CINDERELLA - IN CONCERT (2005)
Label: Cleopatra Entertainment
Region Code: Region--Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 82 Minutes 40 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo or 5.1 Surround (No Subtitles)
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Philly rootsy glam-rockers Cinderella burst onto the scene in 19786 with their debut album Night Songs, bolstered by the MTV hit "Nobody's Fool", a blend of AC/DC-ish rockers and glam anthems, though they always had more of roots rocker vibe compared to other glam rockers of the era, there's even a bit of Goth texture, and I loved vocalist Tom Keifer'r raspy/growly vocals that were in the Dan McCafferty (Nazaraeth)/Brian Johnson (AC/DC) mold, but with a unique granularity to it that is distinctly his own, even having an ethereal and breathless quaility. Their second album Long Cold Winter introduced a more bluesier sound, and their third album Heartbreak Station even more so. This concert is recorded during their Heartbreak Station 1991 tour, I believe at a stopover in Detroit. This represents the band with their classic Night Songs line-up of Tom Keifer on lead vocals and guitar, bassist Eric Brittingham, guitarist Jeff LaBar, and Fred Coury on drums. The band is in fine form, opening with the Heartbreak Station opener "The More Things Change" then into Night Songs rocker "Push Push". The band is all over the stage, Kiefer is in full front man mode, getting the crowd going, introing the songs, vamping for the crowd and the camera, changing out guitars per song, among the axes we have the double necked SG, a Gibson Les Paul, and 12 string acoustic, even some pedal steel guitar, and playing piano on the intro for "Don't Know What You've Got Till Its Gone". Highlight for me are "Nobody's Fool", "Somebody Save Me", "Shake me" and "Night Songs" from the debut album, an album I go back to quite often, and the versions are tights and thunderous, again the band is on fire this night, bolstered by female back-up singer, a sax player, and keyboards from longtime collaborator Gary Corbett! This is a terrific document of the band firing on all cylinders, a well-oiled touring machine at the peak of their powers right here. Unfortunately this same year Kiefer suffered a paresis of his vocal cords which derailed the trajectory of the band, though they would release one more album Still Climbing in 1994, well after grunge had decimated the hair metal/glam scene, causing the band to be dropped from Mercury Records. The band would break-up, but reunite in the later '90s and would disband permanently in 2017, with Kiefer recording a handful of solo album and touring as the Tom Kiefer band, playing the classic Cinderella stuff as well as his post-Cinderella stuff, he still sound great, if you get a chance to check them out it's worth it! As for this Blu-ray, well, if you were/are a fan of Cinderella and their first three albums I can't imagine you will be disappointed, all the classics are here!
Track Listing:
1. The More Things Change
2. Push Push
3. Sick For The Cure
4. Make Your Own Way
5. Night Songs
6. Back Home Again
7. Somebody Save Me
8. Heartbreak Station
9. Coming Home
10. Falling Apart At The Seams
11. Love's Got Me Doin' Time
12. Love Gone Bad
13. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
14. Nobody's Fool
15. Gypsy Road
16. Shake Me
17. Shelter Me
Audio/Video: This concert film is an upconvert of SD footage filmed in 1991, presented in full frame 1.33:1, it looks pretty dang good for what it is. Audio comes by way of lossy English DTS-HD MA 2.0 or 5.1 Dolby Digital, I preferred the stereo presentation which had more kick and oomph to it, the lossy audio is not ideal but it does the job, it has some solid low-end and the guitars sound terrific, I thought the Tom's raspy growl vocals were perhaps a tad low in the mix, but for a live mix it's pretty solid.
The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided wrap, inside there's an insert advert for other Cleopatra releases includes Cinderella and Tom Kiefer merch.
Special Features:
- Exclusive Slide show of Rare Photos (3:53)
