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Cranberries - Beneath The Skin (Version 2), The
BMG Music // Unrated // September 24, 2002
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Note: This is a re-release of the original DVD that adds some new features and also corrects the faults of the prior release. Elements of the review for the earlier release have been used again here, accompanied by additional writing in regards to the new features and alterations.
I've always been a slight fan of the Cranberries, enjoying their more up-tempo songs such as "Salvation". I don't own any of their albums, but I'll always stop to listen to them if they come on the radio.
"Beneath The Skin" though, is another instance of a band that I don't otherwise know much about stunning me with an energetic concert performance. Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan may be small in size, but she offers a remarkable amount of energy, whether it be belting out one of the songs, or extending her microphone into the audience to capture them singing along with equal intensity.
All of the more popular songs ("Salvation", "Zombie", "Linger", "Dreams") are included here, but I felt that the concert was most entertaining during the more lively songs. The band even performs a cover of "Go Your Own Way", where O'Riordan seems to be having a great deal of fun, running around the stage. The 84 minute concert was recorded live in Paris in December of 1999 and is quite professionally filmed, with a slick, clean look that captures the band well. More than anything though, this is a band that really looks like they're having a great time and so does the massive crowd.
1. Promises
2. Animal Instinct
3. Loud and Clear
4. Ode to My Family
5. The Icicle Meets
6. Linger
7. Wanted
8. Salvation
9. Desperate Andy
10. Go Your Own Way
11. Pretty
12. When You're Gone
13. I Can't Be with You
14. Waltzing Back
15. Free to Decide
16. Zombie
17. Ridiculous Thoughts
18. Dying in the Sun
19. You and Me
20. Just My Imagination
21. Delilah
22. Dreams
The DVD
VIDEO: "Beneath The Skin" is presented here once again in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture quality is beautiful, with fantastic sharpness and detail to the close-ups. Some shots from farther out seem a bit soft, but still very clear and well-defined.
As for problems, I did see a few little traces of artifacts now and then, but these were so minor as to hardly be noticable. The lighting is fantastic, washing the stage in a light blue or other various colors that look beautifully rendered here. This release does look a bit cleaner and crisper than the prior one, with a less "fuzzy" appearance. While colors looked very nice on the prior release, they look slightly deeper and smoother here.
SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack really impressed me for this presentation. It's a big stadium show and it's a big stadium sound - really enveloping, loud and powerful - but also quiet and subtle when it needs to be. Surrounds are used well for the music and an "open" crowd sound. The music is really well captured, crisp and clear and not muddled together - instruments seem distinct. Bass is appropriately strong during some of the more intense songs. O'Riordan's fantastic voice also comes through perfectly, almost seemingly in the same room. Very entertaining and enjoyable audio quality that really delivers that "front row" feeling for this great performance.
The new addition on this version of the DVD is a DTS 5.1 track that provides some noticable improvements over the Dolby Digital version. Although the Dolby track provides crisp and clear instrumentals and nice, solid low bass, the DTS version sounded tigher altogther, with somewhat deeper low bass and instrumentals more clearly defined across the front soundstage.
MENUS: The absolutely horrendous animated menus (worst menus ever? Quite Possibly.) that were the worst part of the first disc has been redone here and thankfully, the menus are much simpler and easy to navigate.
EXTRAS: While the presentation has been noticably improved and the menus fixed, some of the supplements that were included on the prior release don't turn up this time around. The prior release included three short featurettes, but this new release offers "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee", a 25-minute documentary. "Wake Up" is a very nice mixture - it starts off providing a nice overview of how the band came together, then goes into their previous work and finally, jumps into the recording and production of their latest album. There's nothing promotional about it and the band is very honest and insightful about the creation of their music.
Also: Live performances of "Saving Grace", "Hollywood", "Yesterday's Gone" and "How", as well as videos or promos for "Animal Instinct", "Promises", "Just My Imagination", "Analyse" and "Time Is Ticking Out". Rounding out the DVD are some DVD-ROM materials, including web-links.
Final Thoughts: This is sort of a "Superbit" (to use the name of Columbia/Tristar's re-issue brand of their films w/improved audio/video) version of the previous "Beneath The Skin". Audio/video quality is improved here and, while some of the supplements from the previous release have been missing, there are some new extras here to explore. And - quite thankfully - the terrible menus from the prior release are no longer. Recommended for Cranberries fans - although make sure you pick up this new release instead of the prior one.
Note: This is a re-release of the original DVD that adds some new features and also corrects the faults of the prior release. Elements of the review for the earlier release have been used again here, accompanied by additional writing in regards to the new features and alterations.
I've always been a slight fan of the Cranberries, enjoying their more up-tempo songs such as "Salvation". I don't own any of their albums, but I'll always stop to listen to them if they come on the radio.
"Beneath The Skin" though, is another instance of a band that I don't otherwise know much about stunning me with an energetic concert performance. Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan may be small in size, but she offers a remarkable amount of energy, whether it be belting out one of the songs, or extending her microphone into the audience to capture them singing along with equal intensity.
All of the more popular songs ("Salvation", "Zombie", "Linger", "Dreams") are included here, but I felt that the concert was most entertaining during the more lively songs. The band even performs a cover of "Go Your Own Way", where O'Riordan seems to be having a great deal of fun, running around the stage. The 84 minute concert was recorded live in Paris in December of 1999 and is quite professionally filmed, with a slick, clean look that captures the band well. More than anything though, this is a band that really looks like they're having a great time and so does the massive crowd.
1. Promises
2. Animal Instinct
3. Loud and Clear
4. Ode to My Family
5. The Icicle Meets
6. Linger
7. Wanted
8. Salvation
9. Desperate Andy
10. Go Your Own Way
11. Pretty
12. When You're Gone
13. I Can't Be with You
14. Waltzing Back
15. Free to Decide
16. Zombie
17. Ridiculous Thoughts
18. Dying in the Sun
19. You and Me
20. Just My Imagination
21. Delilah
22. Dreams
The DVD
VIDEO: "Beneath The Skin" is presented here once again in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture quality is beautiful, with fantastic sharpness and detail to the close-ups. Some shots from farther out seem a bit soft, but still very clear and well-defined.
As for problems, I did see a few little traces of artifacts now and then, but these were so minor as to hardly be noticable. The lighting is fantastic, washing the stage in a light blue or other various colors that look beautifully rendered here. This release does look a bit cleaner and crisper than the prior one, with a less "fuzzy" appearance. While colors looked very nice on the prior release, they look slightly deeper and smoother here.
SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack really impressed me for this presentation. It's a big stadium show and it's a big stadium sound - really enveloping, loud and powerful - but also quiet and subtle when it needs to be. Surrounds are used well for the music and an "open" crowd sound. The music is really well captured, crisp and clear and not muddled together - instruments seem distinct. Bass is appropriately strong during some of the more intense songs. O'Riordan's fantastic voice also comes through perfectly, almost seemingly in the same room. Very entertaining and enjoyable audio quality that really delivers that "front row" feeling for this great performance.
The new addition on this version of the DVD is a DTS 5.1 track that provides some noticable improvements over the Dolby Digital version. Although the Dolby track provides crisp and clear instrumentals and nice, solid low bass, the DTS version sounded tigher altogther, with somewhat deeper low bass and instrumentals more clearly defined across the front soundstage.
MENUS: The absolutely horrendous animated menus (worst menus ever? Quite Possibly.) that were the worst part of the first disc has been redone here and thankfully, the menus are much simpler and easy to navigate.
EXTRAS: While the presentation has been noticably improved and the menus fixed, some of the supplements that were included on the prior release don't turn up this time around. The prior release included three short featurettes, but this new release offers "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee", a 25-minute documentary. "Wake Up" is a very nice mixture - it starts off providing a nice overview of how the band came together, then goes into their previous work and finally, jumps into the recording and production of their latest album. There's nothing promotional about it and the band is very honest and insightful about the creation of their music.
Also: Live performances of "Saving Grace", "Hollywood", "Yesterday's Gone" and "How", as well as videos or promos for "Animal Instinct", "Promises", "Just My Imagination", "Analyse" and "Time Is Ticking Out". Rounding out the DVD are some DVD-ROM materials, including web-links.
Final Thoughts: This is sort of a "Superbit" (to use the name of Columbia/Tristar's re-issue brand of their films w/improved audio/video) version of the previous "Beneath The Skin". Audio/video quality is improved here and, while some of the supplements from the previous release have been missing, there are some new extras here to explore. And - quite thankfully - the terrible menus from the prior release are no longer. Recommended for Cranberries fans - although make sure you pick up this new release instead of the prior one.
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