Tower Of Power In
Concert (Ohne Filter)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C+ Concert: C+
The band Tower Of Power is always known for their horn
section, which has played on countless albums, but they also have had three Top
30 singles from three Top 30 albums from 1972 to 1974. Here, nearly a quarter century later on July,
1st, 1998, their latest incarnation appeared on German TV for the
series Ohne Filter and this DVD is
of that concert.
None of
their old Pop hits are featured here, but the hit songs are as follows:
1)
Strokes 75
2)
Souled Out
3)
I Like Your Style
4)
You Strike My Main Nerve
5)
Easy Bay Way
6)
Soul Vaccination
7)
What Is Hip?
8)
Squib Cakes
9)
Diggin’ On James Brown
10) Soul With A Capital “S”
11) So I Got To Groove
The
expectation was strong horn-based soul with some very serious instrumental work
worthy of the Funk Brothers’ concert moments in the recent Standing In The Shadows Of Motown (2001, reviewed elsewhere on this
site), but what resulted instead was a very mixed concert running the usual
nearly-hour length the series is set for.
The playlist consists of mostly vocal songs that simply do not have a
rich soul sound or feel to them, and the singing is not distinguished from
either of the two male vocalists who step up to the plate. The heart and intensity is just not here,
even when some musicianship is. This
particular taping of Tower Of Power simply missed the mark.
The full
frame, analog PAL image is the usual above average presentation with some
softness, but good color. The sound is
available in both a smaller-than-usual PCM CD 2.0 Stereo and oddly compressed
Dolby Digital 5.1 AC-3 mix. The latter
has healthy-enough surround information, but is just passable for
multi-channel. Besides repeating the
same stereo cords plug, other DVDs in the series, and Ohne Filter producer interview, it has a biography of the band and
all the member changes over four decades.
This is something of reference value and makes one realize it is time
for a documentary on Tower Of Power.
- Nicholas Sheffo
