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Chieftains - Live Over Ireland: Water from the Well, The
Part documentary, part travelogue, and part promotional puff piece, "The Chieftains Live Over Ireland" is a 2000 DVD released to help promote their "back to their roots" CD "Water From the Well." The Chieftains are the grand old men of the celtic music renaissance, having played together in various combinations for well over 40 years. They have seen their influence grow to the point where the liner notes for this DVD release (by Joe Jackson) quote accolades from such varied sources as Newsweek and Frank Zappa. While known primarily for their championing of traditional Irish music, The Chieftains have actually been at the forefront of the celtic fusion movement which helped spawn two more generations of more world-beat and pop oriented outfits like Clannad and, more recently, The Corrs (with whom The Chieftains have collaborated). The DVD, alas, is a mixed bag, somewhat the result of the relatively primitive authoring available in 1999-2000 (hard to believe how quickly technology falls behind the times, but true). The film was shot in 16:9, but is not enhanced for widescreen televisions (which were a rarity way back then). The only audio option is a standard 2 channel stereo, again the norm in the pre-Dolby 5.1 days. The documentary aspects of the film--each of the band members gives nostalgic interviews about growing up in Ireland and how they came to be interested in Irish music--are well-done, and the fly-by's over the sylvan Irish countryside are gorgeous. And of course the music, with such guest stars as Van Morrison, Altan, and, improbably, Los Lobos, is fantastic. The DVD is simply hampered by being a product of its time.
The DVD
Video:
My sense is this was originally shot on video (though I have been unable to confirm or deny) and the picture quality therefore is not the best. Add to this that the 16:9 image is unenhanced for widescreen televisions, and you are left with a poorly authored image (there were moire patterns on a fiddle bow, believe it or not) hampered by not being enhanced for widescreen.
Sound: Extras: Final Thoughts:
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If you're a fan of celtic music in general, and The Chieftains in particular, this might not be a bad evening's rental (if indeed it's still available). Just don't expect a 2007 quality release.
"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet
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