Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From The Small Machine, Live In L.A. Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From The Small Machine, Live In L.A. Blu-ray Movie Review

Lindsey Buckingham’s sixth solo album, “Seeds We Sow”, might be his best yet. The songs in it are mellow, angry, sad and urgent. Some have a new edge but the voice is still the same. The entire album feels like a reunion with a former lover – exciting and stimulating, enlightening and thought provoking, somewhat familiar but different.

Songs From The Small Machine was filmed earlier this year at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles. It is approximately two hours long and features material from Lindsey’s latest album as well as new arrangements of classic songs from his work with Fleetwood Mac.

Lindsey begins the show with a terrific acoustic set that immediately highlights his tremendous performing skills and the strength of his beautiful voice. Between each song he also shares personal experiences with the audience, creating the impression that the show is indeed an intimate reunion of some sort.

It is difficult to pick a true highlight, though the acoustic songs are definitely a notch above the rest of the songs Lindsey performs with his band. As he changes his guitars, the feelings and emotions also change. "Trouble" and "Big Love", in particular, are incredibly moving and beautifully accentuating Lindsey’s fantastic voice.

As cliché as it may sound, the songs Lindsey sings are not only beautiful but meaningful as well. One has a terrific message about the importance of power and change, another about the importance of believing, and another has something special to say about love and hope. The words are simple but the sincerity with which they are sung is incredibly touching.

The technical presentation of Songs From The Small Machine matches the high standards set by other recent shows released for Eagle Rock Entertainment. Produced by Barry Ehrmann (producer of ZZ Top: Live from Texas) and directed by James Yukich (Phil Collins: No Jacket Required, Iron Maiden: Live After Death), the show looks fabulous. The camerawork is competent and the sound mixing excellent.

Lindsey’s band: Brett Tuggle (bass & keyboards), Neale Heywood (guitar), and Walfredo Reyes Jr. (drums & percussion).

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Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From The Small Machine, Live In L.A. 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, Songs From The Small Machine arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Detail and clarity are excellent throughout the entire show. The numerous close-ups of Lindsey, in particular, look very impressive. The larger shots with the band are also well detailed and crisp. Also, there are no consistency issues between the different cameras. This said, there are a couple of scenes where mild motion judder is visible, but it is certainly never distracting. There are no traces of problematic heavy banding and aliasing to report in this review. All in all, this is yet another solid presentation of a terrific show courtesy of the folks at Eagle Rock Entertainment. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From The Small Machine, Live In L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0, and Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Eagle Rock Entertainment have also provided optional English, French, Spanish, and German subtitles for the interview that is included in the bonus section of the disc.

The audio was mixed by Lindsey Buckingham and guitarist Neale Heywood. Needless to say, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is enormously pleasing. The acoustic set, in particular, is absolutely phenomenal - the different guitars are incredibly crisp and the beauty of Lindsey's voice at times truly overwhelming. I must also note that the audio has a certain raw quality that audiophiles will definitely appreciate because it is very obvious that attempts to reenhance the sound were not made. When the band joins Lindsey, the sound becomes slightly richer and better rounded, while balance is again excellent. The crowd is certainly felt but it is never distracting. Finally, there are no audio dropouts to report in this review.

I tested a couple of songs with the LPCM 2.0 track but was not impressed with it. On the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track Lindsey's voice projects really well and the music has natural depth. On the LPCM 2.0 track both are pushed up quite a lot and the dynamic levels are not as convincing as they are on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From The Small Machine, Live In L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview - a long and very informative interview with Lindsey Buckingham, who discusses how his fascination with music started, his work with Fleetwood Mac, his success, how his music evolved during the years, etc. In English, with optional English, French, Spanish, and German subtitles. (32 min, 1080i).

Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From The Small Machine, Live In L.A. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is true, Lindsey Buckingham is an American treasure. His songs are beautiful and profoundly moving, with simple but honest messages anyone can appreciate. Filmed earlier this year at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles, Songs From The Small Machine is an outstanding show featuring material from Lindsey's brand new album, "Seeds We Sow", as well as classic songs from his work with Fleetwood Mac. As usual, Eagle Rock Entertainment's presentation is of excellent quality. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.