Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre Blu-ray Movie Review

Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre was filmed in late 2010 while the talented singer was touring the country to support her latest album. Most of the songs in the album mark an interesting stylistic change that brings Sheryl Crow's music closer to southern soul and R&B. As far as I am concerned, it was a great move as there is clearly reignited passion to sing on display that I think was lost for quite some time.

Longtime fans of the singer will immediately notice that she looks and sounds a lot more relaxed. Her voice is mellow and rich, and easily fills up the entire venue. During "Strong Enough", for instance, it literally feels as if she is performing for a single person, someone special, not in a venue with hundreds of people. This sense of intimacy which the music lends to the listener is quite wonderful.

Throughout the show Crow performs a good number of her older hits, some of which have slightly different arrangements -- "All I Wanna Do", "Soak Up The Sun", "If It Makes You Happy", and "Can't Cry Anymore". There is also a solid jam on Marvin Gaye's classic "Got To Give Up" and a funky rendition of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back".

For me, the highlight of the show is the bluesy "Sideways". This is the song where Crow truly shines. When she sings "these feelings won't go away", her voice is so incredibly beautiful.

The nine-piece band is terrific. According to Crow, the musicians were handpicked for the exact type of new sound she and her producers were looking for. And it shows -- there is no denying that there is terrific chemistry between Crow and the band as there are all sorts of improvised solos that pop up in the middle of different songs that work exceptionally well.

All in all, I like the new sound a lot. I think that it captures well an obvious change in personality and isn't forcing Crow to sing in a way that does not make her happy. It all comes naturally to her, and even the old material now sounds genuinely fresh.

The Thieves, Crow's new band, are: Doyle Bramhall II (guitar/backing vocals), Chris Bruce (guitar), Tommy Sims (bass/vocals), Jeff Babko (keyboards), Victor Indrizzo (drums/percussion), Ephraim Owens (trumpet), Shelly Carroll (saxophone), Nayanna Holley (backing vocals), and Stephanie Alexander (backing vocals).

Roses and Moonlight

Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre 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, Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Filmed in late 2010, the show looks terrific in high-definition. While selecting the screenshots for our review, I tried to capture a number of close-ups so that you could get a good idea how strong the image quality is. Indeed, detail and clarity are fantastic, while contrast levels never fluctuate. There are no shadow issues either; on the contrary, the strategically positioned cameras offer plenty of terrific views at Sheryl Crow and her powerhouse band. Motion-judder is never a serious issue of concern either. All in all, this is yet another fine-looking release courtesy of the always reliable 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).

Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre 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 provided optional English, German, Spanish, French, and Japanese subtitles for the behind the scenes featurette included on this disc.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is as impressive as the one Eagle Rock Entertainment delivered for Bad Company: Live At Wembley. The sound is consistently crisp and clear, there are no annoying dynamic fluctuations, and the crowd noise is well balanced with the music. Additionally, the loseless audio track captures the beauty and strength of Sheryl Crow's voice exceptionally well. At the end of "Strong Enough", for instance, her voice projects so well that it actually sounds a lot better than it does on the studio version. The gentle guitar solos in the back are perfectly balanced as well. Indeed, the mixing is excellent.

As usual, I did only a couple of random tests with the LPCM 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Clearly, the latter is not a match for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The former also lacks the nuanced dynamics of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes - a standard featurette in which Sheryl Crow discusses her upcoming show at The Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as her fantastic new band, The Thieves. In English, with optional English, German, Spanish, French, and Japanese subtitles. (19 min, 1080i).

• Booklet - a small illustrated booklet with a special message from Sheryl Crow.

Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If there is a more consistent than Eagle Rock Entertainment distributor out there releasing great shows on Blu-ray then I clearly have never heard of it. Truly, they never ever disappoint. Sheryl Crow: Miles From Memphis - Live at The Pantages Theatre, the latest entry in Eagle Rock Entertainment's impressive catalog of Blu-ray releases, is guaranteed to impress fans of the talented singer. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.