Genesis: Three Sides Live Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Genesis: Three Sides Live Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 4, 2014

Genesis was just beginning to enjoy true superstar status, replete with a string of Number One albums, when Three Sides Live was filmed in 1981 as the band supported their “Duke” and “Abacab” albums. But while the band’s ingenious combination of prog-rock tropes and pop savvy hooks continues to impress to this day, what may really surprise some contemporary viewers is how Phil Collins seems to be channeling one of the most iconic rock ‘n’ roll stars of all times in his onstage demeanor. Collins not only goes shirtless for quite a bit of the time here, he engages in sometimes silly, at other times bizarre, sets of moves that includes odd facial tics, hand placed insouciantly akimbo on his hip, and near-twerking hip movements that along with other quasi-Jaggerisms may lead some to believe they’ve wandered into a Stones concert by mistake. Collins is the undisputed center of attention here (sometimes because he patently demands to be), perhaps a recognition that he had become the breakout star of this particular iteration of the band, but the entire group plays and sings together quite winningly throughout the performances caught on this film.

While Three Sides Live captures quite a bit of candid footage of the band, their families, and roadies both during and between performances, the bulk of the film is comprised of the following songs:

1. Behind the Lines
2. DUchess
3. Misunderstanding
4. Dodo/Lurker
5. Abacab
6. No Reply at All
7. Who Dunnit?
8. In the Cage (Medley), The Cinema Show, Slippermen
9. Afterglow
10. Me and Sarah Jane
11. Man on the Corner
12. Turn it on Again

Genesis: Three Sides Live Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Genesis: Three Sides Live is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision (an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment) and Universal, with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.33:1. Culled from original 16mm elements, Genesis: Three Sides Live will be significantly impressive to those who experienced this release on VHS back in the day, but there's no denying there are some inherent limitations which high definition can't quite overcome, and in some cases may actually exacerbate. The image is somewhat fuzzy, especially in midrange shots, but there may have been at least some high frequency filtering here, limiting the appearance of grain. Contrast is strong, but at times blacks simply overwhelm the image in the darkest stage scenes, to the point that parts of bodies simply disappear in a sea of crush.

Genesis: Three Sides Live Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Genesis: Three Sides Live offers both an LPCM 2.0 as well as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The 5.1 opens up the soundstage significantly, but it also has an incredibly forceful (and to my ears too loud) low end that tends to swallow the higher registers at times, including Collins' voice. That said, both audio options offer sterling fidelity, with no issues of distortion or dropouts. If you're a fan of Collins' singing, you may want to opt for the stereo track. If you want to focus on the sometimes baroque rhythm section accompaniments, the 5.1 track is the way to go.

Genesis: Three Sides Live Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bonus Tracks (1080i; 47:35) include: Behind the Lines, Duchess, Me and Sarah Jane, Man on the Corner, One for the Vine, The Fountain of Salmacis, and Follow You Follow Me. This is basically an audio only option that plays to a static image.

Genesis: Three Sides Live Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Genesis: Three Sides Live is a fantastic little time capsule documenting one of the more interesting transitional eras in the long history of the band. Collins is surprisingly wacky on stage quite a bit of the time, jumping and dancing around and seeming to channel Mick Jagger at various times. The video here is problematic at times, and the audio also has some mix issues that some may find bothersome, but overall Genesis: Three Sides Live comes Recommended.