ZZ Top – Live In Texas (Eagle Vision Blu-ray + DVD-Video)

 

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

 

 

ZZ Top lives and survives long past their chart days with a decent concert in the recently recorded Live In Texas and is a fine HD presentation in both remaining video formats from Eagle Vision HD.  The performances are on and off and include:

 

1)     Got Me Under Pressure

2)     Waitin’ For The Bus

3)     Jesus Just Left Chicago

4)     I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide

5)     Pin Cushion

6)     Cheap Sunglasses

7)     Pearl Necklace

8)     Heard It On The X

9)     Just Got Paid

10)  Rough Boy

11)  Blue Jean Blues

12)  Gimme All Your Lovin’

13)  Sharp Dressed Man

14)  Legs

15)  Tube Snake Boogie

16)  La Grange

17)  Tush

 

 

Fans will be happy and non-fans impressed that they are still going and pretty much in tact versus so many of their peers who do not seem to have the ambition or energy they used to have.  They embarrass many of the Rock bands that have followed with this and though I was not knocked out, it is a very respectable showing.

 

The 1080i 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is even color-impressive on the anamorphically enhanced DVD, but is especially impressive on the Blu-ray and when the image is n the soft side, the color, lighting and general shoot is so good that you get a uniquely good-looking concert that is among the best Eagle has issued to date.  Both discs have PCM 2.0 Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes, but the Blu-ray adds a DTS HD Master Audio (MA) 5.1 mix that sounds too compressed for its own good and reminds me of the complains on Yes – Live At Montreux (reviewed on Blu-ray and HD-DVD elsewhere on this site) where some felt the DTS was lacking.  It is certainly the case here, with the remaining tracks a toss-up.  Three small featurettes and a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Foxey Lady are the only extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo