Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Tori Amos: Live At Montreux 1991/1992 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 12, 2008

Eccentric, passionate and always willing to experiment, Tori Amos appeared in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1991 and 1992 delivering two fantastic yet very different shows. The tracklists for these shows included such hits as “Crucify”, “Precious Things” and “Silent All These Years”, as well as unexpected covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

On stage

Outspoken, controversial and incredibly gifted, during the years, North Carolina-born Tori Amos inspired hordes of dedicated fans who nowadays swear that she is one of the most exciting singers this decade has seen. And probably for a good reason. Tori Amos is a ten-time Grammy Award-nominated pianist with over 15 million records sold worldwide.

Offering two different performances Tori Amos did in Canada during her visits in 1991 and 1992, Live at Montreux is part of Eagle Rock Entertainment’s exciting live series showcasing legendary musicians enticing their fans at one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious jazz festivals. These shows are often seen as retrospectives of one’s work as well as a symbolic recognition of one’s unique contribution to the music scene in general.

Live Montreux contains two different shows revealing a side of Tori Amos nowadays her fans are well aware of. Things were rather different back in 1991, though. The singer's first concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival was effectively a warm-up gig for the headliners Moody Blues and there were few people, if any, who really knew her well. Tori Amos performed a total of 10 songs, including a memorable cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Thank you”, concentrating on material from her soon to be released “Little Earthquakes”.

The second show Tori Amos did at the Montreux Jazz Festival was only a year later, in 1992. It is, however, a remarkably different gig where the star not only sounds but looks different as well. Her interaction with the audience is much more engaging and her unusual improvisations far more striking. Obviously, the good reception "Little Earthquakes" had just received must have had a lot to do with it.

How well these shows are likely to resonate with those of you who are only familiar with Tori Amos from her Epic period (2002-2008) is probably difficult to tell. I personally remember the times when she was gaining a great deal of respect amongst the underground and alternative radio stations in Europe and there was an overwhelming amount of excitement after she released “Little Earthquakes”. On the other hand, I am unsure what the overall mood was in the United States and how well Tori Amos was supported by the local DJs. Suffice to say, however, both of these shows are an excellent example of the type of raw energy Tori Amos was known for at the time.

Tracklistings:

1991

1. Silent All These Years
2. Precious Things
3. China
4. Crucify
5. Leather
6. Song For Eric
7. Upside Down
8. Happy Phantom
9. Winter
10. Thank You

1992

1. Little Earthquakes
2. Crucify
3. Silent All These Years
4. Precious Things
5. Happy Phantom
6. Whole Lotta Love/Thank You
7. Me And A Gun
8. Winter
9. Smells Like Teen Spirit

Tori Amos: Live At Montreux 1991/1992 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080i transfer Tori Amos – Live at Montreux 1991/1992 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Recorded just a year apart from each other the two shows offered on this Blu-ray release are definitely going to please fans of Tori Amos. I know that there were some concerns amongst those who follow her music as to whether or not these two shows will fare well in HD so let me say it upfront: you will not be disappointed. First of all, the two gigs are recorded quite differently. The 1991 gig uses multiple cameras that are positioned strategically on a very simple looking scene (Tori is right in the middle performing on a midsize Yamaha). Given the age of the show detail is very good. The close-ups in particular capture a great deal of Tori's emotions as well as her expressive way of performing. The backlights (an overflowing with blues stage with a splash of red) are also captured well on this transfer and aside from a few selected scenes where I noticed a tiny bit of very mild macro-blocking I am confident in stating that Live in Montreux will be an excellent addition to the collection of any Tori fan.

The 1992 show is, strangely, a bit weaker. Detail is once again at a satisfactory level (Tori performs on a Steinway & Sons this time around) but I did notice a bit of digital noise which is noticeable mostly when one of the cameras does a close-up of Tori's face and then it slowly zooms back out. I don't believe that this would be an issue which would prevent you from truly enjoying Tori's performances but I think that it is only fare that you are aware of it. Aside from that the color scheme appears to be intact – reds and blues are once again prevalent and the blacks (mostly the dark areas of the unlit stage) are strong and lush. I would like to point out that there are absolutely no disturbing jaggies that I was able to spot with this 1080i transfer. Finally, the show has a very natural look and as far as I am concerned it is probably the best it will ever look. (Note: Even though this disc is marketed as Region-A it is actually Region-free meaning that you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographic location).

Tori Amos: Live At Montreux 1991/1992 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM. For the purpose of this review I experimented with all thee and there are quite a few things I would like to share with you. First of all, the 1991 show clearly has gotten the better audio treatment. The DTS-HD Master mix is very well balanced here, with plenty of oomph, and a very nice ringing quality which those of you with a classical music training will surely appreciate (what I mean by that is the even piano sound, it is consistent and without any annoying drop-outs). Tori's singing also comes off the speakers in a very convincing fashion and I dare say some of her performances truly come off as studio recordings. Furthermore, the DTS-HD Master mix captures Tori's rich voice exceptionally well without squashing any of the high notes she produces. Now, this being said, I actually liked the LPCM track quite a bit as well. It certainly isn't as potent as the DTS-HD Master mix but there are other qualities here that I believe are introduced slightly better. A good example would be the manner in which the low octaves of the piano blend with Tori's voice (this is something I've noticed with other live performances as well). There is a slightly better degree of evenness here as well which I think eliminates some of the issues that typically come with live recordings (crescendo and decrescendo progressions). I encourage you to play with the two tracks and see which one you like better.

The 1992 show is a tad below the 1991 show. As I mentioned earlier with live recordings good balance is always very difficult to achieve and here I think that there a few examples where Tori's singing does not blend with the piano as well as on the 1991 show. Her sudden decrescendo loops for examples are not very effective and I tend to believe that a lot of it has to do with the positioning of the mics. Aside from that, I did not detect any other issues. The overall quality of the DTS-HD Master mix is good but not as potent as the DTS-HD Master mix heard on the 1991 show.

Tori Amos: Live At Montreux 1991/1992 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There aren't any supplemental materials on this Blu-ray disc. There is however a nice booklet supplied with it containing an article by Mark Blake published in Q magazine in June of 2008 which follows Tori's history at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Tori Amos: Live At Montreux 1991/1992 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Eagle Rock Entertainment have put together a nice package containing not one but two shows Tori did at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Both are captured very well. There are some true gems here, such as the piano version of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, that will surely please her admirers. If you are consider yourself a fan of Tori, I really cannot see how you could pass on this lavish yet modestly priced offer. Recommended.