Customer Rating:      Summary: worst service ever Comment: The first disc of the 3 Dvd set was damaged upon opening. Beaches was contacted and instructions for return were sent to my E-Mail from Beaches Ent. The DVD was sent US mail to them and it has now been 3 weeks with no response or refund from Beaches Ent. I attempted to make contact with Beaches throught Amazon but no replie from them. If at all possible stay away from Beaches Ent. If your item is not what you wanted or excpected gettting your money back will be quite a chore.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Genesis When in Rome Review Comment: This was a great show!! I caught it on MHD and just had to have it. It is a very well recorded show. Dolby Digital and dts 5.1 are both offered. I was a little spoiled by watching the performance in HD. Overall, a nice package that I would recommend to any Genesis fan. If this comes out on Blu-Ray, I'll be first in line!!
Cheers!
Customer Rating:      Summary: The best of the three Genesis live DVDs out there hands down! Comment: English prog rockers Genesis released its recent live DVD entitled When in Rome 2007 this past June only at Wal-Mart stores here in the United States.
Since the band's 1998 breakup, Genesis fans stirred rumors of and hoped for a reunion of the "classic" line-up with keyboard player Tony Banks, singer/drummer Phil Collins, guitarist/bass player Mike Rutherford, original singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett. However, Gabriel turned it down and Hackett backed out as well. Finally in 2006, Banks/Collins/Rutherford decided to press on with a reunion tour with longtime touring guitarist/bass player Daryl Stuermer and drummer Chester Thompson.
The band toured Europe (which this DVD was taken from the final show filmed in Rome, Italy in July of 2007) and the US last year and I flew back to my native Boston, MA to see Genesis live in September of 2007 and was one of the happiest nights of my life. I am glad I got to see this great show because, as of now, the band's 2007 tour turned out to be their last as Collins officially announced his retirement from music and performing earlier this year to be a full time dad to his two young sons in Switzerland and also retired because of some hearing damage (he's lost half of his hearing in his left ear). Watching this DVD's third DVD documentary Come Rain or Shine, Phil made it clear that he saw this Genesis tour as closure on the touring part of his life.
What we're left of on When in Rome (and the offshoot CD Live Over Europe) is proof that Genesis are still a musical force to be reckoned with. The band played lots of deep favorites and hits on the tour.
The funny montage film opening as the band hits the stage sets the tone and when the map hit Rome (would be a different city each night worldwide) they kicked off with the opening "Duke's Intro" combines the intro of "Behind the Lines" and outro of "Duke's End" was a great way to start the show. We segue into a spirited "Turn It On Again". Then we have superb live versions of "No Son of Mine" and "Land Of Confusion". Next is a mindblowing "In The Cage" medley (including soaring keyboard work from Banks and included bits of "Cinema Show" and "Duke's Travels") which gives way to a beautiful version of "Afterglow". Next is the ballad "Hold On My Heart" which is a great version. Next is a stellar version of "Home By The Sea/Second Home By The Sea". Next is Phil singing and drumming flawlessly on "Follow You Follow Me". We then have the powerful "Firth Of Firth" (Excerpt) with great guitar solos from Steurmer. The first DVD ends with an extended "I Know What I Like" (with the full tambourine jig which was edited off of the Live Over Europe CD but is available here and the various Encore Series concerts that Genesis recorded on the tour (every night in the US and Europe was recorded)).
The second DVD starts with a haunting "Mama". Next is the gorgeous "Ripples" (with beautiful 12-string guitar from Mike). We follow the singalong "Throwing It All Away". Phil's hilarious "Domino Principle" speech precedes the epic "Domino" which was a great version. Next is Phil and Chester's stellar drum duet, which they humorously dubbed "Conversations With Two Stools". They start their solo on two bar stools, before easily seguing onto their respective drumkits. It's phenomenal (seen to be believed here) and segues into a thunderous "Los Endos". We close the regular set with a medley of "Tonight Tonight Tonight" and "Invisible Touch" with the obligatory pyro. We then have a contagious encore starting with the fun and upbeat "I Can't Dance" before closing with "The Carpet Crawlers".
The bonuses on the first two DVDs are rehearsal footage and interviews. The third DVD is Come Rain or Shine which was a documentary from rehearsals in 2006 to the Rome show.
When in Rome is a superb live DVD but if this is the swan song
of Genesis (as Phil Collins wants us to believe it), then they left us with a great live DVD.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Customer Rating:      Summary: only for the old fans Comment: First words of advice after you get this DVD: watch the documentary first. I had read some reviews talking about Phil's lower keys and how this tour was just one big money grab. Wasn't sure what do expect but was somewhat prepared to be dissappointed. So i pick up the dvd and not sure why but played the documentary first. It is not an understatement to say my understanding of the band changed completely. I come from an era where rock stars had way more aura about them, and and Genesis was at the top of that list. If you're of certain age you remember a day before high def TV, home theatre, and xbox, where a bong and a couple of decent speakers and a great album was an escape the is really impossible to put into words today. Genesis, for me and alot of others was at the top of the list for producing album after album of great music
I have to confess this is my first review of anything on amazon, and i have read many reviews of this band and others where they all carry a similar theme, "this band is the greatest of all time, they walk on water, phil collins era doesnt hold a candle to gabriel, bla,bla,bla."
Frankly, I don't care if you hate , like, or love Genesis. What i took away from the dvd was (again back to the documentary) that this was a band that despite all their success, all their money, and all their accollades, was really struggling to get it together for this tour. The pedestals i put them on all those years ago dissolved as I watched these 3 blokes sweat the Challenges, like Phil's vocal shortcomings(minimal as it turns out) and more than anything else, dealing with getting old.(how can I not relate?). By the time the documentary was over, i was nervous as hell for them, because i feel i for the first time got to know them. i guess what I'm trying to say is that while I always expected(and got) a great show from these guys, This time, I was truly rooting for them to pull it off now.
Every old Genesis fan hopes for as many "old" songs as possible in any concert they give. The boys did not disappoint here.I found myself thinking of old friends and the good times we shared when we were young and didn't have mortgages and 401k's to worry about and music was so front and center in our lives. One of the things that struck me most of all was shots of the people in the audience singing along to the songs. there was a time when almost all my friends knew all the lyrics to all their songs.I've fallen out of touch with all of them, but hope they get a chance to take "take a little trip back" and watch the boys close it out in style.
Way to go guys-thanks for the all the great music through all the years.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Very Disappointed Comment: I was given this as a birthday gift as I am something of a fan of the group. I was really looking forward to see it as I had missed seeing them when they came to LA. So, imagine my surprise when I find the whole set stuffed with "F-Bomb" after "F-Bomb". No, warning from Wal-Mart (the official supplier of the set), no warning sticker, no warning on the screen. I was very disappointed with this product. What then made it even worse was just past half way through the documentary on disc three, we end up with a few censor bleeps anyway, just making the whole thing seem shoty.
If you are someone who does not care, it is a fantastic set, in truth had it been censored I would have given it higher stars, but if you are someone who does care, do yourself a favor and skip it.
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