The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 16, 2008

An impressive celebration of Fender-Stratocaster’s 50th birthday, “The Strat Pack: Live in Concert” was recorded at London’s Wembley Arena in 2004. Amongst the guest performers were Albert Lee, Gary Moore, Brian May, Mike Rutherford, David Gilmour, and Paul Rogers. Courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Alright Now

Designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares back in 1954 Fender Stratocaster, better known as the strat, is undoubtedly an icon, a piece of music history that will be praised for as long as music is performed. Sleek, easy to play on, and with a unique “voice” of its own the strat has been a source of inspiration for many, from aspiring amateurs to professional musicians with formidable records.

Paying tribute to the creators of the strat, a number of well known musicians agreed to contribute to “The Strat Pack: Live in Concert” by performing the kind of music that earned them the respect of the fans. Here, blues, hard-rock, and country are all mixed to perfection in a terrific roster of songs.

What truly makes the show unforgettable, however, is the fact that it offers a tremendous opportunity to experience the rich colors the strat is capable of producing. Whether it is a mellow ballad or a wild rock tune, courtesy of Hank Williams, Gary Moore, Brian May, or Joe Walsh, the strat is heard with a voice of its own. And believe me, hearing all of these great musicians caressing their beloved instrtuments is truly a treat you won’t forget soon.

Logically, the actual performances are quite diverse. From old classics such as “Alright Now” (Paul Rogers & Brian May) to “Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh) to Red House (Gary Moore) to the incredible final piece “Stay with Me” (All Star Line-Up), the organizers have made sure that practically everyone’s taste in music is covered. Not surprisingly, the crowd appears extremely appreciative and is routinely seen applauding.

Describing the actual mood on the stage, however, is a different story. I was watching very closely how the musicians reacted to each others' performances and I could honestly say that the sense of respect they shared was absolutely magnificent. I am unsure if this statement makes much sense to those of you who have never been on stage but as someone with a number of stage appearances I sensed a very special bond between the musicians allowing intuitively to follow each other. And when their strats began competing, it was a sublime scene to behold.

Tracklisting:

The CRICKETS
1. Peggy Sue
2. Maybe Baby (with Brian May)
3. I Fought The Law (with Brian May)
4. Oh Boy (with Brian May)
5. That’ll Be The Day (w/ Brian May & Ron Wood)

HANK MARVIN
6. The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt
7. Sleepwalk
8. Apache

THERESA ANDERSON
9. I’m On My Way
10. Country Boy (with Albert Lee)

MIKE RUTHERFORD & PAUL CARRACK
11. How Long
12. All Along The Watchtower
13. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
14. I Can’t Dance

GARY MOORE
15. Red House

JAMIE CULLUM
16. Angel

AMY WINEHOUSE
17. Stronger Than Me

PAUL ROGERS
18. Muddy Water Blues
19. Drinking (featuring Jasmine & Steve Rodgers)
20. Alright Now (with Brian May)
21. Can’t Get Enough (with Joe Walsh)

JOE WALSH
22. Funk 49
23. Life’s Been Good
24. Life In the Fast Lane
25. Rocky Mountain Way

PHIL MANZENERA
26. 6pm

DAVE GILMOUR
27. Marooned
28. Coming Back To Life
29. Sorrow

RONNIE WOOD
30. Ohh La La

FINALE: (ALL FEATURED PERFORMERS)
31. Stay With Me

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert 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 The Strat Pack: Live in Concert arrives on Blu-ray via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Recorded in 2004, this impressive celebration certainly looks very strong. Detail and clarity are excellent, contrast solid, and the color-scheme intact. The blacks, in particular, are very deep, and even the far corners of the stage, where light isn't in abundance, look solid. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern either. Aside from a few selected close-ups, revealing a thicker than usual definition bordering edge-enhancement, the transfer is consistently strong. In fact, a lot of the facial close-ups are remarkably detailed and clear. Finally, I don't believe that you will be disturbed by motion blurring either (judder). The little that is obvious is actually quite well handled, and I personally wasn't bothered by it.

I specifically would like to comment on the multiple cameras used for this recording as there seems to be a slight difference in the manner they capture lighting. There is a "floating" camera that typically zooms towards the audience after each performance, and with the footage from it you will notice a bit of noise. The rest of the cameras, positioned strategically on or around the stage, avoid the issue completely. This being said, the overall quality of the presentation is very strong and in my opinion up to the high standards set by Eagle Rock Entertainment with their Montreux-series. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Three audio tracks are included on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM. Before I get into commenting on the audio quality I would like to point your attention to the fact that this is an extremely long show with an abundance of popular musicians showing on stage. Every one of them appears to be testing and adjusting their instruments and therefore balance tends to slightly vary from one performance to another. With this short disclaimer out of the way the DTS-HD MA track, the mix I opted for, is undoubtedly very pleasing. There is a strong punch (Gary Moore's solos are a great example) and clarity (Hank Williams) to the music that I heard coming off of my speakers. More importantly there are also plenty of "colors" to hear (those of you with more than a basic knowledge in guitar playing know exactly what I am talking about).

As mentioned earlier balance varies slightly. It ranges from very impressive (Paul Rogers and Brian May) to questionable (Gary Moore). There is a lot here, however, that isn't related to the manner in which the show is mixed. Rather, it has to do with how some of the musicians play with the equipment. The most notable example is Gary Moore's performance where he intentionally tweaks the guitar amplifier to a level I thought was rather over the top. The actual quality of sound, however, is very good and I did not hear any troubling distortions, etc. Overall, The Strat Pack: Live in Concert is a terrific show with plenty of memorable performances highlighting the flexibility and sonorous diversity of an iconic instrument.

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Two rehearsal sessions that included in the bonus section of this disc: "Hank & Ben Marvin" and "David Gilmore". There are also four interviews: "Stratpack" and "Hank & Ben Marvin" and two extended interviews with Amy Winehouse & David Gilmoure. These are absolutely terrific and as far as I am concerned as curious to watch as the actual concert. You get to hear a great deal of personal recollections about the history of each musician with the strat, how it became part of their lives (the interviews with Gary Moore and Hank Williams are great). You will also hear why the strat is the "a little bit of everything" guitar. Finally, there are four bonus tracks as well: "Wonderful Land" and "The Savage" by Hank Marvin and "Take The Box" and "In My Bed" by Amy Winehouse.

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I believe it is fair to say that anyone interested in the history of Fender Stratocaster will find this massive show to be enormously rewarding. There are living legends performing here with an enthusiasm that is difficult not to admire. The Blu-ray disc courtesy of this review is up to Eagle Rock Entertainment's high standards of excellence. The video presentation is solid while the audio treatment is more than pleasing. The Blu-ray disc also appears to be very modestly priced making my job that much easier: Highly Recommended.