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Morcheeba: Brixton to Beijing
Before there was Dido, there was Skye, the lead singer of Morcheeba. Before mainstream American music fans found out about Dido through Eminem's sampling of her song "Thank You," Morcheeba had played on the second stage of Lillith Fair. Before "No Angel" became a must own CD for sorority girls everywhere, their indie counterparts had "Big Calm," Morcheeba's 1998 effort.
On From Brixton to Beijing, Morcheeba's first live concert DVD, American audiences are treated to Morcheeba as we've never seen it before – the star, not the support.
The set list:
The Sea
Friction
Tape Loop
Otherwise
Part of the Process
Aqaulung
Love Sweet Love
Be Yourself
Slow Down
Trigger Hippie
What New York Couples Fight About
Moog Island
Way Beyond
Get Along
Public Displays of Affection
Jolene
Blindfold
Undress Me Now
Over and Over
Charango
Rome Wasn't Built In A Day
This is a very talented band. While the British trip-hop sound seems to have run its course as far as commercial viability is concerned, Morcheeba does it better than almost everyone else. But how can a sound so concentrated on studio work translate to stage? It's a question that Morcheeba never fully answers; the turntables give some of the background ambient sound, but live Skye has to carry the group with her vocals.
This might be the main problem. It's not that Skye has a bad voice – it's just she has one that is uniquely fitted for trip-hop: Not overpowering, with the ability to fade in, out and around the keyboards, guitars and record scratches. In a live situation, though, that's not captivating.
In addition, the band has little stage presence. With the exception of the occasional outburst from Skye, there seems to be little passion from Morcheeba. That, combined with the "precision" of the band (most songs sound exactly like they do on their respective studio albums), gives the home viewer very little to get excited about.
There are some highlights here. Skye is at her best when she has a guest to play off of, which makes the cameos from Kurt Wagner of Lambchop and Pacewon (hip-hop clichés and all) entertaining. The DVD
Video:
From Brixton to Beijing has an odd softness to its picture throughout the presentation. It looks like one would expect for a video translated from PAL to NTSC. But there are few visible digital transfer problems.
Sound:
The Dolby 5.1 track is excellent, utilizing the rear speakers to engulf the viewer in the sound not just of the band, but also of the crowd. It feels like you are standing in front of the soundboard.
Extras:
The name of the disc comes from its main extra, a documentary highlighting the band's tour of China as part of the British Council tour of 2002. It is for hardcore fans only though; there are few actual insights either about the band or China, and the song performance clips sound exactly like the songs as performed in Brixton.
Final Thoughts:
Anyone interested in Morcheeba would do well to first seek out the band's fantastic studio albums, especially "Big Calm." But live performance is not what makes this band great, so it's impossible to recommend From Brixton to Beijing as anything other than a rental.
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