The Cure Trilogy (Eagle Blu-ray)
Picture:
A- Sound: A- Extras: B
Concert: B
When The
Cure released their Trilogy concert
to DVD several years back, it seemed like a concert DVD that did just about
everything right. We covered that
concert DVD here,
and while that particular concert was strong on DVD and had many things going
for it, the days of DVD are winding down and this new Blu-ray release will
finally make that DVD obsolete as it takes what was already a great disc and
makes improvements in both picture and sound.
My
opinion of the show has not changed since that coverage, but my level of
enjoyment has certainly increased as we now have a truly superior concert experience
thanks to the wonderful benefits of Blu-ray technology. First, there is the improvement in picture,
which has been released here in a stunning 1.78 X 1 High Definition transfer in
1080i that demonstrates terrific color, contrast, and definition throughout. The concert footage is particularly dark in
many regions and while the DVD looked good, there was a certain level of
limitation as it was unable to showcase the various levels of black and detail
was blended into the dark abyss. Here we
get a thorough transfer that showcases the band in a spectacular way and
demonstrates what a fine concert production it truly is. Aside from actually being there in concert,
this is about as good as it gets at home.
As if the
picture quality wasn’t stunning enough, the band is now available in three
audio options, which were all available on the DVD with the exception of the
lossless audio available for the first time here in a DTS-HD Master Audio mix
in 5.1. To say the very least, it’s
mind-blowing. I’ve heard many fantastic
mixes before in the Super Audio realm and a variety of good concert mixes, but
this one is spectacular in just about every aspect. The most noticeable difference when compared
to the DVD or the other mixes available here (linear PCM or Dolby Digital 5.1)
is that the lossless DTS mix now feels lively and free without any compression
or limitation. It’s highly engaging and
really brings out the finest elements of the band, which helps make this
experience more appealing at home.
Low-end presence is incredibly sub-sonic with articulation that was
never heard in the DVD edition.
Similarly the high-end and various ranges feel balanced and the mix
never feels like it is off-center. This
means that from the listening spot the viewer/listener gets a full level of
engagement from all around, but yet the level of sound never dips or gets
playful making the viewer/listener get the impression that something is being
‘toyed’ with in the mix. This is highly
preferable because the best mixes are the ones that just allow you to enjoy it,
rather than have to concentrate on it.
The same
extras are included here that were on the DVD set, the big difference this time
around though is that everything is now included in a really nice neat little
single disc Blu-ray that holds 50GB worth of material and I would guess most of
that is utilized here since we have this much concert footage, extras, and a
lossless audio track. There is no doubt
that any fan will want to make the upgrade if they haven’t done so already!
- Nate Goss
