8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
John Mayer performs at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California on December 8, 2007, during his promotional tour for his third album, Continuum. The show consists of three separate performances, one from John Mayer alone, then from the John Mayer Trio, and ending with John Mayer and his full touring ensemble.
Music | 100% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (96kHz, 24-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 (96kHz, 24-bit)
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
I think that's the greatest thing about being in a band, is trying to impress one another,
musically.
My receipt of John Mayer: Where the Light Is on Blu-ray for review served notice as to just
how far out of the popular music
loop I am. According to the description on the back of the box, Mayer is a "multi-Grammy® award
winning, platinum-selling singer/songwriter." I've never heard of him. A bit of research tells me
that his Grammy was earned for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" for his hit, "Your Body is a
Wonderland," a song that doesn't appear on the track listing or the concert, oddly enough. I played
the
30-second preview clip of that song on iTunes and it did not ring a bell, although my wife had heard
it somewhere before. I wasn't all that impressed with what I heard on the clip, so I did all I could:
I forged ahead, popped this Blu-ray disc into my machine, and sat back to take in the performance.
John Mayer mesmerizes audiences with his first-rate guitar playing.
John Mayer: Where the Light Is comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p, 1.78:1 framed transfer
and is a consistently excellent disc in visual appearance, looking a bit better in
some places than in others, but is always an upper-tier image. The introductory section of this
disc offers an excellent, lifelike video reproduction. From the beginning of the program, we're
treated to some nice visuals of everyday objects that really stand out, including the interior of
Mayer's Mercedes, the hair on his dog, and the wear on his jeans. The opening shots of Mayer
sitting outside of Hollywood on a remote hillside show off some incredible long-distance detail and
the scene is breathtaking in its reality, and I don't think it could have looked any better had I
been standing there myself, the only thing missing was a nice, cool breeze and the turf under my
feet.
Inside the concert hall, detail is slightly less impressive. This lack of detail, notably during the
acoustic session, seems effected by the lighting. In contrast to the Chris Botti
concert, which was oftentimes bathed in differing colors, the first third of John Mayer's Blu-ray
disc debut is very dark with a a few bright white lights lighting the background and the performer.
Nevertheless, black levels are not excellent — they're prefect! Throughout the entire disc, we're
treated to deep, inky blacks that rival the finest I've seen yet, and they may very well be the
finest. The fantastic black levels definitely aid in creating a sense of realism to the visual
presentation that, as much as any other visual aspect, firmly places the home audience inside
the concert hall. All three acts are decidedly dark in nature, each successive act a bit brighter
than the previous, but viewers will find themselves continually bombarded by dark edges and
backgrounds that
allow the performers to stand out and us to focus our attention where it should be. Once the
John
Mayer Trio act of the performance begins, the lighting becomes a bit more pronounced and
exciting compared to the decidedly less-than-interesting light accompanying the slower tempo
acoustic act. Both lighting moods do suit the performances well, however. Detail is generally
solid here, too. The guitar used by Mayer in parts of the Trio session (as well as later on in the
band
session) is incredibly worn and well-used. I admire that. It instantly reminded me of how I feel
about my old baseball glove, so worn in and broken down it is that it lacks the polish, freshness,
and maybe even durability of newer models, but it is a sentimental favorite that still works very
well. Mayer's guitar has that look as well. I don't think this disc looks quite as good as Chris
Botti and Shakira, but it's no slouch, and fans should be pleased with the results.
John Mayer: Where the Light Is provides listeners with two high definition audio experiences: a full 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track as well as a PCM 2.0 track. Both sound marvelous, but the TrueHD track, with the additional channels, offers audiences a richer, fuller, more lifelike concert experience. Dialogue reproduction is a bit louder than the rest of the program, at least in those scenes where Mayer is talking to us from his car. As expected, however, the musical portions of the concert are first-rate. There is a solid, all-encompassing crowd noise when they make their presence known, and is enhanced by the extra channels of the 5.1 lossless track. When Mayer speaks to the crowd between songs, there is a nice reverberation of his voice and slight rear-channel presence as it echoes behind us that places the Blu-ray home theater audience in the middle of the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The audio is impressive and revs into a higher gear during the "John Mayer Trio" segment. Pino Palladino's bass is true and mesmerizing, presenting listeners with just the right rumble in the gut and in the seat of the pants to keep us fascinated with every strum. Steve Jordan is equally impressive on the drums, and John Mayer's guitar playing is a fantastic exercise in wonderment. The third set featuring the band is probably the most impressive segment, sonically, on the disc. Every note from each instrument couldn't sound better if the band was playing live in our living rooms. Mayer's vocals are consistently strong and reproduced with an amazing lifelike clarity. Sonically, John Mayer: Where the Light Is is another in a growing list of fantastic live concert presentations on Blu-ray.
John Mayer: Where the Light Is offers only a few extras. Of note is that the disc comes in a digipak-style case rather than a traditional Blu-ray case. Also included is a ten-page booklet that contains mostly behind-the-scenes photographs. The first special feature is Slow Dancing on Mulholland Drive (1080p, 3:26). Here, Mayer offers a brief recap of the event and performs a piece high atop Hollywood, in the same location as seen during the film's introduction. Steve/Pino Cam 'Who Do You Think I Was' BonusView (1080p, 4:18) allows viewers to watch the song from alternate angles in a rather large picture-in-picture box. Set Select is nothing more than another chapter selection. Once you click on one of the three sets, you may choose to play the entire set or select individual numbers. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (profile 2.0) enabled, although I experienced an error and was not able to gain admittance to this feature.
John Mayer: Where the Light Is is a fine disc in its own right, but sadly it is the least-impressive of the three concert discs I've reviewed so far. Like Chris Botti, I came into this review with absolutely no biases towards the artist as I had never even heard of him before, let alone formed any sort of positive, negative, or neutral opinion. Unlike Botti, whose show, music, and personality blew me away and left me as an established fan, I leave John Mayer: Where the Light Is feeling neutral, neither a fan nor in dislike of the artist or his music. The "Trio" session definitely shines and, for my ears, was far and away the best of the three sessions. It will hold some replay value for me and earns this disc a few extra points. Of course, music is like movies, some will love this far more than I do, and some will not. For those who love Mayer, this Blu-ray disc is certainly a worthy addition to your library. With an impressive video quality and the expected excellent audio presentation (with two high definition options to boot), not to mention a few supplements to keep fans happy, John Mayer: Where the Light Is should be at the top of your wish list if you happen to be a fan of this musician.
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