Dave Matthews And Tim Reynolds Live At Radio City (Blu-ray)

Sony Music | 214 minutes | 2007 | Not Rated | Directed by: Sam Erickson and Fenton Williams |
Blu-Ray reviewed by: Daniel Pulliam

Interestingly enough, I'm not a particularly big Dave Matthews fan. I haven't really been enamored with any of DMB's studio efforts since "Crash", and enough time has passed since that was released to cause me to loose most of my interest in what the group is cranking out these days. And for the most part, Tim Reynolds, when performing with a full band, produces music so experimental that it sounds almost alien. It's intriguing, but it certainly isn't music that I return to again and again or connect with in any meaningful way. So what a shock for me to discover that when you take away the fancy arrangements from these two men, hand them both an acoustic guitar, and give them a venue, what they produce is nothing short of astounding. Even if, like me, you're not a huge fan of DMB or Tim Reynolds when they're playing with their respective bands, I highly recommend giving this disc at least a rental and hearing the sounds the two are capable of producing from two instruments. It's a sight ? and sound ? to behold, and I can't imagine anyone not being won over by the sheer virtuosity on display by both artists over the course of this stunning program. Reynolds, in particular, is one of the most talented acoustic players I have ever seen. I spent equal time while watching this spellbound by Reynolds's speed on the fret board and filled with resentment for a man who makes my own guitar playing look like something a three-year-old might churn out.

As is detailed in the documentary on disc two, these two men have a long, close history, and that chemistry plays out literally and figuratively onstage. Matthews naturally does most of the talking throughout, and his comments range from fully lucid to bizarrely funny to downright incomprehensible. But then, that's part of the joy and charm of watching, and it certainly keeps things interesting for the duration of what might otherwise be a rather by-the-numbers concert. That's not to say that the actual music isn't interesting, either. Reynolds makes frequent, sometimes cleverly subtle use of a device that loops riffs, creating impossibly dense soundscapes that build, one on top of the other, until Radio City Music Hall is simply awash with melodic color. At times, the music is so loud ? and yet so distinctly crisp and unarguably accessible ? that Matthews's otherwise quirky voice, when it interjects, comes off as almost transcendent. This is the type of music that simply begs to be heard at a high volume level to get the full, intended effect of the performance.

The set list is comprised of songs old and new, and most anyone will find several songs on the disc they're familiar with. What surprised me most was the amount of tracks I'd never heard that I came to love through watching this blu-ray. Many of Matthews's earlier hits are played to wonderful, mellow effect here (much to my enjoyment as that was the material I liked best back in the day). Reynolds has a few moments to shine playing solo pieces as well. Having seen Tim play a few live acoustic solo shows, I can assure any of you reading that it's well-worth the meager price of admission to see the mind-boggling skill of a master at work, and that skill is shown off in force on this release. Here's the set list:

01.Bartender
02.When The World Ends
03.Stay Or Leave
04.Save Me
05.Crush
06.So Damn Lucky
07.Gravedigger
08.The Maker
09.Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)
10.Eh Hee
11.Betrayal
12.Out Of My Hands
13.Still Water
14.Don't Drink The Water
15.Oh
16.Cornbread
17.Crash Into Me
18.Down By The River
19.You Are My Sanity
20.Sister
21.Lie In Our Graves
22.Some Devil
23.Grace Is Gone
24.Dancing Nancies
25.#41
26.Two Step

Shot on high-definition video at 1080p and 24fps, the image captured here is a hair short of reference, but it's still awfully nice, especially considering this is a primarily audio-driven release. Detail and clarity are just phenomenal here, and it's great to be granted that enhanced sense of intimacy on a show that demands nothing less. There's really not a moment in the entire release that doesn't feel like you're watching hi-def, and that's quite a feat considering it's rather easy to overlook video quality when you're watching two men perform on a stage for two hours with no change of scenery. In fact, the only thing that kept this from being a five-star presentation was a bit of infrequent banding and pixelization on some of the wider shots of the venue, but it's nothing that should really detract much at all from the overall experience. Colors are great, blacks rock solid, etc. All in all, this is a technically proficient, near-reference video presentation that it sure to please. But let's be honest: as much as the video is a factor, what's really important here is the audio. Fortunately, it doesn't disappoint in the slightest.

I'll get right to the point: this is my single favorite go-to disc for HD audio. The Dolby Digital 5.1 option, while perhaps a worthwhile addition to the options, is really rather useless except for those who are absolutely unwilling to trade off some slight surround ambiance for the far-superior resolution and clarity of the also-included Linear PCM track. The differences really are rather striking. Even going down to two channels, the mix has such greater life on the PCM that I can hardly believe that anyone would choose the lossy alternative. For us HD audio elitists, though, there really is only one option here, and that's the full majesty of the 96kHz/24bit Dolby TrueHD track. This is just an outstanding listen from beginning to end. Almost no amount of volume-cranking will cause even the slightest degree of harshness in a mix this well-balanced and encompassing. And when I say encompassing, I mean an utterly seamless and fluid front soundstage. Surround use is really fairly constrained (as well it should be for an intimate concert like this one), with those channels largely being relegated to a few cheers and claps now and again. But please don't let that factor dissuade you in any way. There's an almost other-worldly transparency in this sound mix that more than makes up for the lack of surround use. And again, that's not really what you want with material like this anyway. For my money, this is without a doubt the finest disc I have ever heard for pure sonic perfection, to which anyone who's heard it will undoubtedly attest. In short, if you're looking for a disc to show off the monumental benefits possible with the latest and greatest lossless audio codecs, this is - hands down - the one that should be in your player.

The only included extras on this release are the aforementioned documentary (entitled "So Damn Lucky") and a "Photo Montage". The documentary is more of a history of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds's friendship and artistic history with one another than it is a piece on the concert itself, but for what it is, it's a nice addition to the release as it gives you a greater appreciation of the relationship that is harnessed onstage on a performance like this, and frankly, it probably works better and makes more sense to include this here than a documentary on the show itself. The gallery is more or less a throwaway extra, but it's nice to have I suppose. On the whole, it's not a necessarily disappointing set of extras, though a few bonus songs or clips from either performer's respective solo careers certainly would have sweetened the pot a bit. Still, I haven't enjoyed a concert release this much in a very long time, and for music lovers ? and hi-res audiophiles ? this is absolutely an easy recommendation.