighting effects at all but as you settle in it is just amazing. BA really interacts with the crowd and infact call one of the audience on stage to sing with him. Keith scott is amazing on guitars. To sum it up it is a great DVD. The reason i gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that iam not really happy with the quality of video, it pixalletes sometimes and u dont really get the crisp picture u expect from a dvd.
FINAL VERDICT: Yes I would definetly recommend buying it."