Search - Cheap Trick: Sgt. Pepper Live on DVD

Excellent Beatles tribute by Cheap Trick

Rick H | NC | 08/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an excellent concert performed by Cheap Trick, along with a few guest vocalists and a full backing orchestra doing the entire Sergeant Pepper's album, pretty much note-perfect. Special mention needs to go to Tom Petersen's bass-playing which, to me, was perhaps the most impressive part of the whole concert - he really had his work cut out for him doing Paul's bass parts from that album and he did not disappoint! The end song/encore of "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" was superb, especially Bun E.'s drum solo. One observance: I thought Rick's guitar sound on "Good Morning Good Morning" and "SPLHCB (Reprise)" was too soft - it didn't have the sting of the original guitars on The Beatles' classic but I think he was simply trying not to duplicate the record. That aside, this was a great concert with Robin in fine voice, and the backing band and full orchestra doing an awesome job. Beatles/Cheap Trick fans need to definitely pick this up!"

Their production will be second to none

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 12/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Cheap Trick has never shied away from their love of The Beatles. From the early cover of "Day Tripper" to making "Magical Mystery Tour" to lone new cut on their original Greatest Hits CD, Robin Zander, Tom Peterssen, Bun E Carlos and Rick Nielsen could knock 'em out like nobody's business. But to recreate the landmark Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album as a live (for charity) event, played from start to finish? That takes some Ernie Ball strings of steel.

The surprise is just how well Cheap Trick pulls this off. From the instantly familiar power of the opening chords to the fun Abbey Road encore medley, the band starts strong, works it hard and finishes solid. Guest performers Joan Osborne gives a twist to "Lovely Rita," and Rob Laugher channeling George Harrison for "Within You Without You" is one of many highlights here. The recreation of George's sitar here is jawdroppingly good.

The band and their pals all look like they're having a blast doing this, but they're taking it dead serious, too. Geoff Emerick, The Beatles' original engineer, was brought in for the sound. The NY Philharmonic fleshes out the orchestral parts (along with Zander's vocals, you'll get goose bumps during "She's Leaving Home"). Almost all the musical intricacies of the original album are brought out (at least the ones that aren't sound effects, anyways), and Tom just flat-nails McCartney's bass parts. The camerawork is well done, with only minor moments of short-attention span editing. Suprisingly, there's almost no between song patter. Instaed, the band includes a bonus featurette where each trickster talks about the influence of "Sgt Pepper" on the Cheap Trick world.

"Sgt Pepper Live" could have been a train wreck of pigpile proportions, but Cheap Trick makes it work. The songs are faithfully Beatles, but the sound is unmistakably Cheap Trick. For a band that has long been out of the limelight (their 16th studio album, The Latest, is way better than you'd expect), "Sgt Pepper Live" avoids the pratfall of sounding like a cover band and shows that rock and reverence aren't always mutually exclusive.
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The Magic (almost)

Thomas Morrow | 08/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An amazing concert. One of my all time favorite bands performance of my all time favorite bands most pivotal (along with Revolver) recordings. Cheap Trick are always fun to watch, and here even more so. Rick nails the solos, and adds his own tasteful touch to them. Robin's vocals are nothing less than inspired. Bun E... well proves once again that he is one of the best drummers in the business. Tom pulls it all together... you don't really notice him, but BELIEVE me you would miss him if he was not there. This concert, albeit short, is just TOO MUCH FUN to watch!"

Play It Again

P. Harris | S. CA | 09/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been buying concert DVDs for too many years and the real test of any DVD is will it be viewed more than once. I've already watched this concert at least 4 times...created an avi file for business trips and watched on our home system. The sound is fairly amazing with a good pair of headphones. I'm not sure how much post production was done with the live mix but Geoff Emerick is beyond reproach as a engineer/producer. The band is excellent...how does Robin sing like that on a consistant basis and Tom's bass playing makes me want to go back and do that for a living. I have a new appreciation for Cheap Trick and Sgt. Peppers after getting this DVD. Buy it and let's see how the remastered stuff sounds in a couple of weeks. Also, make a run for Las Vegas to see the gentlemen of Cheap Trick do this in September."