Portishead - Roseland New York

Starring:Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley, Suzie Katayama, Nick Ingman, Harold Coletta, Belinda Whitney Barratt, Susan Follari, DJ Andy Smith, Will Gregory, Tony Posk, Alfred Brown (II), Joyce Hammann, Carmel Malin, New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, John Baggott, John Miller (IV), Jesse Levy, David Finck, Clive Deamer
Director: Dick Carruthers
Studio: Island
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This famous filming of Portishead's first-ever live gig in New York--along with the accompanying album--is now considered a modern classic. The concert itself is a wonder to behold, as Portishead (Geoff Barrows, Adrian Utley, Beth Gibbons, Andy Smith) smoke cigarettes, chew gum, scratch records, and behave in a generally hip manner while around them the 30-piece New York Philharmonic Orchestra and a 5-piece horn ensemble do their thing. The performance and subsequent recording of this gig has, in some cases, offered a preferred body of work to Portishead's studio-based albums, proving that a live gig does not always equal poor production values. From the haunting "All Mine" to the ever-popular "Glory Box," the energy from the band members and orchestra adds a breathtaking edge to the well-known tunes. The camera itself takes on part of the magic of the concert, sweeping majestically across the action and the audience, helping to capture the slow, silky essence of this urbanized opulence. --Paul Sullivan

Customer Reviews:

A must have album/dvd.......2007-01-08

If you enjoy the music of Portishead then this dvd is a must have. Includes their best tracks live. It makes you wish you had seen them live when they were together.

Bewitched but not Bewildered.......2006-12-21

I finally got around to picking up this dvd about a year ago. I had been aware of it a couple years prior, but just never got around to picking it up. I had been a fan (about 7 on a scale of 10) of theirs since hearing their first album a few years before that. When I got around to their second album, I thought it seemed too much like a rehash of the first, but eventually, I began to enjoy it on it's own merits, wondering how I ever dismissed it in the first place. Strange how that happens, isn't it?

So, flash forward to last year, as I was looking for a new Portishead fix, given the sparsity of material they've provided us with. Because the reviews I had seen had been favorable, I decided to grab this dvd (Christmas gift, actually), even though there wasn't really new material here, so much as a different context to hear the same songs again.

Upon viewing it the first time, I thought it was very good. I played it several times in that first couple of weeks. Even now, a year later, I still have the urge to pull it out and play it. I always succumb to these urges! To put it simply, I ADORE THIS DVD!!! I know how we are all individuals, with different tastes, backgrounds, blah blah blah, but I simply cannot fathom anyone not finding something to enjoy about this dvd. It's got drama, it's got beat, it's got strangely beguiling soundscapes, it's got a torchy, twitchy, tortured vocals. Of all the music performance dvds I own, a mere 25 or so, I must say this is my absolute favorite. As has been repeated, well, repeatedly here.. if you are already a Portishead fan, and not even necessarily a diehard-type, you really MUST OWN THIS DVD. There is not a "NO" option for you. Beg, borrow, steal, if you must, but must is the key word here!

A WORD OR THREE ABOUT BETH - Beth's vocals are spot on. I was pleasantly surprised by how good she sounded in a live environment. And she is a joy to watch. You can tell that in her personal, non-performing life, she is probably quite insecure, shy and just generally uncomfortable with the whole "famous artist" thing. That hunched-over posture of hers, frail demeanor, chain-smoking countenance is quite amusing to me. But watching her sing, the way she gets into the songs, her face contorting itself to mirror the personality of the vocal, well, it's terrifically entertaining to watch.

RANDOM NITPICKS:

1) While the street scenes video cutaway during the performance of 'Undenied' is compelling in it's own way, I really wish we could have gotten to see more of Beth's anguished vocal performance during this song. As it is, they only show her for a brief amount of time at the beginning and the very end of the song. I also liked the slightly different lighting used during this middle interlude segment, which included this song, as well as other live rehearsal performances, mixed in with stage setup video. The rehearsal lighting was more flattering to Beth than the concert lighting. Not that the concert lighting was bad, per se, just that I liked the different lighting ambience provided during the rehearsal segment more in this one respect, plus, just as a "change of pace".

2) A couple of their promo song videos don't make for very compelling viewing. Still, it's nice to have a bunch of them all collected in one place.

3) As someone else mentioned, it's a cheat to include the song 'Western Eyes' in the concert setlist, as it's only the studio version heard over the end credits. What a great song though! Even though I can listen to it on cd anytime, I often just let the dvd end credits roll just so I can hear this song.

4) What the hell goes on in their short film, 'To Kill a Dead Man'?!?!? Ok, so this isn't a complaint so much as, goshdarn, I wish I could figure out what the plot was. I have a few ideas, but more concrete info would be nice. (yes, this is a pitiful plea for some subsequent reviewer to fill me in!). Getting this back to more review-like commentary.. this is an interesting little film they've put together, however, I suspect, unlike the dvd concert portion, it will only be of interest to already confirmed Portishead fans. The last 30 seconds or so of the film, the look on Beth's face just slays me for some reason. I cannot properly articulate what I like about it, but I keep coming back to view this film short for this reason. Well, the way the music builds toward this ending is a major attractor as well.

5) A couple of the shots centered on the audience members were annoying to me. The guy holding his drink, eyes closed, emoting along with the song, for example. I could go into a long analytical thing as to why this bugs me, but I won't bore you with THAT. :P

PS: Thank you for allowing me to meander on your time. Hopefully you enjoy this review of mine. If not, you know what to do. And I will accept your withering judgements with all the anonymous resentment I can muster.

One of the Best!.......2006-07-13

I started live concert DVD's about a year ago, and since then I've been soaking it up. Cowboy Junkies, David Bowie, The Eagles, anything and everything Pink Floyd, and most recently Portishead, Roseland New York. First off if you like Portishead, theres no need to read this....go buy this DVD, NOW! If you've never listened to Portishead before, I suggest you go right now and buy some CD's, and this DVD....also NOW! I will say this though, Portishead is not for everyone, heck my wife hated it the first listen or two, but now, she's bewitched just like me, its hard for me to compare them to someone, I wouldn't know where to start, maybe Morcheeba, Sia, or even Sade (maybe). Well I hope this helps, either way I'll be enjoying the DVD regardless.

own this.......2006-01-25

I was introduced to Portishead a few years ago and became an instant fan.

But let's talk about this DVD.

I also own the CD for Roseland NYC Live, and believe me when I say that these (DVD and CD) are true masterworks; songs are performed flawlessly, but I do have a compalint to make.

I love the live version of "Sour Times" on the CD which is not the same on this DVD, which is a let down. But don't let that bother you, this is something for your collection.

Some of the reviews are quite good, so all I'm trying to do is to warn about "Sour Times". I truly wanted to see/listen Beth screaming "nobody loves me, not like you do" in that almost achingly way.

Wonderful... Maravilloso!.......2005-11-07

Nunca antes había comprado un DVD de musicos (concierto, musicales, presentaciones, etc), encotraba que era una perdida de dinero; pero saben, despues de comprar este DVD, devo decirles que estaba completamente equivocado.
Este DVD te trasnporta perfectamente al lugar donde Portishead realizo ese gran concierto en la ciudad de Nueva York, y a casi 10 años de ese evento, la grabación parece hecha ayer, digna de una atemporalidad envidiable.
Portishead es mi gurpo favorito, poseo todos sus discos, y yo pense que tenia todo, pero ese DVD trae canciones que el Album del mismo concierto no posee (sour times, Numb, entre otras).
Con videos en alta calidad, especial para fanaticos sobre todos latinoamericanos que nunca accedieron a ellos, este video es un lujo, muchos extras, muchos regalos. Desde la 'P' inicial componiendose en la pantalla, este DVD es una maravilla, perfectamente hecho y confeccionado, con un sonido increible, no me quedan mas elogios para recomendarlo. Compreno, no se arrepentiran.

(Escribe en tu idioma, es mejor para nosotros, para ellos, y para todos)

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