Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Morrissey 25 Live Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 21, 2013

If you were asked what the single most influential British band of the 20th century was, chances are your answer would be one of only two iconic outfits, either The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. It may come as something of a surprise, then, to hear that Britain’s own New Music Express, kind of that country’s version of Billboard and Rolling Stone combined, instead named The Smiths as the title holder of that particular honor. While The Smiths never quite had the overwhelming success on this side of the pond that they did in their native England, they did achieve a certain renown over here and they paved the way for their lead singer Morrissey to take off on a sometimes odd but always interesting solo career.

This fascinating concert documents Morrissey's March 2013 performance at a rather odd venue: Hollywood High. In a way, that's appropriate, for Morrissey has often played with style and perception in much the same way that Bryan Ferry has, and in fact as odd as it may seem, I've often considered the two to be comrades in arms. Morrissey's piquant sense of humor permeates his lyrics and he moves through a career wide span of music here, backed by an able though at times kind of minimalist sounding band. His set list includes:

1. Alma Matters
2. Ouija Board, Ouija Board
3. Irish Blood, English Heart
4. You Have Killed Me
5. November Spawned a Monster
6. Maladjusted
7. You’re the One for Me Fatty
8. Still Ill
9. People Are the Same Everywhere
10. Speedway
11. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
12. To Give Is the Reason I Live
13. Meat is Murder
14. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
15. Action is My Middle Name
16. Everyday is Like Sunday
17. I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
18. Let Me Kiss You
19. The Boy With the Thorn in His Side

Morrissey 25 Live Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Morrissey 25 Live is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Productions with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. This is often a really beautiful looking presentation, though as so often seems to be the case with live performance videos, occasionally the stage lighting gets in the way of being able to discern fine detail. That's more than made up for, however, by a beautifully sharp and generally well defined image which also features consistent contrast and nicely solid black levels. Director James Russell captures the concert from a variety of angles and for once there's not the nonstop "hyperkinetic cutting syndrome" in attendance, meaning you can actually see what's going on.

Morrissey 25 Live Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 mixes on Morrissey 25 Live sound great, supporting the singer's very distinctive voice and his nice sounding band. One thing that kind of surprised me here is just how sparse some of the arrangements were, but that actually allows individual lines and instruments to come through all the more clearly. Fidelity is top notch throughout this presentation.

Morrissey 25 Live Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Studio in Session (1080i; 17:09) includes performances of "The Kid's A Looker", "Scandinavia", "Action Is My Middle Name" and "People Are the Same Everywhere".


• Behind the Scenes at Hollywood High (1080p; 3:49)


• Grissle Bandage Presents Lord Mudslide (1080p; 3:14)

Morrissey 25 Live Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Morrissey 25 Live presents the always slightly off kilter singer sounding surprisingly spry and energetic. The concert has a nicely filmic sweep and the song list is very enjoyable. Recommended.