Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire – Live At The Greek Theater (HD-DVD)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: C-     Concert: B

 

 

Is it true that this is the first time two of the most wildly successful band of the 1970s have teamed up to give a concert?  Possibly, when you consider that both Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire are also two of the hugest touring bands of all time.  That is also what the package of this 2004 concert release claims and though we’ll take their word for it, many would wonder what took them so long.  Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire – Live At The Greek Theater was originally issued on DVD and is now on HD-DVD as the best of the first three titles in the format from, Image Entertainment.

 

Taped a year after their mixed Soundstage appearance, Chicago is certainly having a better night here, Peter Cetera or not.  As for Earth, Wind & Fire, that band (which we will call EWF from here) is more in tact, so they are even in better form, though watching them at this stage is like later Elton John performances minus the memorable clothes and accessories.  The concert runs as follows with these tracks:

 

 

Opening

Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire:

Beginnings
In This Stone
Dialogue (Parts I & II)

Earth, Wind & Fire:

Magic Mind
Boogie Wonderland
System of Survival
Jupiter, Getaway
Serpentine Fire
Kalimba Story
Got To Get You Into My Life
The Way You Move
After The Love Has Gone
That's The Way Of the World
Reasons
Fantasy
Let's Groove
Mighty Mighty

Chicago:

Make Me Smile
Color My World
If You Leave Me Now
Call On Me
Alive Again
Hard Habit To Break
Mongonucleosis
Old Days
Just You n' Me
Saturday In The Park
Feelin' Stronger
I'm A Man
Hard To Say I'm Sorry

Finale
Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire:

September
Free
Sing A Song
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Shining Star

25 Or 6 To 4

 

 

It is nice to see the new Chicago in a more ambitious mode and EWF has been pleasantly in classic vocal form for years reflecting their earliest successes.  While Chicago has been around longer starting as Chicago Transit Authority in 1967, EWF started in the city Chicago in 1971.  It took EWF until 1973 to start breaking through, while Chicago broke through in 1969.  With their size as groups and Jazz (especially Jazz from Chicago) being their strongest common denominators on top of a massive amount of records sold, they do have chemistry together.

 

While most of the new bands that the major labels push have little talent and all sound the same, while other potentially great bands are undone by ignorance and/or inexperience, here are two bands who can outplay just about all the bands that have followed.  What were considered Pop, Rock and/or Soul hits taken for granted in the 1970s are now standards and even classics.  Anyone who likes good music or these bands will want to see the whole concert at least once and if possible, this HD-DVD delivers above the standard DVD and any cable/satellite broadcasts, so see it this way if you can.

 

The 1080i digital High Definition image is just barely the best of the initial three HD-DVD concerts Image has issued in the new format.  There are still limits, but it is taped more clearly than the others and is more in line with more recent such concert releases in all three formats.  Since there is more to shoot here, the director and cameramen gives them more opportunities to show more on camera and the bands deliver.  Editing is not bad.  The Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mix is pretty good and better than the 2.0 equivalent, though you can hear some limits in the sonics that show why this is the only one of the three initial Image releases not to be in Dolby TrueHD.  Ironically, it is the only one with a devoted .1 subwoofer track and was standard DTS and standard Dolby Digital on the regular DVD.  Both of those tracks have been jettisoned.  It should be noted for audiophiles who will enjoy the sound here that two classic Chicago albums are out in the DVD-Audio format (II & V) while EWF has several of their classics out in Super Audio CD.  Extras include the bonus track Drum Duel and nothing else, but the running time of the disc is 172 minutes, so you’ll have plenty to watch.

 

If you like either band, try out these related links for more on each one:

 

That’s The Way Of The World (DVD-Video feature film)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4502/That’s+The+Way+Of+The+World+(1975+Feature+Film)

 

Chicago 2003 Soundstage DVD-Video Concert

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1519/Chicago+In+Concert+(Soundstage)

 

Peter Cetera Soundstage DVD-Video Concert

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1822/Peter+Cetera+In+Concert+(Soundstage)

 

Chicago XXX (CD)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3592/Chicago+XXX+(CD)

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo