Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.5

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 30, 2008

Daryl Hall and John Oates, known as “the best selling pop duo of all time”, met back in 1967 while attending Temple University. They already had their own groups, but decided to join forces and see what fate had in the making for them. After a few not so impressive tracks, and plenty of experimentation with the type of sound they wanted to promote, Daryl Hall and John Oates left Atlantic Records.

By the mid-70s the duo had their first commercial success - The Silver Album. Their new “home”, RCA, was very encouraged and went on to popularize their music around the country. By the early 80s, however, Daryl Hall and John Oates were actively seeking to promote their own sound, and with the release of Voices things started happening for them. In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced Hall & Oates as the “most successful duo in the history of recorded music”.

Back at Troubadour, LA

“Live at the Troubadour” is somewhat of a symbolic return to the place where the duo started their pursuit of glory. In 1973, in front of an audience of 400, Daryl Hall and John Oates performed their first LA gig. 35 years later, they’ve decided to come back to LA and celebrate with their fans a very impressive record of hits that sold millions of albums.

The actual show you will see on this Blu-ray disc was recorded in May of 2008. It contains a total of 19 songs including some of the duo’s greatest hits. It is a generally very laidback affair which, in my opinion, kind of fits the image Daryl and John built during the years.

Live at the Troubadour is also a very intimate show. You could clearly see how incredibly close the audience is to the musicians, how unpretentious and simple the stage is, and how genuinely excited the fans are to have their idols perform again. In fact, the concert truly feels like a high-school reunion of sorts where there is mutual respect and desire to experience forgotten songs, rekindle forgotten feelings. Not surprisingly, as Live at the Troubadour progresses the performance become more and more passionate.

I suppose the greatest compliment one could spare about Daryl Hall and John Oates is that their music is still exciting. The roster of songs they have gathered for this show is as cutting-edge and diverse I hoped it would be (how ironic is that, more than 30-years later their songs sound just as well as they did in the mid 70s). In fact, I was listening very closely to hear how the sax would blend with the guitars and, suffice to say, there are plenty of downtempo and fusion artists out there that could learn a thing or two from the duo.

From a purely technical point of view, Live at the Troubadour looks spectacular. Multiple cameras provide terrific shots, all from a variety of different angles, allowing one not only to follow Daryl and John’s performances, but the rest of the musicians contributing to the show as well. Occasionally, the cameras also zoom over the excited, but not too huge, crowd in order to capture the terrific atmosphere on and off Troubadour’s stage.

Tracklisting:

1. Everything Your Heart Desires
2. When the Morning Comes
3. Family Man – (Hall & Oates, Cross, Tim)
4. Say It Isn't So
5. It's Uncanny
6. Had I Known You Better Then – (Hall & Oates, Oates, John)
7. She's Gone
8. Getaway Car – (Hall & Oates, Haase, Gary)
9. Cab Driver – (Hall & Oates, Brown, Louis)
10. One on One
11. Sara Smile
12. Maneater – (Hall & Oates, Allen, Sara)
13. Out of Touch
14. I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) – (Hall & Oates, Allen, Sara)
15. Rich Girl
16. Kiss on My List – (Hall & Oates, Allen, Janna)
17. You Make My Dreams – (Hall & Oates, Allen, Sara)
18. Abandoned Luncheonette
19. Private Eyes – (Hall & Oates, Allen, Sara)

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with VC-1, and granted a 1080i "live" transfer Hall & Oates: Live at the Troubadour arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

I was very much looking forward to this release as I am an old fan of Daryl Hall and John Oates. Fortunately, my expectations were met and, in fact, exceeded by this competently put together by Should Factory package. First of all, the contrast is simply superb. One could easily tell that this is a freshly-recorded show as the strategically positioned cameras have captured practically everything you would want to see in a live show at home. Terrific angles, very strong close-ups, and an even more impressive balance is what we have here. Indeed, you won't be able to tell at all that different cameras were used to record the show – the transitions are that smooth. Furthermore, motion-judder is hardly an issue. In fact, I thought that for a live show Hall & Oates: Live at the Troubadour looked sensational. I did not notice any macroblocking or edge enhancement patterns either. Finally, the actual print is in immaculate condition – there are no scratches, jitters, or dust to report. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as Region-A it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Dolby True HD 5.1 and Stereo 2.0., and both of those match the excellent quality I witnessed in the video department. I opted for the Dolby True HD 5.1 track, when I first watched the entire concert, and, suffice to say, I am very impressed by what Shout Factory have given us. First of all, the quality of sound is terrific. The audio producers must have run a number of tests prior to recording the show as balance is top-notch. I could easily hear all of the instruments blended together and each time there was a solo (sax, guitar, etc) I did not hear sudden bursts of sound (as I've heard on quite a few recordings) disrupting the balance I mentioned above. On the contrary, what I heard coming from my speakers was a well rounded sound with a very studio-like qualities. The guitars in particular blend very well with the singing, and I definitely did not feel like missing portions of the performances due to improper mixing. This being said, the Stereo 2.0 track is slightly less active, and, logically, not as expansive as the Dolby True HD 5.1 track. As expected, clarity also seems to be lacking a bit with it. To sum it all up, Shout Factory have assembled a proficient presentation of Hall & Oates: Live at the Troubadour, which I am convinced will warm up the hearts of those of their fans that could not make it to LA.

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are two interviews on this disc, one with Daryl Hall, and one with John Oates. In both, you will hear plenty of comments in terms of how duo started their career, why they chose to reappear at Troubadour, and what took place during the years since their first hits, etc. Other than those two interviews there are no additional supplement materials.

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live at the Troubadour Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Thirty five years after they performed in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 400, Daryl Hall and John Oates return to Troubadour in LA for terrific a live show. Terrifically captured on Blu-ray Live at the Troubadour is a must-have for those who have a special place in their hearts for the duo's sensual music. Very Highly Recommended.