Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live Blu-ray Movie Review

I don’t believe there is anything that I could write about Billy Idol that has not already been written. At 54, the enigmatic Englishman is a living legend. He has managed to inspire countless young musicians from all over the world.

Idol started his career in the late 70s with Generation X, a punk rock band named after one of his mother’s favorite novels, in his native England. By the early 80s, he was already being promoted in the U.S., where punk had gathered momentum. “Rebel Yell”, Idol’s second solo album, produced some of his most beloved hits - "Blue Highway", "Flesh For Fantasy", "Rebel Yell" and, of course, "Eyes Without a Face" - and immediately earned him the respect of the fans. After a much publicized struggle with alcohol and drugs during the 90s that had a serious impact on his career, Idol has returned to recording and performing music again.

Shot live at the Congress Theater in Chicago for the U.S. TV series "Soundstage" and aired in July 2009, Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live captures the rock star in a surprisingly good form. In front of an enthusiastic and appreciative sellout crowd, Idol - together with old pals Steve Stevens (guitars), Brian Tichy (drums), Stephen McGrath (bass) and Derek Sherinian (keyboards) - performed a total of 12 songs, including some of his greatest hits: "Dancing With Myself", "White Wedding", "Flesh For Fantasy", "Eyes Without a Face", "Touch My Love", etc.

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live is a small, club-size show. The stage is simple but elegant, there are no fancy pyrotechnics and the fans are placed extremely close to Idol and his band. The energy in the venue is great - from start to finish, the fans are seen singing with Idol. Even during “Eyes Without a Face”, the mood is fairly upbeat.

Hardcore Idol fans will be delighted with this Blu-ray release. Aside from VH1 Storytellers - Billy Idol, which is currently available only on SDVD, courtesy of Image Entertainment, there is practically nothing else of interest for them on the U.S. market. Kudos to Eagle Rock Entertainment for stepping up to the plate yet again.

Scream!

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Shot live at the Congress Theater in Chicago for the U.S. TV series "Soundstage" and aired in July 2009, Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live looks strong. Detail is very good and clarity excellent throughout the entire show. Though not too impressive, the camerawork allows one to follow Idol and his band quite well. There are multiple close-ups of Idol, group shots and panoramic footage showing the audience having a good time. Mild "motion-judder" is present, but it is definitely not something that would detract from your viewing experience. The lighting is simple but effective; there are no disturbing shadow effects to report in this review. To sum it all up, I believe that Billy Idol fans will be pleased with the image quality of this Blu-ray release. (Note: This Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live is a club-size show that is free of mind-boggling pyrotechnics -- which is why I actually liked it so much. Yes, the crowd noise is certainly there, but the music is the focus of attention, and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track treats it perfectly.

As expected, Billy's singing is very temperamental, and from "Flesh For Fantasy" to "White Wedding" to "Ready Steady Go", one could literally feel the type of emotions running in him (yes, he has aged a bit, and so has his voice). Steve, Brian, Stephen and Derek do a tremendous job as well - the guitar solos, in particular, are great. Finally, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has a solid dynamic range - listen to Steve's solo in "Eyes Without A Face" and then "Kiss Me Deadly".

If you have the proper equipment to take advantage of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, you should not experiment with the LPCM 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Both are notably inferior, and it is very easy to tell. The latter, in particular, lacks the crispness of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, there are absolutely no supplemental materials to be found in this Blu-ray disc whatsoever.

Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is great to have Eagle Rock Entertainment around. Their team has brought a number of terrific shows to Blu-ray this year, and Billy Idol: In Super Overdrive Live is not an exception. I must admit, however, that watching it made me feel nostalgic. Billy still looks and sounds great, but I kept thinking about the times when he was younger, and rock music was actually inspiring. There really isn't anyone nowadays doing what he did some twenty five years ago. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.