Review of Eagles: Hell Freezes Over

Introduction

The story goes that when The Eagles split up in 1981 they would only reform "when hell freezes over". Well, obviously Satan is skating to work nowadays, as they reformed in 1995, stating that they "never broke up, just took a 14 year vacation".

Their return was filmed for MTV, which is interesting considering the rubbish that appears on the channel nowadays. However, MTV Networks do own many other music stations, such as VH-1. Initially it was thought that these concerts would be a one-off, but the Eagles have toured since then and will be touring the UK later this year. It might be your last chance to see them. Unless of course you buy this DVD.

On the DVD you`ll get to see modern versions of their classics, as well as some new material written especially for the re-union. The new material stands up well next to the classics, proving that the guys still know how to write good songs.

Video

As my fellow reviewers have noted, the picture is not the best, and I concur with their observations that this full frame transfer looks less than perfect and does lack some detail. It`s still perfectly watchable though.

However, I think this can be forgiven, as it`s the sound that we`re here for. The Eagles were never known for their enthralling stage shows, so we`re not missing a lot anyway.

Audio

When DVD owners talk about the dts sound format, this disc is one that is often mentioned as "reference material". And it earns this high praise with good reason. The dts soundtrack on this DVD is utterly brilliant. If you play it loud enough you can imagine being on the stage on those magical nights. All of the instruments can be clearly heard in the mix, and the vocals float nicely over the top.

There`s plenty of bass right from the off, with the opening track providing some nice deep and resonant bass. It all sounds crystal clear and is just excellent. Play it loud, and play it often.

It should be noted that this DVD also contains a PCM stereo track, which is better than the CD release of the concert. The stereo sound is very good in its own right.

Features

Not really extras, but you do get some behind the scenes clips and interviews before the concert starts, and there is an audio only bonus track, "Seven Bridges Road" which is only available in dts. This just shows dts off again, this time with voices coming at you from all channels.

Conclusion

For Eagles fans this is an absolute must purchase. I already owned the CD of this performance (it includes studio versions of the new songs as opposed to live ones), but had no hesitations about buying the DVD version. The stereo soundtrack is better than the CD, but the dts just blows the CD out of the water. You also get the bonus of "Seven Bridges Road", which doesn`t appear on the CD. The picture is not great, but the audio more than compensates for this.

For those looking to purchase, you`ll probably know what`s coming next. You can pick the identical region 4 version of this disc up from your favourite region 4 supplier for about £12 including postage at current exchange rates.