The Ciao! Gremlins are really going to town, aren't they? My thanks to the member who wished me luc...
The Ciao! Gremlins are really going to town, aren't they? My thanks to the member who wished me luck with the Toblerone competition - just a shame I haven't entered...you've gotta laugh, eh? :op
Member since:07.01.2006
Reviews:68
Members who trust:19
Metallica normally need very little introduction. Most people will have at least heard of them, if not having actually listened to their music. One of the heaviest, biggest and most successful heavy metal bands of all time, Metallica have been playing for well over two decades now. They've done everything from recording classic metal albums, (e.g. 'Master Of Puppets', 'The Black Album'), to releasing their own Rockumentry movie, ('Some Kind Of Monster').
Consisting of James Hetfield on guitar/vocals, Lars Ulrich on drums, Jason Newsted (now no longer with the band) on bass/backing vocals and Kirk Hammett on lead-guitar, 'Cunning Stunts' is a recording of their 1997 performance at Fort Worth, Texas, filmed over two night and shows exactly why Metallica are one of the best live bands to have ever existed.
The performances are outstanding. From a musical perspective the group are tight, with Lars and Jason providing a stable frame which James' rhythm playing enforces and allows Kirk to launch into his solos. I wouldn't say the performances are flawless, (Kirk fluffs a few notes during some solos, James struggles with the vocal ranges on some earlier songs, etc.) but this simply adds to the "vibe" and occurs so infrequently that it doesn't detract
from the show. Coupled with this are some amazing pyrotechnics and stage-rigging. From a theatrical point of view, Metallica's stage show during 'Cunning Stunts' is incredible, with everything from explosions and falling scenery, to a guys running around in flames. I think this DVD shows Metallica as much 'Masters of Entertainment' as well as their music.
The video quality is very high, much more like a Hollywood movie in terms of its colours and quality than a typical gig recording. I can't think of any complaints I have with the visuals of this DVD. The sound is okay, but I do have one qualm about it: I find that I have to turn the volume up significantly louder than other DVD's. Admittedly, I've not played around with my audio-configuration on this DVD, but I have other music DVD's that do not cause this problem, so I'm left to wonder whether the sound is deliberately lower than normal for some reason. That said, once at a decent level, the mix of the instruments is very good, with drums, guitars, bass and vocals all sitting comfortably together, rather than one out-doing the others. I'm terms of quality I have no complaints, just a minor thing about the volume.
On a few of the songs, you have the option of viewing from one of five camera-angles. The first is the 'Directors Cut', so will play like any normal song on the DVD. However, by pressing the 'Angle' button on your remote, you're able to switch camera so that that you follow an individual member of the band. I found this to be a very interesting feature that allowed me see different aspects of individual's performances that were otherwise lost 'in edit'. Although I've seen similar features before, I thought it was particularly well executed on 'Cunning Stunts' and is something I've played around with on more than just one occasion.
The DVD comes with a rating of 15, which I think is justified largely because, although few of the songs themselves contain swearing, James' introductions and talks with the crowd do use a lot of language some may find offensive. Die-hard fans of Metallica are unlikely to be bothered, or at the very least will be accustomed to this, but if you're new to the band, or easily offended, be warned that James swears like a sailor throughout most of the interludes and on a couple of the songs.
The DVD itself contains two discs, giving you about twenty tracks (although one of these is a medley of six songs from their early albums 'Kill 'Em All' and 'Ride The Lightning'). The covers not particularly special in their design, a black theme with a black-and-white photo of the band on the front, with the song listing on the back make the covers are more about practicality than catching the eye, but I would say they are still stylish and professional looking.
The majority of songs can be found on the first disc, although both discs contain music. The spacing out of the songs seems a little odd here, fifteen on one disc and five on the other. This isn't a huge problem, but it does seem a little unbalanced. Fortunately, both cases are clearly labelled, so if you wish to find a particular song it's unlikely you'll end up inserting the wrong disc first.
Interestingly - and a little unusual - both discs also contain Bonus Features. Mostly, these are just relatively short interviews or behind the scenes clips. The notable exception is on the second disc, 'Interacting With The Fans', which is over 60-minutes of the band discussing how they like to interact with the fans, how the stage has been built around this, etc. Despite only having one, what I would call, 'full-length' bonus feature, the extras are all good value. I thought the interviews were insightful into the band and crew, as well as being amusing. Unlike some other DVD's I've watched before, the bonus material actually felt like an expansion to the original DVD content, rather than just as some filler to take up space and that at least is refreshing.
I've been a Metallica fan for many years and this DVD certainly wasn't a disappointment - I found both the set content and bonus material thoroughly enjoyable and something I've played many times. Whether you've seen them play live or not, this is probably the closest you'll get to Metallica playing in your front room. I'd recommend 'Cunning Stunts' to anyone who thinks they might be interested.
Set List -----------
Disc One 1) So What 2) Creeping Death 3) Sad But True 4) Ain't My Bitch 5) Hero Of The Day 6) King Nothing 7) One 8) Fuel 9) Bass/Guitar Doodle 10) Nothing Else Matters 11) Until It Sleeps 12) For Whom The Bells Toll 13) Wherever I May Roam 14) Fade To Black 15) Kill/Ride Medley - Ride The Lightning - No Remorse - Hit The Lights - The Four Horsemen - Seek & Destroy - Fight Fire With Fire
Disc Two 1) Last Caress 2) Master Of Puppets 3) Enter Sandman 4) Am I Evil 5) Motorbreath
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Music / Performing Arts, Comedy - Director: Trevor Nunn, Geoffrey Posner - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, Parental Guidance - Starring: Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, Julie Walters, Victoria Wood, Jim Broadbent
Recorded live in Fort Worth Texas USA on May 9-10 1997 Tracklist - Disc 1: 'So What' ... more
'Creeping Death' 'Sad But True' 'Ain't My Bitch'* 'Hero Of The Day' King Nothing' 'One' ' Fuel' 'Bass/Guitar Doodle' 'Nothing Else Matters' 'Until It Sl...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Recorded live in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, on May 9-10, 1997Tracklisting:Disc 1:So ... more
WhatCreeping DeathSad But TrueAin't My BitchHero Of The DayKing NothingOneFuelBass/Guitar DoodleNothing Else MattersUntil It SleepsFor Whom The Bell TollsWherever I May Ro...
![Metallica - Cunning Stunts [DVD] [1998]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78492279.jpg "Metallica - Cunning Stunts [DVD] [1998]")
Jun 28th, 2006
very helpful by (100%):
