QUEENSRYCHE – The Art Of Live (DVD)

Sanctuary

Posted: 10/9/04

Reviewed by: Dirt

Category: Modern Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

Released: 4/04

Label URL: www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com

Band URL: www.queensryche.com

1/2

The last time that I caught Queensryche in the live setting was when they were the opener on Iron Maiden’s 2000 Brave New World tour.  Coming off the Q2K release, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but to say The Ryche were amazing would be an understatement.  While Maiden bored me to death with what seemed like the entire Brave New World album, Queensryche intelligently decided to concentrate on their classic material.

The Art Of Live DVD captures Queensryche during their recent Tribe tour.  The direction of this release is the exact opposite of what I saw in 2000.  Six of the first eight tracks are from Tribe, while the other two are from Promised Land (“My Global Mind”), and Hear In The Now Frontier (“Sign Of The Times”).  I can’t say anything positive about the first eight songs.  Words that come to mind would be “drab” and “bleak.”  Certainly, these songs don’t touch anything from The Warning or Rage For Order.  While I don’t expect the band to rehash the past over and over, I see no connection between the material up through Empire and the material after that point.

Track nine finds the band doing an acoustic version of “Roads To Madness,” which originally appeared on 1984’s The Warning.  Unfortunately, the song’s vocal melody is altered, giving it a drab vibe like the first eight songs.  One highlight of the song is Eddie Jackson’s bass line, as well as his receiving some camera time, albeit very briefly.  Empire’s “Della Brown” pops into the set as well, but unfortunately the vibe is much the same as “Roads To Madness,” although it is played electric.  Finally, track eleven finds vocalist Geoff Tate asking the crowd, “Are you ready for some Operation: Mindcrime?”  Not too surprisingly, the crowd finally comes out of the coma the band had put them in.  “Breaking The Silence” sounds as it should and “The Needle Lies” finds Tate at his vocal best and Michael Wilton delivering some much needed brighter notes.  Empire’s “Best I Can” comes off well too, especially the cool keyboard intro.  The final two tracks are covers of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” and The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”  Both feature Dream Theater.  Both sound excellent.

Random Thoughts: 

• Touring guitarist Mike Stone is a Kelly Gray clone, sporting the ever-popular but always-stupid wool cap! 

• While I’m glad the band opted for a real Pink Floyd song instead of the Floyd-like “Silent Lucidity,” I have to wonder why they felt the need to do any covers.

• The extras show an interview with a very sweaty Geoff Tate.  Why is he more sweaty sitting down than when he’s on stage?

• Metal Edge’s Paul Gargano interviews Geoff and actually is uglier than Geoff.  My God his choppers are horrible!

• Why doesn’t the band move around the stage?  Standing in one place is not exciting.  That technique is very Seattle-ish.  Oh, that’s right, they’re from Seattle.

• When will Queensryche figure out that the ‘new stuff’ really doesn’t go over well?

• What was the purpose of showing so many live performance versions of “Losing Myself” in the extras section?

The Bloody Truth:  I must have caught Queensryche on a good day back in 2000 because they just don’t have it together on this DVD.  Post Empire material is boring!  Worse yet, the versions of “Della Brown” and “Roads To Madness” are almost blasphemous.  The brown and white look of the live show is also dreary, and further evidence that Queensrcyhe are attempting to play down image and the excitement of the 80s/early 90s.