- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Video Codec: VC-1
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
- Subtitles: N/A
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Rating: Not Rated
- Discs: 1
- Studio: MVD
- Blu-ray Release Date: May 17, 2011
- List Price: $24.95
[amazon-product]B004NTDF7E[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Steve Morse: Sects, Dregs, and Rock N Roll on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Performance
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:2.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:2/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
–
The Performance
[Rating:4/5]
Steve Morse is a throwback to the days when guitar rock was mainstream and the guitar gods ruled the musical landscape. Instrumental guitar music is really on the fringe of the business these days, but there are still those plodding along – Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai. Morse’s limited fame has come from his time with his own bands The Dixie Dregs and The Steve Morse Band as well as playing with Deep Purple from 1994 on.
This release actually contains two live concert performances, Steve Morse & the Dixie Dregs Live in Connecticut (2001) and the Steve Morse Band Live in New York City (1992). The guitarist who has over the years become known as a “guitarist’s guitarist” certainly shows off his incredible axe-slinging skills in both sets, but it is the 1992 set in New York where you really get to hear his true skill not only as a player, but as a songwriter. Forgoing a full band, Morse plays many of the tracks solo on an acoustic guitar, including his arrangement of Bach’s “Jesu,” which he humbly concedes that Bach might not recognize.
Track Listing:
Live in Connecticut 2001:
- Bloodsucking Leeches
- Country House Shuffle
- Assembly Line
- Hereafter
- Justice for All
- Steve’s Welcome
- Busybodies
- Kat Food
- Sleeveless in Seattle
- Brick Chicken
- Dance of the Maya
- The Bash
- Cruise Control
- Ionized
- Take it Off the Top
Live in New York 1992:
- Northern Lights
- Picture This
- Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring
- Jammin’
- Point Counterpoint
- Little Kids
- Flat Baroque
- Ghostwind
- Get it in Writing
- Country Colours
- Tumeni Notes
- Sparkle Plenty
- Rocky Top
Video Quality
[Rating:2.5/5]
This whole thing just looks like upscaled standard definition DVD, which begs the question, why is it on Blu-ray? It is a 1080p/24 VC-1 encodement, but other than that, this is not a true high definition image whatsoever and it shows in the haloing around edges, soft detail, video noise, and unnatural flesh tones.
Audio Quality
[Rating:2/5]
The sound isn’t high definition either on this Blu-ray release. You get the choice of a low-bitrate lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 or a low-bitrate lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 mix. Nothing sounds natural, instrumental separation is nearly nonexistent, and the stereo spread is extremely narrow. The surround mix add very little ambience to the rears.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
There are some good interviews here and a cool Dixie Dregs music video, but, just like the concerts themselves, nothing is in real high definition.
The supplements provided with this release are:
- “Cruise Missile” Video
- Steve Morse Interview and Clinic (1.33:1; 1080p/24; 0:06.29)
- Roger Glover/Ian Gillan Interview (1.33:1; 1080p/24; 0:06.25)
- Steve Morse – “Deep Purple” – Guitar Solo Live 1999
- Guitar Show Interview (1.33:1; 1080p/24; 1:07.16)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:2.5/5]
If you’re a Steve Morse fan then this release may be worth it for you, but the sound and video quality are disappointing to say the least. You might just want to skip this one.
Additional Screen Captures
–
[amazon-product]B004NTDF7E[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Steve Morse: Sects, Dregs, and Rock N Roll on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Performance
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:2.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:2/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
