Product: Queensrche: Mindcrime at the Moore (2007)
Rating: 3.0
Maybe you can't go home again
I have to echo some of the other sentiments I've read here: I'm a fan, and I had great expectations for this concert. But the truth is, it's really just an average performance of admittedly-great material.The first thing you can't help but notice is that Geoff Tate's voice just ain't what it used to be. I always thought Pamela Moore (as Sister Mary) was a fine addition the original Mindcrime performances. But using her to help Tate hit the high notes just doesn't make sense. . .her voice is deeper than his!Sadly, the problems don't end there. I've got a pretty decent surround-sound system, and played both discs with the 5.1 surround option on. But it's often hard to make out what Moore or the rest of the band (besides Tate, I mean) is singing. I think the DVD's producers picked up on this, because there are many instances when the lyrics being sung by background singers flash on the screen--a sort of forced subtitling. And while we're on that subject for a moment, I found much of the editing to be distracting.On the plus side, using live actors in addition to the 18 year-old original Mindcrime video footage does bring a certain urgency to the story, something that video screens alone could never do. Even if you know it's coming, the death of Mary is a graphic shock that you'll not soon forget. Geoff Tate overacts like mad, yet it somehow works within the framework of the story.Mindcrime 2 vs. Mindcrime 1? Well, it just depends on your own taste. If you liked the 2nd album, you'll probably like seeing it live. I'm a big Queensryche fan, but I couldn't give a crap about Ronnie James Dio, so it didn't bother me that his contribution was relegated to a video screen. My personal feelings about OM2 were that there was way too much Sister Mary, and I felt the same way about the live performance.Bottom line: If you're a fan, it might be worth it. However, you may have noticed a number of fans here that were disapppointed. I would suggest renting it first if you can.